Coronavirus infections may lead to delirium and potentially PTSD

People taken ill by coronavirus infections may experience psychiatric problems while hospitalised and potentially after they recover, suggests an analysis of past research led by the UCL Institute of Mental Health with King's College London collaborators. The systematic review paper, published in The Lancet Psychiatry , compiled results from shortand long-term studies of people hospitalised by recent coronaviruses, namely SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2002-2004, MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) in 2012, as well as COVID-19 this year. COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a type of coronavirus. Some coronaviruses only cause mild symptoms of the common cold, but SARS-CoV-2 can cause severe respiratory illness, as did SARS-CoV-1 (the virus implicated in the 2002-2004 SARS epidemic) and MERS-CoV, which caused MERS in 2012. The analysis found that one in four people hospitalised with COVID-19 may experience delirium during their illness, a known problem among hospital patients, which can increase risk of death or extend time in hospital. The post-recovery effects of COVID-19 are not yet known, so long-term risks such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic fatigue, depression, and anxiety are based on SARS and MERS studies, which may or may not apply to COVID-19 as well. Co-lead author Dr Jonathan Rogers (UCL Psychiatry and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) said: "Most people with COVID-19 will not develop any mental health problems, even among those with severe cases requiring hospitalisation, but given the huge numbers of people getting sick, the global impact on mental health could be considerable.