ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2022
Brain Fog and Fatigue following COVID-19 Infection: An Exploratory Study of Patient Experiences of Long COVID.
Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Exploring the influence of long COVID upon self-identity: a systematic literature review.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Pooled it
- Factors influencing work ability and return-to-work in individuals affected by post-COVID: a systematic review.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Patient and Professional Perspectives on Long COVID: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Synthesis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Psychosocial Aspects of the Lived Experience of Long COVID: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024Pooled it
- Subjective Cognitive Dysfunction in Chronic Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis.Western journal of nursing research · 2024Pooled it
- Long COVID brain fog treatment: An early-phase randomized controlled trial of constraint-induced cognitive therapy signals go.Rehabilitation psychology · 2026Trial
- Evaluation of a multi-component dietary supplement combined with probiotic and omega-3 in individuals with self-reported symptoms of brain fog: an 8-week exploratory study.Future science OA · 2026Article
- Narratives of recovery from persistent fatigue: a stepwise learning process.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2026Article
- Article
- A systematic scoping review and conceptual analysis of new-onset fibromyalgia manifestations after non-hospitalized COVID-19: empirics, definitions, methodologies, pathophysiology, mapping of literature, and knowledge gaps.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Article
- The fatigue spectrum in a community-based long haul COVID cohort.Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 2026Article
- Obesity and Nutritional Vulnerability in long COVID: A Neuroinflammatory and Cognitive Perspective.Current nutrition reports · 2026Review
- Toward characterizing brain fog in long COVID: correlates and impact on measurement metrics.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- How do fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, activity and role functioning, and mental health inter-relate in adults with post-COVID-19 syndrome? A structural equation model analysis.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- How a long COVID rehabilitation intervention works: refining its programme theory through a realist-informed qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Virtual Pet-Assisted Therapy to Alleviate Symptoms of Long COVID: A Prospective Pilot Interventional Study.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2025Article
- Long COVID and work in the UK: challenges, support and perspectives.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Article
- Long COVID and gut microbiome: insights into pathogenesis and therapeutics.Gut microbes · 2025Review
- The Role of Probiotics and Their Postbiotic Metabolites in Post-COVID-19 Syndrome.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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.
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Registered trials
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