Covid-19, which first appeared in 2019, has taken the whole world under its influence. This process, which turned into a pandemic, has caused changes in many areas of our lives. Millions of people lost their lives, especially due to Covid, which created radical changes in the field of health. According to a study by Oxford University, people who are infected with Covid are more likely to experience confusion, dementia and epilepsy 2 years after the illness than those who have other respiratory diseases.
THE RISKS OF DIFFERENT DISEASES ARE EXAMINED
According to the news in the BBC, within the scope of the research, the risks of 14 different diseases were examined in 1 million 250 thousand people, mostly in the United States (USA), two years after they had Covid. These results were then compared to the results of 1.25 million people who had a different respiratory infection two years ago. In the group with Covid, the incidence of the following cases was higher:
- Dementia, paralysis, and confusion in adults over 65
- Confusion in adults aged 18-64
- Epilepsy and psychotic disorders in children, although the overall risk is low.
For example, the risk of developing epilepsy after 2 years in children with another respiratory infection was 130 per 10 thousand, while this probability increased to 260 per 10 thousand after Covid.
THE FREQUENCY OF SOME DISORDERS DECREASED
Children’s risk of developing a psychotic disorder also rose to 18 per 10,000 after Covid, but remained a rare risk. The incidence of some ailments decreased two years after Covid. These include anxiety and depression in children and adults, and psychotic disorders in adults. The research also found that the increased risk of depression and anxiety in adults returned to normal in less than two months.
SOME CASE MAY NEED MEDICAL INTERVENTION
From the research team of the Oxford University Department of Psychiatry, Prof. Paul Harrison called it “worrying” that conditions such as dementia and seizures are being observed more frequently, even 2 years after Covid. However, he interpreted it as “good news” that anxiety and depression were not seen in children after Covid, but “short-term” in adults. While the numbers are “hard to ignore,” they aren’t a warning of disaster, the researchers say. But they add that some cases may need medical attention, which can increase the pressure on healthcare services.
OMICRON CAUSES BRAIN AND MENTAL HEALTH RISKS
For the study, which was published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, the researchers looked at the number of people newly diagnosed two years after infection, rather than following individual survivors for two years. In addition, it did not look at how severe each case was or how long it lasted after diagnosis. These have not been compared to Covid or other infections. The researchers chose not to use the “long Covid” designation, where memory and concentration problems known as clouding of consciousness are a typical symptom. Recent research has found that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which started spreading last winter, is less likely to cause long-term Covid symptoms than previous variants. Oxford University’s study found that, although generally milder than the Delta variant, Omicron poses similar brain and mental health risks.
MORE STUDY IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM FINDINGS
There are also limited aspects of the research. The first is that it is not yet known how Covid can cause brain and mental health disorders, although some experts say it can be explained by the development of micro-clots in the blood. The research does not examine the answer to this question. Dr Jonathan Rogers and Prof Glyn Lewis of University College London, who were not part of the research team, note that the study highlights “some clinical implications that need to be specifically investigated”, but that more work is needed before the findings can be confirmed.
HOSPITAL STAY DUE TO COVID EQUAL TO 20 YEARS OF AGING
Prof David Menon, from Cambridge University, said the effect of staying in hospital for Covid was “equal to 20 years of aging (between 50 and 70)”. Paul Garner said that the Covid pandemic has changed people’s lives in many different ways. prof. Garner said the increases in dementia and psychosis are “more likely to be related to the social turmoil and dystopia we are experiencing, rather than being a direct effect of the virus.”