Language in COVID-19, 2025, Cummings

Dolphin

Dolphin

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Full chapter can be downloaded here:

Chapter 19: Language in COVID-19
Louise Cummings
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, CHINA

Abstract:

As countries around the world address the enormous challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global health community is increasingly understanding the short- and longterm effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

This chapter examines these effects as they relate to language and communication.

Language difficulties are known to occur in individuals with severe COVID-19 disease and in people with the post COVID-19 condition.

Although language will be the focus of the chapter, COVID-19 disease also has an impact on speech, voice, hearing, and fluency.

The chapter begins by examining the neurological sequelae of SARSCoV-2 infection.

The nature and prevalence of communication difficulties in children and adults with COVID-19 are considered.

The discussion highlights cognitive-linguistic impairments of adults with the post COVID-19 condition.

The chapter concludes with clinical issues that are central to the work of speech-language pathologists who manage the complex communication needs of this new population of clients.

Keywords: aphasia; cognitive-communication disorder; COVID-19; dysarthria; hearing; Long COVID; post COVID-19 condition; SARS-CoV-2; speech-language pathology; voice disorder
 
Some of the chapter is about difficulties that might result from stroke, intubation in hospital, etc. Most of the 'post Covid condition' section looks largely the same as author's previous paper https://www.s4me.info/threads/cogni...-2023-cummings-has-me-cfs-control-group.29477

She makes good points, I think:
Special factors to consider in the development of treatments include the debilitating fatigue that is a universal feature of the post COVID-19 condition (all participants with Long COVID in Cummings (2023a) reported severe fatigue). Exercises that are used as standard in SLP interventions are unlikely to prove successful in a population of adults that fatigues rapidly and does not rebound easily from physical and cognitive exertion. Fatigue also has implications for the scheduling and location of therapy, as many adults with Long COVID must rest regularly throughout the day and cannot travel to clinics and then participate in treatment. Aside from direct rehabilitation, speech-language pathologists also provide psychological support to adults with Long COVID, many of whom face early career termination and significant social adjustments on account of their condition.
Click to expand...
 
A further factor to consider when planning the rehabilitation of adults with Long COVID is the age of these clients. Most adults with Long COVID are of working age – the average ages of respondents in the study (Cummings 2023a) and the online survey (Cummings 2023b)
conducted by the author were 49.1 years and 47.4 years, respectively. This is a significantly younger population of clients than those normally assessed and treated by speech-language pathologists, such as adults with stroke-induced aphasia and clients with neurodegenerative
diseases. For this younger group of clients with Long COVID, employment and its attendant communication demands must be a focus of rehabilitation efforts. Speech-language pathologists may also be called upon to act as advocates for their clients, especially when
they are faced with sickness policies and phased returns to work that do not recognise the chronic nature of Long COVID. Medical assessments conducted on behalf of employers need to make allowance for the relapsing-remitting nature of Long COVID symptoms, including language and communication difficulties. Speech-language pathologists have an important role to play in the education of occupational health professionals and human resource managers about the complex presentation of cognitive-communication difficulties in adults Long COVID so that medical assessments may accurately reflect the true impact of these difficulties on an individual’s work performance.
Click to expand...
 
Cummings acknowledged in her earlier work that her subjects were drawn from the milder end of the Long Covid spectrum and that her findings don't cover the needs of more severely affected people. I can't see a similar acknowledgement here, although I might have missed it.
 
I have not heard of any convincing evidence that people develop speech difficulties per se after covid. Brainfog, PEM and neurological issues might make speech difficult, but I’m not sure there’s any need for speech therapists.

This seems like yet another solution looking for a problem.
 
I can’t talk for others. But I can’t speak because of PEM (which is part of my Post-COVID).

But I “can” speak. Like my mouth still knows how to make the sounds. I don’t need to learn to speak again. I just need to not get debilitating PEM from speaking. So speech therapy for me would be counterproductive by just leading to extra PEM.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom