Researchers at the University of São Paulo have found that cognitive impairments such as memory loss and attention deficits persist in both severe and mild COVID-19 cases long after initial infection, impacting daily functioning. Their study, involving 302 volunteers, reveals a significant need for cognitive rehabilitation strategies to address these long-term effects, as even patients with mild symptoms showed considerable cognitive challenges. Credit: SciTechDaily.
com Research indicates that while the most severe effects of SARS-CoV-2 were observed in patients with acute COVID-19 , individuals who experienced milder cases and were not hospitalized also reported symptoms of memory loss and attention deficits lasting over 18 months post-infection. Memory loss and attention deficit are common complaints among severe COVID-19 survivors. However, these and other cognitive impairments have also been observed in patients with mild cases more than 18 months after infection, according to a study by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil.
An article on the study is published in the journal BMC Psychology . The findings highlight the need for more comprehensive rehabilitation to address the enduring cognitive impacts of long COVID, the authors write. Data collected from 302 volunteers pointed to cognitive impairment in 11.
7% of mild patients, 39.2% of moderate patients, and 48.9% of severe patients.
“Although the damage done by the disease in terms of memory .