Health workers suffer from brain problems even after two years

Two years after contracting the coronavirus, some healthcare workers (HCW) are still suffering from serious neurological problems, including memory loss and poor concentration, a study by researchers from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) have found.

The problems, symptoms of long Covid, persisted in at least 15-18% of the health care providers who have been infected by the deadly virus, found researchers of Kidney Disease Research Group of BSMMU.

The study titled ‘Long term health consequences as Post Covid-19 sequel in healthcare workers’ was conducted among some 804 HCWs in between December 2020 and July 2022 to determine the post-covid conditions among the HCWs, a press release from the institution read.

The report was published during a symposium held Monday afternoon at BSMMU where researchers said 44 per cent of the respondents were infected with Covid while 31 percent nurses also found positive to Covid.

The respondents were from four hospitals -- BSMMU, Bangladesh Institute of Health Sciences Hospital, National Institute of Kidney Diseases & Urology and National Heart Foundation Hospital.

Speaking as the chief guest at the programme, BSMMU VC Prof Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed said a good number of Covid-19 cured have reported developing diabetes or myopathy that they were not suffering from before.

Prof Sajal Krishna Banerjee warned that Covid-19 is still active. Everyone should be careful of it. Even if the person is cured, long covid could be deadly for many.

Preliminary findings from the research project found that 15-18% subjects diagnosed with covid suffer from different long covid symptoms. The symptoms continued to persist for years in some respondents even after the virus had become inactive.

According to the report, 12 per cent of participating healthcare workers including doctors, nurses and service givers were also suffering from depression as post Covid-19 consequences.

It also stated that after contracting Covid-19, some 14 per cent of service providers developed visual disturbances that continued to persist over a year.

Long Covid symptoms, including bodyache, fatigue, headache, sleep disturbances also persisted for a year in 5 to 8 per cent respondents. In addition, 8% of the respondents reported respiratory symptoms like cough as well.

Furthermore, cardiac symptom palpitation continued to persist even after a year of contracting Covid in 9 per cent of healthcare providers.