Contaminated people would have a memory deficit and more difficulty solving problems.
- Those who recovered from the virus found problem solving, planning and reasoning more difficult than those who were never infected.
- The deficits were of considerable effect size for people who had been hospitalized.
Covid-19 does not spare the brains of infected patients. It is in particular because the virus affects the neurons that it causes the loss of smell, headaches or even strokes. In a new study, published on July 22 in the journal The LancetBritish researchers suggest that an infection even leads to a drop in IQ.
A damaged long-term IQ
The researchers tested the IQ of 81,337 Britons between January and December 2020. Of the participants, around 13,000 contracted Covid-19. To test the volunteers’ intelligence quotient, the scientists gave them exams to assess their memory, reasoning and problem-solving ability. This thirty-minute test is available directly in line.
The results showed that those who recovered from the virus found problem solving, planning and reasoning more difficult than those who were never infected. The study authors said more work needed to be done to prove the link between Covid and intelligence, as most people had not had their IQ tested before they had the virus. However, they performed brain imaging to support the hypothesis that a person’s long-term IQ may be damaged by Covid.
A significant deficit in hospitalized patients
This discovery raises fears that Covid-19 could have long-term cognitive impacts, similar to the lasting effects of strokes or micro-haemorrhages on the brain. “The deficits were of considerable effect size for people who had been hospitalizedsay the researchers. Previous studies in hospitalized patients with respiratory disease not only demonstrate objective and subjective cognitive deficits, but suggest they persist for some at five-year follow-up..”
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