COVID-19 Brain Fog: Duration, Symptoms, Treatment, and More

If you’ve recently recovered from COVID-19 and find yourself taking longer to complete everyday tasks or having trouble thinking through a problem, you’re not alone. 

Many people experience brain fog after having COVID-19. In fact, it’s one of the most common symptoms of long COVID. So if you’ve noticed that you’re less alert or having trouble paying attention, it may be a sign you have post-COVID brain fog. Here’s what to expect if you have COVID brain fog and what you can do to improve your symptoms.  

What is COVID brain fog?

COVID brain fog is brain fog that happens as a result of COVID. Brain fog itself isn’t an official medical diagnosis. But it’s a term used to describe changes in a person’s mental clarity and ability to think or process. People experiencing COVID brain fog can feel like their thinking is slowed or muddled. This makes it harder to make decisions and complete tasks, which can get in the way of work, school, and everyday activities. 

People with COVID brain fog may experience symptoms like:

• Trouble paying attention or concentrating

• Short-term memory loss

• Difficulty solving problems

• Behavior and mood changes

COVID isn’t the only medical condition linked to brain fog. People with other health conditions — like chronic fatigue syndrome as well as people receiving chemotherapy or going through menopause — can experience brain fog, too. But COVID really brought brain fog into the limelight because it affected so many people.

What causes COVID brain fog?

It’s not clear why some people develop brain fog after having COVID. But researchers are looking into several ways in which COVID seems to affect the brain. 

It’s possible that these changes in the brain could affect how people’s brains work to process information, resulting in the symptoms people describe as brain fog.

And, due to several similarities, some experts believe there may be a common cause between COVID brain fog and brain fog associated with chronic fatigue syndrome. 

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• What does brain fog feel like? Four people share their experiences with brain fog.

• COVID is not the only thing that can cause brain fog. Learn about other causes and how to get through it.

• Is it more than brain fog? Explore the link between COVID and dementia.

Does COVID affect the brain?

Yes. While research is ongoing, studies show that COVID-19 can damage brain tissue. Researchers theorize that COVID may have the following effects on the brain:  

• A direct effect on the brain and surrounding tissues

• A prolonged inflammatory response in the nervous system after COVID infection

• Damage to blood vessels in the brain from the virus and/or the immune response

Some of these changes are visible in imaging studies that have compared brain MRIs before and after COVID.

How long does COVID brain fog last?

It’s hard to say, because it’s not the same for everyone. Neurological symptoms, including brain fog, can last longer for some people than others. Some people may recover within weeks, while others may experience brain fog for several months. But most research shows that the majority of people with COVID brain fog recover within 1 year. 

Is COVID brain fog permanent?

It’s not clear. While most people recover in a year, some report having ongoing cognitive problems 2 years or more after their initial illness. People who had COVID earlier on in the pandemic, and those who had more severe infection, seem to be more likely to have prolonged brain fog symptoms. 

What does COVID brain fog feel like?

If you’re not sure if what you’re feeling is brain fog, here’s what COVID brain fog can feel like. It can be more difficult to:

• Concentrate or focus

• Make decisions

• Find the right words

• Problem solve

• Complete tasks 

• Multitask

• Remember things, big or small

• Process information in a timely fashion

You might also notice that you:

• Feel more tired

• Experience headaches

• Have trouble sleeping

• Get easily annoyed or have a shorter temper

• Feel more down than usual

How common is brain fog after COVID?

Approximately 14% of people report having long COVID. And it’s estimated that about 20% of people with long COVID have brain fog, although that number varies widely (10%-88%). This is because brain fog isn’t a diagnosis, which makes it difficult to track. And, definitions used in research papers, surveys, and even clinical practice are different. 

COVID brain fog treatment

Experiencing cognitive symptoms can be scary. You might wonder if you’ll ever feel like yourself again. There’s no way to clear these symptoms fast. And right now there’s no medication to treat brain fog. The most effective strategy appears to be something called “pacing” (more below).

But ongoing research continues to uncover potential treatments. Here are a few examples, if you are interested in joining a clinical trial, or speaking with a healthcare professional about experimental treatment.

Cognitive training

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently funded a program called RECOVER-NEURO to test certain treatments for COVID brain fog. They include online cognitive training and goal management training programs. 

Rehabilitation

Experts have studied different rehabilitation approaches with varying degrees of success. Programs that individualize treatment with mindfulness strategies and cognitive training appear to help with brain fog. 

A note here that while cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was used in the past as a treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome, it’s no longer recommended. 

Brain stimulation devices

Researchers, including the RECOVER-NEURO group, are evaluating something called brain stimulation. This is where medical devices deliver electric currents to stimulate the brain. Perhaps the most well-known is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which is approved for treatment of depression and migraines. Results of small studies evaluating TMS for brain fog have been promising, but more research is needed.

Medications

Currently, there are no solid recommendations for medications. Several compounds and medications have been studied in the hopes of finding effective brain fog treatment. But the effects are difficult to quantify when researchers use different methods. Other studies on medications lack control or comparison groups, making it hard to say if they’re effective. 

Case reports suggest methylphenidate or guanfacine (medications used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD) may be helpful, but more research is needed.

Oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing a high concentration of oxygen in a high pressure chamber. The idea is that it increases oxygen perfusion to the brain. Early data suggests it can help brain fog symptoms in people with long COVID. 

How to treat COVID brain fog at home

There are some ways you can try to manage your symptoms of COVID brain fog yourself. Many of the recommended strategies are similar to those for people with chronic fatigue syndrome. They involve the following lifestyle strategies and self-management techniques:

• Get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep is one of the best ways to keep your brain and mind sharp. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It can help to create a healthy sleep environment and keep to a regular sleep schedule. 

• Pace yourself. While regular exercise supports brain health, many people with long COVID can’t tolerate much activity. Pacing is the act of learning how to balance your activity and rest periods. And it’s one of the best ways to manage symptoms.

• Stay organized. Use to-do lists, regular routines, and ‘homes’ for commonly used items (phone, wallet, etc.) to help keep things in order.

• Try cognitive exercise. It’s hard to step out of your comfort zone when you don’t feel like yourself, but a new hobby can help you address brain fog. You can also try puzzles, word games, and memory exercises to help boost your memory and processing speed. 

• Eat a nutritious diet. There’s evidence that the MIND diet can help with memory, cognitive function, and brain health. It’s also wise to avoid substances, including alcohol and tobacco, that can affect how your brain works.  

• Focus on your mental health. Stress, depression, and anxiety can tax your ability to concentrate and think. It’s important to take care of your mental health if you’re experiencing brain fog. You can work with a therapist or try exercises like yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. 

• Spend time with friends. Research shows that social interactions make us happier and healthier. Try spending time with friends and family. Or join a new club or group so you can make new friends. 

• Keep up to date with your medical care. Without treatment, some medical conditions can take a toll on your brain. Work with your primary care provider to make sure you have your other medical conditions under control.  

What supplements help with COVID brain fog?

Overall, there isn’t enough good data to support the use of supplements for brain fog. But some research is ongoing:

• Creatine: Early research data suggests creatine may be helpful. In one study, people with fatigue and poor concentration due to long COVID reported improved symptoms after 8 weeks of daily creatine and glucose supplements. But the study was very small, so more research is needed.

• N-acetylcysteine: Early research data also suggests N-acetylcysteine may be helpful. This antioxidant is under investigation for some mental health conditions, and scientists believe it may help decrease inflammation in the nervous system. Case reports suggest guanfacine with NAC supplementation was linked with lessened brain fog symptoms. 

• Nicotinamide ribose: One study is looking at nicotinamide ribose (NR) in people with COVID brain fog. NR breaks down into a compound called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), which plays a role in the body’s antiviral immune response. 

• Palmitoylethanolamide and luteolin (PEA-LUT): Small studies have evaluated treatment with palmitoylethanolamide and luteolin (PEA-LUT), naturally occurring  compounds thought to reduce neuroinflammation. A small number of people with COVID brain fog had improved scores on memory and cognition tests after months of treatment with PEA-LUT.

Frequently asked questions

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Ronald W. Dworkin, MD, PhD

Ronald W. Dworkin, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist who has been practicing anesthesiology in a community hospital for 30 years. He has taught in the honors program at George Washington University for over 10 years and works as a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined her interests in clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts