Delirium in a Male Patient Following Recovery from Mild COVID-19 Infection

Abstract

COVID-19 has had a worldwide impact that is unprecedented and catastrophic. Infection with COVID-19 can cause various neuropsychiatric complications, including delirium, which is commonly reported with the acute phase of illness with COVID-19 infection. However, delirium after complete recovery from mild COVID-19 infection has never been reported. Here we present the first case for a 58-year-old male diagnosed with a positive COVID-19 infection with a PCR test after a 1-day history of headaches and loss of taste and smell. By 10 days after the positive PCR test, the patient recovered completely without any recurrence of symptoms. However, the patient was observed to be unaware of their surroundings and displayed changes in their behaviour 11 days after recovery from mild COVID-19 infection. Physical examinations were abnormal, while the lab tests and the brain images showed normal results. The patient started to improve on the second day of admission without presenting any decline in health. Delirium that develops after recovering from COVID-19 infection should be investigated thoroughly to determine the reason; if no clear cause can be identified, the delirium may be secondary to COVID-19 infection.