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With the pandemic just months old, no one knows how far into the future symptoms will endure, and whether COVID-19 will prompt the onset of chronic diseases.

We know that the virus can cause inflammation throughout the body. This is why dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory agent, has shown great promise in treating it.

It also causes inflammation of the central nervous system, which can lead to neurological disorders that outlast the infection, according to a study conducted by UCL’s Institute of Neurology, the results of which were published in July.

In order for the results of scientific study to be confirmed, similar studies have to be conducted in the field, expanding on, or producing, the same results.

This is now the case, with a recent study by experts from San Raffaele hospital in Milan showing similar findings.

The study has been published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity after monitoring 402 patients following treatment for the virus.

55% of them were found to have at least one psychiatric disorder.

Per The Guardian:

The results, based on clinical interviews and self-assessment questionnaires, showed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 28% of cases, depression in 31% and anxiety in 42%. Additionally, 40% of patients had insomnia and 20% had obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms.

According to the paper, the findings provide precedent for monitoring the long-term psychiatric wellbeing of recovered patients.

“Considering the alarming impact of Covid-19 infection on mental health, the current insights on inflammation in psychiatry, and the present observation of worse inflammation leading to worse depression, we recommend to assess psychopathology of Covid-19 survivors and to deepen research on inflammatory biomarkers, in order to diagnose and treat emergent psychiatric conditions.”

The study of 265 men and 137 women found that women are both more likely to recover from the virus, and more likely to develop more acute mental health problems afterwards.

Patients with positive previous psychiatric diagnoses suffered more than those without a history of psychiatric disorder. The researchers, led by Dr Mario Gennaro Mazza, said these results were consistent with previous epidemiological studies.

They said psychiatric effects could be caused “by the immune response to the virus itself, or by psychological stressors such as social isolation, psychological impact of a novel severe and potentially fatal illness, concerns about infecting others, and stigma.”

Other long-term effects associated with the virus have included brain inflammation, stroke, and psychosis alongside fatigue, a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, achy joints, foggy thinking, a persistent loss of sense of smell, and damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.

Image: ScienceMag

These studies are ongoing, as scientists try to make sense of the virus and its after-effects.

The likelihood of a patient developing persistent symptoms is hard to pinpoint because different studies track different outcomes and follow recovered patients for different periods of time.

If you’ve recovered from the virus and you notice any of the symptoms listed above, you should contact your doctor to make sure that you’re getting the proper treatment.

[source:guardian]