Cognitive losses due to severe cases of COVID-19 would be equivalent to aging 20 years according to a British study published at the end of April.
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The cognitive impairment resulting from a severe COVID-19 case is similar to that experienced between the ages of 50 and 70 and is equivalent to losing 10 IQ points, according to a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge and the ‘Imperial College London.
The results of the study suggest that the effects are still detectable more than six months following illness, and that any recovery is gradual at best.
“We followed some patients up to ten months following their acute infection, so we might see very slow improvement,” said study author David Menon. Although this is not statistically significant, it is at least going in the right direction, but it is very possible that some of these people will never fully recover.
This study only looked at hospitalized cases, but the team says even patients who aren’t sick enough to be admitted can also show signs of mild impairment.
A study found that around one in seven people surveyed said they had symptoms including cognitive difficulties 12 weeks following testing positive for COVID-19.
Even a mild case of COVID-19 might cause brain shrinkage.
