Dr. XinQi Dong, MD, MPH, director of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, is available to comment on the importance of further research into neurological effects of COVID-19 that may be related to atypical symptoms in older adults.
“Some research suggests there may be neurological consequences associated with COVID-19 infection, ranging from dizziness, loss of smell and dementia-like symptoms, to ataxia to encephalopathy,” said Dr. Dong, a population health epidemiologist and geriatrician who has published extensively on violence prevention, elder justice and healthy aging. “In seniors, symptoms like this may be confused with other conditions, making it difficult to detect COVID-19 and delaying proper treatment. We must do more to understand these symptoms and what health care providers and loved ones should look out for.”
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