42%increased chance of developing a neuro problem after covid, equating to 7% of those infected.
Dr. Al-Aly
Overall, COVID-19 has contributed to more than 40 million new cases of neurological disorders worldwide
Long-term neurologic outcomes of COVID-19
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02001-z
https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/mild-covid-risk-brain-neurological-problems/
https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/covid-19-infections-increase-risk-of-long-term-brain-problems/
Comprehensive evaluation of postacute neurologic sequelae at 1 year
National healthcare databases of the US Department of Veterans Affairs
Covid cohort = 154,068
(nonhospitalized, hospitalized and admitted to intensive care)
Contemporary controls = 5,638,795
Historical controls = 5,859,621 (2017 data)
Average age of 61
Estimate risks and burdens of incident neurologic disorders at 12 months following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection
Longitudinal observational study design
March 2020 through January 2021
(predates delta, omicron and other COVID variants)
Results
In the postacute phase of COVID-19, there was increased risk of an array of incident neurologic sequelae
Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke
TIA
Cognition and memory disorders
Peripheral nervous system disorders
Episodic disorders (e.g. migraine, seizures)
Extrapyramidal and movement disorders
Mental health disorders, (anxiety depression psychosis)
Musculoskeletal disorders
Sensory disorders
Guillain–Barré syndrome
Encephalitis or encephalopathy
Headaches
Hazard ratio of any neurologic sequela
1.42 (1.38 to 1.47)
Burden
70.69 (63.54 to 78.01) per 1,000 persons at 12 months
Or, 7.069%
The risks and burdens were elevated even in people who did not require hospitalization during acute COVID-19
Risks and burdens increased according to the severity of the acute infection,
from nonhospitalized to hospitalized to intensive care
Dizzynes
Taken together, our results provide evidence of increased risk of long-term neurologic disorders in people who had COVID-19.
Incident neurologic outcomes in COVID-19 versus contemporary control
Cerebrovascular disorders (at 12 months)
Ischemic stroke HR 1.50, burden 3.40 per 1,000
Transient ischemic attacks HR 1.62, burden 2.03
Hemorrhagic stroke HR 2.19, burden 0.21
Cerebral venous thrombosis HR 2.69, burden 0.05
Composite of these cerebrovascular outcomes were HR 1.56, burden 4.92
Cognition and memory
Risks of memory problems HR 1.77, burden 10.07
Alzheimer’s disease HR 2.03, burden 1.65
Composite of these cognition and memory outcomes were HR 1.80, Burden 10.35
Disorders of peripheral nerves
Peripheral neuropathy HR 1.34, burden 5.64
Paresthesia HR 1.32, burden 2.89
Dysautonomia HR 1.30, burden 1.60
Bell’s palsy HR 1.48, burden 0.32
Composite of these disorders of peripheral nerves were HR 1.34, burden 8.64
Episodic disorders
Migraine, epilepsy and seizures, headache disorders
Composite of these episodic disorders were HR 1.32, burden 4.75
Extrapyramidal and movement disorders
Abnormal involuntary movements, tremor, Parkinson-like disease, dystonia, myoclonus
Composite of these extrapyramidal and movement disorders were HR 1.42, burden 3.98
Mental health disorders
Major depressive disorders, stress and adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders
Composite of these mental health disorders were HR 1.43, burden 25.00
Musculoskeletal disorders
Joint pain, myalgia, myopathy
Composite of these musculoskeletal disorders were HR 1.45, burden 40.09
Sensory disorders
Hearing abnormalities, tinnitus, vision abnormalities, loss of smell, loss of taste
Composite of these sensory disorders were HR 1.25, burden 17.03
Other neurologic or related disorders
Dizziness, somnolence, Guillain–Barré syndrome, encephalitis or encephalopathy, transverse myelitis
Composite of these other neurologic or related disorders were HR 1.46, burden 7.37
Composite outcome of any neurologic disorder
Compared with the contemporary control group, there was increased risk and burden of any neurologic outcome
HR 1.42, burden 70.69
Dr. Al-Aly
It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, female or male, or what your race is. It doesn’t matter if you smoked or not, or if you had other unhealthy habits or conditions.