Symptoms of infection can last two years
The infamous brain fog symptom, which is associated with long COVID and is characterised by confusion, forgetfulness, and a lack of focus and mental clarity, is comparable to ageing by ten years, according to researchers.
Researchers at King's College London looked at how COVID-19 affected memory and discovered that it raised the risk of neurological and psychiatric problems.
The data was gathered from more than 3,000 participants in the COVID Symptom Study, and it was published on Friday in a clinical journal.
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According to a study, patients with COVID-19 symptoms for 12 weeks had the disease's worst effects on their memory, attention, reasoning, and processing speed.
"The fact remains that two years after their first infection, some people don't feel fully recovered, and their lives continue to be impacted by the long-term effects of the coronavirus," Claire Steves, a professor of ageing and health at King's College, told The Guardian.
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"We need more work to understand why this is the case and what can be done to help."
An estimated two million people living in the UK were experiencing self-reported long Covid (symptoms continuing for more than four weeks since infection) as of January 2023, according to the 2023 government census.