After Drinking Body Wash and Washing Clothes in Toilet... 30s Qatari Woman Suffers Delirium Following COVID-19 Diagnosis

Sometimes Undressing Without Reason... Symptoms May Have Emerged Due to Inflammation Caused by COVID-19

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[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jinsoo Lee] A case has been reported where a young woman infected with COVID-19 exhibited strange behavioral patterns consistent with delirious mania, such as suddenly stripping off her clothes to become naked, drinking body wash, and washing clothes in the toilet without any apparent reason.

According to the November issue of the British Medical Journal Case Reports (BMJ Case Reports), the woman in her 30s tested positive for COVID-19 in Doha, Qatar. At that time, there were no issues with her mental health.

The woman showed only mild physical symptoms from COVID-19 during the first four days of self-quarantine. However, according to her family, she began to display unusual behavior after those four days.

The medical staff observing her documented in the case report how she became agitated, slept poorly, and talked excessively.

The woman experienced hallucinations and started talking to people who were not actually present. She called family members by the wrong names and suddenly stripped off her clothes for no reason, becoming naked.

The authors of the case report stated, "She suddenly drank as much as 100ml of body wash, which led her relatives to take her to the hospital."

When medical staff examined the woman upon arrival at the hospital, no abnormalities were found. Moreover, investigations showed that she had no mental health problems. She had not taken any medication, nor had she consumed alcohol or used drugs.

However, the woman briefly became tearful, then agitatedly wandered around the examination room, pleading to be allowed to go home.

When examined by a psychiatrist, the woman said she was happy and wished for the happiness of the world. She also expressed grand beliefs, claiming she had received special spiritual powers from God and could bestow these powers on others.

The case report notes that the woman was embarrassed about drinking the body wash before hospitalization but stated that she liked its taste and smell.

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The woman was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia. However, she also showed signs of delirium and mania. These symptoms are known to be unrelated to typical COVID-19 side effects.

Delirium usually causes illusions and impaired consciousness. Mania triggers extreme mood changes and hyperactivity.

The woman was hospitalized for five days. During this time, her vital signs (measurements such as breathing, temperature, and heartbeat that indicate life) remained normal. Nevertheless, she continued to exhibit strange behaviors.

The authors of the case report wrote, "At one point, the patient sang and joked with medical staff, then suddenly became tearful with a continuously agitated voice."

The day after admission, the woman washed clothes in the toilet but could not explain why she did so.

She also briefly experienced hallucinations, revealing that she saw birds flying inside the ward, even though there were no birds present.

By the third day of hospitalization, the woman’s condition began to improve. On the fifth day, she returned to normal and was discharged.

It was determined that neither the woman nor her family had any psychiatric history. Furthermore, the woman clearly remembers how severe her condition was.

The delirious mania lasted a total of nine days. The onset of delirious mania occurred immediately after the COVID-19 diagnosis. Medical staff therefore identified COVID-19 as the cause.

The medical team noted that the woman was young and had no psychiatric history, concluding that this was a case where COVID-19 had a strong impact on mental state.

The authors of the case report suggested that inflammation caused by COVID-19 may have triggered the mental health issues.

Delirium is known to be a very rare side effect of COVID-19. However, it can affect elderly patients aged 65 and older.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.