Long Haul Covid in Half of Infected

Author: ebuc

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..." The list of long COVID symptoms is long, wide and inconsistent. For some people, these lasting symptoms are nothing like the original COVID-19 symptoms when they were first infected with the virus. According to the CDC, the most common long COVID symptoms include:
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Cough
  • Tiredness or fatigue
  • Chest or stomach pain
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Fast-beating heart (heart palpitations)
  • Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities
  • Pins-and-needles feeling
  • Diarrhea
  • Change in taste and smell
  • Fever
  • Dizziness or lightheaded when standing up
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Rash
  • Mood changes
  • Headache
  • Changes in menstrual period cycles
  • Brain fog
Brain fog is among the most confusing symptoms for long haulers. Patients report being unusually forgetful, confused or unable to concentrate even enough to watch TV. This can happen to people who were in an intensive care unit for a while, but it’s relatively rare. However, it is happening to a variety of patients, including those who weren’t hospitalized. "..

Brain fog is the one ive heard of most from those infected I spoke with.


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..." CHICAGO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Lauren Nichols, a 34-year-old logistics expert for the U.S. Department of Transportation in Boston, has been suffering from impaired thinking and focus, fatigue, seizures, headache and pain since her COVID-19 infection in the spring of 2020.

...Last June, her doctor suggested low doses of naltrexone, a generic drug typically used to treat alcohol and opioid addiction.
After more than two years of living in "a thick, foggy cloud," she said, "I can actually think clearly."

...Researchers chasing long COVID cures are eager to learn whether the drug can offer similar benefits to millions suffering from pain, fatigue and brain fog months after a coronavirus infection.

...The drug has been used with some success to treat a similar complex, post-infectious syndrome marked by cognitive deficits and overwhelming fatigue called myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). "...

..." One of Long COVID’s Worst Symptoms Is Also Its Most Misunderstood

Brain fog isn’t like a hangover or depression. It’s a disorder of executive function that makes basic cognitive tasks absurdly hard. "...

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@ebuc

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Cough
  • Tiredness or fatigue
  • Chest or stomach pain
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Fast-beating heart (heart palpitations)
  • Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities
  • Pins-and-needles feeling
  • Diarrhea
  • Change in taste and smell
  • Fever
  • Dizziness or lightheaded when standing up
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Rash
  • Mood changes
  • Headache
  • Changes in menstrual period cycles
  • Brain fog
Might as well put "craving caffeine, waking up in the middle of the night, panic attacks, tiredness, etc."

What is the scientific justification for this list is the question I have in my mind, personally.

Did they take a sample of COVID-free people and ask them for any symptoms they've had and followed up with them for months or years to track their medical problems and then compare it with people who supposedly have "long COVID" and see what overlaps?

Because I have a feeling a lot of these supposed long-COVID symptoms are symptoms of other things. But it would be interesting to see what the data shows 
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@ebuc
..." CHICAGO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Lauren Nichols, a 34-year-old logistics expert for the U.S. Department of Transportation in Boston, has been suffering from impaired thinking and focus, fatigue, seizures, headache and pain since her COVID-19 infection in the spring of 2020.

...Last June, her doctor suggested low doses of naltrexone, a generic drug typically used to treat alcohol and opioid addiction.
After more than two years of living in "a thick, foggy cloud," she said, "I can actually think clearly."

...Researchers chasing long COVID cures are eager to learn whether the drug can offer similar benefits to millions suffering from pain, fatigue and brain fog months after a coronavirus infection.

...The drug has been used with some success to treat a similar complex, post-infectious syndrome marked by cognitive deficits and overwhelming fatigue called myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). "...

..." One of Long COVID’s Worst Symptoms Is Also Its Most Misunderstood

Brain fog isn’t like a hangover or depression. It’s a disorder of executive function that makes basic cognitive tasks absurdly hard. "...
Brain fog is a new American phenomena caused by conflicting  priorities and by being surrounded by indecisive people who only contribute to the growing confusion.
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@Shila
Brain Fog is a side effect of IT and social media addiction.

Prove me wrong.


Probably a global conspiracy masterminded by Elon Musk.
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@zedvictor4
Brain Fog is a side effect of IT and social media addiction.

Huh? Zed, your story has nothing to do  with people who have had covid and then tell their stories of brain fog shortly after words on returning to work etc.

I recall a  flu once, that laid me out bad for 5 - 7 days, and my first day back at work, I was driving my truck to gt some materials, and I was so grateful to just be alive and driving at all to get some materials for a job.  I had some energy where in the previous 5 - 7 days I had no near zero energy to even get out of bed.

Not every one experiences this feeling of brain fog.  Not every one experiences the loss of taste or smell either, however, some symptoms are more common than others.  There exist nutters out there who do not even believe virues's exist.  Ask 3Ru cause he knows one or more of them.



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It's just that a lot of non-covid people also claim to suffer brain fog.
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It's just that a lot of non-covid people also claim to suffer brain fog.

Dementia, alzhemier etc yes indeed.  PTSD for veterans back from Irag and Afghansistan. Some people who are abused by spouse etc. Concussions etc.

Never heard the term brain fog from any of those as we have with covid recovery after the initial 5 - 10 days associated with most common viruses like cold and flu.
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Well, I don't think that brain fog is anything specific, nor a particularly technical bit of medical terminology.

More like one of those bandwagons that some people will readily jump on.
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Well, I don't think that brain fog is anything specific, nor a particularly technical bit of medical terminology.

 "myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). " So Zed, this is a quote from the article I posted an it is a medical term for something people experienced, yes?  Since it became a medical term does that mean people are not ' jumping on a band wagon '?

What was it called before it  a medical term was applied to those symptoms that people were experiencing it?

Covid is relatively new human viral infection, with new symptoms. Ex it, is or was very common for people to experience loss of taste and smell. Did you also think that was just ' people jumping on a band wagon '. 

More like one of those bandwagons that some people will readily jump on.
Obviously you think ' bandwagon ' means nonsense.  is Fibromyalgia non-sense also? Was PTSD aka shell shock a band wagon when it first appeared?

..." Fibromyalgia is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue and trouble sleeping. Scientists do not fully understand what causes it, but people with the disorder have a heightened sensitivity to pain. "

The list goes on an on with these scenarios.  lets say a medical term is given for covid ' brain fog ', will you then think it is no longer a ' bandwagon ' phenomena?





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Brain Fog is a side effect of IT and social media addiction.

Prove me wrong.


Probably a global conspiracy masterminded by Elon Musk.
You are here, that is proof enough.

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Good.

Nice to have confirmation at last.
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@ebuc
I work in a pharmacy.

And a big medical problem these days is self-diagnosis (often leading to hypochondria), which the health service encourages in order to cut costs.

So, put it out there that brain fog is a symptom, and some people will very soon be phoning in with brain fog.

And consequent over prescribing by GP's is also an issue. Job done box ticked.


But there's no chemical substitute for a healthy lifestyle and PMA.


You can make a general separation of people into three camps.

1. The genuinely ill

2. The I enjoy being seen to be ill, and I also enjoy and expect sympathy.

3. The stop fussing I'm fine it's just a sniffle.
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I work in a pharmacy.

Ive encountered people who share a common sympton, irrespective of whether you want to believe or dismiss their experiences. These are not UFO experiences.

There commonly and loss of smell, taste, and less commonly a brain fog a few days or longer after the initial 7 - 10 days of a viral infection.  Oh, yeah you may also be one of the nutters who dont believe viruses exist. I dunno as you dance around the direct issues presented to you. Less chance of ego death that way.

And a big medical problem these days is self-diagnosis (often leading to hypochondria), which the health service encourages in order to cut costs.
You can write off peoples covid experiences to hypo-chondria or you can actually listen too an accept at face value their experiences are.

So, put it out there that brain fog is a symptom, and some people will very soon be phoning in with brain fog.
Brain fog  terminology comes descriptions of  peoples covid experiences, and not your value judegment of their experiences.

And consequent over prescribing by GP's is also an issue. Job done box ticked.
 read the article ---and many others----, and learn something, instead of a value judgment based on previous years of those with hypo-chondria, long before covid came to infect humans.

..."  For Davis, it has been distinct from and worse than her experience with ADHD. It is not psychosomatic, and involves real changes to the structure and chemistry of the brain. It is not a mood disorder: “If anyone is saying that this is due to depression and anxiety, they have no basis for that, and data suggest it might be the other direction,” Joanna Hellmuth, a neurologist at UC San Francisco, told me. "....

But there's no chemical substitute for a healthy lifestyle and PMA.
Contagions exist irrespective of any health lifestyle.  People with healthy lifestyles get sick. You can play denial of the facts mind games, like so many other nutters out there. Those mind game thoughts do not change truth nor the facts

1. The genuinely ill
Contagions exist and are one cause of illness.  Were having historical record early flu season this year.

2. The I enjoy being seen to be ill, and I also enjoy and expect sympathy.
Denial of brain fog dog does not make your thoughts truth or fact.

3. The stop fussing I'm fine it's just a sniffle.
We had a friend who was sick for years and gradually got thinner and thinner while living active life at home. Finally she had bad time and had to go intothe hospital, where her daughter ---also our friend--  came in to visit her, and her mother said something, like dont worry, or no need to cry, i'm not dying. Duhh, yes you are dying and she did die two days later.

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As I said, there are the genuinely ill.

And there are post-covid symptons for sure. Including what is loosely referred to as brain fog.

And contagions abound, no doubt about that. Some affect us more severely than others.

And then there are group 2 as described who turn up in the pharmacy week in and week out, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they will all probably suffer from brain fog.

Though it really is in only the last few months that brain fog has become a symptom over here, perhaps we caught it from the USA.
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As I said, there are the genuinely ill.
Many things can cause illness. This thread is about long haul covid and covid, like the flu is a viral contagion.  Again, there are nutters out there in denial covid, in denial of viruses and in denial of bacteria that cause illness. Ive been very clear, what I refer to you. Your a little more vague  and less direct in regards of that which ive made clear.

And there are post-covid symptons for sure. Including what is loosely referred to as brain fog.
Well good, you agree, at least superficially, i.e. whether you think that is hypochondria or some other mental mind field, is not yet clear.  The article is clear in their intention. Covid brain fog is a biologic condion beyond that of just a mind issue only.

And contagions abound, no doubt about that. Some affect us more severely than others.
Oh good, glad to see your offerring some clarity on that point. Your one of the logical common sense ones who do not deny those well known science facts. Yay for Zed !

And then there are group 2 as described who turn up in the pharmacy week in and week out, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they will all probably suffer from brain fog.
How do you make the determination their claims of covid brain fog --if that is what your refering too-- is not a biologic resultant of covid? Are you a doctor or psychologist Zed?

really is in only the last few months that brain fog has become a symptom over here, perhaps we caught it from the USA.
I forget how many months ago it was when I first had friend mentioning  her brain fog after her covid. I believe it was in the spring.  The Alantic article above may make  mention of time periods for brain fog being mentioned. I dunno. Other info out there may also have some dates.



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Yep, there's common sense.

Which is what my first-hand experience is based upon.

Like I stated.

1. There are the genuinely ill. Who will stop at home and ask a friend or relative to collect meds for them.

2. There are the generally healthy, who try and avoid using medical intervention whenever possible

3. And then there are those who are always at the counter with some issue or another. And if they know about brain fog, they will have it as sure as eggs is eggs.


Just saying that people are predictable, and it's quite easy to tell who is genuine and who isn't.


Of course, there are a plethora of other lifestyle factors that lead to a poor state of mental motivation.

1. Stress and associated anxiety relative to the pressures of social conformity.

2. Poor physical health relative to a lack of fitness.

3. Poor physical health relative to dietary choices.

4. Poor physical health relative to substance and alcohol abuse.

To name but four.
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Just saying that people are predictable, and it's quite easy to tell who is genuine and who isn't.

To some degree, yes and no.  Police/FBI scour websites of hate speech and try to determine which people will bite.

We cant know which pain of person is real or not. We can only suspect.

..."Psychosomatic disorder is a psychological condition involving the occurrence of physical symptoms, usually lacking a medical explanation. People with this condition may have excessive thoughts, feelings or concerns about the symptoms — which affects their ability to function well.'

...What are 4 signs of psychosomatic illness? A: Headaches, dizziness, memory loss, stomach pain, seizures—you name it. Psychosomatic conditions are defined by the fact that they can't be traced back to a medical problem like an injury, a disease, or a tumor. The important point, though, is that the symptoms are real. '...

..." Brain fog is characterized by confusion, forgetfulness, and a lack of focus and mental clarity. This can be caused by overworking, lack of sleep, stress, and spending too much time on the computer. On a cellular level, brain fog is believed to be caused by high levels inflammation and changes to hormones that determine your mood, energy and focus'..