Long COVID ‘Brain Fog’ – a Frustrating New Brain Health Issue that Doctors Say Can be Managed 

By: Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Approximately 97.9 out of every 100,000 African Americans have died from COVID-19, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). That COVID mortality rate is a third higher than Latinos (64.7 per 100,000), and more than double the rate for Whites (46.6 per 100,000) and Asians (40.4 per 100,000).

“The overrepresentation of African Americans among confirmed COVID-19 cases and number of deaths underscores the fact that the coronavirus pandemic, far from being an equalizer, is amplifying or even worsening existing social inequalities tied to race, class, and access to the health care system,” the NIH states.

The death rates are measurable because they are physical and must be reported. But what could not be fully predicted was all of the intangible fall out from COVID such as grief, depression, fear, anxiety, and even “brain fog”, a brain health condition that is a symptom of what physicians are now calling “long COVID.”

A study by NIH has shown that “Black and Hispanic people who develop COVID-19 are more likely than White people to experience certain symptoms linked to Long COVID. This may affect how people are being screened, diagnosed, and treated for Long COVID,” the NIH states.

Long COVID is described as a condition in which the coronavirus itself is no longer present in the body, but symptoms continue even after the illness is over. Brain fog – forgetfulness, inability to concentrate or think clearly – is one of those symptoms. It can affect anyone, regardless of age or severity of physical illness.

According to an article published by AARP, so-called “long-haulers”, people suffering long COVID, may experience symptoms such as “brain fog, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle weakness, heart palpitations, and mood and sleep disturbances. Many have been unable to return to their normal daily activities.”

The Yale School of Medicine, reports that “an estimated 7% of adults—or about 17 million people—in the United States reported having Long COVID in March 2024, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

“Estimates vary as to exactly how many of those people struggle with cognitive function,” Yale reports. “But in one study of people with Long COVID, close to half reported having poor memory or brain fog.”

Given the disparate COVID mortality and illness rates suffered by Blacks, it is clear that long COVID, including brain fog, is also likely a serious issue in the Black community. But it can be dealt with.

“It’s definitely not subtle,” says neurologist Lindsay McAlpine, MD, who directs the Yale Medicine NeuroCovid Clinic. “People have told me they used to be amazing at multitasking, but with brain fog they can do only one thing at a time. Other patients have switched jobs because they could no longer handle the tasks, stress, or thought-load of their previous job.”

Yale researchers are quoted discussing the brain health issues related to COVID. The following are some of the notable observations of Yale experts that might be helpful to people suffering from brain fog:

Here are several notable findings by medical experts:

·       Brain fog is considered a Long COVID symptom if it’s present three months after the person had COVID and has persisted for more than two months.

·       For most people, Long COVID brain fog eventually goes away on its own. To go away completely, it can take as long as between six and nine months after the infection, although in some people it lasts as long as 18 months or more.

·       Exercise is one thing that boosts cognition in most individuals, even in patients with dementia.

·       Patients with brain fog have responded well to two medications—N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and guanfacine.

·       There has also been evidence of COVID vaccines helping with Long COVID symptoms like brain fog, but there are no guarantees.

·       While some people experience more severe brain fog than others, many find there are strategies that can help, such as letting other people know about their limitations due to brain fog.

• For memory difficulties, try “visualization techniques (picturing the thing you want to remember in your head), auditory rehearsal (repeating the thing, such as a short list, in your head), and active listening (repeating back what a person you are talking to has said).
• For inability to focus during moments of brain fog, take “a low-stimulation break,” like finding a quiet, maybe darker environment in another room (if possible), close your eyes, and take a few minutes to regroup. It may help to do this four times a day to prevent brain fog rather than using breaks as a time to recover from feeling overwhelmed.

Brain fog related to COVID-19 is still relatively new given that the pandemic just ended in 2023 and coronavirus cases are still prevalent across the U. S. But despite research that is ongoing, doctors say this frustrating brain health issue can still be managed.

This article is part of a series powered by AARP for the purpose of brain health education. Here’s more information.