Long after the Covid war is won, survivors battle with mental health
Study indicates after-effects of the virus could be far worse than initially feared, and may last a lifetime
17 February 2022 - 19:45
Early Covid-19 survivors were at higher risk of anxiety, depression and a raft of other mental health problems up to a year after their infections, according to a large US study that widens the scope of the pandemic’s economic and societal impact.
Even patients who were never sick enough to be hospitalised for Covid-19 were still 68% more likely than their non-infected counterparts to be diagnosed with a sleep disorder, 69% more likely to have an anxiety disorder and 77% more likely to have a depressive disorder. The relative risk of developing the conditions was significantly higher still in patients hospitalised for Covid-19, and translates into dozens of additional mental health conditions for every 1,000 coronavirus cases...
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