Long Covid: Darwen councillor tells of memory lapse ordeal

Stephanie Brookfield said the condition left her concentration span at "zero"

A councillor has told how dealing with long Covid has left her struggling to remember things and unable even to walk and talk at the same time.

Stephanie Brookfield, who represents Darwen West, said she was currently on leave of absence from meetings after catching Covid in December 2021.

She said the resulting brain fog and fatigue had made life "much harder".

"I either lost my train of thought or just couldn't get the correct words out," she added.

Ms Brookfield, who sits on both Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Darwen Town Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service her ordeal "started with a cough and heavy cold" on 10 December.

She then tested positive after realising she "couldn't taste or smell anything" and "managed Christmas Day, but was extremely fatigued".

'Lingering symptoms'

She said she developed motion sickness while lying in bed, which caused nausea and vomiting, and "a running water sound" in her right ear, which made her dizzy.

"My concentration span was zero and I was struggling to remember things or hold a conversation," she said.

She said her doctor told her so little was known about long Covid that it was difficult to suggest what could improve her condition.

The condition is not fully understood and there is no internationally-agreed definition - so estimates of how common it is or what the main symptoms are, vary.

According to the NHS, they can include extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, problems with memory and concentration, changes to taste and smell, and joint pain.

• Long Covid: What is it and what are the symptoms?

• 'I have to choose between walking and talking'

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Ms Brookfield continued: "When I tried to read a book, I couldn't get beyond one page and I was having to stop mid-sentence when family rang, as I had either lost my train of thought or just couldn't get the correct words out."

She said while she had "improved considerably" since December, she still had "lingering symptoms".

"It's difficult to walk and talk as I get breathless and my body still aches everywhere," she said.

"I can't even get up off the settee without using the arm to push myself up.

"When I wake every morning, I feel like I have never been to sleep and that fatigue makes everyday tasks so much harder."

She added that she was also anxious about catching Covid again.

About 90 long Covid assessment centres have been set up across England.

Currently there are no proven drug treatments, with the main focus on managing symptoms and gradually increasing activity where possible.

• NHS: Your Covid recovery website