ADHD, it turns out, is a GOOD thing to have in a pandemic world. Although studies show ADHD folks are more likely to risk contracting COVID, they are also more likely to recover more quickly and with fewer complications!
How’s that for some good news (at last)?
I was stunned to find that untreated ADHD is a risk factor for COVID-19 but I suppose it makes sense. We are probably more likely to forget our mask, our hand sanitizer, our social distancing margin. The study, by the way, did not mention any of those possibilities. Only that we are at higher risk.
The second study, however, brought up an interesting point: that ADHD might be an evolutionary advantage for battling some illnesses, in much the same way that folks with sickle cell anemia are at an advantage when battling malaria.
I was equally stunned when the conclusion of the researchers was that perhaps ADHD children might not require the same limitations for COVID as their non-ADHD classmates. That, to me, is a big leap. Not sure that follows. Of course, the waffling, “don’t blame us if it turns out we are wrong” caution at the end of EVERY study was: “needs more research.”
Anyway, wanted to pass along some interesting news. Here are the studies if you want to see the originals:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1087054720943271
