In a few cases, people with no history of mental health problems developed severe psychotic symptoms after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Jennifer Price, from the suburb of Morris, believes that her husband, Ben, contracted what was called “post-COVID psychosis” before his death.
Ben Price, a beloved father of two and a farmer, died by suicide just days after being treated and released from hospital for COVID.
“It was another level of something that took over his brain,” Jennifer Price explained.
Jennifer Price said her husband had not experienced any mental health problems in the past and, as the days went by, noticed a drastic change in his behavior.
“He was really on a level of panic and paranoia and he was scared,” she said. “He kept saying I’m so scared, I’m so scared, and he couldn’t even tell you what he was scared of.”
Jennifer Price thought her husband was suffering from brain fog. Doctors prescribed anxiety medication to Ben Price, but his condition worsened.
“There was nothing I could do to make him relax and calm down,” said Jennifer Price. “It was heartbreaking.”
Dr. Danesh Alam, a psychiatrist with Northwestern Medicine, says that “post-COVID psychosis” is rare and, as a result of reported cases, researchers are looking to see how COVID affects the human brain.
“Laboratories suggest that the virus may actually cross the blood-brain barrier and some of the changes we see [the] the brain is associated with major psychotic disorders, “the doctor explained.
As more studies are completed, Jennifer Price hopes that by sharing her husband’s story, the lives of others can be saved.
“We would have done something different if we had known about it,” she told NBC 5.
Doctors say that if you notice a change in your loved one’s behavior, even if they are hospitalized for COVID-19, contact a doctor immediately so that the symptoms can be captured and treated sooner.