Recently The Scientist posted material about the coronavirus and called it the direct enemy of autism. The reason for such a statement was stopping the laboratory’s clinical trials and the treatment of diseases. They went into quarantine because of the pandemic or began special COVID-19 research.

Scientists have had to stop research projects and clinical trials to treat autism with long-term implications for this field in the US. According to scientists, many years of work should not be stopped, otherwise it will become a real disaster.

“We’re inside a hurricane, and there is no understanding of how much it could get worse or when it’s over,” says Helen Egger, head of a child’s and adolescent psychiatric department in New York. The problem is that research on autism has mostly focused on children. There is currently little information available about autistic adults. Moreover, it is difficult to diagnose adults, since the tests are developed mainly for children.

And after 65 years it is almost impossible to diagnose people’s disorders at all.

New research shows that autistic adults die early and are under high risk for a wide range of physical and mental health conditions, including diabetes, depression, and heart disease. That’s is why autism research is so important because, without a diagnosis, autistic adults are unable to access a range of services that could help them provide shelter and health care. As a result, scientists conclude that the problem is global. Unfortunately, national governments, and even the US, have a strategy lack for providing medical and social assistance to older autistic.

source https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/coronaviruss-effect-on-autism-research-may-have-lasting-effects-67286