Omicron: The brain's fogged out

While the number of Omicron cases is increasing rapidly in the city, most patients whom NT spoke to have complained of brain fog. They are unable to think coherently, suffer blackouts and feel fatigued and drowsy. Most patients experience these symptoms at the onset of the viral illness. Another peculiar phenomenon is that in most families, children are the first to contract the virus, but they experience far milder symptoms than adult members. Kumaran P. reports

With the rise in cases of Omicron variant of Covid 19, a peculiar symptom being observed by most patients in the city was brain fog. Though the testing for both Omicron and other variants of Covid-19 is the common RT-PCR test, Omicron is detected only through a subsequent genome sequencing, which is being sparingly done due to lack of infrastructure.

Many patients who got Omicron have complained of brain fog, mainly in the initial stages. They get confused while performing tasks, suffer blackouts and forgetfulness. News Trail spoke to a few patients who tested positive for Covid-19 and they said that they did experience these symptoms for a couple of days.

A patient from South Bengaluru said, “I just blacked out and fell. I was wondering what it was and started checking my Blood Pressure and it was not that great. Immediately I started getting symptoms of Covid-19 including fatigue and loss of sleep. After two days, I thought I will work and took my laptop, I was so confused about what needed to be done. I could not recall my password, and everything appeared so cluttered. I decided to shut my laptop and go to sleep.”

“It was definitely like a brain fog not knowing what to do. All that I wanted was to check my email and I was confused with this small task. Then fever did not reduce, it stayed for the whole day. All that I did was to take complete bed rest,” the patient added.

While experts have listed brain fog as a possible symptom, it is how many patients actually feel it. Surprisingly, NT spoke to at least seven patients and everyone experienced them. Another patient Sharma, a Whitefield resident, said, “It all started with chills, sore throat and I was wondering what to do. To pick up my phone and call up my parents, I was confused about what needed to be done. For about half an hour I was blank and then I realised that my condition is not good. I fell on my bed and closed my eyes. Soon I began experiencing chills in my body.” Another patient Karthik said, “This feeling wrecked my whole day. I got up, had breakfast and I slept again. I was only sleeping and sleeping and I did not have a fever nor any symptoms but I was just zoning out. It was a weird feeling where I felt that I couldn’t think anymore.”

EXPERT SPEAK: Inefficiency in work

”We see Brain fog in neurological practice causing mistakes or inefficiency in their professional work, dozing off at work, difficulty in concentrating mostly due to lack of quality sleep, related to obstructive sleep apnea in middle-aged or elderly or even obese young adults… polysomnography which includes video EEG will be of help in quantifying the severity of apnea and further management…some of the other common reasons medications, hypoglycemia,” said, Dr Guruprasad Hosurkar, Consultant Neurologist, Manipal Hospital Yeshwanthpur.