Low oxygen levels and the effect of the virus on the body’s blood clotting system have also been studied as possible explanations.
While the study’s findings are significant, Petersen says no unnecessary alarm is needed. Just because you have had a coronavirus infection does not mean that you are “destined to develop neurological or psychiatric problems,” he notes.
That said, if you start to experience new or unusual symptoms that persist or reappear after you have COVID-19, “you may need to consult with your personal physician to see if, in fact, there is something that is elaborate “. Petersen notes that the study also serves as a reminder for health care providers to keep COVID-19 “on the radar screen” as a possible factor contributing to serious neurological conditions, such as stroke.
Doctors prepare for the influx of patients with brain-related symptoms
With the total number of cases of COVID-19 continuing to rise in the United States, Sara Manning Peskin, a Penn Medicine neurologist who works with people experiencing post-COVID-19 brain fog, predicts that the health care system will begin to see an “influx “of patients who observe brain – related symptoms after COVID-19. To this end, the authors of the study write that health services “must be configured and have resources 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. “There’s a huge demand for clinics because patients have these experiences and no one knows what to do,” says Manning Peskin.
The NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Disorders (NINDS) has also launched a database to track all the neurological symptoms and outcomes that U.S. health care providers present 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 “be alert” and continue with proven mitigation efforts: wear a mask in public, keep a distance of at least 6 feet from others, wash your hands often, avoid congestion and poorly ventilated spaces and get a vaccine when you are at your disposal.
As for the next steps, experts agree that more research is needed to better understand COVID-19 and the brain, and especially the long-term complications that can result from a coronavirus infection.
“I think [the study published in The Lancet Psychiatry] it’s really good proof that there’s an association, “says Manning Peskin.” Everyone just wonders what’s really causing it and the next step is to treat it. “