Covid’s ‘Brain Fog’ Can Last Years, Scientists Have Discovered

(CTN News) – According to new research, brain fog associated with long Covid may last for years.

There have been reports that patients who have suffered from symptoms of Covid-19 for at least 12 weeks are the most severely affected by the symptoms of the disease in terms of their memory, attention, reasoning, and processing speed, according to a study of 3,000 subjects.

King’s College London researchers have found that cognitive impacts associated with Covid can be detected nearly two years after the initial infection has occurred.

“It remains the case that two years after their first infection, some people do not feel fully recovered and the long-term effects of Coronavirus continue to make a significant impact on their lives, according to Claire Steves, professor of aging and health at the University of Toronto.

In order to better understand why this is the case, as well as what can be done to make things better, we need more work done.”

In the UK, 1.9 million people – 2.9% of the population – reported long symptoms after infection for more than four weeks according to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS reports that 51 percent of people have difficulty concentrating, which is the second most common symptom of long-term COVID.

To address the growing problem, the NHS established long-term clinics with data showing that approximately 2,000 patients are referred to the clinics each month.

Approximately 23 percent of these patients were left waiting for more than 14 weeks for their initial appointment, according to data for June.

Earlier this month, the British Medical Association published a survey of doctors indicating that one in five had been forced to stop working or reduce their hours significantly due to long COvid.

Over the course of two years, King’s College researchers tested 3,000 patients with Covid-19 in the UK on their cognitive abilities.

It was found that patients who recovered from Covid-19 quickly or fully reported no cognitive symptoms.

A 10-year increase in age had a comparable impact on those who experienced Covid-19 symptoms for more than 12 weeks following infection.

As lead author, Dr Nathan Cheetham, a senior postdoctoral data scientist at King’s College London, stated, “Our findings indicate that, for people living with long-term symptoms after having Covid-19, the effects of the Coronavirus on mental processes such as the ability to recall words and shapes are still evident almost two years after their initial infection.

Covid did not have a significant effect on performance in our tests for people who appeared to be fully recovered, even if they had had symptoms for several months and could be considered to have been experiencing ‘long Covid’.

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