Long COVID may cause cognitive decline of about six IQ points, study finds

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

A new study has some worrying findings that suggest covid may have longer-term effects on cognition and memory — and that these lead to measurable differences in cognitive performance.

 

The study, published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that participants who recovered from covid symptoms had a cognitive deficit equivalent to three IQ points compared with those who were never infected, while participants suffering from unresolved covid symptoms lasting 12 weeks or more experienced a loss equivalent to six IQ points.

 

But researchers also stressed that the greater cognitive decline associated with persistent symptoms may not be permanent, as participants in this category who had recovered by the time they took part in the study were found to have cognitive deficits comparable to those who recovered quickly.

 

(more)

 

https://archive.is/EWkOu

 

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2311330

 

Even fully recovered survivors of mild COVID can lose IQ points, study suggests

The New England Journal of Medicine posted a study by Imperial College London researchers showing that COVID-19 patients recovering from short-term symptoms experienced similar small deficits in memory, thinking, or concentrating ("brain fog") as those who had longer-term symptoms.

 

The investigators calculated a global cognitive score across eight tasks using online self-reports of cognitive function among 112,964 adults participating in a study in England. They compared the results of COVID-19 survivors with those of their uninfected counterparts.

...

Virus strain, infection severity

A multiple regression analysis showed that COVID-19 survivors whose symptoms had resolved in less than 4 weeks or at least 12 weeks had comparable small deficits in cognitive function—or the ability to think—compared with uninfected participants (−0.23 and −0.24 standard deviations [SD], respectively). COVID-19 survivors demonstrated greater deficits than uninfected controls (−0.42 SD).

 

(more)

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/even-fully-recovered-survivors-mild-covid-can-lose-iq-points-study-suggests

 

[save the frogs]

Decline of 6 IQ points is more than most people can afford to lose. 

 

 

[johng]

Are these "covid survivors"

fully vaccinated,

semi vaccinated,octo vaccinated

or unvaccinated ?

How many IQ points does one "loose" after the hangover

part I to III and beyond.

Are there perhaps some novel MRNA therapeutics that can restore the lost IQ points  ?

[AlexRich]

If they are anti-vaxxers, they are already IQ deficient. Thoughts and prayers.

[stats]

The topic of the thread here is the cognitive impacts of Long COVID.

 

If members wish to post on safety issues relating to COVID vaccines, there is another running thread on that topic:

 

 

[FritsSikkink]

Oh, that is going to be a problem losing points from 136.

[James105]

That's not good news for those that have been vaccinated, at least according to this study:

 

https://www.gulf-insider.com/study-finds-majority-of-patients-with-long-covid-were-vaccinated/

 

"Out of 390 people with COVID-19, 377 (97 percent) were vaccinated, 383 (98 percent) underwent antiviral treatment, and 330 (78 percent) developed long COVID syndrome."

 

"Some research suggests long COVID may be caused by an immune overreaction to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that COVID-19 vaccines use to induce antibodies and that vaccination causes some people to generate a second round of antibodies that target the first."

 

"In an August 2023 study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers found the risk of long COVID was lower in those who had previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the risk of getting long COVID did not differ by vaccination status. Researchers found that unvaccinated people infected with omicron had the lowest risk of long COVID"

[eisfeld]

28 minutes ago, James105 said:

That's not good news for those that have been vaccinated, at least according to this study:

...

"In an August 2023 study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers found the risk of long COVID was lower in those who had previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the risk of getting long COVID did not differ by vaccination status. Researchers found that unvaccinated people infected with omicron had the lowest risk of long COVID"

 

Your own quoted text says there is no difference according to vaccination status. Of course if you are vaccinated and unlucky enough to still get Covid-19 (remember, vaccines don't protect 100%) then you still can get Long Covid. Shouldn't be surprising.

[eisfeld]

On 3/1/2024 at 3:19 PM, johng said:

Are these "covid survivors"

fully vaccinated,

semi vaccinated,octo vaccinated

or unvaccinated ?

 

If you click through to the study and read it you'll find the anwer to your quesion.

[James105]

34 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

 

Your own quoted text says there is no difference according to vaccination status. Of course if you are vaccinated and unlucky enough to still get Covid-19 (remember, vaccines don't protect 100%) then you still can get Long Covid. Shouldn't be surprising.

 

You must have missed this part:

 

"Some research suggests long COVID may be caused by an immune overreaction to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that COVID-19 vaccines use to induce antibodies and that vaccination causes some people to generate a second round of antibodies that target the first."

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Current science is saying otherwise:

 

Study shows 43% to 58% lower prevalence of long COVID among vaccinated people

February 21, 2024

 

A new study based on 4,605 participants in the Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study shows that the prevalence of long COVID symptoms at 30 and 90 days post-infection was 43% to 58% lower among adults who were fully vaccinated before infection.

...

The prevalence of 30-day long COVID was 43% lower among the vaccinated group (prevalence ratio [PR], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49 to 0.66). The adjusted prevalence of 90-day long COVID was 58% lower among the vaccinated group (PR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.53).

 

In several secondary analyses, the authors looked at prevalence after factoring in Delta-strain infections and comorbidities. In both cases, vaccinated participants were at least 40% less likely to have long COVID.

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/study-shows-43-58-lower-prevalence-long-covid-among-vaccinated-people

 

AND

 

Vaccination Dramatically Lowers Long COVID Risk

 

Several new studies reveal that getting multiple COVID vaccine doses provides strong protection against lingering symptoms

 

January 3, 2024

 

At least 200 million people worldwide have struggled with long COVID: a slew of symptoms that can persist for months or even years after an infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. But research suggests that that number would likely be much higher if not for vaccines.

 

A growing consensus is emerging that receiving multiple doses of the COVID vaccine before an initial infection can dramatically reduce the risk of long-term symptoms. Although the studies disagree on the exact amount of protection, they show a clear trend: the more shots in your arm before your first bout with COVID, the less likely you are to get long COVID.

 

One meta-analysis of 24 studies published in October, for example, found that people who’d had three doses of the COVID vaccine were 68.7 percent less likely to develop long COVID compared with those who were unvaccinated.

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vaccination-dramatically-lowers-long-covid-risk/

 

Edited March 3 by TallGuyJohninBKK