One-Third Of COVID Patients Diagnosed With Psychiatric Or Neurological Problems Post-Infection

BOSTON (CBS) – A new study finds that a third of COVID-19 patients are diagnosed with a neurologic or psychiatric diagnosis in the six months after infection, more evidence that COVID can lead to long-term complications.

Researchers at the University of Oxford compared data on almost 240,000 patients with COVID-19 to a similar number of patients who had other respiratory infections, like the flu.

Of the patients receiving a neurological or psychiatric diagnosis, about 13% received such a diagnosis for the first time.

Anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders were most common, but some patients were also diagnosed with strokes, dementia, and other serious neurological problems.

These neuropsychiatric disorders were more common among COVID-19 patients compared to those with the flu or other respiratory infections, prompting researchers to call for a closer look at why COVID-19 patients appear to be at higher risk for brain-related complications.