Olfactory dysfunction and chronic cognitive impairment following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in a sample of older adults from the Andes mountains of Argentina

Abstract

Background COVID-19 has affected more than 150 million people. The causal coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 has infected twice as many individuals who have remained asymptomatic. COVID-19 includes central nervous system (CNS) manifestations and may result in chronic neuropsychiatric sequelae. Risk factors for COVID-19 sequelae overlap with those for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), particularly older age and ApoE4 status. The Alzheimer’s Association Consortium on Chronic Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (CNS SC2) established harmonized definitions, ascertainment and assessment methodologies to evaluate and longitudinally follow up cohorts of older adults with variable exposure to COVID-19. We present preliminary data from CNS SC2 in a prospective cohort of 234 older adult Amerindians from Argentina. Method Participants are ≥ 60 years recruited from the health registry of the Province of Jujuy containing all SARS-CoV-2 testing data (regardless of clinical status and of the result of the testing). We randomly invite older adults stratified by testing status regardless of symptom severity, a minimum of 3 months after clinical recovery (maximum 6 months); refusal to participate is 2 = 13.82; p= 0.003) but not severity of acute COVID-19. Conclusion Older adults frequently suffer persistent cognitive impairment after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection; cognitive impairment is correlated with persistent anosmia.