Long covid infection linked with risk of 'face blindness', warns new study

News Network
March 21, 2023

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New Delhi, Mar 21: Prolonged symptoms of Covid-19 may be associated with difficulty recognising faces, a little-known condition called face blindness, and navigational problems, according to a study.

Previous studies have shown that Covid-19 can cause a range of neurological problems, including the loss of smell and taste, and impairments in attention, memory, speech, and language, known as "brain fog".

The latest research, published in the journal Cortex, is the first to report prosopagnosia, or face blindness, following symptoms consistent with Covid-19.

The condition that can make people fail to recognise familiar faces, has been estimated to affect between 2 and 2.5 per cent of people in the world.

The researchers assessed the case of Annie, a 28-year-old customer service representative and part-time portrait artist in the US, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 in March 2020 and suffered a symptom relapse two months later.

"When I first met Annie, she told me that she was unable to recognise the faces of her family," said Marie-Luise Kieseler, a graduate student at Dartmouth College in the US, adding Annie now relies on voices to recognise people.

Annie also experienced navigational deficits after having Covid-19. She has had difficulty remembering where particular sections in her grocery store are and relies on Google maps and its pin function to remember where she parks her car.

“The combination of prosopagnosia and navigational deficits that Annie had is something that caught our attention because the two deficits often go hand in hand after somebody either has had brain damage or developmental deficits,” said study senior author Brad Duchaine, a professor at Dartmouth.

"That co-occurrence is probably due to the two abilities depending on neighbouring brain regions in the temporal lobe," Duchaine said in a statement.

Dr. Vinit Suri, Senior Consultant, Neurology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi noted that the exact mechanisms by which long Covid may cause face blindness are not yet fully understood, but there are several possible explanations.

"Firstly, long Covid can cause a range of neurological symptoms which may affect the brain regions responsible for face recognition, causing difficulty in processing visual information and recognising familiar faces," Suri told PTI.

"Secondly, Covid-19 can cause inflammation and damage to the blood vessels, which can lead to reduced blood flow to the brain. This can cause brain damage and cognitive impairments, including face blindness," he added.

The research team conducted a series of tests with Annie to evaluate her problems with face recognition and determine whether she also has difficulties with other perceptual or cognitive abilities.

In one test, Annie was sequentially presented with 60 images of celebrity faces and was asked to name them. Annie correctly identified 29 per cent of the 48 celebrities whom she was familiar with as compared to most people, who can correctly identify 84 per cent of familiar celebrities.

The second test was a doppelganger test. Annie was shown a celebrity's name and then presented with images of two faces: the face of a celebrity and that of someone similar, and was then asked to identify which face was the famous person.

She identified the celebrity in 69 per cent of the 58 trials, as compared to 87 per cent in the control group.

"Our results from the test with unfamiliar faces show that it wasn't just that Annie couldn’t recall the name or biographical information of a famous person that she was familiar with, but she really has trouble learning new identities," said Kieseler.

The research team also obtained self-reported data from 54 individuals who had long Covid with symptoms for 12 weeks or more, and 32 persons who had reported that they had fully recovered from Covid-19.

Most respondents with long Covid reported that their cognitive and perceptual abilities had decreased since they had Covid.

"It was not just a small concentration of really impaired cases but a broad majority of people in the long Covid group reported noticeable difficulties doing things that they were able to do before contracting Covid-19 without any problems," Kieseler said.

"Our study highlights the sorts of perceptual problems with face recognition and navigation that can be caused by Covid-19 -- it is something that people should be aware of, especially physicians and other health care professionals,” Duchaine added.

Dr. Atul Prasad, Principal Director & HOD Neurology, BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi said this is the first report of long Covid causing prosopagnosia.

"The more we study the virus, the more we realise how much damage it can cause during acute infection and now after infection has settled," Prasad told PTI.

Suri noted that that not all people with long Covid will develop face blindness, and the severity and duration of symptoms can vary widely.

"Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between long Covid and face blindness and to develop effective treatments and interventions for those affected," he added. 

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News Network
May 16,2023

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Bengaluru, May 16: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday hinted at the possibility of replacement of the BJP Karnataka President Nalin Kumar Kateel, who has already completed his three-year term, following the party's loss in the Assembly elections.

Kateel, a three-time Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada, was appointed state unit chief in August 2019 for a three-year term. He was given an extension last year in view of the impending elections. In the May 10 elections, the Congress ousted the BJP from power.

The Congress got 135 seats in the 224-member Assembly, while the BJP secured 66 seats and JD(S) 19.

Joshi, the Lok Sabha member from Dharwad, and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, said the BJP legislature party will decide on who would be the leader of opposition in the Assembly after a discussion in the presence of a representative from the party's central leadership.

“I would just like to say that his (Kateel's) term of three years is over. In view of the (Assembly) election, our national leaders had given him responsibility. Our leaders will take further decisions,” Joshi told reporters here.

He also appealed to Congress to form the government at the earliest to fulfill the wishes of the people. On the next move of the BJP after the rout in Assembly elections, Joshi said the party will introspect.

“We have already said that this was the most disappointing result for the BJP. Such developments happen in the election. We have to find out the reason,” the Minister said. Neither he nor the party has taken the defeat lightly. Instead, the outcome has been taken as a challenge, he added.

“We are gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections and we will win". After the election results were declared on May 13, Kateel said as the state unit head he takes responsibility for the party's defeat at the hustings.

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News Network
May 16,2023

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London, May 16: The majority of Palestinians are opposed to the Abraham Accords, the agreements that normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and some Arab nations in 2020, and that just over a half believe it made Israel more aggressive, a new survey suggested.

The latest Arab News-YouGov poll about the Palestinian situation from the point of view of Palestinians on the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, revealed that 64 percent of the respondents said to be against the accords, with only 10 percent expressing a favorable opinion.

The Abraham Accords, signed in September 2020, are a series of agreements between Israel and four Arab countries  — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco  — that established formal diplomatic relations, including the exchange of ambassadors and the opening of embassies.

The Accords, mediated by the Trump administration, were hailed as a major breakthrough in Middle East diplomacy.

However, the agreements have been met with widespread opposition from Palestinians, who believe they fail to address the root causes of the conflict. 

When asked about the impact of the Accords, 52 percent of those surveyed said that the agreement had made Israel more aggressive towards the Palestinians, while 43 percent said they had seen no impact or change, and only 6 percent said they believed the agreement had made the situation better.

The results of the poll highlight a deep mistrust of Palestinians towards a possible peaceful resolution of the conflict, as they show that the Abraham Accords failed to produce tangible improvements for Palestinians.

This mistrust was foretold by former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al Faisal, who said in an interview with Arab News’ “Frankly Speaking” video show in May last year that there is no evidence that embracing Israel has made it less aggressive towards Palestinians.

Prince Faisal argued that despite some Arab countries having normalized their relationship with Israel, the situation in the West Bank and Gaza remains the same.

“Attacks and assassinations of Palestinian individuals take place almost on a daily basis. The stealing of Palestinian land by Israel continues despite the assurances that Israel gave to the signatories of the peace (accord) between the UAE and Israel,” Prince Faisal said.

“So, there is no sign whatsoever that appeasing Israel is going to change their attitude.”

The poll also revealed the most commonly chosen reasons for the failure of peace talks, unveiling a fragmented, complex picture.

The top reason, chosen by 21 percent of respondents, was “Continued Israeli intimidation, settlements, and annexation.”

This was followed by “US bias towards Israel,” chosen by 15 percent, and “mistakes and lack of leadership of the Palestinian Authority,” chosen as the top reason by 14 percent of people surveyed.

While 11 percent of respondents saw the disputes over Al-Aqsa Mosque and the status of Jerusalem as significant barriers to peace, 32 percent of interviewees believed that Palestinian armed militias sabotaging the peace talks ranked at the bottom of the reasons for failure.

These results suggest that Palestinians see a range of factors contributing to the failure of past peace talks and initiatives, including both internal and external factors. However, only 2 percent of respondents ranked the issue of the “Palestinian state’s ability to carry arms and defend itself” as the top reason for the failure.

Interestingly, the poll also revealed that a significant proportion of respondents  — 31 percent  — did not choose any of the six options presented, indicating a level of uncertainty or frustration with the peace process. 

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News Network
May 16,2023

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Bengaluru, May 16: Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Tuesday alleged 'Talibanisation' has started in the state after the victory of the Congress in the Assembly polls and those indulging in "anti-national activities" are "rising up" to destroy peace.

The Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada met family members of Krishnappa, a BJP worker who was allegedly hacked to death by a relative, while his wife and son were grievously injured following a clash. 

The Hoskote police arrested Aditya, 21, nephew of the deceased, charging him with the murder, while his father Ganesh managed to escape. Efforts are on to track him down, the police said. 

"Talibanisation has begun. Those indulging in anti-national activities are rising up and destroying peace and harmony. This is happening because Congress harboured and promoted these types of people. So, we cannot expect anything better from the Congress," Kateel told reporters after the meeting.

Condemning the incident, he alleged that attempts have been made to make Karnataka a 'mini-Bihar'.

"The politics of hatred is going on in the state. This sends across a message about what will happen to the state if this government continues. This is a sign that 'jungle raj' will be established here," Kateel said.

"We (BJP) will condemn it and will face it. There is no need for our workers to panic. We will face it and fight it and we will give a befitting reply. We will not sit idly," he said.

"The power struggle is going on. Everyone (top Congress leaders) is in Delhi to decide who should be the next Chief Minister. Congress workers are continuing their hooliganism in the state," Kateel said.

He asserted that incidents of violence took place in Yadgir, Shivamogga, Bhatkal and some other parts of the state (after election results were declared).

"It will be good if the Congress understands this. I have told the police officers. You should not keep quiet when such incidents happen. You have to arrest all those who are behind such incidents," Kateel said.

The Congress ousted the BJP from power by bagging 135 seats in the 224-member Assembly. The BJP secured 66 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular) headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda won 19. 

The murder

According to the police, Mr. Krishnappa and Mr. Ganesh are brothers and allegedly nurtured grudges over a property dispute. On Saturday, the accused were celebrating the victory of the Congress candidate and burst crackers in front of Mr. Krishnappa, who supported the ruling party and objected to the ruckus in front of his house, said the police.

Heated arguments ensued, which took an ugly turn, when Aditya, in a fit of rage, attacked Mr. Krishnappa with an axe, the police added. Ms. Gangamma and Babu rushed to his aid, but were also attacked and severely injured. The others rushed the trio to a nearby hospital where Mr. Krishnappa was declared as brought dead, said the police. 

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