Research finds pre-existing neurological disorders correlate with higher death rates from COVID-19

The study also confirms a higher risk of developing new neurological disorders after the infection. The University of Alberta compared (sub. req.) data from residents who tested positive for COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic. It suggests the risk of death was more than double in the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive cohort (2,140 per 100,000 person-years) versus the RNA-negative group (922 per 100,000 person-years). After a nine-month follow-up, researchers found the risk of death was greatest among patients with pre-existing conditions such as parkinsonism, dementia, seizures, encephalopathy and stroke. After three months post-infection, new neurological disorders such as encephalopathy, dementia, seizures and brain fog were more likely to be diagnosed in COVID-19 patients.