Citation

Sher L. QJM 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/qjmed/hcab007

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A significant number of COVID-19 patients continue to have symptoms related to COVID-19 after the acute phase of illness. This post-COVID condition is sometimes called "post-COVID syndrome," "long COVID," or "post-acute COVID-19." Persistent psychiatric symptoms among COVID-19 survivors such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic symptoms, and cognitive impairment may be related to psychological factors and neurobiological injury. COVID-19 related neurological symptoms including anosmia, ageusia, dizziness, headache and seizures may persist for a long time after the acute COVID-19 illness. Many COVID-19 survivors experience persistent physical symptoms such as cough, fatigue, dyspnea and pain after recovering from their initial illness. There is a high probability that symptoms of psychiatric, neurological and physical illnesses as well as inflammatory damage to the brain in individuals with post-COVID syndrome increase suicidal ideation and behavior in this patient population. COVID-19 survivors without post-COVID syndrome may also be at elevated suicide risk. Studies of suicidality in COVID-19 survivors are urgently needed and will be a new area of suicide research. An appropriate management of psychiatric, neurological and medical conditions may reduce suicide risk among COVID-19 survivors with or without post-COVID syndrome.

Language: en

Keywords

depression; fatigue; COVID-19; neuroinflammation; post-COVID syndrome