The medical and psychological components of post-COVID syndrome: disorders of the cognitive and emotional sphere of a person

Abstract

The problem of the study is that due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, many people experience post-infectious long-term symptoms, namely post-COVID syndrome. This disease is characterized by persistent debilitating fatigue, neurocognitive difficulties, muscle pain and weakness, as well as depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) that lasts for more than 3 to 12 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these symptoms, neurocognitive and psychiatric consequences, including attention and memory impairment, symptoms of anxiety and depression, have become the main focus of attention of modern healthcare professionals due to their significant impact on public health. In this regard, assessment tools play a crucial role in the early screening of cognitive changes caused by the prolonged course of COVID-19. This includes general cognitive assessment tools such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and more specific ones, namely the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for screening, diagnosing and monitoring depression symptoms and the GAD-7 for assessing anxiety and screening for generalized anxiety disorder. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of post-COVID syndrome on the cognitive and emotional sphere of people, as well as to develop recommendations for overcoming its consequences. The study sample consisted of 70 patients who had contracted COVID-19. They were divided into three groups, according to the COVID-19 classification by the severity, namely: group 1 — mild; group 2 — moderate and group 3 — severe. The results of the patient examinations showed that according to the MoCA, all respondents had a low level of cognitive impairment. This indicates the need for psychological support and clinical care. The score on the PHQ-9 demonstrated that in 15 (21 %) patients with mild COVID-19 and in 30 (43 %) with moderate course, mild depression prevailed. However, according to this questionnaire, patients with severe COVID-19 are characterized by moderate depression. The results showed that the more severe the disease, the higher the level of depression in patients. The GAD-7 scale showed that 15 (21 %) patients with mild COVID-19 and 30 (43 %) patients with moderate course were characterized by a moderate level of generalized anxiety disorder. Instead, the results of the study using the same questionnaire showed that 25 (36 %) patients with severe COVID-19 had an average level of generalized anxiety disorder. The results obtained according to the GAD-7 scale show that the more severe the degree of COVID-19, the higher the level of generalized anxiety disorder in patients. Special recommendations have been proposed to overcome cognitive and emotional disturbances associated with post-COVID syndrome.