ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There has been a significant increase in number of patients seeking neuropsychological rehabilitation months after the acute phase of COVID-19 infection. OBJECTIVE: Identify the cognitive and psychiatric disorders in patients with long COVID or Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID (PASC) and explore the association between disease severity during the acute phase and persistent neuropsychological manifestations. METHODS: 614 adults were assessed an average of eight months post-infection. Participants were, on average, 47.6 y.o., who sought rehabilitation for neuropsychological problems. Patients were evaluated using the Barrow Neurological Institute Screen for Higher Cerebral Functions (BNIS), Phonemic Verbal Fluency and Clock Drawing tests (NEUPSILIN) for executive functions, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: The BNIS score was significantly below reference values in all subscales, especially affect and memory. Verbal Fluency and Clock Drawing subtest results were also lower. Patients with PASC tested high for anxiety/depression, but there was no statistically significant relationship between HADS and BNIS scores. Neuropsychological evaluations showed no differences in cognitive or psychiatric profiles between hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychological results suggest executive function problems and high incidence of anxiety/depression, irrespective of acute-phase severity, underscoring a need for neurorehabilitation programs while providing data for public policy initiatives.
Subject(s)
Anxiety , COVID-19 , Cognition Disorders , Depression , Adult , Anxiety/etiology , Brazil/epidemiology , COVID-19/complications , Cognition Disorders/etiology , Cognition Disorders/psychology , Depression/etiology , Humans , Neuropsychological Tests , Post-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeABSTRACT
This paper analyzes vulnerability and the tackling of the Covid-19 pandemic in 16 metropolitan territories of Sao Paulo and Baixada Santista (State of Sao Paulo, Brazil), objects of a participatory research developed in 2020 through a multiple-case study, in light of the theoretical framework of vulnerability and human rights. Socioeconomic conditions are different between territories. Vulnerability to coronavirus infection and disease is related to individual, social and programmatic factors: information, perceptions and possibilities of protection;family/interpersonal coexistence, housing, work and violence;and access to healthcare and social programs. Solidarity networks, formed mainly by community associations and social movements, focus on overcoming hunger, generating income and accessing rights. For the social response, it is essential to recognize specific needs, powerful experiences and the centrality of the joint walk of individuals and collectives in each territory.