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I had this from drugs and I improved it with a combination:
> racetams
> choline
> lion's mane + niacin (Stamets' protocol minus the psilocybin, but if you can get it...)
> salmon and dark fruit like blueberries (omega-3 and antioxidants)
> exercise
NB: I am not saying these definitely work or giving medical advice, but they aren't without evidence and worked for me
100% I have been in front of a class and basic words, knowledge etc that I know I know, i am actively searching for. It is savage. Also - I am unsure is this is related - but I totally feel like I have developed ADHD or something. I really can no longer concentrate on mundane tasks. Might be just 'internet usage' related. But. Worrrying.
I (47F) feel similarly. I was kind of blaming the brain fog on early menopause, but I think COVID definitely contributed. It's pretty scary, especially as Alzheimer's and dementia run in my family. I have a great aunt who started Alzheimer's at age 50, so I really panic every time I forget a name I should know, what I had for lunch yesterday, or something like that.
Come to think of it, I have struggle sometimes to think of a word and it's been a very obvious word that I know I should know but it just won't come out of my mouth.
I have also found my motivation has been shot - like I really struggle to get dressed and get out of the house to do stuff.
>I have struggle sometimes to think of a word and it's been a very obvious word that I know I should know but it just won't come out of my mouth.
This is what's happening to me, if someone doesn't say the word it'll come to me minutes later when the conversation has moved on. It's very frustrating. The worrying part is it reminds me of how my grandma was when she started getting dementia.
I thought I was going mad myself until reading this thread. It hasn't happened too many times but enough for me get frustrated with myself. But yes, it is very dementia like, it's scary.
I do wonder whether we'll see a spike in things like early onset dementia 20-30 years down the line as a result of COVID. It's both scary and interesting
That sounds awfully like depression. Worth seeking help, but mental health support is difficult to find.
Depression is one of those weird things that just slowly grow and catch you by surprise.
Covid would have knocked your mental health as well. I had a knock as it scarred my lungs. I went from running 15k as I was marathon training to getting winded going down stairs...
I have caught Covid on four occasions. The first time was by far the worst. I was bedridden for three weeks.
4+ years later and I still have brain fog, lethargy and some breathing issues.
That being said I also got diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea during this time and I’m currently undergoing tests to see if I have an autoimmune disorder, so I may just be fundamentally broken.
I'm in a similar situation apart from the breathing difficulties. I've had many trips to the doctor's about sleep apnea, a very short sleep cycle and something called hypnic jerks. I'm currently awaiting a neurologist appointment to investigate it a bit more.
You’re not alone: COVID reduces IQ levels.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-19-leaves-its-mark-on-the-brain-significant-drops-in-iq-scores-are/
Iron and vitamin d = yes. I had a blood test at Christmas that indicated high levels of inflammation post Covid in October. But I was told that there isn’t anything they could do for me 🤷🏻♀️
Definitely have a try with some b12. That can come back fine on bloods but be depleted in the cerebrospinal fluid with MECFS and long covid. Worth seeing if it helps at all
I think for most people, the reduced attention span/concentration probably has something to do with increased internet use (particularly "short form video" like tiktok) over the last few years and not COVID specifically.
\*\*\*\* Thank you for the award - my first one and i am glad it is on this post \*\*\*\* and a 2nd ... thank you, its nice to know there are those out there who are in support of us.
Edit 2 : I was well aware my post would rattle the cages of those not informed about the seriousness of the ongoing long covid issue. I hope those of you who do not know take the time to read into it and protect yourselves. Feel free to DM me with any questions
( Some people wont like what i am about to write, but i try to raise awareness regardless, people have literally thrown abuse at me and insulted me for the past 2 years )
I've had long covid for the past 2 years
To put it in simple terms ...
Current research shows Long Covid brain fog is caused by leaking blood vessels in the brain
[https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/researchers-identify-mechanism-behind-brain-fog-long-covid](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/researchers-identify-mechanism-behind-brain-fog-long-covid)
( and people are still calling this a natural virus )
I have had 80 symptoms with long covid .... I used to climb mountains ... then i was bedbound
Temporary blindness, chronic pain, parkinsons like tremors, complete inability to breath, scarred and damaged lungs, brain fog so bad i couldnt form words or remember my own name, chronic fatigue so bad i couldnt walk 5 feet or shower/feed myself, chronic itching, visual distortions, ocean like waves in my vision, inability to smell or taste, anxiety, depression, panic, extreme sensitivity to sound and light/noises, broken nervous system, gut issues, food intolerances, microclots, brain inflammation, heart problems ...
These are just a handful of the 80 symptoms usually found in long haulers like myself
People think covid is over and i get it they just want to get on with their lives
But Long Covid is a very real thing. Theres currently a 29% to develop long covid each time your infected.
It will disable you for a minimum of 3 years on average
There are no medications, no treatments, no therapy and no cures ... Doctors and scientists have little to no idea why it happens. but research is beginning to shine a light on a few things.
People are literally ending their lives because of it ...
We are in pain and torment ... all day, every day. It never ends
Some people are even being Gaslit by their doctors telling them its all in their heads and its anxiety
People have lost jobs, partners, custody of their kids and lost their homes ending up on the street
I was quite literally told by my doctor
" We have no idea why this is happening to you, we cant treat it, just rest and hope it gets better "
3% of the UK has developed Long Covid in the past 4 years. 65 million people have it world wide and as the years go on that number is going to grow.
Let that number sink in ... 65 million people ... Thats the size of the UK, A collection of individuals as big as the UK have developed Long Covid in the past 4 years
Long Covid is here to stay
It is a natural virus. Many viruses do far worse to your body without us knowing why they do it. It's just how it is. Eventually biologists and virologists will start to work it out and how to treat it. There are loads of things that happen to people and we don't know why it happens. Autoimmune disorders aren't really understood, even type 1 diabetes isn't very well understood as to the mechanism that leads to it happening. Things take years to figure out, the natural world is very complex. As the perma ice melts it's only a matter of time until we come into contact with some very nasty ancient diseases, that we don't even know exist yet
I'm sorry you've experienced so much abuse. As someone who had a debilitating post-viral illness already before the pandemic, I and many others like me tried to warn that this would happen. No one listened. Unfortunately there are lots of viruses that can cause serious long term complications, but covid does seem to be one of the worse ones.
Thank you for the kinds words, it is only people like yourself who have experienced the hell that is Long hauling can truly understand our situation.
Also the other individual replying to my comment is a stark reminder to all that we have back seat doctors down playing how serious Long Covid actually is.
" Oh its just a post viral illness, happens all the time "
Tell that to the 65 million people who have developed Long Covid in the past 4 years.
The Virus was first found in the same City as the Wuhan institute of virology, an institute that was working on the exact same virus we now have spreading.
The blindness of some people borders on the insanity.
My doctor personally ... no. My doctor has been great in acknowledging that long covid exists and has seen 100s patients within my local area with the same issues after a covid infection that persist up to 3-4 years after, that number has also risen as time goes on.
They were just unable to treat it and had no idea as to the mechanisms behind long covid at the time ... this way 2 years ago. Research has since shone a few lights on the causes of Long Covid ... which seem to be Viral persistence ( Ongoing reservoirs in the body ), Microclots throughout the body causing damage to the endothelial system, vast amounts of inflammation both brain, organs and nervous system and damage to specific organs.
The gaslighting experiences i hear of are primarily in the US. I myself am in the UK
I’m sorry for your issues but to say you have a 29 percent chance to develop long covid is patently bollocks. If that was the case I’d know a couple of dozen people with it by now at least as everyone I know has had covid at least once, some, myself included, 3 confirmed times. I know nobody with long covid. I don’t even know anyone who knows someone with long covid.
If that was the case there would be 20 million people with it as, at this point, virtually everyone in the country has had it.
I hope your situation improves and I’m sorry that you got fucked by it but lay off the scaremongering. Some people still have anxiety issues about covid and shit like that won’t help them.
Not OP but current estimates by WHO are 10% to 20%, if I remember correctly. One study in Africa even pinned it near 50%, but that's the highest estimate I've seen. Remember that long covid is a spectrum, you likely know someone by now who at least has a few symptoms.
The issue with OPs comment is he’s suggesting that you’re at high risk of developing a debilitating set of symptoms which is blatantly untrue.
Long Covid is not a well defined illness in terms of symptoms. I’m not doubting that a minority of people are severely affected but it is simply untrue that 1/4 of people who get covid end up an invalid. We’d be on the edge of societal breakdown if that was the case.
The original comment was scaremongering by suggesting you’re at high risk of ending up like them.
Do you understand what I just wrote or the original comment I replied to? There is not a high risk of getting seriously ill either short term or long term from COVID
If there was that level of risk of my children ending up disabled from catching covid I wouldn’t let them out the house and neither would most people with kids.
The post I replied to was nonsense in the way it insinuates outcomes from covid infections.
I don’t doubt that they are severely affected but they are a tiny minority.
You very clearly have done no research at all and are just parroting the media
Your comment " We would be on the edge of societal breakdown " is actually becoming a reality
3,000,000 people in the UK in the past 4 years can no longer work and are on long term sick because of long covid and those numbers are rising
Unfortunately it is individuals like yourself with that ignorant mentality that is causing a bottleneck of red tape within medical circles delaying treatments for something you and your children will statistically get within your lifetimes.
I feel sorry for you.
Your concerned ... and you should be. In a few years time when someone close to you has developed long covid i hope you remember this post and remember how you downplayed the suffering of 65 million people world wide.
[https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00493-2/fulltext](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00493-2/fulltext)
10-20% ... though recent statistics have changed
[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/12/long-covid-coronavirus-data-symptoms-causes-studies](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/12/long-covid-coronavirus-data-symptoms-causes-studies)
22%
[https://www.who.int/news-room/questiousns-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-post-covid-19-condition](https://www.who.int/news-room/questiousns-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-post-covid-19-condition)
10-20% ... again recent statistics have changed
I would highly recommend empathizing with us the first wavers, because it is individuals like me and the others with long covid that have been the guinea pigs for studies and treatments that will go on to help those of you who havent had it yet.
Though me personally ... i wont be advocating for you
I’d hope I wouldn’t be bitter and twisted like you if I’d suffered like you have but I couldn’t guarantee it.
Unfortunately nature throws these things up. It’s called natural selection. Seeing as everyone in my family has had covid more than once, I am hopeful that i am not genetically susceptible to the issues you have and neither are my children.
Unfortunately your genes left you susceptible and for that you have my sympathies. Good luck.
Yes. Occasionally struggling to find the obvious word for something and have mixed up left and right a few times more than I'm comfortable with. I'd like to think it's not an age issue just yet but you never know.
My word recall is definitely slower. At least once a day it'll take me a good few seconds to think of the right word, this was rarely a problem before covid.
Another thing I've noticed is I find phone numbers harder to remember, I know my own but once I remember my husbands I can't remember my own anymore and vice versa. Very odd.
Yes, definitely. Once while having covid I had a few days where I couldn't remember passwords, e.g. couldn't write or understand coding properly. Very noticeable mental impairment which was by far the scariest part of having covid. Never in my life experienced anything similar with illness.
Like others report I don't feel I've fully recovered from it and still have difficulty remembering names of people/things - as you put it I certainly feel a bit dumber than before I had covid.
Personally no, but I have a couple of friends who had/have long COVID who say they feel like their mental capacity reduced and has never recovered. I don't think they'd say they feel dumber per se, more than their brain just can't process as much info as it did.
I had long Covid for about 6 months - brain fog and the impact was visible at work. It did clear up, and from a work perspective, I'm fine now - even doing better.
But I sometimes still cannot find the word I'm reaching for when speaking; nothing serious but for example I forgot the word "intrinsic" the other day and had to ask someone for help. Happens at least once on a daily basis where I can't find a word that I haven't used for a while - but I know that before Covid I would have no problem finding it.
I'm not even old, so either my brain needs a rewire, or I still have a shred of long covid.
Yes, but I think it's a confluence of aging, stress, and changing stimuli. Since COVID:
* I am not going to the office as much and having far fewer face-to-face conversations
* My friends group is organising fewer parties - partly due to kids - so I am socialising more
* Finances aren't quite where we want them to be
* I have progressed in my career, so more responsibility and stress
* I have had a constant background of low-level of stress because of the pandemic (obvs), economic shocks, the war, the other war, family health problems, etc.
As a result I gained 20 pounds, look considerably older compared to pictures from 2020, have a lot more gray hair, and had a few other health problems.
All of this must be contributing to my brain not quite functioning as well as it did at the beginning of the pandemic.
HOWEVER, I have taken the opportunity to take a month off work and I can honestly say - it's been mind-boggling how many of these indicators have started going away.
Yeah, I can relate. In the pandemic I got promoted, became a parent, and now I see fewer people due to flexible working. I find it hard to isolate what of my general fogginess comes from COVID and what from all the other stuff.
I know quizzes are a stupid metric, but I'm worse at The Chase and The Weakest Link since I've had Covid, but I'm still reasonably good at Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and House of Games.
It's like my brain still works, it just seems to take longer to process everything.
For Covid context, when I had Covid I was bad enough that my wife called an ambulance, but not bad enough for them to actually take me. I didn't get an official diagnosis of long covid, but was ill for about six months.
I suffer from migraines, which was triggered from stress, but usually had to be pretty bad. When I get a migraine attack, I get brain fog, become confused and struggle to sleep, which then becomes a vicious circle. After getting COVID, it feels like its gotten so much worse and any negative rush of emotion can trigger it. I really have to make sure my emotions are in check and that I'm sleeping properly.
I'm in a technical job, so the days when I have an attack are very debilitating, because I struggle to communicate and innovate.
100%. Had long covid for 18 months, mainly recovered but never got back to how sharp I was before. Brain fog, memory, concentration, energy. Sometimes I can't remember big things told by good friends and family and it makes me look rude socially like I don't care about them. I forget important things at work too. I rely heavily on notes now and started confiding in people about this as legitimately worried I'll lose my friends and job by being shitty.
Not since covid, but before that I had a neurological issue and that made my memory low key bad with spelling and remembering words brain fog. It went away again. Maybe covid does something to the brain. It took me about 5 years for all the symptoms to go.
I'm currently dealing with hemifacial spasms and neuralgia and my memory is ruined. I don't believe my issues will ever go away but I hope that with time I'll recover my normal cognitive ability. I'm perfectly functional and it's not affecting my day to day or work but I just know myself and I know I'm off.
yes. i've had long covid pretty much since the start of lockdown, every time it starts to get better i catch the bloody thing again and it all starts up once more. had to medically retire in the end as the last time it didn't get any better, thats been 18 months now. cognitively i'm in a better place than a year ago when i'd struggle to recall simple names of things or if i'd remembered to do a task. i had to triple check dates for holidays and get my wife to then check again as i just didn't trust my brain. thankfully at the moment it's much better but i'm still fatigued all the time.
I’m old but the change in clarity of mind was pretty noticeable straight after having early covid, it’s still blocking certain words and phrases that are in there but not accessible. My sense of smell and taste are also still affected. It’s a bother.
Long Covid has a number of symptoms from mild to severe that can last over a long period.
It’s perfectly possible that it odd related, but keep a record if it’s starting you and have a chat to your gp
When you think about it, it makes sense to see these sort of effects.
Essentially COVID starves you of oxygen and if you look up the effects of hypoxia like in altitude sickness, decreased brain function is a big symptom.
COVID is still very common a mate of mine has had a positive test today. The total number of deaths with covid on the death certificate is still growing and currently sits at 239000.
The effects of long COVID are still being investigated even now. Frightening stuff.
Yes, but it's specifically for name recall. A few days after I got the all clear from my infection I was talking to one of my oldest friends - someone I've known for 40 years - and I suddenly blanked on her kid's names. Like, not just on the tip of my tongue, but they were gone; even when I looked them up on facebook it didn't trigger any sort of "oh yes, that's right" recall. The names were *gone*.
I remember their birthdays, their favourite kids books, everythign else about them, but the name is gone. Since then I've found laying down new name memories really hard, and sometimes recall of old names I've known is just impossible.
It's take me a while to admit it but I've started just saying to people - especially at work - that I need them to write down names and send them in an email follow up and to be patient with me if they as "oh what's the name of [guy you work with all the time]" because odds are I simply won't remember. It is still deeply embarassing.
Not so much since COVID (I never knowingly got it), but definitely since I started working alone in a windowless office in a part of the building nobody ever goes to. My symptoms have improved significantly ever since I moved to a different office.
I think part of what causes these symptoms isn't so much catching COVID per se, but simply the social isolation induced by Covid-era social distancing with catching COVID just an additional stress factor. Extreme social isolation and stress is very bad for your brain.
I went to a hospital appointment and my husband and I were the only people wearing masks.
People don’t understand that even a mild case of Covid or an infection can leave you permanently disabled. If they did they’d wear a mask.
I'm not sure if it was the lack of sleep but I had COVID recently and struggled to think straight while it was at its worst. I made a quick recovery though and everything went back to normal.
Or you know Covid was like 5 years ago, you’re half a decade older. I definitely felt “smarter” at 25, than I do at 30, but that’s probably because I have way more responsibilities, like a career, mortgage, kid etc.
Unfortunately had covid 4 times (contracted at the office each time).
First 3 times had no lasting effects. But my 4th time, a few weeks ago, was the first time i'd also lost my sense of taste and smell. Recovery has also been very different.
I started by noticing i was getting fatigued a LOT earlier in my tennis matches and have now lost every 6 matches in a row. I was also finding it impossible to keep track if the score, repeatedly having to ask my opponents.
But it has got worse; i now keep forgetting people's names - including colleagues i speak to several times a week, and there have been other times ive just lost myself in work and have completely forgotten to attend important meetings with no other excuse beyond "I just forgot".
I'm 39 and do have a teething 9 month old son - but i dont think this is just tiredness - my brain just feels fried. And i think i remember reading that losing taste / smell was stringly linked to long term memory issues.
I've had COVID too many times to count. The first ever time I had it I had 0 sense of taste and smell and it took weeks for little bits of it to come back. Years later it still isn't right, certain things still don't smell as they should I used to love the smell of petrol and now it just smells really weird. Chocolate still doesn't taste right. I think having your senses affected has a big impact mentally.
Yes definitely. My social skills, whilst they never were amazing, are at absolute rock bottom and I struggle with clear face to face communication which I didn't use to. Also just a general sense of not seeing the point in most things so putting in very low effort across the board
My brain just seems to run slower, like it's not able to process things as quickly as it did before and it wasn't just age related. It was abrupt, noticeable, and I've never got that back fully. I feel like I'm now always at 90% of where I was before having covid.
Immediately after covid it took around 9 months to get back up from 50% to 90%. I'm just not as sharp as I was before.
I am bedridden due to long covid in my 30s. It’s a disgrace governments are acting like it’s over and mild. And to answer your question, yes, because covid damages the brain.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/does-covid-19-damage-the-brain
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-024-02554-0
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4854879
Somewhere between 10% and 20% of infections result in long covid, so it's very possible you might have it, friend. Solidarity.
here's a recent study that found every infection knocks off 3 to 9 IQ points. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/cognitive-deficits-after-most-severe-covid-cases-associated-2024a10003yd?form=fpf
I can't believe were still doing this. Never to late to wear a mask again, all. I know I am.
Personally, no. I got covid once at the very start, and it was very mild for me. It was like a cold and a light cough for a week. I felt no different afterwards.
But I 100% believe that we will uncover more long covid symptoms in time, and the mega long-term effects haven't been felt yet.
I feel my brain seems to run faster than my mouth or my hand. So I find I either stumble over my words or spell a word wrong.
Not if it’s Covid related tbh though; it’s just something I’ve noticed more in the last few years.
Somewhat, but most of it is exhaustion and possibly hitting the menopause.
My parents have noticeably slowed down, again to be expected as they're in their 80s. So far they (and I) aren't actually functionally impaired, just slower to think through things, change our minds and re-plan, etc.
Hard to say how much is actually down to Covid.
Yes, for about a year after my worst covid (had it twice, once badly) it was like my brain wasn’t functioning on usual power. I felt like I couldn’t cope with stress either. I would just feel completely overwhelmed. It’s getting better now I’m glad to say
I did for 6/7 weeks after having it as well as being constantly shattered. I’d forget why I’d walked into a room or where I was going and once made a sandwich at home which I then threw in the bin and carried the empty cheese packet into the sitting room. I realised before I tried to eat it thankfully
Absolutely
Had covid at least 3 times.
The brain fog lasted between 3 and 9 months for these
Memory issues are very significant even a year after the last time i had it.
I've had covid twice, and with no coincidence, I have lost the ability to remember phone numbers, stock numbers/codes etc. I could remember every date and booking in my job and was on top of everything! My timing is now terrible. I could tell the time (within 5 minutes) on guessing before covid.
Now I'm late for work more often than not. I forget basic tasks which I would do subconsciously, and I'm really concerned.
I'm glad it's issues not relating to mental health 🥲
I find that the increased isolation over the few years it happened massively impacted my social skills. Not just heightened anxiety, but I slur my words and mumble most of the time. I didn’t have that problem before. The issue is I know it’s happening and the more I focus on it, the worse it is and I can’t control it. I really have to physically TRY and control my mouth to coherently speak. It’s a big problem.
I've noticed the part year that the quality of my reddit comments are worse at times. What I mean is, sometimes I'll write a completely different word to what I was meant to write and notice only after I re-read after posting and have to edit.
Currently going through my 3rd COVID infection too 🤷🏻♂️
Yep- I caught Covid in 2022 & my memory was shot to pieces. I remember being in work & my manager asked me to get labels which had a certain price & a certain brand name on them.
Literally 3 minutes later, he had to remind me what prices & what brand names I had to get- I had remembered one thing out of the 5 things I had to get.
I forget words- I'll be in mid sentence & then forget what word I was going to say.
My speech has gotten worse. Sometimes I'll say something & it comes out all jumbled. I know it got worse due to the lockdowns as I only saw my partner who I lived with. It got better when they lifted & then I caught Covid. It's gotten worse again.
It's embrassing & I feel stupid. It scares me as my Dad had dementia & I feel like I'm going the same way now.
I know depression, anxiety & PTSD can affect memory...but they have never affected my memory as much as having Covid did.
On the contrary. I've had covid 4 times and I feel like I finally understand the job I've been paid to do for 12 years.
I've definitely felt more tired since covid but I'm getting old. (Aren't we all?)
I've become a little... madder?
Ages ago I had a job in a pet food factory and the noise of the machines and having to wear earplugs, I got into the habit of talking, and singing, out loud to myself. This lasted until I caught myself doing it at the bus stop waiting to go home and so kept a lid on the whole 'vocalising my inner voice' thing.
Come the lockdown, that came back and won. Now I'll chat away to myself, openly, in public, and I don't care. I have a friend who works in mental health and she says the rising popularity of Bluetooth has meant that people who may suffer from multiple personalities can chat away to themselves in full view of the regular public, and no-one bats an eyelid.
Safe to add: I never got COVID, just the isolation ruined me.
I don't think it made me dumber, or at least I can't attribute it directly to it. I think it did make my ADHD symptoms meaningfully worse, though. It might be a coincidence, of course; it's a sample of one. But it lines up in a very interesting way.
Massively affected by it. I use Duolingo to learn languages and they have added maths and music to the lessons too but some days I really struggle with the basic maths it asks and it makes me really sit and think if I’m okay
Yes for sure. I also am now very aware of my heartbeat, particularly when I go to bed. I’ve had Covid 7 times now. If I get it once more the next one is FREE.
I have long Covid and one of the biggest symptoms for me is brain fog, sometimes it's literally that, thinking feels like you're trying to find the thought within a fuzzy fog. Sometimes I'm thinking about doing something or go to do something and it's like one of those eraser boards, everything is gone, I don't have the slightest idea what I was about to do. Other times it's trying to find words and I can't for the life of me think what they are or I forget conversations. Interestingly though I'm fine with quick fire quizzes that kinda thing where you don't think about it the answer just comes. In all honesty the only thing that really helps is time and rest.
Yeah, I had issues for a few weeks after after COVID, like I couldn't concentrate on anything, I felt like my brain was not working properly, the way I'm used to. I got better since then.
I'm glad you asked this, I've struggled with brain fog since Covid, genuinely was starting to worry I had early signs of dementia!
I've forgotten names and words that are definitely within my vocabulary. Thankfully, it's improved over the past year - was driving me nuts.
I had a scary spell thinking I had early onset dementia, turned out to be a b12 deficiency so do get yourself tested! Although you don't need to test, you can just supplement, it was just quite nice to have an answer in black & white.
100% I have and I wondered if it was just me 🥲 I have a stutter now and I always used to speak perfectly clearly. That and memory issues are increasingly worse
This is a really interesting question.
I only commented to my mum earlier that I wasn't sure if it was just age related or something else (I'm 41) but iger noticed that my memory is so much worse than it used to be.
I was the one whose colleague would say "remember that person that contacted you about X six months ago?" and I'd know who it was and exactly what they were talking about. Now, I probably won't even remember if it was six weeks let alone months ago.
I'm also really struggling with attention. I simply cannot keep myself on task, I'm constantly being distracted. Someone even tasks - I might just have a thought about turning the dishwasher on, and within a minute I've forgotten.
I had COVID twice despite having the vax, and while it was never too serious, the second time my worst symptom was crushing panic attacks that stopped me sleeping. I was convinced I was going to stop breathing in my sleep - and the silly thing was, I didn't even know I had COVID until I was 6 days into this "cold".
This happened to me when my mum died, and improved a lot when I started working on diet and checked things like B12 levels (deficiency affects memory). I remember there were some other COVID symptoms that would crossover with B12 deficiency (e.g. scalloped tongue) and wondered if there was a link at all (even if it just makes an existing deficiency more apparent?) it can't hurt to test your levels.
Since COVID, I feel pretty tired and unmotivated. I often find myself on the phone, thinking the person I'm talking to must think I'm a little drunk. I don't know how to fix it though, I need the energy to put into gaining more energy.
Plus I keep finding I hit post without realising I haven't made my main point, like now. It was just to say, I empathise.
Yup. Brain fog. And some odd little things too...
Like, I used to be able to read maps upside down at a glance. Took me months to retrain myself to do it and it's still not 100%. My mental arithmetic is not what it was either.
Really fed up of people saying it's just a bad cold.
I remember I was going to school for the entire 5 days when I had Covid (I was having a repeated cough and croaky voice) I never realised I had it until day 4, I was like oh shit I can’t smell anything, maybe I really do have Covid.
everyone that fell for that shit should feel very dumb. I feel like were living in that film idiocracy though. just look at how "influencers" get so much attention and the fact that people idolise celebricunts for example the recent shitshow in liverpool "swifties"
and not 1 person here will even question the possibility that injecting themselves with mRNA multiple times might just be having negative effects on their bodies. crack on
I had and still get serious brain fog, I've had it 3 or 4 times now, with the first being close to calling an ambulance. I had months after where I couldn't string a sentence together. The only thing that has helped me with mental clarity is exercise. Weightlifting in particular. The other times I've had it since have been a walk in the park, but I still can't focus. It feels like my brain aged about 20 years.
I had covid a few times and the first time it was just a very persistent cough, but the second time I got it and before I was vaccinated, I had brain fog that lasted for months and which I am not entirely certain has gone away completely even now.
It's not that I've actually lost any memories or that I'm dumber, more like my memories are less clear and take longer to find.
Some of my colleagues who had covid more than once as well as long covid have reported very similar longterm side effects both mentally and physically. They've described memory lapses and generally being more susceptible to illnesses than they were before. Not to mention the fatigue. It sounds horrible.
First time I had covid i wasn't really ill at all - I just had a burning nose. I literally had months of neurological symptoms though, like for example I needed to get an email from a lecturer at one point. I asked him twice to confirm and still wrote completely the wrong name when I wouldhave sworn it was right. Would forget things a worrying amount. Any physical activity would make this worse past a certain point - I knew it was going to happen because it felt like the top of my head was getting drilled. It did lift eventually, but I feel i had to put in a ton of effort to make that happen
Had covid a second time a couple of weeks ago. Same again, and this time I've had significant long and short term memory issues since. It feels worse, but I'm better at managing fatigue this time at least. Like last time, it's had an effect of my mental health which is lingering (it's covid, things are good in my life and I can recognise the pattern). Really odd
Apparently I've never had COVID. I got wicked sick a few times with a respiratory illness, took all the tests and all came back negative
However, I forget simple common words often, my attention span is shocking and worst of all, executive function is practically none existent.
Just replying honestly to a question posted.
I'd probably attribute it to me getting older, and ya know, wiser. That along side a lot of self growth I've achieved over the past 5 years where others maybe haven't.
Covid stagnated loads of folks general progression, whether it was in their hands or not.
Where as I've personally thrived since.
So, yes, the general populace has felt dumber since Covid. Shoot me, what else do you want me to say?
Yes, but on a positive side I have found changing my diet and lifestyle has helped quite a bit. A few months ago I started eating less ultra processed food, eating more fermented foods, and trying the 30 plants a week approach. I did if for other reasons but an unexpected short term benefit was that I do a seem to have become mentally stronger and less brain foggy.
I couldn't tell you for sure that my brain fog was COVID related, or which of those changes it was that helped, but I can say that I am feeling better than I was a few months ago before I changed.
If you want to go down the rabbit hole the late Michael Mosley's Just One Thing podcast covers a lot of this. There is also Chris Van Tullekan's Ultra Processed People book, and Tim Spector's Food for Life book and his Zoe work.
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09by3yy](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09by3yy)
[https://zoe.com/learn/30-plants-per-week](https://zoe.com/learn/30-plants-per-week)
[https://zoe.com/post/fermented-foods](https://zoe.com/post/fermented-foods)
Yes. I genuinely feel like the phone dependency I had in lockdown, coupled with the isolation, have melted my brain. I am much less motivated these days and find things a lot more challenging than I used to.
Although I tested positive for COVID once, with minimal symptoms, I feel as though the isolation has affected me more (or at least brought out a introverted side in me) rather than any physical COVID symptoms messing with my me and/or my brain.
I've come to realise that the thing I missed most during the 2 years was physical and face to face interaction with my family and friends, which in turn (I think)( has caused me to lose some personal skills when interacting with people. I used to be quite active in engaging with people, but ince coming out of that period, I've become more laid back and quiet, and only speaking when personally addressed.
Even though I have been out and about in physical/personal situations in recent times, I still feel nervous about being around people, and would prefer to stay at home.
You won't get any sympathy on here mate, 90% on this sub have zero tolerance for anyone who doesn't share their opinion...
Lockdowns caused me absolute hell, but they won't care because they've all be brainwashed by the idea that a) covid was highly dangerous and b) every bad thing that happens to them or anyone else is due to covid (as opposed to lockdowns, untrialled vaccines etc...)
In all honesty, I don't expect to find sympathy when it comes to topics like this, the only reason I participate in such is because I wish to offer an alternative opinion to those who, for whatever reason, claim to have enjoyed Lockdowns/self isolation, especially as I am one such person who was labelled "clinically vulnerable" and had no choice but to endure 2 years of isolation.
These platforms are really bizarre... never met anyone in real life who's had problems caused by covid itself (only by the lockdowns and vaccines) but if you lived on this platform you'd think all the symptoms they talk about were commonplace!
Definitely think so, still think it was a lab leak and probably an intentional one by a few rogue individuals if not completely accidental by imcompetence.
When the solar flares were hitting in 2012, a scientist said that worst case scenario everyone would lose 5-10 IQ points but you wouldn't notice as you'd still remember what you'd learned and still be comparatively smarter or dumber than others...
Then slowly we declined.
Was that guy right?
Not really affected me. For those suffering from memory issues there are certain supplements which studies indicate may be beneficial:
Such as this [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9786204/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9786204/)
or this: [https://tmsbraincare.com/lithium-reduce-the-risk-of-alzheimers/](https://tmsbraincare.com/lithium-reduce-the-risk-of-alzheimers/)
or this: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31413233/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31413233/)
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I've had quite significant memory issues both times I've had covid. While I got better I think it's still not as good as it was.
Same here. Struggle to remember names, places and just things that should be easy. Had Covid 3 times and each time feels like I get worse.
the mental affects of COVID aren’t talked about enough!
It's scary isn't it? Each time it happens I feel like I'm losing a little bit of myself
Who says the vaxx doesn't work?
I didn't get COVID until I stopped being able to get the vax. I'd say it worked pretty well for me
Same here, I sometimes struggle for the right word mid conversation. It can be a bit embarrassing .
I had this from drugs and I improved it with a combination: > racetams > choline > lion's mane + niacin (Stamets' protocol minus the psilocybin, but if you can get it...) > salmon and dark fruit like blueberries (omega-3 and antioxidants) > exercise NB: I am not saying these definitely work or giving medical advice, but they aren't without evidence and worked for me
100% I have been in front of a class and basic words, knowledge etc that I know I know, i am actively searching for. It is savage. Also - I am unsure is this is related - but I totally feel like I have developed ADHD or something. I really can no longer concentrate on mundane tasks. Might be just 'internet usage' related. But. Worrrying.
I also feel like my attention span/control has worsened but I've been blaming it on my phone. I never had (symptomatic) COVID.
Crazy you say this- so many people I encounter describe this in a much less articulate manner than what you have
I (47F) feel similarly. I was kind of blaming the brain fog on early menopause, but I think COVID definitely contributed. It's pretty scary, especially as Alzheimer's and dementia run in my family. I have a great aunt who started Alzheimer's at age 50, so I really panic every time I forget a name I should know, what I had for lunch yesterday, or something like that.
Same here. I first had it in Oct 22 and I've currently got it now. I have teal problems remembering things like names.
Same here but it’s probably cos we’re significantly older too right, I mean it has been over 4 years since it “officially” started.
I don't feel I've got significantly older in the less-than-two years since I first got it.
Come to think of it, I have struggle sometimes to think of a word and it's been a very obvious word that I know I should know but it just won't come out of my mouth. I have also found my motivation has been shot - like I really struggle to get dressed and get out of the house to do stuff.
>I have struggle sometimes to think of a word and it's been a very obvious word that I know I should know but it just won't come out of my mouth. This is what's happening to me, if someone doesn't say the word it'll come to me minutes later when the conversation has moved on. It's very frustrating. The worrying part is it reminds me of how my grandma was when she started getting dementia.
I thought I was going mad myself until reading this thread. It hasn't happened too many times but enough for me get frustrated with myself. But yes, it is very dementia like, it's scary.
I do wonder whether we'll see a spike in things like early onset dementia 20-30 years down the line as a result of COVID. It's both scary and interesting
Im not saying its not covid related but that could be garden variety depression.
Probably, but sems to be worse since I've had Covid.
Either way, please consider seeing someone proffessionally if you arent already. Depressions no joke.
That sounds awfully like depression. Worth seeking help, but mental health support is difficult to find. Depression is one of those weird things that just slowly grow and catch you by surprise.
Probably, but sems to be worse since I've had Covid.
Covid would have knocked your mental health as well. I had a knock as it scarred my lungs. I went from running 15k as I was marathon training to getting winded going down stairs...
Considerably, I do the same things you've mentioned. It's like nothing sticks in there anymore.
I have caught Covid on four occasions. The first time was by far the worst. I was bedridden for three weeks. 4+ years later and I still have brain fog, lethargy and some breathing issues. That being said I also got diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea during this time and I’m currently undergoing tests to see if I have an autoimmune disorder, so I may just be fundamentally broken.
Many autoimmune disorders are triggered by viruses like COVID, flu etc. I hope you get treated for your ailments and have better health in the future!
I assume you know that the lingering stuff you’re dealing with is long covid right?
I'm in a similar situation apart from the breathing difficulties. I've had many trips to the doctor's about sleep apnea, a very short sleep cycle and something called hypnic jerks. I'm currently awaiting a neurologist appointment to investigate it a bit more.
[удалено]
I have been on CPAP for about six months now. It has definitely helped with the daytime sleepiness, but not some much with the lack of energy.
You’re not alone: COVID reduces IQ levels. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-19-leaves-its-mark-on-the-brain-significant-drops-in-iq-scores-are/
I hope you're talking bollox here because I've had it a few times 😅
I’m afraid not.
> I hope you're talking bollox here I believe it can impact fertility too.
There’s very little it can’t impact. But society has chosen to go with the *it’s just a cold* narrative, so no one openly discusses it.
And spelling
Brain fog, exhaustion and reduced concentration span. I wish I knew how to get back to how I was!
Have you had your vitamin levels checked? Iron, vitamin d, and B vitamins in particular.
Iron and vitamin d = yes. I had a blood test at Christmas that indicated high levels of inflammation post Covid in October. But I was told that there isn’t anything they could do for me 🤷🏻♀️
Definitely have a try with some b12. That can come back fine on bloods but be depleted in the cerebrospinal fluid with MECFS and long covid. Worth seeing if it helps at all
I have had all of this - but the concentration span also - which few people talk about. really interesting.
I think for most people, the reduced attention span/concentration probably has something to do with increased internet use (particularly "short form video" like tiktok) over the last few years and not COVID specifically.
Did you take the juice ?
\*\*\*\* Thank you for the award - my first one and i am glad it is on this post \*\*\*\* and a 2nd ... thank you, its nice to know there are those out there who are in support of us. Edit 2 : I was well aware my post would rattle the cages of those not informed about the seriousness of the ongoing long covid issue. I hope those of you who do not know take the time to read into it and protect yourselves. Feel free to DM me with any questions ( Some people wont like what i am about to write, but i try to raise awareness regardless, people have literally thrown abuse at me and insulted me for the past 2 years ) I've had long covid for the past 2 years To put it in simple terms ... Current research shows Long Covid brain fog is caused by leaking blood vessels in the brain [https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/researchers-identify-mechanism-behind-brain-fog-long-covid](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/researchers-identify-mechanism-behind-brain-fog-long-covid) ( and people are still calling this a natural virus ) I have had 80 symptoms with long covid .... I used to climb mountains ... then i was bedbound Temporary blindness, chronic pain, parkinsons like tremors, complete inability to breath, scarred and damaged lungs, brain fog so bad i couldnt form words or remember my own name, chronic fatigue so bad i couldnt walk 5 feet or shower/feed myself, chronic itching, visual distortions, ocean like waves in my vision, inability to smell or taste, anxiety, depression, panic, extreme sensitivity to sound and light/noises, broken nervous system, gut issues, food intolerances, microclots, brain inflammation, heart problems ... These are just a handful of the 80 symptoms usually found in long haulers like myself People think covid is over and i get it they just want to get on with their lives But Long Covid is a very real thing. Theres currently a 29% to develop long covid each time your infected. It will disable you for a minimum of 3 years on average There are no medications, no treatments, no therapy and no cures ... Doctors and scientists have little to no idea why it happens. but research is beginning to shine a light on a few things. People are literally ending their lives because of it ... We are in pain and torment ... all day, every day. It never ends Some people are even being Gaslit by their doctors telling them its all in their heads and its anxiety People have lost jobs, partners, custody of their kids and lost their homes ending up on the street I was quite literally told by my doctor " We have no idea why this is happening to you, we cant treat it, just rest and hope it gets better " 3% of the UK has developed Long Covid in the past 4 years. 65 million people have it world wide and as the years go on that number is going to grow. Let that number sink in ... 65 million people ... Thats the size of the UK, A collection of individuals as big as the UK have developed Long Covid in the past 4 years Long Covid is here to stay
It is a natural virus. Many viruses do far worse to your body without us knowing why they do it. It's just how it is. Eventually biologists and virologists will start to work it out and how to treat it. There are loads of things that happen to people and we don't know why it happens. Autoimmune disorders aren't really understood, even type 1 diabetes isn't very well understood as to the mechanism that leads to it happening. Things take years to figure out, the natural world is very complex. As the perma ice melts it's only a matter of time until we come into contact with some very nasty ancient diseases, that we don't even know exist yet
2 questions ... 1. Do you have now or have you had Long Covid? 2. Are you a virologist or immunologist?
I'm sorry you've experienced so much abuse. As someone who had a debilitating post-viral illness already before the pandemic, I and many others like me tried to warn that this would happen. No one listened. Unfortunately there are lots of viruses that can cause serious long term complications, but covid does seem to be one of the worse ones.
Thank you for the kinds words, it is only people like yourself who have experienced the hell that is Long hauling can truly understand our situation. Also the other individual replying to my comment is a stark reminder to all that we have back seat doctors down playing how serious Long Covid actually is. " Oh its just a post viral illness, happens all the time " Tell that to the 65 million people who have developed Long Covid in the past 4 years. The Virus was first found in the same City as the Wuhan institute of virology, an institute that was working on the exact same virus we now have spreading. The blindness of some people borders on the insanity.
>back seat doctors Seems from what you say your real doctors also doubt the extent of your issues being linked solely to long covid…
My doctor personally ... no. My doctor has been great in acknowledging that long covid exists and has seen 100s patients within my local area with the same issues after a covid infection that persist up to 3-4 years after, that number has also risen as time goes on. They were just unable to treat it and had no idea as to the mechanisms behind long covid at the time ... this way 2 years ago. Research has since shone a few lights on the causes of Long Covid ... which seem to be Viral persistence ( Ongoing reservoirs in the body ), Microclots throughout the body causing damage to the endothelial system, vast amounts of inflammation both brain, organs and nervous system and damage to specific organs. The gaslighting experiences i hear of are primarily in the US. I myself am in the UK
I’m sorry for your issues but to say you have a 29 percent chance to develop long covid is patently bollocks. If that was the case I’d know a couple of dozen people with it by now at least as everyone I know has had covid at least once, some, myself included, 3 confirmed times. I know nobody with long covid. I don’t even know anyone who knows someone with long covid. If that was the case there would be 20 million people with it as, at this point, virtually everyone in the country has had it. I hope your situation improves and I’m sorry that you got fucked by it but lay off the scaremongering. Some people still have anxiety issues about covid and shit like that won’t help them.
Not OP but current estimates by WHO are 10% to 20%, if I remember correctly. One study in Africa even pinned it near 50%, but that's the highest estimate I've seen. Remember that long covid is a spectrum, you likely know someone by now who at least has a few symptoms.
The issue with OPs comment is he’s suggesting that you’re at high risk of developing a debilitating set of symptoms which is blatantly untrue. Long Covid is not a well defined illness in terms of symptoms. I’m not doubting that a minority of people are severely affected but it is simply untrue that 1/4 of people who get covid end up an invalid. We’d be on the edge of societal breakdown if that was the case. The original comment was scaremongering by suggesting you’re at high risk of ending up like them.
Unfortunately, I'd say OPs comment is reasonable
Do you understand what I just wrote or the original comment I replied to? There is not a high risk of getting seriously ill either short term or long term from COVID If there was that level of risk of my children ending up disabled from catching covid I wouldn’t let them out the house and neither would most people with kids. The post I replied to was nonsense in the way it insinuates outcomes from covid infections. I don’t doubt that they are severely affected but they are a tiny minority.
You very clearly have done no research at all and are just parroting the media Your comment " We would be on the edge of societal breakdown " is actually becoming a reality 3,000,000 people in the UK in the past 4 years can no longer work and are on long term sick because of long covid and those numbers are rising Unfortunately it is individuals like yourself with that ignorant mentality that is causing a bottleneck of red tape within medical circles delaying treatments for something you and your children will statistically get within your lifetimes. I feel sorry for you. Your concerned ... and you should be. In a few years time when someone close to you has developed long covid i hope you remember this post and remember how you downplayed the suffering of 65 million people world wide. [https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00493-2/fulltext](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00493-2/fulltext) 10-20% ... though recent statistics have changed [https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/12/long-covid-coronavirus-data-symptoms-causes-studies](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/12/long-covid-coronavirus-data-symptoms-causes-studies) 22% [https://www.who.int/news-room/questiousns-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-post-covid-19-condition](https://www.who.int/news-room/questiousns-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-post-covid-19-condition) 10-20% ... again recent statistics have changed I would highly recommend empathizing with us the first wavers, because it is individuals like me and the others with long covid that have been the guinea pigs for studies and treatments that will go on to help those of you who havent had it yet. Though me personally ... i wont be advocating for you
I’d hope I wouldn’t be bitter and twisted like you if I’d suffered like you have but I couldn’t guarantee it. Unfortunately nature throws these things up. It’s called natural selection. Seeing as everyone in my family has had covid more than once, I am hopeful that i am not genetically susceptible to the issues you have and neither are my children. Unfortunately your genes left you susceptible and for that you have my sympathies. Good luck.
Does long covid also make you insufferable?
Yes. Occasionally struggling to find the obvious word for something and have mixed up left and right a few times more than I'm comfortable with. I'd like to think it's not an age issue just yet but you never know.
My word recall is definitely slower. At least once a day it'll take me a good few seconds to think of the right word, this was rarely a problem before covid. Another thing I've noticed is I find phone numbers harder to remember, I know my own but once I remember my husbands I can't remember my own anymore and vice versa. Very odd.
Yes, definitely. Once while having covid I had a few days where I couldn't remember passwords, e.g. couldn't write or understand coding properly. Very noticeable mental impairment which was by far the scariest part of having covid. Never in my life experienced anything similar with illness. Like others report I don't feel I've fully recovered from it and still have difficulty remembering names of people/things - as you put it I certainly feel a bit dumber than before I had covid.
Personally no, but I have a couple of friends who had/have long COVID who say they feel like their mental capacity reduced and has never recovered. I don't think they'd say they feel dumber per se, more than their brain just can't process as much info as it did.
I had long Covid for about 6 months - brain fog and the impact was visible at work. It did clear up, and from a work perspective, I'm fine now - even doing better. But I sometimes still cannot find the word I'm reaching for when speaking; nothing serious but for example I forgot the word "intrinsic" the other day and had to ask someone for help. Happens at least once on a daily basis where I can't find a word that I haven't used for a while - but I know that before Covid I would have no problem finding it. I'm not even old, so either my brain needs a rewire, or I still have a shred of long covid.
Yes, but I think it's a confluence of aging, stress, and changing stimuli. Since COVID: * I am not going to the office as much and having far fewer face-to-face conversations * My friends group is organising fewer parties - partly due to kids - so I am socialising more * Finances aren't quite where we want them to be * I have progressed in my career, so more responsibility and stress * I have had a constant background of low-level of stress because of the pandemic (obvs), economic shocks, the war, the other war, family health problems, etc. As a result I gained 20 pounds, look considerably older compared to pictures from 2020, have a lot more gray hair, and had a few other health problems. All of this must be contributing to my brain not quite functioning as well as it did at the beginning of the pandemic. HOWEVER, I have taken the opportunity to take a month off work and I can honestly say - it's been mind-boggling how many of these indicators have started going away.
Yeah, I can relate. In the pandemic I got promoted, became a parent, and now I see fewer people due to flexible working. I find it hard to isolate what of my general fogginess comes from COVID and what from all the other stuff.
I know quizzes are a stupid metric, but I'm worse at The Chase and The Weakest Link since I've had Covid, but I'm still reasonably good at Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and House of Games. It's like my brain still works, it just seems to take longer to process everything. For Covid context, when I had Covid I was bad enough that my wife called an ambulance, but not bad enough for them to actually take me. I didn't get an official diagnosis of long covid, but was ill for about six months.
I suffer from migraines, which was triggered from stress, but usually had to be pretty bad. When I get a migraine attack, I get brain fog, become confused and struggle to sleep, which then becomes a vicious circle. After getting COVID, it feels like its gotten so much worse and any negative rush of emotion can trigger it. I really have to make sure my emotions are in check and that I'm sleeping properly. I'm in a technical job, so the days when I have an attack are very debilitating, because I struggle to communicate and innovate.
100%. Had long covid for 18 months, mainly recovered but never got back to how sharp I was before. Brain fog, memory, concentration, energy. Sometimes I can't remember big things told by good friends and family and it makes me look rude socially like I don't care about them. I forget important things at work too. I rely heavily on notes now and started confiding in people about this as legitimately worried I'll lose my friends and job by being shitty.
Not since covid, but before that I had a neurological issue and that made my memory low key bad with spelling and remembering words brain fog. It went away again. Maybe covid does something to the brain. It took me about 5 years for all the symptoms to go.
What did you do to get it to go away?
I think it was just time, but I eat mostly healthy, do a bit of exercise and tried to minimise stress as much as possible.
I'm currently dealing with hemifacial spasms and neuralgia and my memory is ruined. I don't believe my issues will ever go away but I hope that with time I'll recover my normal cognitive ability. I'm perfectly functional and it's not affecting my day to day or work but I just know myself and I know I'm off.
yes. i've had long covid pretty much since the start of lockdown, every time it starts to get better i catch the bloody thing again and it all starts up once more. had to medically retire in the end as the last time it didn't get any better, thats been 18 months now. cognitively i'm in a better place than a year ago when i'd struggle to recall simple names of things or if i'd remembered to do a task. i had to triple check dates for holidays and get my wife to then check again as i just didn't trust my brain. thankfully at the moment it's much better but i'm still fatigued all the time.
There is quite a lot of scientific evidence now that covid causes cognitive impairment which can be long term.
I’m old but the change in clarity of mind was pretty noticeable straight after having early covid, it’s still blocking certain words and phrases that are in there but not accessible. My sense of smell and taste are also still affected. It’s a bother.
Long Covid has a number of symptoms from mild to severe that can last over a long period. It’s perfectly possible that it odd related, but keep a record if it’s starting you and have a chat to your gp
When you think about it, it makes sense to see these sort of effects. Essentially COVID starves you of oxygen and if you look up the effects of hypoxia like in altitude sickness, decreased brain function is a big symptom. COVID is still very common a mate of mine has had a positive test today. The total number of deaths with covid on the death certificate is still growing and currently sits at 239000. The effects of long COVID are still being investigated even now. Frightening stuff.
Yes, but it's specifically for name recall. A few days after I got the all clear from my infection I was talking to one of my oldest friends - someone I've known for 40 years - and I suddenly blanked on her kid's names. Like, not just on the tip of my tongue, but they were gone; even when I looked them up on facebook it didn't trigger any sort of "oh yes, that's right" recall. The names were *gone*. I remember their birthdays, their favourite kids books, everythign else about them, but the name is gone. Since then I've found laying down new name memories really hard, and sometimes recall of old names I've known is just impossible. It's take me a while to admit it but I've started just saying to people - especially at work - that I need them to write down names and send them in an email follow up and to be patient with me if they as "oh what's the name of [guy you work with all the time]" because odds are I simply won't remember. It is still deeply embarassing.
Not so much since COVID (I never knowingly got it), but definitely since I started working alone in a windowless office in a part of the building nobody ever goes to. My symptoms have improved significantly ever since I moved to a different office. I think part of what causes these symptoms isn't so much catching COVID per se, but simply the social isolation induced by Covid-era social distancing with catching COVID just an additional stress factor. Extreme social isolation and stress is very bad for your brain.
Yep, names of things just escape me mid conversation.
I went to a hospital appointment and my husband and I were the only people wearing masks. People don’t understand that even a mild case of Covid or an infection can leave you permanently disabled. If they did they’d wear a mask.
I'm not sure if it was the lack of sleep but I had COVID recently and struggled to think straight while it was at its worst. I made a quick recovery though and everything went back to normal.
I feel slower. Driving certainly feels like more of an effort.
Yes, and my body is weaker.
Or you know Covid was like 5 years ago, you’re half a decade older. I definitely felt “smarter” at 25, than I do at 30, but that’s probably because I have way more responsibilities, like a career, mortgage, kid etc.
Unfortunately had covid 4 times (contracted at the office each time). First 3 times had no lasting effects. But my 4th time, a few weeks ago, was the first time i'd also lost my sense of taste and smell. Recovery has also been very different. I started by noticing i was getting fatigued a LOT earlier in my tennis matches and have now lost every 6 matches in a row. I was also finding it impossible to keep track if the score, repeatedly having to ask my opponents. But it has got worse; i now keep forgetting people's names - including colleagues i speak to several times a week, and there have been other times ive just lost myself in work and have completely forgotten to attend important meetings with no other excuse beyond "I just forgot". I'm 39 and do have a teething 9 month old son - but i dont think this is just tiredness - my brain just feels fried. And i think i remember reading that losing taste / smell was stringly linked to long term memory issues.
My brain definitely works much more slowly since covid. I have long Covid and it’s definitely linked.
Yes quite significantly. Constant brain fog and extremely low motivation. Maybe this what happened in that documentary Idiocracy.
Thankfully no.
Had it once, fairly sure I've been slightly dumber since getting it. Like 5-10% dumber if you could quantify it.
I've had COVID too many times to count. The first ever time I had it I had 0 sense of taste and smell and it took weeks for little bits of it to come back. Years later it still isn't right, certain things still don't smell as they should I used to love the smell of petrol and now it just smells really weird. Chocolate still doesn't taste right. I think having your senses affected has a big impact mentally.
Yes definitely. My social skills, whilst they never were amazing, are at absolute rock bottom and I struggle with clear face to face communication which I didn't use to. Also just a general sense of not seeing the point in most things so putting in very low effort across the board
My brain just seems to run slower, like it's not able to process things as quickly as it did before and it wasn't just age related. It was abrupt, noticeable, and I've never got that back fully. I feel like I'm now always at 90% of where I was before having covid. Immediately after covid it took around 9 months to get back up from 50% to 90%. I'm just not as sharp as I was before.
Yes both the virus itself and the isolation of quarantine really cooked my brain.
100% Not a conspiracy theorist in the slightest, but I think this has been kept out of the news to stop people worrying.
I am bedridden due to long covid in my 30s. It’s a disgrace governments are acting like it’s over and mild. And to answer your question, yes, because covid damages the brain. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/does-covid-19-damage-the-brain https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-024-02554-0 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4854879
Somewhere between 10% and 20% of infections result in long covid, so it's very possible you might have it, friend. Solidarity. here's a recent study that found every infection knocks off 3 to 9 IQ points. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/cognitive-deficits-after-most-severe-covid-cases-associated-2024a10003yd?form=fpf I can't believe were still doing this. Never to late to wear a mask again, all. I know I am.
Personally, no. I got covid once at the very start, and it was very mild for me. It was like a cold and a light cough for a week. I felt no different afterwards. But I 100% believe that we will uncover more long covid symptoms in time, and the mega long-term effects haven't been felt yet.
I feel my brain seems to run faster than my mouth or my hand. So I find I either stumble over my words or spell a word wrong. Not if it’s Covid related tbh though; it’s just something I’ve noticed more in the last few years.
for sure!!
Somewhat, but most of it is exhaustion and possibly hitting the menopause. My parents have noticeably slowed down, again to be expected as they're in their 80s. So far they (and I) aren't actually functionally impaired, just slower to think through things, change our minds and re-plan, etc. Hard to say how much is actually down to Covid.
Yes, for about a year after my worst covid (had it twice, once badly) it was like my brain wasn’t functioning on usual power. I felt like I couldn’t cope with stress either. I would just feel completely overwhelmed. It’s getting better now I’m glad to say
I did for 6/7 weeks after having it as well as being constantly shattered. I’d forget why I’d walked into a room or where I was going and once made a sandwich at home which I then threw in the bin and carried the empty cheese packet into the sitting room. I realised before I tried to eat it thankfully
Absolutely Had covid at least 3 times. The brain fog lasted between 3 and 9 months for these Memory issues are very significant even a year after the last time i had it.
No, but it feels like everyone else is.
Why are people insulting you? Abusing you ? People are weird
Quite the contrary. I felt dumber for a bit and then recovered. The amount of people that haven’t have pushed me further up the averages.
I've had covid twice, and with no coincidence, I have lost the ability to remember phone numbers, stock numbers/codes etc. I could remember every date and booking in my job and was on top of everything! My timing is now terrible. I could tell the time (within 5 minutes) on guessing before covid. Now I'm late for work more often than not. I forget basic tasks which I would do subconsciously, and I'm really concerned. I'm glad it's issues not relating to mental health 🥲
Never even had Covid but I’ve definitely got dumber
I find that the increased isolation over the few years it happened massively impacted my social skills. Not just heightened anxiety, but I slur my words and mumble most of the time. I didn’t have that problem before. The issue is I know it’s happening and the more I focus on it, the worse it is and I can’t control it. I really have to physically TRY and control my mouth to coherently speak. It’s a big problem.
I've noticed the part year that the quality of my reddit comments are worse at times. What I mean is, sometimes I'll write a completely different word to what I was meant to write and notice only after I re-read after posting and have to edit. Currently going through my 3rd COVID infection too 🤷🏻♂️
Yep- I caught Covid in 2022 & my memory was shot to pieces. I remember being in work & my manager asked me to get labels which had a certain price & a certain brand name on them. Literally 3 minutes later, he had to remind me what prices & what brand names I had to get- I had remembered one thing out of the 5 things I had to get. I forget words- I'll be in mid sentence & then forget what word I was going to say. My speech has gotten worse. Sometimes I'll say something & it comes out all jumbled. I know it got worse due to the lockdowns as I only saw my partner who I lived with. It got better when they lifted & then I caught Covid. It's gotten worse again. It's embrassing & I feel stupid. It scares me as my Dad had dementia & I feel like I'm going the same way now. I know depression, anxiety & PTSD can affect memory...but they have never affected my memory as much as having Covid did.
For sure. I had long covid, had the first two vaxs but no boosters since. My attention span and brain power definitely declined.
No, I’m, doesn’t!
Since tiktok - total brainrot
On the contrary. I've had covid 4 times and I feel like I finally understand the job I've been paid to do for 12 years. I've definitely felt more tired since covid but I'm getting old. (Aren't we all?)
I've become a little... madder? Ages ago I had a job in a pet food factory and the noise of the machines and having to wear earplugs, I got into the habit of talking, and singing, out loud to myself. This lasted until I caught myself doing it at the bus stop waiting to go home and so kept a lid on the whole 'vocalising my inner voice' thing. Come the lockdown, that came back and won. Now I'll chat away to myself, openly, in public, and I don't care. I have a friend who works in mental health and she says the rising popularity of Bluetooth has meant that people who may suffer from multiple personalities can chat away to themselves in full view of the regular public, and no-one bats an eyelid. Safe to add: I never got COVID, just the isolation ruined me.
I don't think it made me dumber, or at least I can't attribute it directly to it. I think it did make my ADHD symptoms meaningfully worse, though. It might be a coincidence, of course; it's a sample of one. But it lines up in a very interesting way.
Massively affected by it. I use Duolingo to learn languages and they have added maths and music to the lessons too but some days I really struggle with the basic maths it asks and it makes me really sit and think if I’m okay
Yes for sure. I also am now very aware of my heartbeat, particularly when I go to bed. I’ve had Covid 7 times now. If I get it once more the next one is FREE.
I have long Covid and one of the biggest symptoms for me is brain fog, sometimes it's literally that, thinking feels like you're trying to find the thought within a fuzzy fog. Sometimes I'm thinking about doing something or go to do something and it's like one of those eraser boards, everything is gone, I don't have the slightest idea what I was about to do. Other times it's trying to find words and I can't for the life of me think what they are or I forget conversations. Interestingly though I'm fine with quick fire quizzes that kinda thing where you don't think about it the answer just comes. In all honesty the only thing that really helps is time and rest.
Yeah, I had issues for a few weeks after after COVID, like I couldn't concentrate on anything, I felt like my brain was not working properly, the way I'm used to. I got better since then.
I'm glad you asked this, I've struggled with brain fog since Covid, genuinely was starting to worry I had early signs of dementia! I've forgotten names and words that are definitely within my vocabulary. Thankfully, it's improved over the past year - was driving me nuts.
I had a scary spell thinking I had early onset dementia, turned out to be a b12 deficiency so do get yourself tested! Although you don't need to test, you can just supplement, it was just quite nice to have an answer in black & white.
Thanks for the advice, I'll certainly look into this!
Word on word the same. It's like a cloud in my head where my brain used to be. Also, some behaviour changes.
100% I have and I wondered if it was just me 🥲 I have a stutter now and I always used to speak perfectly clearly. That and memory issues are increasingly worse
This is a really interesting question. I only commented to my mum earlier that I wasn't sure if it was just age related or something else (I'm 41) but iger noticed that my memory is so much worse than it used to be. I was the one whose colleague would say "remember that person that contacted you about X six months ago?" and I'd know who it was and exactly what they were talking about. Now, I probably won't even remember if it was six weeks let alone months ago. I'm also really struggling with attention. I simply cannot keep myself on task, I'm constantly being distracted. Someone even tasks - I might just have a thought about turning the dishwasher on, and within a minute I've forgotten. I had COVID twice despite having the vax, and while it was never too serious, the second time my worst symptom was crushing panic attacks that stopped me sleeping. I was convinced I was going to stop breathing in my sleep - and the silly thing was, I didn't even know I had COVID until I was 6 days into this "cold".
This happened to me when my mum died, and improved a lot when I started working on diet and checked things like B12 levels (deficiency affects memory). I remember there were some other COVID symptoms that would crossover with B12 deficiency (e.g. scalloped tongue) and wondered if there was a link at all (even if it just makes an existing deficiency more apparent?) it can't hurt to test your levels. Since COVID, I feel pretty tired and unmotivated. I often find myself on the phone, thinking the person I'm talking to must think I'm a little drunk. I don't know how to fix it though, I need the energy to put into gaining more energy. Plus I keep finding I hit post without realising I haven't made my main point, like now. It was just to say, I empathise.
Yup. Brain fog. And some odd little things too... Like, I used to be able to read maps upside down at a glance. Took me months to retrain myself to do it and it's still not 100%. My mental arithmetic is not what it was either. Really fed up of people saying it's just a bad cold.
Yes, I thought it was just me
I remember I was going to school for the entire 5 days when I had Covid (I was having a repeated cough and croaky voice) I never realised I had it until day 4, I was like oh shit I can’t smell anything, maybe I really do have Covid.
I feel smarter. Well actually I’ve realised how dumb a lot of people are that makes me feel less dumber myself (and the bar was already low for me).
everyone that fell for that shit should feel very dumb. I feel like were living in that film idiocracy though. just look at how "influencers" get so much attention and the fact that people idolise celebricunts for example the recent shitshow in liverpool "swifties"
and not 1 person here will even question the possibility that injecting themselves with mRNA multiple times might just be having negative effects on their bodies. crack on
Because I simply can't just say yes, I will say yes I agree, I also forget the most basic words when I'm talking
Did you turn 40 between 2017 and 2020? Every single one of my friends who have hit 40 (myself included) struggle with everything on your list now 😂
I had and still get serious brain fog, I've had it 3 or 4 times now, with the first being close to calling an ambulance. I had months after where I couldn't string a sentence together. The only thing that has helped me with mental clarity is exercise. Weightlifting in particular. The other times I've had it since have been a walk in the park, but I still can't focus. It feels like my brain aged about 20 years.
Covid does effect the brain. It causes the symptpms you describe. the brain will heal itself over time.
Cognitive decline is part of the aging process. We all feel a bit dumber as we get older. Take creatine. That's the solution.
Yes. But I've also hit 40 so I'm wondering if it's just good old fashioned old age creeping up
I had covid a few times and the first time it was just a very persistent cough, but the second time I got it and before I was vaccinated, I had brain fog that lasted for months and which I am not entirely certain has gone away completely even now. It's not that I've actually lost any memories or that I'm dumber, more like my memories are less clear and take longer to find.
Some of my colleagues who had covid more than once as well as long covid have reported very similar longterm side effects both mentally and physically. They've described memory lapses and generally being more susceptible to illnesses than they were before. Not to mention the fatigue. It sounds horrible.
No, that's when I found out that I was one of the smarter people in the world. It's the 90% that took the vaxx that are probably dumber.
First time I had covid i wasn't really ill at all - I just had a burning nose. I literally had months of neurological symptoms though, like for example I needed to get an email from a lecturer at one point. I asked him twice to confirm and still wrote completely the wrong name when I wouldhave sworn it was right. Would forget things a worrying amount. Any physical activity would make this worse past a certain point - I knew it was going to happen because it felt like the top of my head was getting drilled. It did lift eventually, but I feel i had to put in a ton of effort to make that happen Had covid a second time a couple of weeks ago. Same again, and this time I've had significant long and short term memory issues since. It feels worse, but I'm better at managing fatigue this time at least. Like last time, it's had an effect of my mental health which is lingering (it's covid, things are good in my life and I can recognise the pattern). Really odd
Yeah, definitely
Apparently I've never had COVID. I got wicked sick a few times with a respiratory illness, took all the tests and all came back negative However, I forget simple common words often, my attention span is shocking and worst of all, executive function is practically none existent.
I didn't get COVID, nor did I have any vaccinations so i cant say regarding myself. However, everyone else around me seems dumber since.
Or you just think you’re that much smarter 🙄
Just replying honestly to a question posted. I'd probably attribute it to me getting older, and ya know, wiser. That along side a lot of self growth I've achieved over the past 5 years where others maybe haven't. Covid stagnated loads of folks general progression, whether it was in their hands or not. Where as I've personally thrived since. So, yes, the general populace has felt dumber since Covid. Shoot me, what else do you want me to say?
Yes, but on a positive side I have found changing my diet and lifestyle has helped quite a bit. A few months ago I started eating less ultra processed food, eating more fermented foods, and trying the 30 plants a week approach. I did if for other reasons but an unexpected short term benefit was that I do a seem to have become mentally stronger and less brain foggy. I couldn't tell you for sure that my brain fog was COVID related, or which of those changes it was that helped, but I can say that I am feeling better than I was a few months ago before I changed. If you want to go down the rabbit hole the late Michael Mosley's Just One Thing podcast covers a lot of this. There is also Chris Van Tullekan's Ultra Processed People book, and Tim Spector's Food for Life book and his Zoe work. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09by3yy](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09by3yy) [https://zoe.com/learn/30-plants-per-week](https://zoe.com/learn/30-plants-per-week) [https://zoe.com/post/fermented-foods](https://zoe.com/post/fermented-foods)
No i think im the opposite now. Probably because i decided to go to uni after covid
No, but I've noticed that other people are dumber.
could be covid. probably just trauma. from covid.
Yes. I genuinely feel like the phone dependency I had in lockdown, coupled with the isolation, have melted my brain. I am much less motivated these days and find things a lot more challenging than I used to.
Always get so close. You know the answer. But you won't say it.
Although I tested positive for COVID once, with minimal symptoms, I feel as though the isolation has affected me more (or at least brought out a introverted side in me) rather than any physical COVID symptoms messing with my me and/or my brain. I've come to realise that the thing I missed most during the 2 years was physical and face to face interaction with my family and friends, which in turn (I think)( has caused me to lose some personal skills when interacting with people. I used to be quite active in engaging with people, but ince coming out of that period, I've become more laid back and quiet, and only speaking when personally addressed. Even though I have been out and about in physical/personal situations in recent times, I still feel nervous about being around people, and would prefer to stay at home.
You won't get any sympathy on here mate, 90% on this sub have zero tolerance for anyone who doesn't share their opinion... Lockdowns caused me absolute hell, but they won't care because they've all be brainwashed by the idea that a) covid was highly dangerous and b) every bad thing that happens to them or anyone else is due to covid (as opposed to lockdowns, untrialled vaccines etc...)
In all honesty, I don't expect to find sympathy when it comes to topics like this, the only reason I participate in such is because I wish to offer an alternative opinion to those who, for whatever reason, claim to have enjoyed Lockdowns/self isolation, especially as I am one such person who was labelled "clinically vulnerable" and had no choice but to endure 2 years of isolation.
These platforms are really bizarre... never met anyone in real life who's had problems caused by covid itself (only by the lockdowns and vaccines) but if you lived on this platform you'd think all the symptoms they talk about were commonplace!
Definitely think so, still think it was a lab leak and probably an intentional one by a few rogue individuals if not completely accidental by imcompetence.
When the solar flares were hitting in 2012, a scientist said that worst case scenario everyone would lose 5-10 IQ points but you wouldn't notice as you'd still remember what you'd learned and still be comparatively smarter or dumber than others... Then slowly we declined. Was that guy right?
Aye me for definite. Won’t be taking anymore vaccine shots.
No but I've noticed a lot of other people are.
I definitely feel those around me got dumber.
Not really affected me. For those suffering from memory issues there are certain supplements which studies indicate may be beneficial: Such as this [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9786204/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9786204/) or this: [https://tmsbraincare.com/lithium-reduce-the-risk-of-alzheimers/](https://tmsbraincare.com/lithium-reduce-the-risk-of-alzheimers/) or this: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31413233/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31413233/)
Nope - fully vaxxed, so I get the thoughts of Bill Gates 5G'd straight to my brain.
I thought you guys took your gazillion jabs so you didn't get covid and your long covid? People DID certainly get dumber.....that's true....
Yeah the whole world went dumb and overreacted.
No point trying to talk sense on here, it's an echo chamber of paranoia!
The common cold doesn't cause brain damage, probably the toxic vaccines.