US EditionWhy US Leads World in Long COVID-19 Related Brain Fog
U.S. patients report up to 86% brain fog and nearly 75% depression or anxiety, reflecting cultural and healthcare access differences, not virus severity.
- On Jan. 28, an international observational study led by Northwestern Medicine found U.S. long COVID patients report higher brain fog and mental health symptoms than patients in other countries, with researchers citing cultural and healthcare access differences.
- Statistical analysis revealed symptom patterns clustered by income level, with researchers citing cultural attitudes, healthcare access, and stigma as reasons for higher U.S. reporting rather than biology.
- Among non-hospitalized patients, 86% in the U.S. reported brain fog versus 63% in Nigeria, 62% in Colombia and 15% in India, while nearly 75% reported depression or anxiety and almost 60% insomnia.
- Using Shirley Ryan AbilityLab protocols, researchers in the study have begun testing cognitive treatments in Colombia and Nigeria, urging healthcare systems to support long-term care, as authors highlight workforce impacts.
- Given long COVID's global reach, the authors urge culturally sensitive screening tools since it is accepted in the U.S. and Colombia to discuss mental health, unlike Nigeria and India, where stigma and limited providers bias reporting.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Why long COVID brain fog seems so much worse in the U.S.
A massive international study of more than 3,100 long COVID patients uncovered a striking divide in how brain-related symptoms are reported around the world. In the U.S., the vast majority of non-hospitalized patients described brain fog, depression, and anxiety, while far fewer patients in countries like India and Nigeria reported the same issues. The difference doesn’t appear to be about the virus itself, but about culture, stigma, and access …
Long COVID brain fog far more common in US than India, other nations
Patients with long COVID-19 in the U.S. report far higher rates of brain fog, depression and cognitive symptoms than patients in countries such as India and Nigeria, according to a large international study led by Northwestern Medicine. The authors note that higher reported symptom burden in the U.S. may reflect lower stigma and greater access to neurological and mental health care, rather than more severe disease.
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