Researchers find COVID-19 diagnosis could leave mental disorders after virus is gone

A COVID-19 diagnosis may have a longer effect on a patient than originally thought.

The illness is primarily a respiratory sickness, but there can be an impact on a person’s mental health.

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A new study published in the Journal Lancet Psychiatry found that nearly 1 in 5 patients diagnosed with the coronavirus have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder weeks after the COVID-19 diagnosis, NPR reported.

Some of the disorders included anxiety, depression and insomnia, even dementia, CBS News reported.

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The study looked at the records of 69.8 million patients in the U.S. with 62,000 people who had the coronavirus, NPR reported.

When looking at health issues, patients with COVID-19 were more likely to develop a mental health issue than those who had other illnesses or injuries like kidney stones, a broken bone or the flu.

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The rate is about double for COVID-19 when compared to other health issues, BBC News reported.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford.

Researchers are not sure if COVID-19 is the cause or if it is due to outside influences, CBS News reported.

You can read the study’s findings here.

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Cox Media Group