Long Covid: Dr Sara Kayat discusses impact on children
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The NHS says: “While recovering from coronavirus (COVID-19), some people experience brain fog. Symptoms may vary and change over time.” The health body notes it is not just people who were hospitalised with coronavirus who can develop brain fog. Indeed, the British Heart Foundation (BFH) notes that while coronavirus symptoms may pass quickly for many people, “some people are suffering long-term effects”.
The NHS says brain fog is not a medical term but used to describe a range of symptoms including:
- Poor concentration
- Feeling confused
- Thinking more slowly than usual
- Fuzzy thoughts
- Forgetfulness
- Lost words
- Mental fatigue
The health body says: “People usually recover from brain fog. You may get similar symptoms after other infections, a minor head injury or during the menopause. Brain fog is also common if you have depression, anxiety or stress.”
The BHF says: “For some, it can seem like a cycle of improving for a time and then getting worse again.
“These long-term effects aren’t only among those who needed to go to hospital, or even those who felt seriously unwell when they first caught the virus.”
The charity says not being able to think straight or focus, “brain fog”, is among the commonly reported signs.
It notes that according to the ONS, as of 6 December 2021 the most commonly reported long Covid symptoms were:
- Fatigue (51 percent)
- Loss of smell (37 percent)
- Shortness of breath (36 percent)
- Difficulty concentrating (28 percent).
The NHS advice on long Covid says people who are recovering from an illness often report feeling a little better each day, and it can take time to fully recover.
It says: “With Long Covid you may feel fatigued after activities which were not previously difficult to cope with and this can affect your quality of life and ability to function as you did previously. This is more likely to occur at the end of the day or at the end of a busy week.
“Sometimes people experience a number of other symptoms worsening after physical stress. This could include brain fog, muscle aches or headaches alongside increased fatigue.
“Clinicians may call these ‘post exertional symptoms’. They are not in themselves dangerous but can affect your quality of life.”
There is also some suggestion that a vaccine can help reduce long Covid symptoms.
The BHF says: “In research published in October 2021, the Office for National Statistics used data from the UK Coronavirus Infection Survey to look at the association between COVID-19 vaccination and long Covid in people who already had it before the vaccine.”
The charity says researchers found that the first vaccine was associated with an initial 13 percent decrease in the likelihood of self-reported long Covid.
The second dose was associated with a nine percent decrease in the likelihood of self-reported long Covid, relative to having received the first vaccination, and there was statistical evidence of a sustained improvement after this.
The NHS says you should contact your GO if you’re worried about symptoms four weeks or more after having COVID-19.
It explains: “Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and the impact they’re having on your life.
“They may suggest some tests to find out more about your symptoms and rule out other things that could be causing them.”
If the symptoms are having a big impact on your life, you may be referred to a specialist rehabilitation service or a service that specialises in the specific symptoms you have, according to the health service.
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