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Long-Lasting COVID-Associated Brain Fog: A Follow-Up Study
Ali A Asadi-Pooya1,2, Mina Shahisavandi1, Hamid Nemati1
1Epilepsy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Introduction:
We investigated the longevity of COVID-associated brain fog in patients who have survived the COVID-19.
Methods:
This was a follow-up study of 2,696 adult patients with COVID-19 from our previous study. We selected every other patient in our database. The follow-up data were collected during a phone call to the participants in January-February 2022 (11 months after the initial study): concentration difficulty and the patient's self-declared status in their ability to concentrate.
Results:
In total, 1,164 people were included; 35 people (3.0%) had concentration difficulty and 65 individuals (5.6%) had a worsened status in their ability to concentrate and think; 26 people (2.2%) responded yes to both questions and were considered as having long-lasting brain fog. People with long-lasting brain fog were more often admitted to ICUs during the initial hospitalization (23.1% vs. 9.3%; p = 0.032) compared with those without long-lasting brain fog.
Conclusion:
We may conclude that a minority of the hospitalized patients with COVID-19 may suffer from long-lasting post-COVID brain fog, at least for more than 1 year after their initial illness. Long-lasting post-COVID brain fog has a significant association with the severity of the initial illness.
