Low oxygen levels and the virus’s effect on the body’s blood clotting system have also been studied as possible explanations.
While the study’s findings are significant, Petersen says there should be no unnecessary alarms. Just because you’ve had a coronavirus infection doesn’t mean you are “destined to develop neurological or psychiatric problems,” he emphasizes.
That said, if you start showing new or unusual symptoms that persist or recur after having COVID-19, “it might at the very least merit an investigation with your personal doctor to see if there is indeed anything about it. is scalding. ” Petersen notes that the study also serves as a reminder for health care providers to keep COVID-19 “on their radar screen” as a potential contributing factor to serious neurological conditions, such as stroke.
Doctors are bracing for the influx of patients with brain-related symptoms
As the total number of COVID-19 cases in the US continues to rise, Sara Manning Peskin, a neurologist at Penn Medicine who works with people with post-COVID-19 brain fog, predicts that the health system will start to see an “influx.” of patients who noticed brain-related symptoms after COVID-19. The study authors write that health services “need to be configured and resourced to meet this anticipated need.”
Several hospitals and health systems have set up clinics to help treat people who experience persistent effects of COVID-19 – and some specifically treat neurological problems. “The clinics are in high demand because patients have these experiences and no one knows what to do,” says Manning Peskin.
The NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has also launched a database to track all the neurological symptoms and outcomes that health care providers in the US see in coronavirus patients.
To date, there is no specific intervention that prevents COVID-19-related brain problems. That’s why NewYork-Presbyterian’s Parikh says it’s important to “stay vigilant” and continue with proven mitigation efforts – wear a mask in public, keep at least six feet away from others, was your hands often, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated areas, and receive a vaccine when available to you.
As for the next steps, experts agree that more research is needed to better understand COVID-19 and the brain – and especially any long-term complications that may arise from a coronavirus infection.
“I think [the study published in The Lancet Psychiatry] is really good proof that there is a connection, ”says Manning Peskin. “Everyone is just wondering what is actually causing it, and the next step is to treat it.”