Brain fog after Covid linked to blood clots – study

LONDON: Blood clots in the brain or the lungs might explain some common symptoms of “long Covid”, including brain fog and fatigue, a UK study suggests.

In the study, of 1,837 people admitted to hospital because of Covid, researchers say two blood proteins point to clots being one cause.

It is thought 16% of such patients have trouble thinking, concentrating or remembering for at least six months.

Long Covid can also develop after milder infections.

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But the research team, from the universities of Oxford and Leicester, stress:

Their findings are relevant only to patients admitted to hospital

They are “the first piece of the jigsaw” but further research is needed before they can propose or test any potential treatments

They tracked cognitive problems at six and 12 months only and through tests and questionnaires, which may “lack sensitivity”

Identifying predictors and possible mechanisms was “a key step” in understanding post-Covid brain fog, study author Prof Paul Harrison, from the University of Oxford, said.

But there may still be many different causes of long Covid.