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Is there evidence that COVID-19 can cause lasting neurological or psychological effects?

Thursday, November 19, 2020
By Esther Tsvayg
YES

COVID-19 appears to affect brain function in some patients. Some doctors have estimated that as many as 30% to 50% of patients could experience neurological or psychological symptoms during their recovery. Potential neurological symptoms including dizziness, headache, muscle weakness and lingering loss of smell or taste.

Research is currently underway at the University of Leicester to investigate long-term mental health effects of the virus on patients after hospital treatment. A separate, shorter-term study published in November using anonymized data of 62,354 patients suggested that, in patients with no previous psychiatric history, a diagnosis of COVID-19 increased incidence of subsequent psychiatric diagnoses. The most common diagnoses were anxiety disorders, insomnia and dementia.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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