CORONAVIRUS - STORIES OF PATIENTS WHO RECOVERED BUT BEGAN TO FORGET

 Filenews 12 October 2020

Thousands of patients who have passed coronavirus, especially with severe symptoms, but not only them, find that after their recovery a blur in the brain prevents them from working and functioning in their daily lives.

This condition, reminiscent of a fog of the mind, is characterized on a case-by-case basis by memory loss, confusion, difficulty focusing attention, dizziness, etc. "There are thousands of people who have something like this. The impact on affected workers is going to be significant," neurologist-infectious diseaser Dr. Igor Koralnick of The Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago told the New York Times.

So far MRI scans and other diagnostic tests have shown no significant damage to brain regions after Covid-19. Scientists are not yet sure what causes this brain fog after Covid-19, as the condition varies a lot from person to person, leaving even people who passed the disease mildly and had no other underlying diseases unscathed.

The two most likely explanations, according to neurologists, are that fog occurs either when the body's immune response to the coronavirus does not cease but continues for a long time, or when inflammation in the blood vessels caused by the virus eventually reaches the brain. Small brain or autoimmune reactions, i.e. "antibodies that incorrectly attack nerve cells", play a role, according to Dr. Sirina Sadich of Yale University School of Medicine.

Coronavirus, neurological symptoms, confusion

Various neurological symptoms, such as confusion, delirium and encephalopathy, occur in patients hospitalized with Covid-19. According to recent research, these patients spend more time in hospital and especially in ICU, with a higher mortality rate. But gradually it is perceived that, even after discharge from the hospital, the problems - especially the blur in the mind - can remain for a long time. A French study found that of 120 patients hospitalized due to coronavirus, 34% had memory loss and 27% had concentration problems after months.

It is typical of the case of a 31-year-old patient lawyer who, several weeks after her recovery from Covid-19, could not even identify her car parked outside her home. In addition, in her confusion, she washed the remote along with the clothes in her washing machine and was eventually forced to take a season-long leave from her job.

Another 50-year-old American patient completely forgot anything about a 12-day trip to Paris he had made just a few weeks ago. He now looks at the photos from that trip and, as he says, "I don't remember anything at all." Moreover, he finds it difficult now in his work meetings (and not only) to find the right words. "I'm afraid I sound like an idiot," he says.

A experienced 53-year-old nurse, after her Covid-19 infection, forgot what to do at work and is forced to ask her colleagues. "I'm leaving a room at my clinic and I can't remember what a patient just told me. I feel like I have dementia. As far as I know, I haven't made a mistake. I haven't killed anyone yet," she said in fear.

A ready-to-publish survey of 3,930 members of the Survivor Corps team who recovered from Covid-19 disease shows that more than half have difficulty concentrating and focusing, said Associate Professor Natalie Lambert of Indiana University School of Medicine. At least a third of participants reported memory problems, dizziness or confusion. "I feel almost catatonic. It's like I've been anaesthetised," said a 60-year-old man, who has been experiencing a constant brain fog for months as he recovered. Neurologists advise people with long-term "fog" to see doctors and other specialists, especially cardiologists. They do not know, however, how long it will take to remove the mental blur - and whether it will leave in all cases.

Source: iefimerida.gr