While long-term neurological deficits and psychiatric complications are increasingly observed in patients with LongCOVID (or, Post-COVID syndrome), scientific research on the topic is still inadequate.
Symptoms are incredibly diverse and are neither limited to severe cases of COVID-19 nor specific demographic groups. NeuroCOVID has been demonstrated in 61% of all COVID-19 patients at six months, with 52% of young adults (16-30 years) showing symptoms. To date, little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the varying disease trajectories. Therefore, the lack of predictive models for a personalised assessment of the risk of developing NeuroCOVID has hampered prognosis and intervention. At the same time, psycho-social vulnerabilities and forms of discrimination affecting NeuroCOVID patients are currently not effectively addressed.
Closing this gap is urgently needed for individual and societal welfare, and this is where NeuroCOV comes in. This EU-funded research project is expected to change the state of the art through a truly multi-scalar approach that bridges clinical studies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS). With a multidisciplinary and international consortium of ten institutions, we strive to enhance the medical predicaments of developing NeuroCOVID, advance monitoring and treatment, as well as address the societal consequences of this emerging pandemic.