Brain Fog and Fatigue following COVID-19 Infection: An Exploratory Study of Patient Experiences of Long COVID

Emily E. Chasco, Kimberly Dukes, DeShauna Jones, Alejandro P. Comellas, Richard M. Hoffman and Alpana Garg ()
Additional contact information
Emily E. Chasco: Institute for Clinical & Translational Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Kimberly Dukes: Center for Access & Delivery Research and Evaluation (CADRE), Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System (ICVAHCS), Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
DeShauna Jones: Institute for Clinical & Translational Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Alejandro P. Comellas: Institute for Clinical & Translational Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Richard M. Hoffman: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Alpana Garg: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-12

Abstract: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is a poorly understood condition with significant impact on quality of life. We aimed to better understand the lived experiences of patients with PASC, focusing on the impact of cognitive complaints (“brain fog”) and fatigue on (1) daily activities, (2) work/employment, and (3) interpersonal relationships. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 15 patients of a Midwestern academic hospital’s post-COVID-19 clinic. We audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed interviews thematically using a combined deductive-inductive approach and collected participants’ characteristics from chart review. Participants frequently used descriptive and metaphorical language to describe symptoms that were relapsing-remitting and unpredictable. Fatigue and brain fog affected all domains and identified subthemes included symptoms’ synergistic effects, difficulty with multitasking, lack of support, poor self-perception, and fear of loss of income and employment. Personal relationships were affected with change of responsibilities, difficulty parenting, social isolation, and guilt due to the burdens placed on family. Furthermore, underlying social stigma contributed to negative emotions, which significantly affected emotional and mental health. Our findings highlight PASC’s negative impact on patients’ daily lives. Providers can better support COVID-19 survivors during their recovery by identifying their needs in a sensitive and timely manner.

Keywords: post-acute sequalae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC); qualitative; patient experience; brain fog; fatigue; quality of life; long COVID/post-COVID-19 syndrome; mental health; occupational; social; economic impact (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/15499/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/15499/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15499-:d:981083

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().