Delirium Or Mental Confusion With Fever Could Be An Early Symptom Of COVID-19: Study

London: Delirium, a state of acute mental confusion, accompanied by a fever could be an early symptom of COVID-19. An abrupt change in the brain that causes mental confusion and emotional disruption is called delirium. It makes it difficult to think, remember, sleep, pay attention, and more.

The findings of the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Immunology and Immunotherapy, highlights the fact that, together with the loss of the senses of taste and smell and headaches that occur in the days prior to the manifestation of coughing and breathing difficulties, some patients also develop delirium, IANS reported.

“As such, the manifestation of this state of confusion, when accompanied by high fever, should be considered an early marker of the disease, particularly in the case of elderly patients,” study researcher Javier Correa from Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) in Spain was quoted as saying.

“We need to be on the alert, particularly in an epidemiological situation like this, because an individual presenting certain signs of confusion may be an indication of infection,” Correa added.

For the results, the research team reviewed the body of scientific work published on the effects of Covid-19 in relation to the central nervous system, i.e. the brain.

According to the researchers, delirium, cognitive deficits and behavioural anomalies are most likely to be the result of systemic inflammation of the organ and a state of hypoxia ( a condition in which the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply at the tissue level).

Last month, another study, published in the journal ‘Age and Ageing’, revealed that delirium is a key symptom of COVID-19 in frail, older people, the report added.