Anxiety, depression may be a sign of Covid-19: Study

Anxiety behavior or depression in COVID-19 patients may be a sign that the virus is affecting the central nervous system, an international study suggested by researchers at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine suggests .. Studies have shown that these two psychological symptoms were most closely associated with odor and taste loss, rather than more serious indicators of the new coronavirus, such as shortness of breath, cough, and fever.

“When I’m asked why I’m depressed or anxious when I’m COVID positive, it’s because my symptoms are severe, short of breath, or unable to breathe, or symptoms like coughing or high blood pressure. I think Dr. Ahmad Sedagat, MD, Associate Professor of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California School of Medicine Otolaryngology and Director of Rhinology, Allergy and Anterior Skull Base Surgery.

“Neither of these symptoms predicting morbidity or mortality was related to how depressed or anxious these patients were,” said UC, who specializes in nasal and sinus illnesses. Said health doctor Sedagat.

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“The only element of COVID-19 associated with depression and anxiety was the severity of the patient’s loss of olfaction and taste. This was an unexpected and shocking result,” Sedagat added.

Sedagat conducted a prospective, cross-sectional telephone questionnaire survey investigating the characteristics and symptoms of 114 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 over 6 weeks at Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.

The severity of odor or taste loss during COVID-19, nasal obstruction, excessive mucus production, fever, cough, and shortness of breath were assessed. Research results are available online from the laryngoscope.

The first author of this study was Marlene M. Speth, MD, and other co-authors include Thirza Singer-Cornelius, MD. Michael Oberle, PhD; Isabelle Gengler, MD; and Steffi Brockmeier, MD.

At the time of enrollment in the study, when participants were experiencing COVID-19, 47.4% of participants reported depressed mood for at least a few days per week, and 21.1% felt depressed almost every day. I reported. Regarding severity, 44.7% of participants reported expressing mild anxiety, and 10.5% reported severe anxiety.

“The unexpected finding that the least anxious symptoms of COVID-19 may cause the greatest degree of psychological distress could potentially tell us something about this disease.” It’s true,” said Sedagat.

“Our findings suggest that psychological distress in the form of depressed mood or anxiety may reflect the penetration of the COVID-19-causing virus SARS-CoV-2 into the central nervous system. I think so,” Seda Hut added.

The researchers have long thought that the olfactory tract may be the main way coronavirus enters the central nervous system, says Sedagart. This was evidenced by SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, the first viral outbreak in China in November 2002 that spread through international travel to 29 countries.

Studies using mouse models of the virus indicate that the olfactory tract, or the nasal-to-brain transmission of odors, is an entrance to the central nervous system and a brain infection.

“These symptoms of psychological distress, such as depressed mood and anxiety, are central nervous system symptoms when they are only associated with decreased olfaction,” Sedagat said.

“This could indicate that the virus had infected olfactory neurons, reduced olfaction, and then used the olfactory tract to develop central nervous system symptoms,” Sedagat added.

COVID-19’s rare but severe central nervous system symptoms, such as seizures and changes in mental status, have been reported, but decreased mood and anxiety are the most common but milder central nervous system symptoms of COVID-19. That could be, Sedaghat explains.

“There may be penetration of the virus into the central nervous system, rather than thinking based on the prevalence of olfactory-related depressive mood and anxiety. This is how the virus interacts with the central nervous system. Will open the door for future investigations,” Sedagat said.

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