Although global cases of COVID-19 appear to be largely under control, the risk of long-term COVID in people who have been infected remains a cause of serious concern for health experts. In many researches regarding Corona, it has been said that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused damage to the body in many ways in the long term. Its serious side effects have been seen especially on the health of the heart and lungs.

Recent studies are also alerting about brain-related problems due to corona. Researchers said many people who have been victims of corona infection are experiencing decreased cognitive ability after recovering from the disease.

In a recently published research, a team of experts said that people who recovered from Covid-19 showed a decrease of at least 3 points in IQ level after one year. Although this decline is not much, health experts have expressed concern that there is a need to be alert about brain-related risks in the large population. A decrease in brain functioning can also hurt the quality of life.

Decline in IQ of Corona infected people
This research published in The New England Journal of Medicine states that cognitive decline is seen in people with both mild and severe cases of coronavirus infection.

In people who had more severe symptoms or required treatment in hospital intensive care, up to a 9-point drop in IQ has been reported. People who have recovered from the infection have reduced memory, reasoning, and ability to deal with situations easily.

What did the study find?
For this study conducted at Imperial College London, researchers included eight lakh adult participants. An online assessment was conducted to check the intellectual ability of the participants. Overall, 141,583 participants completed at least one task while 112,964 performed all eight tasks correctly.

In a comparative study conducted with people who were not victims of Corona, a decrease in intellectual ability was recorded in the infected. In people who had the level of infection, the same proportion of decline in IQ was recorded.

The problem is being seen even in those with mild infection.
The researchers said that people who were infected with the original virus of Corona or the B.1.1.7 variant at the beginning of the pandemic were more likely to have problems with reduced intellectual capacity than those who were infected with the Omicron variants.

Additionally, people who got COVID-19 after receiving two or more vaccinations showed better cognitive performance than those who were not vaccinated.

What is the conclusion of the study?
In the conclusion of the study, the researchers said that coronavirus has damaged the entire body in many ways. Brain fog cognitive decline and mental health-related disorders are also being seen in people post-Covid. It is not that those with mild symptoms are not at risk, any level of corona infection has been found to increase the risks of Long Covid and its related risks.

Health experts say, that if you have been a victim of infection, then you must consult a doctor and get your overall health checked so that the risks can be detected in time and treatment can be obtained.
​(PC: Pixabay)