Diagnosed and unable to go to work? COVID-19 damages "cognitive function" Cambridge study: 70% of patients affected
The Omicron epidemic in Taiwan continues to spread, with tens of thousands of confirmed cases every day becoming the norm; however, the subsequent “Long Covid” symptoms of patients who suffered from Alpha and Delta last year may require more attention from relevant units. Research published in “Frontier in Aging Neuroscience” by the University of Cambridge in the UK shows that cognitive dysfunction caused by COVID-19 generally reduces patients’ memory and attention, and may affect work performance.
More than 70% of COVID-19 patients have cognitive decline, experts worry about the impact of the disease on the global workforce
The University of Cambridge recruited subjects from October 2020 to March 2021 and conducted long-term tracking of 181 COVID-19 patients within 18 months. Most of them had been infected with COVID-19 for at least 6 months before the start of the study. . Another 185 healthy normal people who have not been infected with the virus served as a control group for comparison.
Research results reveal that about 70% of patients develop attention deficit and memory loss several months after the onset of the disease, and most patients have worse cognitive abilities than their healthy peers. Another 78% of patients felt that they had difficulty concentrating, 69% had brain fog, 68% had significant memory decline, and 60% could not find the correct word in the pronunciation test. In addition, 75% of patients are unable to work for a long time, and 86% believe that cognitive dysfunction affects their work performance.
Lucy G. Cheke, the lead author of the study, said that even if patients are not hospitalized due to COVID-19, those with severe initial symptoms of COVID-19 are more likely to develop various persistent symptoms weeks or months later, such as nausea, abdominal pain, and chest tightness. and breathing problems. In addition, patients over 30 years old are more likely to experience severe symptoms than younger people.
“People think the only symptoms of COVID-19 are fatigue or coughing, but cognitive problems are the second most common symptom - and research data shows that the virus can have a significant impact on brain function. When official agencies and health units call for “living with COVID-19” “At the same time, they often ignore the real damage caused by cognitive problems to patients with COVID-19.”
Cheke said that cognitive function problems caused by COVID-19 may affect patients’ work performance and ability to survive, which means that the potential impact on the world’s working population is greater than imagined; and relevant units should treat it more cautiously.
Will the COVID-19 problem be solved? Statistics reveal: 3 doses of vaccine reduces risk
The above-mentioned research currently does not have data on COVID-19 symptoms related to Delta or Omicron variants, but a data recently released by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that compared with Omicron virus, the probability of contracting COVID-19 is higher after infection with Delta virus. About 50%. In addition, the probability of contracting COVID-19 is 21.8% higher among those infected with Omicron BA.2 than those infected with BA.1.
Daniel Ayoubkhan, Ph.D. of Science at the University of Southampton, UK, who participated in this analysis, said that statistical data shows that for patients who initially carry the Delta variant, the chance of contracting COVID-19 is reduced by about 50% after three doses of the vaccine; Because Omicron is more likely to infect the upper respiratory tract, typical COVID-19 symptoms such as excessive wheezing and shortness of breath are greatly reduced, but it may still cause a certain degree of damage to the brain structure.
“According to statistics, regardless of whether they are infected with Delta or Omicron, patients who have received 3 doses of the vaccine can avoid the occurrence of COVID-19 to the greatest extent. The probability of developing COVID-19 in patients with Delta and BA.2 is about 8.5% and 8%, which is higher than that of 2 doses of the vaccine. The number of doses of vaccine was 15.9%, which was a decrease compared with 9.3%.”
Ayoubkhan pointed out that from the statistical results, it can be inferred that 3 vaccinations will protect the human body better than never vaccinating or only vaccinating twice. However, as time goes by, the effectiveness of the vaccine may gradually weaken; therefore, whether the fourth dose of vaccine should be scheduled for specific groups (such as the elderly, people with chronic diseases, and people with immune diseases) to avoid long-term COVID-19 outbreaks, it is practical This is one of the directions that relevant units need to consider carefully.
source:
Memory and concentration problems are common in long COVID and must not be ignored, say scientists
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