High rates of delirium, persistent fatigue and post-traumatic stress disorder were common after severe infection in previous coronavirus outbreaks, NIHR

Little is known about the mental health consequences of severe COVID-19 illness because it is caused by a new coronavirus. Previous outbreaks caused by other coronaviruses (severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS, and Middle East respiratory syndrome, MERS) may provide insights into ongoing problems after recovery from severe illness. Researchers looked at reports of psychiatric problems during SARS and MERS outbreaks and compared this to early data from the COVID-19 pandemic. Delirium (sudden confusion) was common while patients were in hospital with any of the coronavirus infections (SARS, MERS or COVID-19). Later, once patients had recovered from SARS and MERS, rates of long-term mental health problems were high. These included depression, anxiety, fatigue and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If COVID-19 follows a similar course, doctors will need to be aware of this risk over the longer term. The studies in this review included patients who had severe illness. Mild disease might not have the same impact and more research is needed to explore the mental health impact of coronavirus that does not require hospital treatment.
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news