Catching Covid has made people less intelligent - with severe infections reducing IQ the most, new study suggests

Catching Covid makes group little intelligent, pinch terrible infections reducing IQ nan most, a study suggests.

Britons who avoided nan illness typically performed champion successful intelligence tests, while those who ended up successful infirmary scored worst.

But moreover those who suffered only mild illness are apt to person had their cognitive abilities decline, it is believed.

Scientists from Imperial College London analysed information connected much than 112,000 volunteers who took Covid tests during nan pandemic.

Analysis revealed that those who were admitted to intensive attraction pinch Covid scored astir 9 IQ points little connected mean successful exams than those who avoided infection.

Those who reported having agelong Covid – persistent symptoms specified arsenic 'brain fog' – scored six points little and those pinch only mild infection 2 points lower.

Professor Adam Hampshire, lead writer of nan study published successful The Lancet aesculapian journal, tried to lucifer group arsenic intimately arsenic imaginable erstwhile comparing nan groups successful a bid to relationship for different factors. 

Further introspection recovered long-lasting cognitive impacts, moreover successful group infected a twelvemonth aliases much earlier.

The original Covid strain was associated pinch a bigger driblet successful IQ, while location were only marginal differences pinch Omicron. Vaccination besides appeared to person a protective effect.

Professor Hampshire said nan implications of nan figures are 'quite scary'.

The participants had enrolled connected Imperial College's React study. Dr Taquet said nan results should beryllium interpreted pinch be aware arsenic nan study did not comparison nan aforesaid personification earlier and aft infection.

Professor Benedict Michael, head of nan University of Liverpool's infection neuroscience laboratory, said location is 'clearly a very severely affected group'. 

But he added: 'I haven't yet seen convincing grounds that nan immense mostly of nan organization person been knocked backmost by X number of IQ points.'

Separate studies analysing encephalon scans taken earlier and aft nan pandemic propose Covid infection tin person an impact, moreover successful those who had not been hospitalised.

Professor Michael said it did not look to beryllium nan microorganism that was infecting nan encephalon but a secondary consequence of infection elsewhere successful nan assemblage – perchance acting connected humor vessels, reducing oxygen flow. Researchers opportunity it remains unclear if brains of Covid patients will afloat recover.