One-third of COVID-19 survivors present with brain problems

Numerous reports of persistent symptoms manifesting long-term sequelae, including neurological symptoms, have been reported in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 disease (coronavirus disease 2019). Sequela, a condition that has previously caused injury or disease, presents new problems for medical providers.

In this chronic pandemic, doctors and researchers have discovered a number of post-COVID indications. Many COVID-19 patients experience neurological symptoms and syndromes. The long-term effects of severe respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19 infection) on the brain are uncertain.

In a recently published longitudinal study of the preprint server medRxiv *, Andrea Pilotto et al. found that one-third of survivors of COVID-19 infection have long-term neurological symptoms after hospitalization. Survivors exhibited a wide range of neurological symptoms: obesity, from memory and attention issues to sleep disorders, myalgias followed by depression / anxiety, visual disturbances, tremor, and anosmia, loss of sense of smell .

The study cohort included a sample of 165 COVID-19 survivors who were re-evaluated according to a structured, standardized clinical protocol. These patients were examined six months after the release of the COVID-19 Unit of ASST Spedali Civili Hospital, Italy, between February and April 2020.

The team performed follow-up work 6-months after hospitalization and found that the patients were obese (34%), memory / attention (31%), and sleep disorders (30%). most often. When neurological examination was performed, they found that patients exhibited brain disorders, sensory deficits, hyposmia (reduced sense of smell), and postural vibration, the most common.

It was observed that the patients who reported neurological symptoms were those for whom respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infectious parameters worsened while in hospital.

Patients with severe disease reported memory complaints and visual disturbances. The team found that the neurological disorders were associated with old age, a higher pre-morbid comorbidity index, worse BCRSS (Brescia-COVID Respiratory Deprivation Scale), longer hospital stays, and a higher number. of neurological symptoms reported.

The best predictors of brain disorders were identified in this study as 1). length of hospitalization and 2). the pre-morbid comorbidity index (i.e., disease present before the onset of COVID-19). The mental retardation was specifically related to the severity of COVID-19 independently of age and pre-morbid conditions. It is certain that hospitalization and the severity of COVID-19 have a profound effect on patients with other diseases.

“In this study, patients with brain diseases developed at the advanced stage of SARS-CoV-2 disease were not considered, and therefore may underestimate the global nuclear burden as a result of COVID-19. ”

This study supports previous evidence on long-term effects of COVID-19 involving both central and peripheral nervous systems. The SARS-CoV-2 infection manifested in COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness. However, closer examination reveals that several organs and their activity are damaged as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Multiple brain dysfunctions, including brain impairment, have been linked to the severity of SARS-CoV-2 respiratory disease. This study evaluates any neurological manifestations after six months of follow-up in COVID-19 survivors and their potential association with pre-morbid conditions and severity. the SARS-CoV-2 disease. The team also argues that long-term neurological problems may seem common even in patients with less severe disease. This study confirms the importance of assessing the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on brain health status.

The “post-COVID-19 syndrome” has damaged many lives, often forcing survivors to return to the doctor. It is important to monitor and monitor the frequency, type, duration and severity of persistent symptoms, following resolution of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. This research will help identify the underlying cause ̶ subsequently providing better rehabilitation and care for the patients.

* Important message

medRxiv publish preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be seen as final, guiding health-related clinical practice / behavior, or be treated as information established.