At its core, the COVID-19 is a viral infection that can affect anyone with lower immunity and can spread easily. In the bigger picture, the coronavirus threat is a pandemic situation which is quickly affected the entire world. With the way it is infecting everyone and affecting the way of life, a new study deems that it will cause a wave of neuropsychiatric conditions, especially with those recovering or having recovered from COVID-19.
COVID-19 could have an impact on mental health. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The paper points out that the current pandemic situation is impacting every facet of life, including social and economic. In addition to this, it is also a psychological stressor globally. Someone affected by the virus is also at the risk of their brain and behavior being affected consequently, through the stress on their central nervous system.
“Past pandemics have demonstrated that diverse types of neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as encephalopathy, mood changes, psychosis, neuromuscular dysfunction or demyelinating processes, may accompany acute viral infection, or may follow infection by weeks, months, or longer in recovered patients,” warn the authors of this study. “Our article seeks to bring the medical community’s attention to the need for monitoring and investigations to mitigate such outcomes, not to cause panic among individuals whose lives are already greatly affected by this pandemic.”
The team of researchers from the University of California San Diego highlights the increased risk of conditions such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, delirium, mania, and suicidal tendencies. These observations are based on the study of the previous respiratory viral pandemics and conditions which were experienced following influenza pandemics in the 18th and the 19th century. Based on these observations, the study recommends prospective monitoring of COVID-19 patients to determine neuropsychiatric outcomes.
The results of this study have been published in the Brain, Behavior, and Immunity journal. [1] [2]
For the latest updates on COVID-19, please visit the CDC link and the NIH link. [3] [4]
