China Daily, September 6th According to a recent report by the US local TV station WKEF, there is increasing evidence that COVID-19 can cause acute and chronic neurological or psychological symptoms, and medical caregivers of COVID-19 patients also show higher than average prevalence of mental health problems, which are caused by a variety of different factors.
Experts point out that more than half of patients with COVID-19 will experience long-term symptoms after recovery. A new study published by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) shows that brain damage may cause chronic anxiety in patients with long-term COVID-19 . "Our patients already have a lot of mental health issues to deal with, not only locally, but across the United States. This makes the need for a good treatment channel more urgent," said Roberto Colon, chief medical officer at Miami Valley Hospital in Ohio. "Some initial data show that when patients with symptoms of the coronavirus are compared with those without symptoms, they start to see some changes in some of the nerve cells in the brain, and often more anxiety comes," Cologne explained. The study reveals a link between previously unrecognized nerve cell damage and long-term symptoms of COVID-19 mental health. He said these symptoms range from brain fog to anxiety and depression.
Cologne warns that COVID-19 is not a mild cold, but a disease that has widespread and lasting effects. "The inflammation we see not only happens in the brain, but also in other parts of the body. This is also why it is important to emphasize that we do not have a good treatment, so we need to prevent it." The article
also introduced that the new coronavirus directly infects olfactory neurons and nerve cells expressing taste receptors. Although these cells communicate directly with the brain, the virus does not cause strong infections to other nerve cells in the central nervous system of . Many neurological sequelae appear to be caused by damage to cerebral blood vessel cells or hypoxia (i.e., limited oxygen supply to the brain). The chronic effects of the new coronavirus can lead to a long-term inflammatory state, which may increase conditions similar to autoimmune disorders. Many patients will experience psychological symptoms, which may come from direct effects of the virus, chronic aggravation of inflammation, or secondary effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder, .
Another study used a wider range of participants, with all medical workers included in the participant sample. The study shows that doctors have slightly higher proportions of anxiety and depression. Kamberi's study concluded that 34.1% of doctors and 26.9% of nurses reported mild anxiety. And more samples showed that among all health care participants, 26.9% showed mild anxiety levels and 35.2% showed mild to moderate depression levels.
This study shows that all areas of health care are susceptible to mental health problems. The coronavirus can affect the mental health of healthcare workers, but its impact varies from medical profession to medical profession. Doctors and nurses appear to experience similar mental health challenges, with high rates of anxiety (40-45%), depression (12-30%), moderate and severe insomnia (62% and 27%, respectively).
(Compiled by: Hu Xiaoshan, Editor: Han He)
Source: China Daily Network
