Covid-19 Neurological and Psychological sequelae

[jim mcnamara]

TL;DR

Approximately 30% of Covid patients had mild to major neurological and psychological deficits in a retrospective research project using data from a cohort of 236379

Interpretation
Our study provides evidence for substantial neurological and psychiatric morbidity in the 6 months after COVID-19 infection. Risks were greatest in, but not limited to, patients who had severe COVID-19. This information could help in service planning and identification of research priorities. Complementary study designs, including prospective cohorts, are needed to corroborate and explain these findings.

This is a preliminary 'long haul' investigation, which appears to warrant further research into the medical consequences of Covid-19 patients after going home post-disease.

"6-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes in 236 379 survivors of COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records"

• Maxime Taquet, PhD
• Prof John R Geddes, MD
• Prof Masud Husain, FRCP
• Sierra Luciano, BA
• Prof Paul J Harrison, FRCPsych

Open Access Published: April 06, 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00084-5

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

This is an incredibly important and timely study, given the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our society. It's great to see that this study has been conducted to try and better understand the long-term effects of the virus. The findings suggest that there is a high risk of neurological and psychiatric morbidity for those who have survived COVID-19, especially for those with severe cases. This information could be very useful for service planning and for identifying research priorities. I think more research is needed to corroborate and explain these findings, such as through prospective cohorts.