A new study confirms the impact of Covid-19 on the brain. It concerns the first elderly patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Wuhan (China), the starting point of the epidemic.
In Wuhan in early 2020, thousands of people flocked to the three hospitals designated to receive the first patients infected with the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Among these patients, Chinese researchers selected the large cohort for their study, which aimed to measure potential long-term cognitive changes after injury.
This study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology, focuses on patients 60 years of age or older who were hospitalized between February 10 and April 10, 2020 and have survived Covid-19. More than 3,000 people met these criteria, but some were excluded: those with pre-existing cognitive or neurological disorders and those with a family history of heart, liver, or kidney disease. In total, more than 1,400 prior patients were enrolled in the study. The control group consisted of the spouses of these patients, all of whom were uninfected.
12% of patients
What conclusions did the authors of this study draw about this particular group and over the long term? Do they go in the same direction as other cognitive and brain disorders? This may be the case, especially in people who are severely infected with the Covid-19 virus. The development of their cognitive function was measured at six months and then at one year, through a questionnaire and telephone interview to assess any cognitive decline.
Outcome 1: One year after leaving the hospital, just over 12% of the participants had a cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment or dementia). In the most affected subjects, the incidence of these conditions was comparable to that of the control group. However, 15% of those most affected had dementia and a quarter had mild cognitive impairment a year after leaving the hospital. To the study authors, these findings suggest that Covid-19 in its severe form appears to be associated with long-term cognitive impairment. And that “the epidemic could contribute significantly”
for the global burden of dementia in the future.”
For blogging: Before the pandemic, the projections for dementia were not really optimistic, both European and global. By 2050, cases should double worldwide. Especially if these results are confirmed.
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