The number of working-age adults reporting serious cognitive issues increased during the pandemic and is now at the highest level seen in the past 15 years, according to Census Bureau data cited by The New York Times.
At the start of 2020, fewer than 15 million adults ages 18 to 64 reported having any type of disability. This figure jumped to 16.5 million as of September, with about two-thirds of the increase attributable to adults reporting new issues with remembering, concentrating or making decisions. This was particularly common among adults ages 20 to 49, according to the report.
Researchers are still studying the factors behind the steep increase but said long COVID-19 and other pandemic-related factors, such as psychological distress, are likely at play.
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