COVID-19 is definitely not a joke. An analysis published Tuesday (April 6th) by The Lancet, shows that more than one-third of people in the United States who survive COVID-19 develop a psychiatric or neurological condition related to the virus within six months of infection.
Among those with a psychiatric disorder related to the virus, anxiety was the most common (17% of patients), followed by depression (14% of patients.)
Seven percent of patients who experienced neurological complications had a stroke while in intensive care, and two percent were diagnosed with dementia within six months of becoming infected.
These diagnoses were more common in COVID-19 patients than in those with flu or respiratory infections over the same time period, suggesting the coronavirus has a specific impact on mental and brain health.
(UPI)