Covid-19’s lasting impact: Cognitive deficits persist years later

Four years have passed since the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers are still conducting intensive studies to analyze the virus's impact on the human body. The brain's functioning, including the so-called brain fog, is particularly interesting. The conclusions are alarming.

Long COVID-19, which means prolonged symptoms after recovering from COVID-19, include, among others, brain fog, headaches, seizures, and memory and cognitive deficits. Scientific evidence indicates that the virus leaves permanent marks on the brain. However, the mechanisms that trigger these symptoms remain unclear.

The portal medonet.pl reports that studies of patients who recovered from COVID-19 have shown that they experienced significant memory deficits and had difficulties performing daily tasks. According to the "New England Journal of Medicine," nearly 113,000 people were surveyed.

Importantly, cognitive function deterioration was observed regardless of the severity of the illness in individuals infected at the beginning of the pandemic and those infected with later virus variants, such as Delta and Omicron.

Studies show that even mild cases of COVID-19 can lead to a loss of a few IQ points. In severe cases requiring hospitalization, even more points could be lost. People who have had COVID-19 more than once experienced an additional decline in cognitive abilities.

Another study, which included over 100,000 Norwegians, found that cognitive function deterioration can accompany recovering patients for up to three years after infection. These findings highlight the need for long-term care for individuals affected by long COVID and the necessity for further research on the neurological effects of COVID-19.