We’ve heard from more and more COVID-19 survivors that the virus’ impact lasts beyond the first few weeks of immediate symptoms. For some patients, COVID-19 has a long-term, far-reaching impact on their daily lives, impacting them physically, emotionally, and cognitively. This is especially true for many people with previously diagnosed conditions, such as prior strokes, TBIs, or diagnoses of dementia. Read on to hear current research findings related to COVID-19’s lasting effects on cognitive function, and what we here at Constant Therapy Health are doing about it.
As we continue to learn more about COVID-19, a new term, “Long COVID”, emerged. So what IS Long COVID? What does the existing research tell us? When we analyze an illness like COVID-19 we look at mortality, or how deadly it is, as well as morbidity, or the overarching impact of the disease other than death. Research thus far mostly prioritized the mortality of COVID-19 (understandably so given the urgency to better understand this deadly virus). However, more and more research is emerging assessing the morbidity of COVID-19 and its long-term symptoms. Long COVID can cause a variety of symptoms. They range from more physical symptoms such as pulmonary, cardiovascular, and systematic issues like fatigue, to neuropsychological symptoms impacting cognition, speech and language, memory, emotion and mood, and the now hallmark symptoms of loss of smell and taste. As the scientific community continues to uncover the lasting symptoms associated with Long COVID, we also need to make a plan to figure out how to best help those currently struggling with these long-term effects.
There are four ways that COVID-19 is currently impacting speech, language, and cognitive skills:
As noted above, Long COVID is receiving more and more attention as scientists prioritize investigating the long term effects of the disease.
In a not-yet peer reviewed paper analyzing survey data from over 3,700 people who had symptoms consistent with COVID-19, researchers found trends not only in the types of symptoms that people had, but also in the timing at which they experienced them:
In another single-center study looking at persistent symptoms following COVID-19 hospitalization, scientists found that even after over 100 days, patients still reported fatigue (55%), shortness of breath (42%), loss of memory (34%), concentration difficulties (28%), and sleep disorders (30.8%).
Battling COVID-19 also brings mental health challenges, which can impact functional presentation and lower treatment engagement.
Do to the highly contagious nature of the virus, social isolation is a pervasive requirement for managing the spread of COVID-19. Patients with pre-existing conditions such as dementia, aphasia, traumatic brain injuries, and other neurological disorders are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of isolation. Without frequent social interaction, patients do not get to apply and practice their speech, language, and cognitive skills as readily, which can lead to a decline in each of these areas of need. While these patients are careful to isolate to stay safe from the virus itself, studies show that the isolation of COVID-19 results in a deterioration of emotional state and communication skills of these patients.
These long-term and comorbid effects of COVID-19 are all still very new issues, but due to their persistent, wise-reaching impact on people’s ability to participate in their daily lives and successfully return to work, continuing to educate ourselves is of the utmost importance. The social and economic impacts of Long COVID need to be addressed expediently.
Amy Ramage rightfully called upon speech-language pathologists to look at how we can help these patients given the applicability of speech-language pathology approaches to evaluation and intervention for similar populations of critical care patients. Whether the cause is a direct result of COVID-19 attacking patients’ neurological centers, or other neurological consequences of COVID-19 like stroke or intermittent hypoxia, we need to be prepared to help these patients. As Ramage aptly puts it, “although COVID-19 is novel, the cognitive and linguistic symptoms SLPs will observe in survivors are not novel.” We need to use objective and subjective evaluations to assess cognitive, linguistic, and social communication systems. We should treat all deficits with an interprofessional approach, and per Ramage’s article, treatment should not stop when patients are discharged but should continue when patients are at-home as well.
The research community hasn’t yet been able to study whether rehabilitation helps combat COVID-19 language and cognitive symptoms. However, that’s exactly what we’d like to find out. Constant Therapy has the therapy activities to address the language and cognitive symptoms associated with Long COVID and the neurological sequelae of COVID-19 – now it’s a matter of figuring out whether our therapy activities can help these specific patients.
We look forward to doing our part in the research community to help determine how we can best assist patients with long-term cognitive and language impairments resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jordyn is a practicing Speech-language Pathologist and Assistive Technology Specialist and is the Director of Pierce Speech, Language, and Learning Center. She also is the Vice President of Clinical Operations & Development for Constant Therapy Health, leading content development, advising on product features, and coordinating internal and external research projects.
Resources:
What can be done if someone if so badly affected by the speech problem that they can no longer do their jobs? Are there any programs to replace their income or assistance if they have to leave their only income?
Every state is different and your primary care physician should be able to guide you to resources and assistance information.We wish you the best of luck.
Hello,
I have had COVID 3x now and possibly 4 ( uncertain about #4, but was definitely exposed face to face with a person who had it and I went on to have extreme fatigue and some kidney issues, but no formal dx ).
I had a fall in Nov. 2019 and I believe that I suffered a concussion, but was never able to fully get the care that I need for a combination of complex reasons. Once COVID hit, I moved on from my head injury, but I certainly recognized that I was experiencing some latent symptoms. I got the wild version of COVID in Dec. 2020. I became anemic, asthmatic, and completely lost my sense of smell. Still to this day, I only have momentary, phantom, scents waft in, but then they dissipate very quickly.
I am not exactly sure when the emotional, cognitive, memory loss and inability to find my words all set in, but it has been with me for a while. I have COVID write now as I write this. These, symptoms were already present. I have had suicidal thoughts at times( I would never act on it. I strongly believe that this is so prevalent in COVID victims and has caused so much havoc to our society that researchers will find ways to cure these problems within the next few years. I have unyieldingly hope, plus I am generally upbeat and enjoy the journey of life.
So, with my auto-biography 😊, I’m hoping to get in touch or have someone researching in any aspect, whether by bringing recognition to this or possibly a medical researcher. I just want to get involved. I’m a writer, though to self-deprecating to have ever gone down the road to publishing anything. So, as an intriguing aside, my words tend to come when writing, but when speaking I cannot capture them; completely space.
In conclusion, finally 😊, I hope that someone reads this and finds pertinent information in what I have experienced. I want to help others suffering as I am. It is very difficult to lose your quality of life, unexpected with no answers, before your time is due . With regard COVID, the scale of people experiencing this or more precisely this cohort of individuals is probably so much larger than any of us actually realize and once we do, if more attention isn’t brought to the reality of long COVID, the already fragile state of our society will be devastated.
Thank you for reading 😊
Thank you for your feedback. That sounds so frustrating. Good for you for writing it all down.
Dear Carla:
I had a severe bout of Covid in 2020. I was in the hospital for a week.
I started experiencing the same symptoms you describe as in speech- hard times finding the words and getting them out. Problems with my balance, I fell a number of times. I sleep all the time. Depression is part of my life now. I used to do child care, but I don’t trust myself anymore.
I’m retired now and I supplemented my income with the child care. Now that I can’t do it anymore-things are tight
Are there programs to help what you can’t do anymore?
I feel your pain, I’ve thought about ending it all because you feel so useless and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Jeanne- So very sorry for all you have been through. Hopefully these articles provide helpful info and some light at the end of tunnel:
Keep going. You matter.
Oh my gosh it’s like you are telling my story. I cannot get the doctors to listen about long Covid. They just keep telling me I’m depressed and keep putting me on medication that does nothing. I wasn’t depressed until my last doctor visit where she insisted I’m depressed and have to start going to EMDR therapy. I felt like she slapped me in the face. I have all your same symptoms. I cannot speak right. I was a special education teacher. I can tell you, I will not ever be able to teach again if my life continues down this road. I feel so alone. My husband and children support me. They have to help me with showers, shopping, support me when walking or going up stairs. It’s like you lose who you are. My doctor says I have major depression because I’ve prayed that God will just take me home. I feel useless now.
Please don’t take this wrong but after almost a year (10/15/2022) it’s so good to know there are other people going through the same things. Praying we all find answers and get better.
Hi Rebecca, thank you so much for sharing your story. You are not alone, and your words help others who share your struggle see that too! Wishing you all the best as you keep pushing forward.
My mother was I’ll with COVID for a month, did not go to the hospital. She never received the vaccine (Fox News, 😔).
She has had the following symptoms for over a year. She has completely lost her sense of smell and some of her taste. Her speech has been affected as well, symptoms are similar to brocas. She went to a neurologist. No signs of stroke. Normal brain ageing. She went to a speech pathologist. Much like brocas she can think and write in full sentences but cannot speak. The neurologist doesn’t know or won’t say what is wrong.
Kristy- So sorry to hear about your mom! Keep pushing for info. In the meantime, have your Mom try Constant Therapy with our 14 day free trial. More info here: https://constanttherapyhealth.com/constant-therapy/for-patients/
Hello. I had Covid in March 2022. Since then I’ve developed some breathing issues (nothing serious) which my GP has referred to ENT – all clear – and I am waiting to see a gastro consultant as a chest x-ray revealed a large hiatus hernia which my GP says could also be contributing to the breathlessness. However, I have also developed over the last 3 months or so a slurring of my speech. I can control it to a certain extent of I speak very slowly but it’s driving me mad. Is this post Covid? And will it eventually go???
Juli- Good for you for advocating for your health during this difficult time. Keep pushing your doctors for answers. Re: your speech- Perhaps you want to ask for a referral to a speech-language pathologist. In the meantime, give our app a try for free: https://app.constanttherapy.com/signup/
I am 66, male and in general good health. I was hospitalized for a week in Jan 2021 with CoVid19 with pneumonia and blot clots. I recovered fully, but my wife and I noticed that I have occasional trouble recalling single words (word finding). I am a professional and my memory recall pre-CoVid would be characterized as exceptional. This is a very new situation for me and had not happened before CoVid. I have not experienced any other apparent health issues, since getting CoVid, other than this prevalent “grasping for that word” situation when I am talking or typing a professional correspondence.
I recently had a mild case of Covid thanks to the vaccination & buster. Before Covid I had a TIA about 2 yrs ago. After that I had started to get seizures where I was not able to speak because everything that I was trying to say it would come out as gibberish and it would last for about 5-10mins. Sometimes I couldn’t get up from the bed because I didn’t have the strength or didn’t know how. After finally finding a great neurologist, he put on medication that has helped me alot. Now after Covid, I have had 2 episodes, but these ones are different. While I’m alone and just watching TV I started talking in a different language and I don’t know what I’m saying, but after I’m done. I don’t feet any side effects from it – that was the first time. The 2nd time it happen I was able to tape what I was saying but still don’t know what I’m saying. Has anybody else suffered this side effect from Covid?
Thanks so much for sharing. Thinking of you.
Recovering from recent covid infection, lost smell and taste for 4 days but the really weird symptom was poor spelling. I have had no previous brain trauma and no other issues with problem solving. I had significant trouble trying to use the correct words and no idea how to spell them. Lasted for about a week, maybe I’m just tired
Helpful article if I gain from it is the realization that my post Covid symptoms are being experienced by others. My initial symptoms fit those of Omicron. But they developed into a sickness unlike any I’ve had . If greatest concern is the speech pattern since a brain stroke during post Covid, easy to self diagnose for I had one years ago. After starting a sentence my mind just stops and I can’t retrieve the words. Also I have memory loss whereas I’ve always had an exceptional memory. This frightens me no end, afraid I’m on the road to Alzheimer’s. I am very fatigued yet lay awake all night. I could go on but I’d have a book rather than a comment. It is depressing for speech has been my career of acting and preaching and public speaking.
Rev Smith- Sorry to hear that! We hope that you are working with your doctor to address your Long Covid symptoms. He or she may recommend some brain therapy. If that is the case, consider doing the free trial with Constant Therapy to see if it helps: https://constanttherapyhealth.com/constant-therapy/for-patients/