Spending more than a week in bed with Covid-19 may be linked to an increase in the risk of long-term damage to mental health, new research has suggested.
The study found that people with coronavirus who were not admitted to hospital were more likely to have symptoms of depression up to 16 months after diagnosis, compared to those never infected.
Those who were bedridden for seven days or more had higher rates of depression and anxiety, compared to people who were diagnosed with the virus but never confined to bed.
Although most symptoms eased within two months after diagnosis, patients who spent a week or more in bed were more likely to experience depression and anxiety over the 16-month study period.
Patients with severe Covid often experienced inflammation which has been linked to chronic mental health effects, particularly depression.
Researchers said longer spells in bed due to depression or anxiety could be due to a combination of worrying about long-term health effects, as well as Covid symptoms persisting.
Study author Prof Unnur Anna Valdimarsdottir, of the University of Iceland, said: “Our research is among the first to explore mental health symptoms after a serious Covid-19 illness in the general population up to 16 months after diagnosis.
“It suggests that mental health effects aren’t equal for all Covid-19 patients and that time spent bedridden is a key factor in determining the severity of the impacts on mental health.
“As we enter the third year of the pandemic, increased clinical vigilance of adverse mental health among the proportion of patients with a severe acute disease of Covid-19 and follow-up studies beyond the first year after infections are critical to ensure timely access to care.”
Most studies to date have analysed mental health effects for up to six months after a Covid diagnosis.
Much less is known about the long-term mental health effects beyond that, particularly for patients not admitted to hospital with varying degrees of Covid severity.
In the study researchers looked at the prevalence of depression, anxiety, Covid-19 related distress and poor sleep quality among people with and without a diagnosis of the disease from 0–16 months.
They drew upon data from seven groups of people across Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the UK.
Of the 247,249 people included, 9,979 (4 per cent) were diagnosed with the virus between February 2020 and August 2021.
Overall, people diagnosed with Covid-19 had a higher prevalence of depression and poorer sleep quality compared to those undiagnosed – 20.2 per cent versus 11.3 per cent experienced symptoms of depression, and 29.4 per cent versus 23.8 per cent experienced poor sleep quality.
People diagnosed with coronavirus but never bedridden due to their illness were less likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety than those not diagnosed with it.
The researchers suggest one explanation for this is that the return to normal lives is a relief for these individuals while those still not infected are still anxious about getting infected.
However, over 16 months, patients who were bedridden for seven days or more were 50-60% more likely to experience higher depression and anxiety compared to people never infected during the study period, the researchers found.
Co-author Ingibjorg Magnusdottir, of the University of Iceland, said: “The higher occurrence of depression and anxiety among patients with Covid-19 who spent seven days or longer bedridden could be due to a combination of worrying about long-term health effects as well as the persistence of physical long Covid symptoms well beyond the illness that limit social contact and may result in a sense of helplessness.
“Equally, inflammatory responses among patients with a severe diagnosis may contribute to more persistent mental health symptoms.
“In contrast, the fact that individuals with a mild Covid-19 infection can return to normal lives sooner and only experience a benign infection likely contributes to the lower risk of negative mental health effects we observed.”
The findings are published in The Lancet Public Health journal.
Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1
Calvin Harris
Columbia
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Full list of Emmy 2020 nominations
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How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Honeymoonish
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Second Test
Pakistan v Australia, Tuesday-Saturday, 10am daily at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Entrance is free
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
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- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
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*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
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- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
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