![]() Others may seem rooted more in the body than the brain, such as pain and postexertional malaise (PEM), a kind of “energy crash” that people experience after even mild exercise. ![]() Some are easily recognized as brain- or nerve-related: many people experience cognitive dysfunction in the form of difficulty with memory, attention, sleep and mood. The most common, persistent and disabling symptoms of long COVID are neurological. Vaccination appears to reduce the danger but does not entirely prevent long COVID. Women and those at socioeconomic disadvantage also face higher risk, as do people who smoke, are obese, or have any of an array of health conditions, particularly autoimmune disease. The risk appears at least slightly higher in people who were hospitalized for COVID and in older adults (who end up in the hospital more often). Long COVID often arises in otherwise healthy young people, and it can follow even a mild initial infection. ![]() As of March 2023, the syndrome was estimated to affect more than 15 million adults in the U.S., and a 2022 report found that it had forced between two million and four million Americans out of the workforce. People with long COVID have symptoms such as pain, extreme fatigue and “brain fog,” or difficulty concentrating or remembering things. The syndrome is known by medical professionals as postacute sequelae of COVID-19, or PASC. Her early infection and ongoing symptoms make her one of the first people in the country with “long COVID,” a condition where symptoms persist for at least three months after the infection and can last for years. She still spends most of her days off resting in the dark or going to her many doctors' appointments. Ghormley and her husband, who have relocated to a Los Angeles suburb, once spent their free time visiting their “happiest place on Earth”-Disneyland-but her health prevented that for more than a year. She gets exhausted quickly, her heartbeat suddenly races, and she goes through periods where she can't concentrate or think clearly. “I could have done without being first at this,” she says.Īlmost three years after apparently clearing the virus from her body, Ghormley is still suffering. But in March 2020 she got infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus-just the 24th case in the small, coastal central California town she lived in at the time, near the site of an early outbreak in the COVID pandemic. She went on to complete a rigorous training program and build a successful career as a veterinary internal medicine specialist. She finished at the top of her class in high school, graduated summa cum laude from college and earned top honors in veterinary school. Tara Ghormley has always been an overachiever. Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date.įor more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and. Schultz.įor the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a nonpatient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed. "The most important thing you can do as a patient is to share honestly with your providers what you're experiencing," says Dr. Schultz stresses that people should address any cognitive symptoms that affect their day-to-day life, regardless of whether those symptoms are related to long COVID-19. Because, ultimately, that's what decides if they're working."ĭr. I want you to try to utilize these strategies in your day-to-day life. "Typically, it means going into work with a therapist initially once or twice over the course of a month. ![]() While there's no one-size-fits-all treatment that can cure these cognitive difficulties, some rehabilitation strategies can retrain the brain to work on the areas that are most challenging. You don't feel like you're picking up all of those details - almost as if you're driving through a fog," says Dr. "What 'brain fog' is it's just kind of this feeling that you're trying to do something, and it's taking more effort. Short-term memory loss, confusion and difficulty concentrating are all things those suffering from "brain fog" may experience after recovering from COVID-19 infection. Please "Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script. Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (0:59) is in the downloads at the end of this post.
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