Bengaluru doctors seeing increase in brain fog cases in Covid-19 survivors

The condition is used to describe slow or sluggish thinking, inability to focus on small tasks, and difficulty in processing information

Bengaluru doctors are seeing an increase in brain fog among patients who have recovered from Covid-19, according to a report in Times of India.

The condition, which is among the long-lasting side effects of Covid-19, is used to describe slow or sluggish thinking, inability to focus on small tasks, and difficulty in processing information.

Speaking to the newspaper, Tejas Bafna, a businessman recalled his inability to remember the names of his closest friends following his bout with Covid-19. "My family was shocked that I was being absent-minded and could not recall simple things. I never had this problem before," the 29-year-old Indiranagar resident said.

Read | Brain fog problem returns to haunt Covid-19 survivors

Dr Haleema Yezdani, a general physician and diabetologist stated that 50-60 per cent of her Covid-19 patients displayed symptoms of brain fog.

Symptoms of brain fog may occur 3-4 weeks after Covid-19 infection, Yezdani explained. Whereas the severity of the condition ranges from mild forgetfulness to severe dementia and difficulty in remembering day-to-day activities, she added.

Apart from brain fog, those who have recovered from Covid-19 are also displaying symptoms of fatigue, body ache, lethargy, and loss of concentration, said Dr Aditya Chowti, senior consultant- internal medicine, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road. The doctor added that 20-25 per cent of his patients are experiencing such symptoms.

Treatment for brain fog includes lifestyle modifications such as engaging in physical exercise, sticking to a daily routine, maintaining proper sleep, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco products is the way out, the doctors advise.