(TheDailyHorn.com) – On February 28, Ben Price died by suicide, an act his wife, Jennifer, said was shocking because it was so out of character. Jennifer tracked the cause back two weeks, when he was stricken with COVID-19 and a rarely-discussed related condition called COVID psychosis.
Beating the coronavirus didn’t spare him from possible ‘COVID psychosis.’ His wife warns it’s not as rare as people think. https://t.co/HftdCSRP4V via @USATODAY pic.twitter.com/LYYkxKK07O
— Michelle Maltais (@mmaltaisLA) May 6, 2021
Experts know little about this rare side-effect, which a study showed to be present in about 0.4% of people with COVID-19 diagnoses. They believe low oxygen levels (which sent Ben to the hospital during his fight with the illness) could be one cause.
This mental health issue can manifest itself in anyone, even those without prior mental health problems like Ben. Its symptoms include paranoia and anxiety. The Prices sought help, and Ben’s doctor treated him with anxiety medications, but they had little effect.
His wife is now urging the Biden administration to take this threat more seriously by adding a neurological expert to the White House COVID Task Force. Without representation at this level, there are valid concerns that many more families will have to go through the same devastation as the Prices.
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