Millions of people have long COVID brain fog -- and there's a shortage of answers [View all]

[BeckyDem]

May 10, 20231:25 PM ET
Heard on Fresh Air


By Dave Davies


Excerpt: Neuropsychologist James C. Jackson says people with long COVID can suffer from symptoms like exhaustion, shortness of breath and disturbed sleep. Some of the most troubling symptoms are neurological: struggling to remember things, to focus, even to perform basic daily tasks and solve problems.

These symptoms can lead to a loss of employment, income and important relationships. Jackson, who is a research professor at Vanderbilt University, says that while long COVID was initially associated with people who became critically ill with COVID-19, he's seeing an increasing number of patients for whom the initial illness was relatively mild.

"This is a little bit of a mystery," Jackson says. "Many people with mild cases are profoundly debilitated [with long COVID], and some people with quite severe cases are doing fairly well."

Jackson's new book, Clearing the Fog, is a practical guide for long COVID patients and their families, giving advice on how to find help, and information on treatments and strategies for dealing with symptoms.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/10/1175018383/long-covid-clearing-the-fog-james-jackson



( Be careful out there. )