COVID infection causes cognitive decline in UK subjects

[FireDragon76]

Cognitive decline was not just seen in the sickest individuals, but even those with milder disease who didn't end up in the hospital.


The original article front the Lancet:


DEFINE_ME

And a discussion on American PBS with one of the researchers:

 

[Sword of the Lord]

I had COVID-19. Nothing about me has changed. No long term sleep issues, breathing issues, headaches, prolonged lack of taste and smell, no cognitive decline. It was a couple days of sickly aches and a week and a half of no smell or taste, and then it was over.

 

[FireDragon76]

I had COVID-19. Nothing about me has changed. No long term sleep issues, breathing issues, headaches, prolonged lack of taste and smell, no cognitive decline. It was a couple days of sickly aches and a week and a half of no smell or taste, and then it was over.

It's good you recovered from your illness. However, a substantial minority of people who recover from the initial symptoms are not so fortunate and have lingering symptoms weeks or months afterwards. The loss of smell and taste is indicative of the virus attacking the nervous system, and for some people, that's effecting deeper structures, like astrocytes, a cell type in the brain that supports brain function (COVID-19 preferentially infects astrocytes in the brain).

COVID and the brain: researchers zero in on how damage occurs

This is a worrying discovery because it means bad news long term for countries that fail to substantially reign in the virus. Loss of cognitive function in a substantial part of the population will have lingering impacts for decades potentially, affecting things like economic recovery and growth, and even potentially the crime rate (people with poor executive functioning are more likely to commit crimes).

 

[essentialsaltes]

New studies suggest Covid sneaks into the brain through your nose

Early research suggests that SARS-CoV-2 can enter the brain easily through a person's nose, infiltrating brain cells where it lurks unchecked, possibly leading to lasting neurological symptoms, such as trouble with thinking and memory.

Two new studies — from the California National Primate Research Center and the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto — suggest that the virus directly infects neurons in the brain, potentially offering clues as to why some people suffer from a range of symptoms long after their initial Covid infection.

 

[rambot]

My wife had covid last november. She still feels cloudy headed and more forgetful than she ever has been.

I know of several people who simply cannot work anymore (children of my parent's friends).

Long COVID is for real and I'm not sure people are recognizing the affect it may have on the working population.

 

[7thKeeper]

I had COVID-19. Nothing about me has changed. No long term sleep issues, breathing issues, headaches, prolonged lack of taste and smell, no cognitive decline. It was a couple days of sickly aches and a week and a half of no smell or taste, and then it was over.

Good to hear that you recovered without problems. My wife had Covid about a year ago and her sense of taste is still off. She lost both smell and taste, but her sense of smell recovered and we don't think there's anything wrong with it anymore (took about three months for it to come back), but taste is off. Especially when it comes to sour things. Luckily no cognitive effects.

 

[Goonie]

Wow, maybe COVID is older than we thought, it would sure explain Brexit and Boris.