2024-08-05 22:02:12
Depression, anxiety, fatigue, but also memory problems and a low IQ: this is the heavy legacy of Covid-19 can go away, even 2-3 years after infection and hospitalization, according to a new study published in ‘Lancet Psychiatry’. Carried out by a team of researchers across the UK, led by the Universities of Oxford and Leicester, the work highlights the persistent and critical nature of cognitive and psychiatric disordersas well as the appearance of new symptoms years after infection.
Research
The study was conducted on 475 participants, who had been hospitalized during the first wave of the pandemic, who were asked to complete a series of cognitive tests through their computer and to report the presence of depression, anxiety, fatigue and attention conceptual memory problems. In addition, they were asked if they had changed jobs and why.
Symptoms
From the results it appears that two or three years after being infected with Covid-19, the participants received significantly lower scores on average in attention and memory tests: practically, on average, 10 points of IQ were lost.. In addition, a significant proportion reported symptoms of depression (about 1 in 5), anxiety (1 in 8), fatigue (1 in 4), and memory problems (1 in 4), which worsened over time. . Although most of these symptoms are already present six months after infection, some still experience problems 2 or 3 years after infection that they have not experienced before. This suggests that early symptoms – scientists show – can be a predictor of subsequent disorders and more, showing the importance of time management. Not alone. More than one in four participants reported that they had changed careers, with many citing cognitive deficits as the reason. more than the depression or anxiety experienced after the illness.
“These findings help us understand the burden of psychiatric symptoms that people experience years after hospitalization for Covid-19, who are at risk of long-term consequences, and their impact on their ability to work – Maxime Taquet, professor at the Department of Psychiatry in Oxford, who conducted the study – This is important for policy makers and doctors and helps to target preventive interventions.”
“Understanding the long-term psychological and clinical consequences of Covid-19 is important for many people, both patients and health workers – comments Paul Harrison, professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford – We hope that these findings will prompt further research. into developing effective interventions to help prevent and treat these mental consequences of Covid-19. ”
Il rate of recovery at six months post-infection is a strong predictor of long-term brain and cognitive outcomes: Early intervention to control symptoms can prevent the development of more serious syndromes and improve overall recovery, researchers recommend.
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