THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A NEW CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF ADULT LANGUAGE

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Covid-19 has affected millions of people worldwide, with a significant impact on the physical and mental health of many survivors. In addition to the acute symptoms associated with the infection, there are also reports of long-term sequelae in those who have recovered from the virus. One potentially concerning effect is the impact on language in post-Covid-19 patients. The aim was to understand the impact on language in adult patients who experienced Covid-19.

DEVELOPMENT: The post-acute and chronic sequelae of Covid-19 can affect language functioning. One of the most noted deficits identified in persistent post-Covid-19 symptomatology is pure or lexical anomia, as well as paraphasias and paragrafias. Additionally, difficulties in phonological verbal fluency, sentence repetition, and abstraction ability have been observed. On the other hand, neurological impairments due to Covid-19, such as encephalopathies, hypoxemia, or cerebrovascular accidents, have led, in certain cases, to symptoms of aphasic disorders.

CONCLUSIONS: Currently, knowledge about the pattern and severity of linguistic impairments after Covid-19 remains limited. Specifically, it is unclear how many patients continue to show language impairment and other cognitive functions after their medical discharge. Therefore, scientific research has identified an urgent need to study the impact of Covid-19 on its survivors in order to develop effective therapies and prevent adverse health outcomes.