Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 infections should be monitored for psychiatric symptoms such as signs of depression, mood swings and PTSD, Australian researchers suggest.

Psychiatrist Dr Mahesh Jayaram, from the Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne, says although there are many ‘unknowns’, studies have identified some psychiatric sequelae.

Dr Jayaram is a member of a research team investigating emerging evidence on long-tail neuropsychiatric complications of the virus.

“What comes across commonly is that early on, during the acute phase of the illness, people are affected by insomnia, fatigue and some experience cognitive dysfunction or brain fog,” he said.