Thread by @ejustin46

They infected 34 young volunteers unvaccinated, and provide the first evidence that even MILD COVID-19 can HAVE LASTING EFFECTS on certain MENTAL ABILITIES, even in people who don't feel they have cognitive problems.

thelancet.com/journals/eclin…

2) Before summarizing this study, let me address the controversial practice of infecting volunteers with a dangerous virus, which consistently elicits scandalized reactions.

The study is classified as a "human challenge study," where volunteers are intentionally infected ...

3) ...with a pathogen under controlled conditions. It received approval from the UK Health Research Authority's Ad Hoc Specialist Ethics Committee and was monitored by a medical oversight committee and an independent data and safety monitoring board.

4) Despite the ethical concerns surrounding deliberate infection, the study followed proper review and oversight to ensure ethical procedures and minimize risks to participants.

I do not intend to assess the compliance with the study's protocol or ethics; rather, my goal is ...

5) ... just to provide a straightforward summary and present the results of the study.

They found that young, healthy volunteers who were infected with the original SARS-CoV-2 virus performed worse on cognitive tests compared to those who were not infected ...

6)... even up to a year later. The infected group showed small but persistent problems with memory and problem-solving tasks, despite not reporting any subjective cognitive issues.

7) This provides the first evidence from a controlled study that even mild COVID-19 can have lasting effects on certain mental abilities, even in people who don't feel they have cognitive problems.

8) The clinical significance of these subtle changes is still unclear, but the study demonstrates the value of using sensitive cognitive assessments to detect impacts that individuals may not notice themselves.

Thanks for reading 🙏