Even though all of us hope that 2022 will be the final year of the ongoing COVID pandemic, the coronavirus still seems to be eager to stay with us, at least for a while. A new study analyzed for a year over 1,400 older people who got cured after being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the conclusion is as scary as it can be.
According to the new study that was led by neurologist Yan-Jiang Wang from the Third Military Medical University and published in JAMA Neurology, your chances of developing dementia or some form of cognitive decline are higher if you had been infected with COVID and if you’re over 60 years of age. The risk increases even more if you’ve been through severe illness caused by the coronavirus.
COVID survivors from Wuhan (China) were analyzed
It was found that from the 1,438 COVID survivors analyzed, 1,178 had a non-severe disease, while 260 dealt with severe disease, usually related to respiratory issues. Afterward, at six and 12 months, the researchers assessed the participants in trying to find traces of MCI (mild cognitive impairment) and dementia. The conclusion was that after 12 months of follow-up, 3 percent of the COVID survivors were suffering from dementia, 9 percent were struggling with MCI, and 12 percent had cognitive impairment.
The city of Wuhan from the Chinese province known as Hubei is perhaps the best place in the world to study more about the virus that causes COVID. That’s where the first outbreak of the coronavirus occurred and the place from where it started to spread to other parts of the world. Perhaps that’s why the researchers involved in the new study focused their attention on that area.
Statistics show that every 3 seconds across the world, a new dementia case arises. What’s even more worrying is that many people who manifest dementia symptoms don’t seek medical help.
