[Soupe du jour]

There is a NY Times article at Small Number of Covid Patients Develop Severe Psychotic Symptoms - The New York Times with the subtitle reading "Most had no history of mental illness and became psychotic weeks after contracting the virus. Cases are expected to remain rare but are being reported worldwide."

The article also noted that most cases with this Covid-related psychosis have been people in their 30s, 40s, or 50s, when psychiatric illnesses less commonly begin.

The article goes on to say "Although the coronavirus was initially thought primarily to cause respiratory distress, there is now ample evidence of many other symptoms, including neurological, cognitive and psychological effects, that could emerge even in patients who didn’t develop serious lung, heart or circulatory problems...Experts increasingly believe brain-related effects may be linked to the body’s immune system response to the coronavirus and possibly to vascular problems or surges of inflammation caused by the disease process...Sporadic cases of post-infectious psychosis and mania have occurred with other viruses, including the 1918 flu and the coronaviruses SARS and MERS."

The article continued that most cases of this rare psychotic symptom, associated with Covid-19, lasted as long as 30 and up to 60 days to the point where antipsychotics were sometimes prescribed, and in one case noted in the article, even ECT was considered. In another example case where an antipsychotic was used, the patient responded well to the med risperidone.

Note: Those unable to access NY Times can find a similar article (written after the NY Times one) at 'The most terrifying thing': Some Covid-19 patients are suffering severe psychosis that should be free access.

[*Beth*]

The possibility of neurological problems scared me enough to get my covid vaccinations.

[downandlonely]

Yeah, I got both doses of Pfizer. I'm not taking chances. I had no side effects with the vaccine.

[Soupe du jour]

I'm glad you both protected yourselves, and others, so quickly. My husband's friend did not, and he's seriously paying the price for it. So is his family. It's horrible! I emphasize his family because families are always affected greatly when severe psychosis affects a member.