FRIDAY, May 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A serious bout of COVID-19 can prompt a serious loss of brain power, new research warns, triggering a drop in IQ that's equivalent to aging from 50 to 70 in a matter of months.

How can COVID-19 affect the brain?

Among people who were hospitalized for COVID, a wide range of problems with cognition have been reported. They include difficulties with. attention, which allows our brains to actively process information that is happening around us while simultaneously ignoring other details.

Can COVID-19 lead to mental and neurological complications?

Meanwhile, COVID-19 itself can lead to neurological and mental complications, such as delirium, agitation, and stroke. People with pre-existing mental, neurological or substance use disorders are also more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection ̶ they may stand a higher risk of severe outcomes and even death.