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Covid-19: Impact of long term symptoms will be profound, warns BMA

BMJ 2020; 370 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3218 (Published 13 August 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;370:m3218

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Re: Covid-19: Impact of long term symptoms will be profound, warns BMA

Dear Editor

Post COVID-19 Neuropsychological Effects.

About 1 in 3 patients recovering from COVID-19 could experience neurological or psychological after effects of their infections due to lasting impact on the brain.

These after COVID-19 longer problems may present as fatigue, tiredness, body pain, muscle pain, headache, dizziness, mood disorders like aanxiety depression, sleep problems, cognitive dissonance, tremors lingering loss of smell or taste.

It may also present with difficulty in walking due to muscles weakness, nerves damages or due to paralysis.

During COVID-19 infection, the brain can be affected and results in stroke, dementia like syndromes and psychosis.

Post COVID-19 patients can also have lasting damage to their heart, kidneys and liver due to inflammation and blood coagulation problems.

Sometimes these patients can present like post traumatic stress disorder and mental health problems.

Competing interests: No competing interests

21 August 2020
M.A. Aleem
Emeritus Professor of Neurology * Visiting Specialist in Neurology ** Consultant Neurologist ***
The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University * Dhanalakshami Srinivasan Medical College ** ABC Hospital ***
Chennai 600032* Perambalure 621212** Trichy 620018*** Tamilnadu India