What We Know About Covid’s Impact on Your Brain
Scientists worry that persistent cognitive issues caused by Covid signal that a surge in dementia cases and other mental conditions is on the horizon.
Five years after the pandemic began, researchers are increasingly recognizing the toll Covid can take on brain health. Many of those who have had the disease struggle with
persistent issues such as
brain fog,
depression and
cognitive slowing, hindering their ability to
work and otherwise function. Scientists have found that those who have had Covid are more likely to have elevated levels in their blood of the same proteins that are prevalent in people with
Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers are concerned that the findings could be early warning signs of a future surge in cases of dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions, prolonging Covid’s societal,
economic, and
health burden.
What do studies show about Covid and the brain?
In 2021, UK researchers reported
early results from a study comparing brain scans taken before and after the pandemic began. They discovered signs of
damage and accelerated aging in the brain, particularly in the part responsible for
smell — even in patients who had experienced mild cases of Covid months earlier.
Research has since shown that Covid-related cognitive
deficits can persist for
years, especially in
older adults and those who suffered from
more severe cases. For instance, a study of people aged 60 or older who were
hospitalized during China’s first Covid wave showed that 2 1/2 years later, 40% developed
cognitive impairment, compared with just 14% of their uninfected spouses.
A 2024 UK study of people hospitalized for Covid treatment concluded that as a group they showed a significant worsening of psychiatric and cognitive symptoms two to three years after their discharge. At that stage, half experienced moderate to severe depression, a quarter suffered severe cognitive decline, and one in nine showed a loss of mental function equivalent to a
30-point drop on the IQ scale, where a score of 100 is average.
For patients already battling
Alzheimer’s disease, studies indicate that Covid can exacerbate brain inflammation, damage
immune cells, and
accelerate the memory-robbing
disease itself. Even previously healthy older adults face an increased risk of
cognitive impairment and new-onset
dementia after infection.
Mild Covid cases in
younger adults have also been linked to brain issues affecting memory and
thinking. These symptoms typically fluctuate and tend to
worsen after physical or mental exertion, often impairing the ability of individuals to work and socialize.
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