Lingering "brain fog" continues to be one of the more mysterious aspects of COVID-19.
Researchers at UCSF have some new insights into what could be causing the problem.
In a small study of 32 adults, doctors looked at the blood and – in some cases – brain fluid of people who had COVID-19 but did not need to go to the hospital. Some reported cognitive changes broadly known as brain fog, while others did not.
"In the group of people who were experiencing cognitive changes after COVID, we found a surprisingly high rate of abnormalities in that brain fluid, also called cerebrospinal fluid," said Dr. Joanna Hellmuth, a cognitive neurologist at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center.
Hellmuth was a guest on KCBS Radio’s "As Prescribed" on Thursday.
It's thought that COVID-19 was having a neurological effect on those people – and not always right away. For roughly 43% of people, the cognitive symptoms didn't start until a month later.
Her research is continuing, but she said the risk of brain fog is one reason why we should do our best to protect ourselves, even from a mild infection.
"I've seen everyone from 18s to 80s getting these cognitive changes after COVID," Hellmuth explained. "So, nobody's safe, unfortunately. I strongly recommend everyone get vaccinated and boosted, that they wear N95 masks if they can because you really want to avoid any of these long-term consequences."
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