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Long-Covid, a chronic syndrome that can appear months after recovering from COVID-19, is thought to impact between 80 and 400 million people worldwide, with an incidence of 5-20% in the general population and up to 50% in patients hospitalized following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. A recent publication, which is the outcome of an international collaboration between scientists at the Aldo Ravelli Coordinated Research Center at the University of Milan and researchers from other international universities, such as Yale University, the University of California, and the University of London, reports an authoritative consensus of the world's leading experts on the pathobiological mechanisms of the neurological and psychological complications of COVID-19 and Long-Covid in both adults and children. The publication also depicts current therapeutic prospects. The article appears in Nature Reviews Disease Primers, the most authoritative source for defining disease criteria. The article discusses the most prevalent symptoms and their clinical manifestations. Neurocovid is distinguished by common symptoms such as brain fog, memory deficits, persistent fatigue, headache, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and neuropathy, as well as the social consequences of a significant reduction in quality of life and work capacity, with a greater impact on women, the most exposed workers, and socioeconomically vulnerable populations. At present, the diagnosis of neurocovid is primarily clinical, and the most effective management is multidisciplinary and symptom-focused, as there is a lack of reliable biomarkers and, as a result, specific therapies. “Although, fortunately, the number of patients affected by neurological complications of COVID-19 has decreased over the past two years, the long-term effects of the infection—especially from the first wave—are not known and must remain under close observation. In fact, numerous scientific studies have suggested that COVID-19 is the "perfect storm" for activating the mechanisms that lead to neurodegeneration and, consequently, to related diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. Therefore, it is crucial that national healthcare systems worldwide maintain active neuroepidemiological monitoring systems in this regard and that patients who have contracted COVID-19, particularly in the first two waves and requiring hospitalization, undergo regular neurological checks and immediately report the onset of slowing, tremors, or memory loss to their doctor", experts state.
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