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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

‘Brain fog’ from long Covid has measurable impact, study suggests

The study has shown that ‘brain fog’, an extensively reported symptom of long Covid, can be measured.
The study has shown that ‘brain fog’, an extensively reported symptom of long Covid, can be measured. Photograph: Delmaine Donson/Getty Images

People experiencing long Covid have measurable memory and cognitive deficits equivalent to a difference of about six IQ points, a study suggests.

The study, which assessed more than 140,000 people in summer 2022, revealed that Covid-19 may have an impact on cognitive and memory abilities that lasts a year or more after infection. People with unresolved symptoms that had persisted for more than 12 weeks had more significant deficits in performance on tasks involving memory, reasoning and executive function. Scientist said this showed that “brain fog” had a quantifiable impact.

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