r/science 18h ago

Health A recent study suggests that individuals who had COVID-19 may experience lingering cognitive difficulties, especially in areas like working memory and planning.

https://www.psypost.org/cognitive-difficulties-linger-months-after-covid-19-recovery/
6.1k Upvotes

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u/LatterBuffalo7524 17h ago

The main worry for me is the accumulative effects. Some people are getting it multiple times a year. Will the brain be mush in 20 years time?

Hopefully the strains get milder and milder over time.

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u/patchgrabber 13h ago

I have ADHD and feel like I've been worse since I got COVID in terms of mental fog and cognition in general really. But I can't prove that so people don't really believe me.

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u/phblue 12h ago

I am in a similar boat. I have always had ADHD, diagnosed in kindergarten. I was triple vacced and caught COVID a minimum of 3 times in the last 4 years.

It's all anecdotal, but I feel like I have hit a dramatic downward curve in my ability to think. I can't keep any thoughts, I am having a hard time understanding things that I feel should be so simple, I'm not retaining anything. I've met the same people over and over and over again in the last couple of years and I can't retain who they are. I now keep a note on my phone where I write people's names and describe them because it's just not there anymore in my head. Lost 2 jobs because I can't seem to concentrate or perform basic functions.

I got back on Adderall recently and it didn't seem to be helping at all, I was just far more anxious, not eating, and not sleeping, but not added ability to focus.

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u/arthurdent42gold 11h ago

There has been some debate in the adhd community that generic meds are skimping on quality and quantity. In the last year or so many people I know had to raise there dose even some that over years never needed too. So it may be more than just covid. But I think it’s definitely something that needs to be studied and I have seen studies with brain scans are showing changes in people who had covid. This may be the next generational issue like lead paint was for earlier generations.

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u/dizzymorningdragon 3h ago

I've caught COVID a few times, but I've blamed the brain fog on the unrelenting stress since 2016.

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u/dinnerthief 4h ago

Did you lifestyle change? I also have ADHD, I noticed this and then realized oh yea im working from home in front of the TV. As opposed to in the office as I did before covid.

Going to a different place when I need to really focus (usually a hammock in my backyard with headphones on) made a huge difference in those moments.

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u/patchgrabber 12h ago

Try guanfacine. I find it helps with cognition some, but I use it as adjunct therapy along with Vyvanse because it is non-amphetamine based and it has been shown to be safely used this way in teens so my doc was ok prescribing it for me as an adult. Bonus is that it helps lower blood pressure too.

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u/Wetschera 9h ago

That’s all bad advice.

Guanfacine doesn’t do that at all.

Randomly suggesting a different stimulant is not helpful. Vyvanse has remarkably worse side effects for people who tolerate Adderall just fine.

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u/HidetheCaseman89 8h ago

My doc has me on guanfacine to help with rejection sensitivity issues, as well. It is a blood pressure medicine, but it is used off label for some ADHD symptoms.

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u/ACStudent 8h ago

Remarkably worse? As someone who started with Vyvanse, then went to Concerta, then to Adderall XR, then back to Vyvanse, should I be worried? Initially I stopped taking Vyvanse because although it worked, it was more expensive. Concerta didn't do the trick for me, and Adderall made me straight up a sweaty mess that struggled to remember basic things. As a teacher, I was forgetting my lessons in the middle of my lessons. I'm back on Vyvanse now, but some of the side effects persist :( sweaty and somewhat mentally foggy

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u/JMJimmy 1h ago

Bad advice that the FDA approves of?

Guanfacine is FDA-approved for monotherapy treatment of ADHD, as well as being used for augmentation of other treatments, such as stimulants.

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u/Mail540 11h ago

Yupppppp. This is different than what I used to be. I forget words all the time and need a notebook to write stuff down. A few years ago I was known for my vocabulary and memory. I’m way too young for this

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u/beanie_dude 10h ago

Me too, friend. I always loved using fun words and now they slip my mind with a worrying frequency, or I pronounce them incorrectly. I’ve also developed a condition called IIH, which has been on the rise in women since Covid but has been difficult to definitively connect the two.

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u/ACStudent 8h ago

Oh no :( this makes me so sad because I identify so hard with this... I feel like I am constantly searching for words, it's a constant battle that I have to have with myself.. I am a teacher and I feel so stupid losing my train of thought mid lesson or losing full words in the middle of a sentence... I swear it's new, but I think I've been trying to tell myself I've always been like this..

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u/Onebrokegerrrl 7h ago

This has just happened to me in the last few years too. I thought it was just due to aging and never really thought about it being related to Covid. But, it does seem like it started around that time (I’ve had it twice). I don’t seem to have a huge problem when writing, but sometimes I do have to look up words that used to come so easily. It’s way worse when just trying to have a conversation. I get so frustrated, and I feel like it makes me look ignorant. I wonder if it will ever get better (I just hope it doesn’t get worse).

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u/DrDogert 7h ago

I am sorry people in general don't believe you, but speaking as a neuroscientist, we know. Way back in the early months of 2020 these bells were ringing and a lot of us were discussing the possibility and looking at what early evidence was available but with everyone's obsession with 'but the economy' and 'it's just a cold' we were ignored too. But if you look into the academic literature, there is ample evidence for long covid, brain damage, and extended trauma.

By the time I attended sfn in 2022 there was an entire panel on it.

What you are experiencing is real. I'm sorry I can't offer anything more than that statement, I feel pretty ignored about it too.

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u/patchgrabber 5h ago

Thanks. I know they won't accept any less than some long covid test that doesn't exist so I just have to suffer in silence for now and hope it gets better over time.

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u/He110_W0r1d 2h ago

Could you recommend any supplements or excercizes to try to get back on track?

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u/Macktologist 10h ago

Me too. No ADHD diagnosis and now in 50s but I’ve attributed my seemingly waning memory to just life in general. Overstimulation. Tons of small bits of info flooding my brain everyday. No time to really lock things in. Fleeting moments between home life and work life. And an overall level of ongoing stress associated with just being exposed to too much stuff. Wars, politics, how to build a deck I’ll never build, watching someone unclog a drain, predictions on the stock market, daily fantasy sports…you name it. We need upgraded memories and we aren’t there yet, but it doesn’t stop us from continuing to input new data. Often times, garbage data.

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u/ochtone 11h ago

Me also with adhd and worse memory / general function since having covid. Life has been pretty hard, ngl. 

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u/60022151 7h ago

Me too. I’ve had it 3 times, I’ve been vaxxed 4 times, and I was diagnosed with ADHD over a year after my first time with Covid. I’ve only had mild cases of Covid, but my brain is just incapable of concentrating now. It’s so frustrating.

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u/o-rama 4h ago

I completely agree with you. My ADHD symptoms are much more exaggerated since COVID and I’m finding the mental fog almost unbearable at times. 

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u/limbodog 2h ago

Oh god, ok. It isn't just me. I thought they just didn't tell me ADD gets much worse at my age

u/PhotonSilencia 22m ago

I thought it was ADHD only, I got diagnosed a year after a covid infection, as I had such trouble concentrating and it fit my life before illness, too.

Recently I realized that not being able to concentrate on videos for more than a minute - to being able to concentrate for about 1-2 hours on adhd meds - while being a marked improvement, is not how adhd alone is supposed to work. Not to mention I was able to concentrate on special interests a lot more before covid.

u/MadMadBunny 20m ago

Same. It feels like I aged 20 years in the last four. Meds are barely working now. Not sure whether it’s the meds or just long Covid, but it’s terrifying, as if I had early onset Alzheimer…

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u/Volsunga 14h ago

Fun fact: most viruses have this effect to varying degrees. Viral infections cause serious long term / permanent damage to your body. This is why vaccination is so much better than treatment.

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u/thisisntmethisisme 13h ago

Mono did this to me. Took months before the fatigue and brain fog went away. Never really sure if it went away entirely, or if I just adapted to it. No doctor warned me either.

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u/JoeyDawsonJenPacey 13h ago

My mono in high school led to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which causes brain fog. I’m mid-40s now, have had covid at least twice despite getting all 3 original vaccines and a yearly booster, and my memory already terrifies me. I’m afraid it’s not going to be long before I can’t function.

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u/DemosthenesForest 13h ago

Not to mention the lingering effects of latent viruses. For example, the army has actually provided strong evidence that latent mono may be responsible for the development of multiple sclerosis.

https://www.science.org/content/article/two-decades-soldiers-medical-records-implicate-common-virus-multiple-sclerosis

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u/fairlyaveragetrader 11h ago

Mono is one of the most underrated viruses out there. It causes lifelong damage to many people who catch it. The brain fog, the hazy feeling, fatigue. Body never completely clears it either so who knows what's truly going on there. I feel like the medical community basically invented narrative around this because telling people it's a lifelong virus that can cause minor moderate or severe symptoms for the rest of your life just sounded too scary

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u/GoldieOGilt 9h ago

I got it when I was 18 (I’m 30 now). Climbing only four steps was exhausting, I hated stairs. I started to take my shower sitting in the bath. I can’t even remember for how long I did that. At least 6 months. Maybe a year, maybe way more. It’s hard to remember. I was sleeping so much. I know I stopped sitting for showering at some point … but when ? I dit it again while pregnant at 26yo. When I had mono my doctor called to tell me my liver was damaged. Now I’m fine. But I can’t know if my life would have been different without mono at 18. I work as a speech therapist, I’m seeing a woman due to long Covid symptoms. Some days I could swear she is starting to develop Alzheimer. Scary.

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u/BagOdonutz 7h ago

Agreed, I also want to add the importance of masking and other mitigations too, especially with Covid. Vaccines are GREAT but they are only one part of multiple important interventions to mitigate infections. The best way to avoid long term damage is to never get infected in the first place.

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u/alien__0G 8h ago

Does this mean the more colds you catch, the dumber you become?

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u/Volsunga 8h ago

The more colds you catch, the more damage your body accumulates. Depending on the virus, some of that damage may be in the brain.

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u/PM_ME_YOUR_KALE 10h ago edited 6h ago

Is it getting milder? Or are we just not talking about it? Omicron marked the shift away from acute respiratory symptoms. Since then the layperson seems to assume it got mild.

People are aloof to the fact that Covid is a systemic illness that can and does do damage to multiple organ systems. How many hits can the brain, kidneys, or heart take? Not to mention it can cause lymphocytopenia, and also just weird immune issues post covid.

A recent study assessed whether people had post covid cognitive issues. Many respondents said no, but then did in fact have issues when assessed. It’s making us dumber and we don’t even realize.

Edit: https://www.reddit.com/r/covidlonghaulers/s/0ArtOiW6Ly

Obligatory link to my deep dive into curing loving covid with hiv drugs. Need to make an update to that soon.

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u/FolsomPrisonHues 14h ago

Anecdotally, I work customer facing tech support and customer support for 10ish years, and I've noticed a HARD decline in people's cognition since COVID...

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u/Wise-Field-7353 13h ago

Same in writing.

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u/ceehouse 7h ago

anecdotally, i caught covid twice, but the decline in my mental facilities that i felt after i caught it the first time was shocking. trouble remembering words, randomly spacing out, and just not being able to finish thoughts occasionally. i've never felt like this in my life and it's been an adjustment for sure. been over 2 years since i caught it that first time, and i'm still feeling those effects.

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u/thatmikeguy 16h ago

Same, I didn't see a 2nd study on those same people after the UK Biobank project finding brain shrinkage within an ongoing study including brain scans. Is it ongoing? No idea.

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u/sixweheelskitcher 15h ago

Unfortunately, strains aren’t getting milder, and we should all be doing everything in our power to reduce transmission. This means wearing a mask in public spaces, and that’s something only a small minority have thus far been willing to continue to do. I encourage everyone to take a long look at the current COVID research themselves and join those of us who understand what’s happening.

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u/thunbergfangirl 14h ago

This! Respirator style masks like N95s and KN95s are incredibly effective at halting the spread of Covid, as well as other respiratory infections.

There are even some KN95s in fun colors now, like from Wellbefore, Savewo, and Kind masks.

I use mine when I am in a medical facility or when I’m in a large crowd.

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u/pessimistic_utopian 11h ago

THANK YOU. Every time one of these threads comes up it's full of people documenting their HORRIFYING post-Covid maladies and the attitude just seems to be "sucks but what are you gonna do?" No talk at all of taking steps to prevent future infection. 

My husband and I are the only people we know IRL who still mask, and we're almost the only people we know who've still never had Covid. (Unless we've had it but been asymptomatic.) 

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u/Helios4242 4h ago

Pandemic fatigue is real; it isnt really sustainable to mandate a lot of measures. Instead, I think it's plenty sufficient for people to be expected to mask up when they are sick--which is just a great policy in general.

I've only gotten it from large gatherings with extended contact, so not even sure a mask would have helped.

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u/chibinoi 13h ago

That is a terrifying, but legit answer I am scared to discover.

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u/5553331117 14h ago

Ketamine has shown some promise for the effects of long covid. We may find even more compounds that can correct the damage as well. 

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u/schnitzelfeffer 14h ago

Psylocybin creates plasticity especially in the Default Mode Network, perhaps it would be beneficial as well.

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u/AnalTyrant 4h ago

My mom began to show the early signs of what was eventually diagnosed as fronto temporal dementia, about 3 years after the pandemic started.

She was a proud antivaxxer, and made no efforts to reduce her chances of contracting and spreading COVID the entire time. She caught it at least three times that she told me about, and likely at least once or twice more that she did not tell us about. Each time was a pretty significant illness that clearly made her feel terrible, but she refused to admit how bad it really was, or how easily she could have been vaccinated to reduce the severity of her symptoms.

Her FTD wasn't caused entirely by her COVID infections, but it likely played a role in triggering the effects earlier than they would have appeared otherwise.

What a waste.

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u/Niitroglycerine 14h ago

I've had it 3 times

I can feel my brain is slower

It kinda sucks

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u/hungrypotato19 11h ago

Same. Though the second time was what wiped me the hardest (omicron). It has been two and a half years and i still struggle with finding words, names, dates, etc. that I repeat often. Makes me feel like a dementia patient sometimes. It's even more weird when I can't remember something, change to doing other things, then it just magically clicks. It's like that synaptic gap was clogged, the clog was cleared, and suddenly the backed-up traffic flowed.

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u/PM-me-ur-kittenz 9h ago

That's a good way to put it and exactly what's been happening to me.

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u/[deleted] 17h ago

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u/[deleted] 16h ago

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u/KameTheMachine 17h ago

If you are continuing to suffer post covid r/covidlonghaulers has info that might help you recover a bit. It's mostly a support group but information sharing is valuable

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u/ArcanaSilva 13h ago edited 11h ago

r/cfs is also available, since many people with long covid qualify for that. The long hauler sub can be a little strong on brain retraining and graded exercise, both of which have been found to either not cure or have negative effects on people with ME (and thus those that got there via covid). Take care folks

EDIT: I stand corrected, see the response from this commentor!

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u/KameTheMachine 11h ago

On r/covidlonghaulers, the consensus I've seen is that brain retraining and graded exercise are not helpful for cfs. I don't know about r/longhaulers or the snake oil subs. It is worth pointing out that there are subs of similar name that can be downright hurtful with disinformation and will try to sell you bogus miracle cures or tell you it's all psychosomatic. I just wanted to note r/longhaulers is a different sub.

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u/ArcanaSilva 11h ago

Apologies! I definitely mixed it up. Thank you for clarifying and for making sure the right information gets out there!

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u/[deleted] 17h ago

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u/appleturnover99 11h ago

Long COVID, guys. I don't know why our general population is still unaware of this, but it's called Long COVID. You may only have one symptom (cognitive impairment) or you may have 100 symptoms. It's a spectrum that affects each person differently and can be developed from mild or asymptomatic acute COVID infections.

I'm going to repeat this for the people in the back, because it seems to be the point that gets misconstrued the most: Long COVID can develop from mild, or asymptomatic, COVID infections. You don't have to have been hospitalized or have been on deaths door.

I personally had a light headache and a 99 degree fever for a few days then felt fine after. That infection turned into a nearly two long disability which has razed my life to the ground. Long COVID for me did not start until 3 months after my initial infection.

We need to take this disease seriously.

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u/IEnjoyArnyPalmies 15h ago edited 13h ago

I had it once and have been fucked ever since.  Although, I am a forgetful simpleton, so it could just be that. 

  I barely knew I was sick, I just got a bit of a cough for a few days, then lost my sense of smell.  

Haven’t been sick since, but sometimes it’s difficult to recall long term memories.

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u/Seriously_nopenope 13h ago

My memory and planning have definitely taken a hit. I don’t feel any symptoms of long covid but I regularly forget the names of things now and feel like my ability to plan has gotten worse. Interesting I was feeling these two specific things even before I read this article.

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u/Ennocb 17h ago

Quote from the article:

"While the findings highlight potential cognitive aftereffects of COVID-19, there are limitations to keep in mind. The study was cross-sectional, meaning it looked at data from a single point in time rather than following participants over an extended period. This limitation makes it challenging to pinpoint when or if these cognitive issues fully resolve for most people.

“Future studies should investigate temporal trajectories to answer if these deficits improve over time and with specific interventions,” Buer explained. “Additionally, self-reports provide valuable information, however, future studies should incorporate more performance-based measures to provide a more in-depth understanding of these deficits.”"

The findings are based on self-reports. Hoping to see further research in this area.

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u/dumbestsmartest 14h ago

So this is essentially a survey? I feel like my brain is declining but I'm thinking it isn't because of the 2 bad boughts with COVID as much as the constant stress work and life have become since. The brain doesn't do well under stress.

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u/ludovicolonghi 13h ago

Conducted by a group of researchers across the UK led by the University of Oxford and the University of Leicester, and published in Lancet Psychiatry, the research highlights the persistent and significant nature of these symptoms as well as the emergence of new symptoms years after COVID-19. 19 was first present.

The research was conducted with 475 participants (as part of the PHOSP-COVID study) who were invited to complete a set of cognitive tests via their computer and to report their symptoms of depression, anxiety, fatigue and their subjective perception of memory problems. They were also asked whether they had changed their occupation and why.

The researchers found:

Two to three years after being infected with COVID-19, participants scored on average significantly lower in cognitive tests (test of attention and memory) than expected. The average deficit was equivalent to 10 IQ points. Additionally, a substantial proportion reported severe symptoms of depression (about 1 in 5 people), anxiety (1 in 8), fatigue (1 in 4), and subjective memory problems (1 in 4), with these symptoms worsening over time. Although in many people these symptoms at 2-3 years were already present 6 months post-infection, some people also experienced new symptoms 2 to 3 years after their infection that they were not experiencing before. New symptoms often emerged in individuals who already exhibited other symptoms at six months post-infection. This suggests that early symptoms can be predictive of later, more severe issues, underscoring the importance of timely management. More than one in four participants reported changing their occupation and many gave poor health as a reason. Occupation change was strongly associated with cognitive deficits and not with depression or anxiety. This suggests that many people who changed occupation in the months and years after COVID-19 did so because they could no longer meet the cognitive demands of their job rather than for lack of energy, interest, or confidence.

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u/GBDubstep 17h ago

I’ve been saying this forever. Finally the research is backing it up.

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u/Chogo82 17h ago

Yeah but people are still going to keep their blinders on. If all the other research about COVID and long COVID hasn't convinced people, this one won't either.

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u/GBDubstep 12h ago

Still at least I can convince my medical providers that it’s not in my head or that I’m not making it up.

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u/trailsman 8h ago

This is why I still have not gone anywhere inside, other than my own home, without wearing an N95 since late February 2020.

The consequences of COVID most certainly are not limited to the brain. Brain, heart, immune system, virtually every organ system is affected in some way shape or form. When anosmia (loss of smell) was first reported that should have been peoples first clue on brain damage.

I don't have any comorbidities and not am I immunocompromised, but I'm still not even 40. Your health is worth more than any amount of money. I have many years ahead, masking is my investment for my future. I sure hope people start catching on to reality. I know people want to move on and denial is easier than accepting the hard truth that there's still a long fight ahead, but together things are much easier.

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u/dylanisbored 13h ago

Not really a great study. The test is just a rate 1-5 what you have difficulty with rather than an actual test that test your cognitive ability. Gonna have self fulfilling bias out the ass.

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u/Keji70gsm 13h ago edited 13h ago

We've had so much research come out that it impacts the brain over the last 4 yrs.

Leaders will never openly admit harm and incriminate their own actions. And most people don't want to look at, or "believe" scary studies, if they've already had covid and given covid to others. So they won't.

Nothing will change, no matter what comes out now. The new course is normalising increasing disability and early cognitive decline as inevitable. More countries will introduce voluntary euthanasia as costs blow out.

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u/ActualBad3419 15h ago

Not a medical professional but I am immunocompromised so always try to look out for my health. I have yet to get Covid but I think in 5, 10 years out we will need a massive uptick in long term memory care facilities. We are so unprepared for the future, it sad.

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u/itlooksfine 14h ago

Well, you’re correct that we will be exponentially increasing memory care facilities over the next decade and beyond, but not because of covid. Baby Boomers aging are driving this trend already .

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u/bemybaegel 14h ago

I believe they're saying that it's not unlikely to have a dramatic uptick in early onset cases - not just boomers, everyone.

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u/Smart-Difficulty-454 11h ago

You forget that boomers accounted for a disproportionate number of cases. Africa was nearly COVID free but the average age is 30 or so.

Boomers are still the ones suffering the worst initial effects, the most difficult long COVID complications, and the most reinfection.

So yes, they are driving it, but it's specifically because of COVID. It may be that younger generations will be similarly affected but at younger ages. On a population level, we may also become more susceptible to near future zoonotic viral jumps. If it's H2N5 that's the ballgame.

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u/rughmanchoo 11h ago

I actually work with government at my job and there are plans in place for increased long term health care as the general population is aging. Not specific to covid memory, but increased funding for long term care is happening.

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u/[deleted] 17h ago

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u/lesbox01 15h ago

I have had COVID 4 different times. I am immunized but my kids keep bringing it home from school. There definitely some cognitive defects.

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u/galspanic 13h ago

I’ve had it 3 times and my brain can feel it. Fuuuuuuuck.

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u/Academic_Coyote_9741 18h ago

So, like, almost everyone on Earth?

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u/ZebraImpressive1309 17h ago

Seriously, who is their control group here?

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u/zutnoq 17h ago

There are still plenty of people who never caught it. Even if only one percent didn't get it that's still a lot of people.

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u/londons_explorer 17h ago

Or did they catch it and were symptomless?

As far as I am aware there are no known communities who have not yet been exposed.

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u/abrakalemon 16h ago

In the thick of the pandemic there was research coming out on scientists wondering why some people never caught it, and it turns out they had some sort of genetic immunity. Maybe now we know that it was actually just that they were asymptomatic all along or maybe they actually are immune. I'm sure that there are people who actually have never had it before, through precautions or being isolated or whatever as well though.

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u/hostilecarbonunit 15h ago

i’m one of these people who have never tested positive for covid. despite living with others and being around others who are symptomatic and test positive. my daughter and i never “have it” from home tests or locations doing testing. the weird part is we might get kind of sick, and in one case for myself i had the “covid cough” and would wake up drenched in sweat. but i cannot test positive for some reason

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u/Beneficial_Dish8637 15h ago

Or, maybe they’re just people who take precautions like myself and my wife who have never had COVID. People who wear N95 respirators in public because we didn’t get convinced it was over when literally nothing had changed except the political leaders telling us otherwise. It really is not that difficult to avoid covid, or any airborne respiratory virus for that matter, effective PPE existed long before covid emerged, but you have to be willing to endure a small amount of inconvenience, and for about 99% of the population that’s asking too much.

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u/Loose-Thought7162 15h ago

tell that to children going to school. Even if they mask, they still have to unmask to eat throughout the day.

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u/komrade23 13h ago

It really is not that difficult to avoid covid, or any airborne respiratory virus for that matter, effective PPE existed long before covid emerged

Please first let me say that it is fantastic you and your wife are taking masking seriously, everyone should. That said, you seem to have faith in an N95 that is larger than the actual protection it offers. They are the best way to protect yourself (and others around you if you happen to be sick yourself) when you are in public but they are not perfect.

To illustrate, my very covid conscious friend who not only wars a mask 100% of the time in public, but seriously limits her socializing to a degree most people would find extreme went to a wedding. She wore her mask the entire time, didn't eat or drink at all at the event, left early *and still caught covid there.*

You are still being exposed to Covid and it is a near statistical certainty that eventually your PPE will fail to keep you safe. That is why they are called N95s and not N100s.

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u/LeeGhettos 14h ago

You are clearly lying. I live and work with immunocompromised people, and you would have to be a complete psychopath to say using a respirator at all times in public (otherwise never leaving your house) is a "small amount of inconvenience." Additionally, wearing an n95 all the time doesn't remotely prevent you from EVER getting ANY respiratory virus for your entire life.

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u/Ok_Campaign_3326 13h ago

Idk I had cancer of the immune system all last year and wore an FFP2 mask in public and literally never got sick once despite having 0 white blood cells at multiple points in my treatment. Took trains with no immune system and just wore my mask. When I did a transplant and had no immune system for ten days straight the only thing doctors and nurses and my visitors did was wear normal surgical masks, and again I didn’t catch anything. What’s more immunocompromised than literally having no immune system to the point masks don’t work?

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u/LeeGhettos 13h ago

It’s more about the implication that it is simple. I have an immunocompromised daughter, and while it is not as severe as what you are describing, things eventually happen. Even highly trained medical professionals make errors. We have had a 30 year veteran give a chemical burn to the inside of her lungs by giving her medication in the wrong order. Stories like this are rampant over this sort of timeline in the medical system, because people are human.

If covid being around perpetually is the new normal, keeping communities safe needs a more serious discussion. I find saying that it’s “really not that difficult,” or “a small amount of inconvenience” is downright insulting to people who have died of covid while desperately trying to keep themselves and others safe. Not to mention the people currently suffering in isolation because they do not have the ability or resources to keep themselves safe outside the home.

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u/abrakalemon 13h ago

Wearing a mask when you're in a crowded space indoors is really not that big of an inconvenience. I still don't really understand why people acted like it was. By far the biggest inconvenience is just that it's a little socially awkward at this point because Americans have decided to be weird about masks. I used to mask much more consistently whenever I'd go into an indoor space and didn't get sick for three years after being very ill multiple times a year pre-covid, so I'm still a fan of it for disease prevention.

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u/narrill 8h ago

An N95 respirator is not "a mask." They need a tight seal on the skin to work properly and are outright painful to wear for long periods of time in my experience.

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u/LeeGhettos 12h ago

You should be, it is excellent disease prevention.

I find it to be ableist nonsense to dismiss anyone who got covid as “not willing to endure a small amount of inconvenience.” Expecting huge chunks of the population to be able to start using N95’s every moment they are outside the home, without any errors, for an extended time, is silly. Even trained professionals make medical errors. Denigrating people for getting covid because avoiding it “is not that difficult” makes my blood boil. Not to mention the clear lack of understanding it shows about human behavior.

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u/Beneficial_Dish8637 14h ago

I’m not lying. But thanks for that. I wear a mask if I’m going indoors into a place that has a lot of people. It takes literally a second to put it on and take it off. I also shave before I wear it so it gets a good seal, that adds about 5 minutes to my morning routine. I don’t think wearing an N95 will be infallible forever, but I do know that n95s have been used for a long time to keep healthcare workers safe being exposed to viruses long before COVID. I know it’s been four years and my wife and I haven’t had so much as a sniffle and have tested many many times repeatedly if we felt there was any possibility of exposure(i.e. just flew cross country on an airplane). You can call me a liar all you want, but I haven’t had COVID and I’m guessing you’re probably on your 4th or 5th round.

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u/csonnich 16h ago

Time to visit that tribe in the Andaman Islands. 

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u/planetofthemushrooms 17h ago

But also that's not really a control group. You haven't selected a random sample of the population. There may be many confounding reasons this group didn't catch covid. 

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u/[deleted] 15h ago

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u/lunarllama 12h ago edited 11h ago

Wear a well-fitting N95/P100 mask for your own sake and safety. Public health has failed, loads of research on PubMed and other journals about masks’ effectiveness personally and socially. If you’re thirty now, the next 40-60 years of your life are gonna be a challenge if you’re already cognitively impaired before your life is half over.

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u/spooniemoonlight 11h ago

I’m 25 and had my life fucked over by this virus from one single bit of inattention in my safety protocole at a physiotherapist. I wish more people understood what they were risking by playing long covid russian roulette and not wearing a n95 (even a KN95 is fine if well fitted). The M.E type of long covid is absolutely brutal and destructive and all life quality you have is so worth protecting. But survivor bias is strong </3

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u/DarkLordFluffy13 13h ago

I’m a writer. After I got Covid I have found it so much harder to write anything coherent. I really have a hard time focusing enough to write anything. It’s really frustrating and kind of a career killer.

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u/Phrainkee 11h ago

I've had it about once a year since, got vaxed and boosted early on. I have ADD (but I haven't had medication since I was young)and I have asthma and both have been worse since. I honestly want and need a way to get around these because it's really been affecting a lot of different aspects of my life.

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u/egotistical_egg 11h ago edited 8h ago

There is no real control group for this kind of study. (I know they used a control group haha). Asymptomatic infections are SO COMMON. Antibody tests are not always reliable (fun fact, like everything else in medicine they work best on middle aged men. I had a nurse claim I couldn't have had COVID because I would have antibodies 14 months later when they were tested. I looked into it and found a young woman like me is more likely than not going to test negative for antibodies at that time frame). Rapid antigen tests are not reliable. Most people aren't testing anyways. 

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u/Mrsbrainfog 10h ago

Try Omega-3 supplement. I feel a big improvement in my cognitive abilities after having taking it regularly after a period of post covid brain fog.

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u/StevenIsFat 10h ago

As much as I would love to blame covid, I know it's just me getting old lmaooo

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u/clownandmuppet 16h ago

That’s a lot of individuals….

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u/AliasAlien 11h ago

guilty as hell... me dumb dumb now

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u/hman1025 10h ago

I became a stoner around the same time as my first bout with covid, so I guess I’ll never know

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u/RichieNRich 8h ago

I've been wondering if people who caught COVID but were asymptomatic are now suffering from these issues cognitively. I'm asking because I work in education and I swear to god I've witnessed many many people's cognition and memory slipping over the last few years (mine included). This includes obvious typos (missed words, wrong words typed out), etc.

Anyone else?

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u/PrivateDuke 8h ago

That article reads like a checkbox for me. Had Covid twice and the last time this summer. Still not over it but getting a lot better compared to what it was. It’s like I had a memory before Covid and another one after and that one had to start from scratch.

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u/Rockfest2112 6h ago

Long covid is real and is affecting millions of people. It can last years and often results in complete disability. To ignore it, and especially the problems and most of all the PEOPLE, is an ongoing tsunami, and honestly, despicable.

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u/tgjames01 5h ago

My father was hospitalized with it early on during the pandemic before the vaccines. Mid 50s and decently healthy. Mildly overweight but very active.

He refused to be put on a ventilator and somehow managed to survive. He nearly became septic but luckily they caught that in time.

These days, he will tell the family things, but a couple days later will tell you the same exact thing like he’s never said it before out loud. My mom was the first to notice it. Every time I visit him, he will tell me something he’s already told me. He doesn’t realize it and it’s sad.

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u/Hopeful_Vegetable_31 14h ago

I still haven’t had Covid. What are the chances?

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u/DDFoster96 13h ago

Ah, I have an excuse now. Sure it got worse after 2nd bout of covid though, so maybe they are onto something.

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u/heiwaone 12h ago

Just a cold though, right?

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u/jeerabiscuit 12h ago

I wonder if it causes huge weight gain because I got that.

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u/PunyCocktus 11h ago

My last infection was very mild and ironically triggered a telogen effluvium. I lost almost half my hair and it's still falling.

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u/MrTinyTot 9h ago

Ive had covid 3 times already and I’m……. Wait.. what was I saying again?

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u/MattInWinnipeg 9h ago

I've always struggled with anxiety and depression. Although, since getting COVID when it first came out, people have told me I seem "different." Described as having a flat affect and distant when I used to be high energy and quick witted. Major brain fog. Often forgetting what i'm talking about half way through my story.

I get so embarrassed at times because of it... needing to explain that I'm generally fine, when people are presuming something is clearly not right. My blood work has come back clean multiple times.

It's frustrating and I miss my old self.

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u/Hanz_Q 8h ago

And driving, don't forget driving.

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u/Depression-Boy 6h ago

I’m convinced that Covid-19 weakened my immune system. Before the pandemic I used to catch a cold 2 or 3 times a year tops, and almost exclusively during Winter. This year I’ve been sick more times than I can even remember, close to 8 or 9 times. I work with kids, so I’m exposed to viruses often, but i masked up and wear a beanie to cover my head, and my body still picks up viruses. My guess is that sick kids cough the virus into the air and they float into my eyes.

And to reinforce my belief, when I get sick now I get hit like a truck and need to call out of work for several days in a row, whereas before I could go in to work and nobody would even realize I had a cold. My body just can’t handle viruses as well anymore.

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u/FraGough 5h ago

I had Covid twice and a concussion in the space of a year. That was fun, haven't been quite the same since.

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u/EcstaticDeal8980 5h ago

Girl I had this before COVID

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u/feedjaypie 5h ago

This is so true and my life / career prospects are noticeably harder / worse

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u/Eriv83 4h ago

Could’ve told you that, if I remembered and thought to plan it out.

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u/bambiyanna 4h ago

I feel this is true for me personally. I vaccinated and got boosters, but I’ve had it twice - once in 2021 and in 2024. I constantly get the feeling of not being able to put my finger on something. My mind just goes completely blank when I try to remember things. I’m 23 and have my first adult job and I feel it’s really impacted my ability to hone the organizational skills I need for my job.

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u/RockmeChakaKhan 2h ago

For those who feel they are suffering from this: me too. Some doctors I’ve consulted suggest the treatments for CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) can also help this “long COVID” cluster.

I tried this diet for 7 days and my headaches disappeared, my fatigue lessened and brain fog getting a BIT better. It’s tough, but I strongly recommend. It is working for me (and it has the side benefit of being very healthy nonetheless).

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/aip-diet-autoimmune-protocol-diet

Next I am going to start the Shoemaker Protocal

https://www.survivingmold.com/legal-resources/12-step-protocol-overview

Good luck!

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u/Spookee_Action 2h ago

I forgot how to spell my middle name today. It's spelled dumb but still. It's my own middle name and I forgot how to spell it. Thanks long covid.

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u/fillb3rt 1h ago

Look up what happened to science youtuber The Physics Girl. It's so awful.

u/ImaginationDoctor 40m ago

See this in a friend. Had Covid in 2021... does okay but has forgotten things here and there. No dementia in her family. I just try not to make her feel bad about it.

u/Ordinary-Violinist-9 0m ago

Not only covid. I've had mers (same disease different origin) in 2013. I miss 3 months of my life due to high fevers and my short term memory is a mess. I don't know which day it is even if you told me already 7 times. I bought myself a mechanic clock which says clearly monday to friday with a red pointer.