Identification of a new symptom of “Covid-19” linked to a mental health disorder

Delirium accompanied by fever may be an early symptom of “Covid-19”, according to a scientific study conducted by researchers at the University of Uberta de Catalunya (UOC).

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The results of the study were published in the journal Clinical Immunology and Immunotherapy, which highlights the fact that some patients develop delirium in addition to the main known symptoms of “Covid-19”.

The appearance of this state of confusion, when accompanied by an elevated temperature, should be considered an early sign of the disease, especially in elderly patients.

“Delirium is a state of confusion in which a person feels far from reality, as if they are dreaming,” said a researcher at Purdue University, Javier Correa, who followed this study at the University of Bordeaux ( France). He added: “We need to be on the alert, especially in an epidemic situation like this, because an individual showing signs of confusion can be a sign of infection.”

Correa, together with a researcher at NeuroLab at the University of Alberta in Catalunya, Diego Ridollar Ripoll, reviewed the body of scientific work published on the effects of “Covid-19” on the central nervous system, the brain .

The review found that there are growing indications that the coronavirus is also affecting the central nervous system, leading to neurocognitive changes such as headaches and delirium, in addition to psychotic episodes.

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Correa said: “The main hypotheses as to how SARS-CoV-2 affects the brain point to three possible causes: hypoxia or hypoxia, inflammation of brain tissue due to a cytokine storm and the fact that the virus has the ability to pass through the blood, the brain barrier to invade the brain. ” directly. “He pointed out that none of these three factors had the potential to induce delirium, and explained that evidence of hypoxia-related brain damage has been seen in autopsies performed on deceased patients of infection and that the virus could be isolated from brain tissue.

According to the researchers, the delirium, cognitive deficits and behavioral abnormalities are likely due to systemic inflammation of the brain and a state of hypoxia, which also leads to inflammation of nerve tissue in areas such as the hippocampus, which is associated with cognitive imbalances and behavioral changes exhibited by patients with delirium.

Source: medicalxpress

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