Is it a pandemic in itself?

(Conversation) One in three survivors of COVID-19, more commonly referred to as a COVID-19 long-distance infected person, suffered from neuropathy or psychiatric disorders 6 months after infection. The patient showed.

The researchers examined 236,379 British patients diagnosed with COVID-19 over a 6-month period and analyzed neurological and psychiatric complications during that period. They compared those individuals with other individuals who experienced similar respiratory illnesses other than COVID-19.

They found a significant increase in several medical conditions in the COVID-19 group, including amnesia, neuropathy, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and insomnia. In addition, symptoms were seen in all age groups, asymptomatic, patients isolated in home quarantine, and patients admitted to the hospital.

The results of this study demonstrate the seriousness of the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. Over the last 12 months, numerous reports of brain fog, post-traumatic stress disorders, heart disease, lung disease, and gastrointestinal disorders have hit the media, confusing and questioning scientists. Did the acute symptoms go away?

As an assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery, I can’t help but wonder what I’ve learned from past experiences with other viruses. Most notably, the COVID-19 results have been with us for quite some time.

Learn from history

Past viral outbreaks, such as the 1918 influenza pandemic and the 2003 SARS outbreak, provide examples of possible challenges for COVID-19. And the long-term effects of other viral infections help provide insights.

Several other viruses, including most of the viruses that cause common upper and lower respiratory tract infections, have been shown to cause chronic symptoms such as anxiety, depression, memory loss, and malaise. Experts believe that these symptoms are likely due to long-term effects on the immune system. The virus tricks the body into causing a persistent inflammatory response that is resistant to treatment.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is one such illness. Researchers believe that this condition is due to the continued activation of the immune system long after the initial infection is resolved.

In contrast to other viral infections, COVID-19 survivors in this study reported persistent symptoms lasting more than 6 months, with no significant improvement over time. The abundance of psychiatric symptoms is also noteworthy and can be attributed to both infection and pandemic-related experiences.

These findings have led researchers to assume some mechanisms after acute COVID-19 infection that can lead to long-distance COVID-19. The known historical background of chronic symptoms following other viruses gives doctors and researchers a glimpse into the future of COVID-19, which may create treatments that alleviate persistent symptoms in patients. ..

When will COVID-19 really end?

COVID-19 is currently known to affect all organ systems, including the brain, lungs, heart, kidneys and intestines.

There are several theories as to the cause of chronic protracted symptoms. Hypotheses include direct damage to organs by the virus, continuous activation of the immune system after an acute infection, and persistent viral particles that find a safe port in the body.

To date, autopsy studies have not confirmed the presence or excess of COVID-19 particles in the brain, and immune theory is the most likely cause of brain dysfunction.

Some recovered COVID-19 patients detail significant improvement or elimination of long-term symptoms after vaccination with COVID-19 vaccine. Others report improvement after a short course of steroids. The most plausible explanation for the long-term direct effects of COVID-19 on the brain is due to its whole body connection and the fact that COVID-19 is a multiple organ disease.

Although these findings may indicate a long-term direct immune-related cause of COVID-19, there is not yet a real answer to define the true cause and duration of the disease.

World after COVID-19

In February, the National Institutes of Health announced a new initiative to study the long COVID-19. It is now collectively referred to as the acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2. NIH has created a US $ 1.15 billion fund to study this new disease. The objectives of this study include the causes of long-term symptoms, the number of people affected, and the vulnerabilities that lead to long-term COVID-19.

In my view, public health authorities should remain open and transparent when discussing the short-term and long-term effects of COVID-19. Society as a whole needs the best possible information to understand its implications and solve problems.

COVID-19 continues to be one of the largest socio-economic problems in the world, even as it begins to recognize the true long-term effects of this disease. Both science and research should be enthusiastic about the fight even after the acute infection is gone. The chronic effects of this disease seem to be on us for some time.

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This article has been republished by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/prolonged-brain-dysfunction-in-covid-19-survivors-a-pandemic-in-its-own-right-158743..