Long COVID syndrome-associated brain fog.

Asadi-Pooya, Ali A; Akbari, Ali; Emami, Amir; Lotfi, Mehrzad; Rostamihosseinkhani, Mahtab; Nemati, Hamid; Barzegar, Zohreh; Kabiri, Maryam; Zeraatpisheh, Zahra; Farjoud-Kouhanjani, Mohsen; Jafari, Anahita; Sasannia, Fateme; Ashrafi, Shayan; Nazeri, Masoume; Nasiri, Sara; Shahisavandi, Mina

BACKGROUND We investigated the frequency of brain fog in a large cohort of patients with documented COVID-19 who have survived the illness. We also scrutinized the potential risk factors associated with the development of brain fog. METHODS Adult patients (18-55 years of age), who referred to the healthcare facilities anywhere in Fars province from 19 February 2020 until 20 November 2020 were included. All patients had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. In a phone call, at least three months after their discharge from the hospital, we obtained their current information. A questionnaire was specifically designed for data collection. RESULTS In total, 2,696 patients had the inclusion criteria; 1,680 (62.3%) people reported long COVID syndrome. Long COVID syndrome-associated brain fog was reported by 194 (7.2%) patients. Female sex (odds ratio: 1.4), respiratory problems at the onset (odds ratio: 1.9), and ICU admission (odds ratio: 1.7) were significantly associated with reporting chronic post-COVID "brain fog" by the patients. CONCLUSION Long COVID syndrome is a frequent and significant condition. In this large population based study, we report that chronic post-COVID "brain fog" has significant associations with sex (female), respiratory symptoms at the onset, and the severity of the illness (ICU admission). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.