Abstract:
The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus has exacted a significant toll on the global population in terms of fatalities, health consequences, and economics. As of February 2023, there have been almost 800 million confirmed cases of the disorder reported to the WHO [1], although the actual case-positive rate is estimated to be much higher.
While many cases recover, the mortality rate associated with the illness is about 1% (based on the WHO data). Most patients experience the illness as a mild to moderate disorder and recover without significant sequelae. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has continued, there has emerged a significant group of COVID-19 survivors who experience persistent symptoms beyond the acute course of the illness.
As many as one in eight patients report persistent symptoms 90 to 150 days after the initial infection [2]. These so-called Long COVID or post-COVID syndrome patients are mostly drawn from those who were hospitalised for the disorder, but both non-hospitalised and vaccinated subjects may also experience the syndrome [3]. While an agreed definition of Long COVID is yet to be settled, a multiplicity of symptoms affecting most major organ systems has been reported in patients.
Common Long COVID symptoms include fatigue, dyspnoea, headaches, myalgia, anosmia, dysgeusia, cognitive symptoms, and mental disorders such as depression and anxiety [4]. It is estimated that approximately a third of patients with Long COVID exhibit either fatigue, cognitive impairment, or both up to 12 weeks after a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 [5].
Source: Norman TR. Treatment of Brain Fog of Long COVID Syndrome: A Hypothesis. Psychiatry International. 2023; 4(3):242-245. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint4030024 https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/4/3/24 (Full text)