Covid may accelerate dementia

Covid-19 could accelerate the onset of Alzheimer's disease, preliminary results from new research shows.

Primarily a respiratory disease, Covid-19 is known to have short-term or long-term neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as loss of taste and smell and "brain fog". Initial findings from a study on survivors in Greece and Argentina suggests that older adults who have recovered from Covid-19 often suffer persistent cognitive impairment, including long-term lack of smell.

New study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2021 discovered that the biological markers of brain injury, brain inflammation and Alzheimer's disease correlate strongly with the presence of neurological symptoms in Covid-19 patients.

Covid-19's effects on the brain also seem to vary with age, the researchers say. People in their 30s seem more likely to develop anxiety and depression, while seniors over 60 exhibit forgetfulness. While the study has not drawn a causational link, the correlation is making scientists believe that Covid-19 may speed up the biological process that leads to Alzheimer's disease later in life.