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Mounting scientific evidence presented in recent studies underscored the profound impact of COVID-19 on brain health, disclosing significant cognitive decline and memory loss among people infected with the virus.

Two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine shed further light on the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on cognitive function.

The first study, led by Ziyad Al-Aly, a physician-scientist and clinical epidemiologist, delves into the extensive research detailing the neurological effects of COVID-19.

Al-Aly's research, spanning from the early days of the pandemic to recent developments, highlighted various cognitive deficits experienced by individuals post-infection according to People.

These deficits include memory problems, brain inflammation, altered brain structure and cognitive decline equivalent to years of brain aging.

Furthermore, autopsies conducted on people who succumbed to severe COVID-19 revealed devastating brain damage, suggesting the virus's ability to infiltrate brain tissue.

"COVID-19 can also disrupt the blood-brain barrier, the shield that protects the nervous system -- which is the control and command center of our bodies - -making it 'leaky,'" Al-Aly noted, per Scientific American.

"Studies using imaging to assess the brains of people hospitalized with COVID-19 showed disrupted or leaky blood-brain barriers in those who experienced brain fog."

The second study emphasized the widespread impact of COVID-19 on cognitive health.

Assessing cognitive abilities in over 113,000 individuals previously infected with COVID-19, researchers found significant deficits in memory and executive task performance.

Notably, these deficits persisted across different phases of the pandemic and variants, indicating the enduring consequences of COVID-19 on brain function.

Of particular concern was the observed decline in IQ scores among people with resolved COVID-19 infections.

Those experiencing persistent symptoms or requiring intensive care for COVID-19 exhibited more pronounced cognitive decline, suggesting a correlation between disease severity and cognitive impairment.

The findings underscored the urgent need for further research to understand the mechanisms underlying COVID-19's impact on brain health.

Additionally, efforts to identify high-risk individuals and mitigate the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on cognitive function are reportedly imperative.

The researchers noted that as the world continues to grapple with the aftermath of the pandemic, addressing the neurological effects of COVID-19 should be a critical priority.