The report says that 2020 will increase the number of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

When the new coronavirus hit, it stopped. The couple stopped going to restaurants, visiting friends, and meeting adult children. They had to stop walking their dogs because Kathy in the crowd liked to run up and hug their neighbors and didn’t understand why it wasn’t safe.

The change made her a tailwind. “It was as if the bottom had fallen,” Mark said. “I couldn’t calm her down.” In the months that followed, her cognitive decline so sharply she was transferred to a memory care facility and died in September.

Her husband is blaming the pandemic. “I can’t say she’s gone, but I could see a clear line between when we shut down and when she went into memory care,” he said. “One of the things that made her happy was when she met people, smiled at them, laughed with them, hugged them, and she couldn’t do it. Will do. “

If the pandemic accelerated Kathy’s decline and death, she’s probably not alone. Preliminary reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that by 2020, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will increase by at least 42,000 compared to an average of five years ago. Report Released on Tuesday by the Alzheimer’s Association. This was about 16 percent more than expected.

Approximately 40% of covid-19 deaths in the United States were residents or employees of long-term care facilities, according to a report that evaluates the organization’s annual facts and numbers.

The report also states that by 2050, the number of people aged 65 and over living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States is now 620, as the number of people in that age group increases from 58 million to 88 million. It says it will surge from 10,000 to 12.7 million.

The largest surge in dementia deaths in 2020 will occur early in the pandemic, with the virus rampant in nursing homes and other communal areas, perfecting how healthcare professionals and caregivers protect people. Maria said she had killed many inhabitants before she understood. Carrillo, Chief Scientific Officer of the Association. “Now I’m vaccinated, I think it’s going to level off,” she said.

However, for people with cognitive impairment who did not die from covid-19, the effects of the coronavirus can be far beyond the initial surge. Over the past year, pandemics have helped disrupt daily activities, divide families, reduce social interactions, and keep patients functioning longer.

Social isolation has been shown to correlate with cognitive problems in the elderly. However, determining the depth of its impact will take time, along with the impact of interrupted routines, simplified medical care and other factors during the pandemic, Carrillo said.

“There’s a lot to unpack,” she said. “We plan to analyze this data in the next few years.”

In addition to studying people who were previously diagnosed with dementia, researchers need to track the rate of new diagnoses. This can delay until older people and their families feel more comfortable with direct medical appointments.

“People may have postponed going to the doctor … Or doctors are only doing virtual visits,” which can be difficult to detect for subtle changes in cognitive function. Postponing the appointment could delay the diagnosis of comorbidities such as diabetes, she said. “Did safety measures actually affect our older people? [by] Accelerate dementia? I don’t know yet, “she said.

A study published in October found that pandemics have a direct and indirect adverse effect on dementia and pre-dementia patients.

A study of 389 patients and 147 caregivers associated with the Dutch Memory Clinic found that patients experienced increased social isolation, psychological symptoms, and discontinuation of care. .. Both patients and caregivers said they were worried about faster cognitive decline, and three-quarters of caregivers reported increased problems such as indifference, sleep problems, agitation, and repetitive behavior.

The report states that these can have a snowball effect. “Recent reviews show that patients with aggression, wandering, or disinhibition are at even greater risk of catching and spreading COVID-19, and studies have shown that catching causes a vicious cycle. COVID-19 has a negative effect on the brain and cognition. “

The study, published in the journal Frontiersin Psychiatry, investigated patients living alone or with partners and family, with patients diagnosed with cognitive decline by the test and those who performed well in the test but were subjective. Included both patients who experienced cognitive decline.

Because of the pandemic, many people sought social connections online, “but this is more difficult for patients with cognitive complaints,” the study said. “We found that some patients never went out.” This included skipping visits to doctors or hospitals, either by choice or because the medical facility was closed. It was.

“loss [of] Structural and social cohesion may be the last impetus for the development of overt symptoms, “the study said, and uncertainties and anxiety directly related to pandemics could have exacerbated symptoms. I added.

Sam Fazio, senior director of quality care and psychosocial research at the Alzheimer’s Association, anecdotally said that people with dementia and their caregivers reported similar experiences.

At a recent roundtable among leaders in the dementia care provider industry, “all of them see their residents being more compromised by lack of socialization, lack of access to their rooms. “He said.

Fazio warned that relatives of people isolated in long-term care facilities should expect to see a big difference when they are able to visit.

“Their families may not be as functioning as they used to be,” he said. “You can’t prepare for decline just by looking through the window or talking on the phone.”

Both a report from the Alzheimer’s Association and a Dutch study point to an increasing burden on family and friends caring for people with dementia during a pandemic.

“Careers are restricted or completely banned from visiting or communicating with relatives living in care facilities due to the COVID-19 blockade process,” the association’s report said in many states for adults. Day trip program is also suspended or closed. “These and other factors formed by the COVID-19 pandemic caused emotional distress and other negative consequences among caregivers.”

Family caregivers who can reach relatives by phone or email at a care facility show greater mental health for themselves and their relatives than caregivers who rely on home care staff for communication. The report states.

According to a Dutch survey, more than half of caregivers reported a higher burden during a pandemic, and a report by Dutch patient organization Alzheimer Nederland on a similar survey found that 80% of respondents were more burdened by caregivers. Was shown.

According to a report from the Alzheimer’s Association, professional care workers are also being adversely affected. “Lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), lack of transparent communication about the extent of COVID-19 outbreaks within and between facilities, work-related burdens due to the COVID-19 management protocol, and increased workload All the rapid changes have contributed. It has become an almost intolerable work situation for different types of staff in long-term home care. “

“These staff can provide meaningful assistance in successfully managing emotional tension, bereavement (due to the high rate of deaths of residents focused on home care with COVID-19), or other adverse effects. It’s unclear if they have received it, “the report said. Experts warned that “nursing homes and other home care facilities will be more vulnerable to future pandemics and similar crises,” unless there are significant changes.

Other studies on dementia and covid-19 include International research Initially funded by the Alzheimer’s Association, it tracks approximately 40,000 survivors in 40 countries and understands the long-term effects of age on the brain and nervous system.

Decades of evidence from other respiratory viruses, along with patient observations over the last few months, indicate that such infections may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders. Suggests.

By the end of 2020, 1-2 percent of the world’s population had symptomatic covid-19, and perhaps more than 5 percent had asymptomatic infections, according to the lead investigator of the study. It is unknown how many more people will be infected, but if even a small proportion of survivors have increased cognitive impairment, the effects can be socially and economically devastating.