One in 3 suffers anxiety, other mental illness after COVID
A major study has revealed that one in three people infected with COVID-19 are left with mental health problems or neurological symptoms that persist for a long time.
The groundbreaking study was published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry and is the largest of its kind involving the electronic health records of more than 236,000 COVID patients, mostly in the US.
The study shows that 34 percent of coronavirus survivors had neurological or psychological conditions within six months of infection.
The most common diagnosis was anxiety, found in 17 percent of those treated for COVID-19, followed by mood disorders found in 14 percent of patients, CNN reports.
Scientists said the results show how the healthcare systems ought to continue helping COVID-19 survivors.
“Our results indicate that brain diseases and psychiatric disorders are more common after COVID-19 than after flu or other respiratory infections, even when patients are matched for other risk factors,” said Maxime Taquet, a co-author of the new report.
And researchers also agree that there need to be further studies that show what happens to COVID patients after six months.
The study also showed that neurological effects were more severe in hospitalized patients, but are still common in those who were only treated in an outpatient setting.
Similar to the findings of this new study, research in February followed 381 patients treated for COVID-19 at a hospital in Rome, Italy and found that 30 percent of them experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after recovery.
The study shows that 34 percent of coronavirus survivors had neurological or psychological conditions within six months of infection.
The most common diagnosis was anxiety, found in 17 percent of those treated for COVID-19, followed by mood disorders found in 14 percent of patients, CNN reports.
Scientists said the results show how the healthcare systems ought to continue helping COVID-19 survivors.
“Our results indicate that brain diseases and psychiatric disorders are more common after COVID-19 than after flu or other respiratory infections, even when patients are matched for other risk factors,” said Maxime Taquet, a co-author of the new report.
And researchers also agree that there need to be further studies that show what happens to COVID patients after six months.
The study also showed that neurological effects were more severe in hospitalized patients, but are still common in those who were only treated in an outpatient setting.
Similar to the findings of this new study, research in February followed 381 patients treated for COVID-19 at a hospital in Rome, Italy and found that 30 percent of them experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after recovery.
