For most, COVID-19 causes a few days of mild to moderate symptoms, but others feel the effects for months. Some of these effects are neurological, leading scientists to ask whether COVID-19 could increase the risk of dementia. Medical News Today looked at the evidence and spoke with experts to find out the latest views.
Does COVID increase dementia risk? Here is what the experts think. Image credit: WeiLeng Tay/Bloomberg/Getty Images.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 425 million SARS-CoV-2 infections have been confirmed worldwide. Globally, almost 6 million people have died from, or with, the infection. For most, when SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to COVID-19, the symptoms are mild to moderate. But for some, symptoms of the illness are prolonged.
ExpertsTrusted Source have described this issue, long COVID, as “not recovering [for] several weeks or months following the start of symptoms that were suggestive of COVID, whether you were tested or not.” Symptoms of long COVID vary, but some are common COVID-19 symptoms, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, a cough, and joint pain.
Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment. Other respiratory virus infections have been associated with neurological and psychiatric after-effects. The authors of one reviewTrusted Source observe that “Numerous respiratory viruses can infect the cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems, elicit inflammatory cascades, and directly and indirectly cause various neurologic manifestations.”
And it seems that COVID-19 is no exception, with many people reporting neurological symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infections. These symptoms may include: brain fog, a reduced ability to think clearly nxiety difficulties with memory and concentration difficulty sleeping changes in mood Experts are now investigating how COVID-19 might affect neurocognitive function and whether it may increase dementia risk.
COVID-19 and the nervous system SARS-CoV-2 usually gains access to the body via droplets that enter the nose or mouth. From there, the virus moves to the throat. It can then travel to the lungs and other organs, and, various studies suggest, may enter the nervous system.
