In a few cases, people without a history of mental health problems have developed severe psychotic symptoms after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Jennifer Price, of suburban Morris, believes her husband, Ben, contracted what was known as “post-COVID psychosis” before her death.
Ben Price, a beloved father of two and a farmer, died by suicide a few days after being treated and released from hospital by COVID.
“That was another level of something that took over his brain,” Jennifer Price explained.
Jennifer Price said her husband had not experienced mental health issues in the past and as the days went by she noticed a drastic change in her behavior.
“I was really with a level of panic and paranoia and I was scared,” he said. “He kept saying I’m so scared, I’m so scared, and I couldn’t even tell you what scared him.”
Jennifer Price thought her husband was suffering from brain fog. Doctors prescribed Ben Price anxiety medication, but his condition only got worse.
“We couldn’t do anything to relax and calm down,” Jennifer Price said. “That was heartbreaking.”
Dr. Danesh Alam, a psychiatrist at Northwestern Medicine, says post-COVID psychosis is rare and, as a result of reported cases, researchers are looking at how COVID affects the human brain.
“Laboratories suggest the virus may be crossing the blood-brain barrier and some of the changes we’re seeing [the] brain related to major psychotic disorders is being observed, ”the doctor explained.
As more studies are completed, Jennifer Price hopes that by sharing her husband’s story, the lives of others can be saved.
“We would have done something different if we had known about it,” he told NBC 5.
Doctors say that if you notice a change in the behavior of your loved one, even if they are hospitalized for COVID-19, contact a doctor immediately so that the symptoms can be detected and treated sooner.