Epidemiology & Impact (Deaths, Hospitals, Cancer, Alzheimer's etc)

Amid the ongoing global repercussions of SARS-CoV-2, it’s crucial to comprehend its potential long-term psychiatric effects. Several recent studies have suggested a link between COVID-19 and subsequent mental health disorders. Our investigation joinsthis exploration, concentrating on Schizophrenia Spectrum and Psychotic Disorders (SSPD). Different from other studies, we took acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and COVID-19 lab negative cohorts as control groups to accurately gauge the impact of COVID-19 on SSPD. Data from 19,344,698 patients, sourced from the N3C Data Enclave platform, were methodically filtered to create propensity matched cohorts: ARDS (n = 222,337), COVID-positive (n = 219,264), and COVID-negative (n = 213,183). We systematically analyzed the hazard rate of new-onset SSPD across three distinct time intervals: 0-21 days, 22-90 days, and beyond 90 days post-infection. COVID-19 positive patients consistently exhibited a heightened hazard ratio (HR) across all intervals [0-21 days (HR: 4.6; CI: 3.7-5.7), 22-90 days (HR: 2.9; CI: 2.3 -3.8), beyond 90 days (HR: 1.7; CI: 1.5-1.)]. These are notably higher than both ARDS and COVID-19 lab-negative patients. Validations using various tests, including the Cochran Mantel Haenszel Test, Wald Test, and Log-rank Test confirmed these associations. Intriguingly, our data indicated that younger individuals face a heightened risk of SSPD after contracting COVID-19, a trend not observed in the ARDS and COVID-negative groups. These results, aligned with the known neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 and earlier studies, accentuate the need for vigilant psychiatric assessment and support in the era of Long-COVID, especially among younger populations. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Clinical Protocols https://ncats.nih.gov/n3c/resources. ### Funding Statement Yes ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: WVU CTSI, WVU IRB and N3C Publication Committee I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes The data underlying the results presented in the study are available from https://covid.cd2h.org/ which requires institutional access.

A final piece to the puzzle left unresolved in my prior work.

Conspiracy theorists have been exaggerating the link between COVID vaccines and heart problems. Here are the facts

The flood of patients never materialized. Why?

Many people with long-term Covid symptoms say they've improved with acupuncture, meditation and ancient herbs.

A study adds new evidence that SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—could have a lasting impact on the heart.

For many, COVID cough persists after the other symptoms of acute COVID-19 illness resolve. Experts explain what you can do about it and when it becomes a sign of long COVID.

We don't have all the data yet–but dozens of studies around the world have shown a link between Long COVID and impotence.

One of the largest and most authoritative collections of online journals, books, and research resources, covering life, health, social, and physical sciences.

Almost three years into the global pandemic, we may know more about Post-COVID-19 Neurological Syndrome (PCNS), but there’s a critical need for more global collaboration

We should be rallied to defend ourselves and our kids. Our leaders offer timid silence.

People who have a COVID-19 infection are more likely to develop seizures or epilepsy within the next six months than people who have an influenza infection, according to a new study.

The COVID-19 pandemic that shuttered classrooms set back learning in some U.S. school systems by more than a year, with children in high-poverty areas affected the most, according to a district-by-district analysis of test scores shared exclusively with The Associated Press. In the most comprehensive look yet at how much American schoolchildren have been put behind, the analysis found the average student lost half a school year of learning in math, and more than a quarter of a school year in reading. Online learning played a role, but students lost significant ground even where they returned quickly to schoolhouses.

How long do coronavirus symptoms last? Learn about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain, lungs, and nervous system, a condition referred to as "long COVID."

Cognitive impairment as a result of severe COVID-19 is similar to that sustained between 50 and 70 years of age and is the equivalent to losing 10 IQ points,

Recent brain imaging shows the disease can cause physical changes equivalent to a decade of aging and trigger problems with attention and memory. Exactly why is still a mystery.

Kids who've had COVID are also more likely to develop type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition that destroys the body's ability to make insulin, researchers found.

The potential impact on heart and brain disease poses challenges to healthcare systems globally

Those with prior infection, regardless of symptom severity, reported significantly more symptoms of cognitive dysfunction than did non-infected counterparts in the general population.

Scientists are investigating whether reservoirs of virus ‘hiding’ in the body are contributing to long Covid

UK studies will look into whether blood thinners may help people who have ongoing symptoms

Age is a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease. Here the authors perform DNA methylation analyses in whole blood from COVID-19 patients using established epigenetic clocks and telomere length estimators, and describing correlations between epigenetic aging and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease.

HONG KONG — A simple stool test can tell recovered Covid-19 patients their risks of suffering the effects of long Covid with 90 per cent accuracy, researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have found.

Objective To estimate the infection fatality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from data of seroprevalence studies. Methods Population studies with sample size of at least 500 and published as peer-reviewed papers or preprints as of June 7, 2020 were retrieved from PubMed, preprint servers, and communications with experts. Studies on blood donors were included, but studies on healthcare workers were excluded. The studies were assessed for design features and seroprevalence estimates. Infection fatality rate was estimated from each study dividing the number of COVID-19 deaths at a relevant time point by the number of estimated people infected in each relevant region. Correction was also attempted accounting for the types of antibodies assessed. Results 23 studies were identified with usable data to enter into calculations. Seroprevalence estimates ranged from 0.1% to 47%. Infection fatality rates ranged from 0.02% to 0.86% (median 0.26%) and corrected values ranged from 0.02% to 0.78% (median 0.25%). Among people <70 years old, infection fatality rates ranged from 0.00% to 0.26% with median of 0.05% (corrected, 0.00-0.23% with median of 0.04%). Most studies were done in pandemic epicenters and the few studies done in locations with more modest death burden also suggested lower infection fatality rates. Conclusions The infection fatality rate of COVID-19 can vary substantially across different locations and this may reflect differences in population age structure and case-mix of infected and deceased patients as well as multiple other factors. Estimates of infection fatality rates inferred from seroprevalence studies tend to be much lower than original speculations made in the early days of the pandemic. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement METRICS has been supported by a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Data from literature; no IRB required All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes All data are included in the manuscript

Learn more about the differences between coronavirus and the flu, and why we have to take Covid-19 so seriously.