Individuals with dementia have an increased risk of contracting and experiencing a poor outcome from COVID-19, according to new research published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. The findings underline the need to develop strategies to protect patients with dementia from SARS-CoV-2 infection while avoiding the potentially detrimental effects of social isolation.
“Previous studies by others showed that the altered blood–brain barrier in people with Alzheimer disease (AD) predisposes them to viral and bacterial infections,” explains corresponding author Rong Xu. “In addition, the memory impairment associated with dementia might interfere with the patient’s ability to adhere to preventive measures for COVID-19, such as…
