COVID-19 “Long-Haulers” Continue to Fight Brain Fog Months Later

It’s becoming a well-known fact that survivors of COVID-19 can have lasting effects that continue on for several months after the initial virus has run its course. But new studies show that these effects can actually be detrimental and sometimes even life-threatening.

A recent British study showed that nearly 1/3 of patients who recovered from COVID-19 had to return to the hospital at some point, and one in eight actually died.  Clinics have been cropping up all over the country to to help diagnose, understand, and treat these patients, who have come to be known as “long-haulers.”

Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago, for instance, developed a COVID-19 rehabilitation center back in April. As the virus case has continued to rise in Chicago, so has the number of patients coming in to receive therapy for lasting effects. According to Dr. Leslie Rydberg, director of the COVID Rehab Unit, the unit has seen “young adult, middle aged adults, older adults, those with pre-existing medical conditions and those who did not have pre-existing conditions who had severe COVID pneumonia infections.”

Among the “long-haul” patients i sMahmoud Ajamia, a picture-of-health man who enjoyed long-distance biking and running half marathons. Ajamia spent weeks on a ventilator and then went through months of rehab just to “regain basic skills.” Ajamia says it’s “one of the most difficult experiences” he’s ever had in his life.

Another long-hauler, Maria Manfredini, contracted COVID-19 back in April, but still continues to need treatment at Northwestern Medicine for pain and “brain fog,” which appears randomly. She describes the brain fog as being “anxious and scary, like being in a bubble of confusion.” “You’re just very confused,” she says.

These patients, as well as their doctors, urge the public to do whatever they can not to contract the COVID-19 virus. Although the initial symptoms can often be mild, it doesn’t exempt anyone from the debilitating and potentially life-threatening side effects that can occur for months after. Doctors and researchers are still learning about what’s been called “post-covid syndrome,” and we still don’t know which of these effects could be permanent.

Dr. Eric Liotta of Neuro-Critical Care at Northwestern Medicine said, “While there’s been some progress made with the pandemic, I don’t think it’s over and I am concerned there could be individuals who could have long-term consequences. Other doctors at Northwestern are continuing to study what makes some patients “long-haulers,” while some go on to have no post-covid side effects. As of right now, there are still no clear answers on how to determine who will struggle long-term and who will not, as well as how long the lingering symptoms will last.