Study finds symptoms of anxiety linked to COVID-19 long-haulers

Lingering neurologic symptoms that some COVID-19 patients develop can be connected with symptoms of anxiety, according to a study released this week by Northwestern Medicine.

The study found molecular evidence of damage to neurons and activation of the brain’s glial cells, which researchers said indicate inflammation that correlates with symptoms of anxiety in COVID-19 long-haulers.

“We hope the observed correlation leads to future research into the mechanistic basis of these neuropsychiatric symptoms in long COVID patients, or perhaps in the biological basis of chronic anxiety in general,” study co-author Barbara Hanson said in a statement.

The study enrolled 64 participants, including those hospitalized with COVID-19 at Northwestern Memorial with acute brain dysfunction known as encephalopathy, non-hospitalized COVID-19 long-haulers treated at the health system’s Neuro COVID-19 Clinic and healthy control subjects.

As of Tuesday, 699 Illinoisans were in the hospital with COVID-19, down 92 from Monday and down 252 from the prior week.

Of the patients in the hospital on Wednesday, 118 were in intensive care units, down 24 from Monday and down 47 from the prior week. There were 59 patients on ventilators, down four from Monday and down 20 from the prior week.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,634 new COVID-19 cases and 32 deaths on Wednesday.

The new cases bring the state total to 3,042,495, while the death toll increased to 33,010.

The seven-day average for new cases on Wednesday was 1,113, down 604 from the prior week. The seven-day average for daily deaths is 23, down 24 from the prior week.

The seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases as a percent of total tests is 1.2 percent. The seven-day statewide test positivity using the number of COVID-19 positive tests over total tests is 1.4 percent.

About 80.9 percent of eligible Illinoisans ages 5 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 72 percent are fully vaccinated.

Illinois vaccinators have administered 21,198,094 COVID-19 vaccines, per state data, including 4,194,525 booster doses. The seven-day average of doses administered is 10,323.