The acute medical emergency presented by the COVID-19 pandemic might be over, but we’re still living with the fallout. For millions of people that means a lingering and frustrating “brain fog” clouding their cognitive abilities. The original virus and two subsequent variants (Alpha and Delta) proved to be particularly cruel in that regard, but the Omicron variant was a little milder. In fact, a new study published in the journal Neuroprotection shows cognitive damage done by Omicron wasn’t irreversible for everyone.
A team of neurologists followed more than 2,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the Omicron wave in China from December 2022 until March 2023). To determine how their mental health fared, researchers phoned the participants to administer cognitive tests six months and two years after their discharge date.
They found some pretty good news. Two-third of the patients showed no decline in their mental faculties at all, and nearly a quarter (22 percent) experienced reversible cognitive decline. This group’s cognitive assessment scores rose an average of three points (out of a possible 40) thanks to improvements in attention and calculation, learning ability, executive function, and more.
Read more: “Long COVID Leaves Clues in the Blood”
“Our findings indicate that cognitive decline after Omicron infection is not necessarily permanent,” study author Yan Wan of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology explained in a statement. “The substantial recovery observed over two years is encouraging, but the persistence of deficits in a vulnerable minority shows why patients at higher risk should not be overlooked.”
That’s the bad news. Roughly 11 percent of the participants experienced irreversible decline, and for over a third of those, the condition was progressive. This sliver of Omicron patients showed a four-point decrease in the cognitive assessments.
What makes these unlucky few so vulnerable?
Longer hospital stays, more severe COVID, and high blood pressure, to name a few factors. The researchers also found that those 60 or older had four times the risk of suffering progressive decline, with each subsequent COVID infection increasing that risk twofold. More education and vaccinations, however, showed some protective benefits.
According to the team, these findings could lead to better care and prevention of post-COVID brain fog. “Our results support a more targeted approach to long-term cognitive care after COVID-19,” study author Bo Hu of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology said. “Identifying high-risk patients early could help guide monitoring and rehabilitation, while broader prevention measures such as vaccination may reduce the likelihood of progressive decline.”
In the almost seven years since the first infection, COVID-19 has made the shift from pandemic to endemic. Our treatment strategies will have to adjust accordingly.
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Lead Image: Mary Long / Shutterstock
