New #LongCovid paper with 2 key findings:

1) Mental health conditions - returned to normal over time.

2) Cognitive impairment, strokes, dementia, seizures - persist for at least 2 years.

The Lancet: Neurological and psychiatric trajectories after SARS-CoV-2: 2-year analysis of 1 million patients

FT: Covid can cause brain disorders two years after infection, study shows

Covid-19 significantly increases the risk of developing dementia, psychosis and brain fog two years after infection, according to the first extensive study of the disease’s persistent neurological and psychiatric effects.

Long Covid, often defined as symptoms experienced for 12 weeks or more after a Covid diagnosis, encompasses a range of symptoms from fatigue and breathlessness to problems related to the brain, such as a lack of mental clarity. Scientists have estimated that it could affect more than 100mn people worldwide.

Researchers at Oxford university analysed the electronic health records of 1.25mn people diagnosed with Covid and a matched control group consisting of an equal number of patients who had other respiratory infections. The data, covering 14 brain disorders, were provided by the US-based TriNetX global health research network.

The impact of Covid was most marked in people aged 65 and over, among whom 4.5 per cent developed dementia over the subsequent two years, compared with 3.3 per cent of the control group. For psychotic disorders, the figures were 0.85 per cent in Covid patients and 0.6 per cent in controls.

The most significant increased risk among younger adults aged 18 to 64 was cognitive deficit, sometimes called brain fog. It affected 6.4 per cent of people who had Covid during the previous two years and 5.5 per cent of controls.

Anyone else got Long Covid? I’ve had 2 bouts of Covid this year after avoiding it for since it first arrived here.

Ive got some brain fog, fatigue, tight chest, and still don’t have much of a sense of smell.

The fatigue is a killer. I manage to sleep for 8 hours most nights and wake up completely knackered the next day, my eyes feel dry and gritty and doing anything is such hard work. I used to be a regular at the gym doing spin classes and rowing but struggle to even get to the gym now. My chest feels like there is a belt pulled tight around it.

I’ve had blood tests, chest X-rays, an ECG and Scan of my heart plus spirometry tests for breathing and all clear. WIting for referral to Long Covid clinic in Bristol now.

Sheesh ... sorry to hear, @bravoman - sounds like you do have it bad. And a reminder that covid is a systemic viral illness, not just a touch of a cough as some would have us believe.

Our taste took about 3 months to get back to (near) normal for both me and my wife - coffee was undrinkable for about 2 weeks, yet oranges tasted wonderful !

I think we've had it 3 times now, with the 3rd being very mild (although mine triggered a bout of shingles!)

Sorry to hear that @driver8 My sense of smell is hit and miss sometimes nothing and today driving past a farm it was fully back! I’ve definitely got some brain fog. I wonder if this is something that eventually goes away? 

Had my booster (4th shot) vaccine this afternoon. Pfizer this time and had a flu jab on Friday. 

Old woman in the queue ahead of me said, "Do I need to wear a mask in the vaccination centre?" /facepalm

The Lancet Commission on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic

Had my Covid booster (+flu) today. 

Oof ... this is not good ...

This is not getting talked about much - with such a massive population in China, I wonder if there will be any worldwide knock-on effects?

These Ros Atkins reports are really good. ?

https://twitter.com/BBCRosAtkins/status/1605294653133434880