London, UK: In a study, researchers have suggested that “brain fog” (cognitive dysfunction) symptoms linked with long COVID are comparable to ageing by 10 years.
The study was conducted by researchers from King’s College London. They have investigated the impact of COVID-19 on memory and found cognitive impairment to be highest in individuals who had tested positive and had more than three months of symptoms. The study also found that the symptoms in affected individuals stretched back almost two years since the initial infection.
“The fact remains that two years on from their first infection, some people don’t feel fully recovered and their lives continue to be impacted by the long-term effects of the coronavirus,” stated Ms. Claire Steves, Professor of Ageing and Health at King’s College London.
“We need more work to understand why this is the case and what can be done to help,” the Professor further added.
According to the 2023 British government census, an estimated two million people living in the UK were experiencing self-reported long COVID symptoms, continuing for more than four weeks since infection, as of January 2023. Fatigue, difficulty concentrating, shortness of breath, and muscle aches were the commonly reported symptoms.
More than 5,100 participants were involved in the study, which used data from the COVID Symptom Study Biobank. These participants were recruited through a smartphone app. According to the statement, through 12 cognitive tests measuring speed and accuracy, researchers examined working memory, attention, reasoning, and motor controls between 2021 and 2022.
The deficits were comparable to the effect of “an increase in age of approximately 10 years or exhibiting mild or moderate symptoms of psychological distress,” as per the study.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Nathan Cheetham, described it as “good news,” as they found no cognitive impairment among individuals who reported full recovery from coronavirus, even among those who experienced symptoms for more than three months.
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