A recent Lancet Psychiatry journal study found a range of neurological and psychiatric complications that may be linked to the Coronavirus.
Involving 153 patients treated in UK hospitals, the study disclosed that, “Altered mental status was the second-most common presentation, comprising encephalopathy or encephalitis and primary psychiatric diagnoses, often occurring in younger patients. This study provides valuable and timely data that are urgently needed by clinicians, researchers, and funders to inform immediate steps in Covid-19 neuroscience research and health policy.” The researchers in the journal include people from the University of Liverpool and the University of Newcastle, along with others.
The study also added that “To our knowledge, this is the first nationwide, cross-speciality surveillance study of acute neurological and psychiatric complications of Covid-19.”
Dr Benedict Michael, the lead author of the study, from the University of Liverpool, said: “There have been growing reports of an association between Covid-19 infection and possible neurological or psychiatric complications, but until now these have typically been limited to studies of ten patients or fewer. Ours is the first nation-wide study of neurological complications associated with Covid-19, but it is important to note that it is focused on cases that are severe enough to require hospitalization.”
All those included in the study were only really affected by the COVID 19, therefore, the researchers said that it is not promising to draw any kind of conclusions from this study about the total proportion of COVID-19 patients likely to be affected.
They called for more studies to comprehend the psychiatric and neurological effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The research is being led by Dr Benedict Michael and focuses on public health intervention.