Mild COVID-19 Symptoms But Life-Changing Long-COVID

Approximately 90 million Americans have had COVID-19, and that number keeps rising as variants of the virus produce even more cases. At this stage in the pandemic, you might assume that getting infected will only make you feel mildly ill for a short while. That’s what former tennis pro Tara Snyder thought. In an episode of Scan My Brain, she told Daniel Amen, MD, that she was diagnosed with COVID and had relatively mild symptoms. About 2-3 weeks later, however, she developed brain fog and memory issues, and she suffered from insomnia and a disturbing loss of pleasure. Her depression became so severe, she began having suicidal thoughts. “It was like a snowball effect,” she says to Dr. Amen. Snyder isn’t alone. According to a 2022 study in BMJ, people who have had COVID—whether serious or mild infections—are at significantly higher risk of experiencing mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, sleep disturbances, and cognitive decline.