You may or may not have had trouble breathing, loss of taste and smell, and extreme fatigue when you were diagnosed with Covid-19. Whether or not you 
experienced symptoms of an acute infection, you are suffering neurological effects of long Covid now.
One of those effects may be brain fog. Currently, researchers don’t know how long brain fog may last, but its impact on people’s lives and ability to work is becoming clear.
How Brain Fog May Impact Your Ability to Work
Not everyone with brain fog has the same experience. However, if you have Covid-19, you may have to live with:
- Forgetting names or having trouble finding the right words
- Inability to complete tasks
- Taking a long time to complete tasks
- Frequently feeling distracted
- Feeling too tired to work
- Difficulty organizing thoughts
- Feeling confused
- Losing direction
These symptoms may keep you from working. Currently, medical researchers don’t know if you will recover from brain fog symptoms or if they will last for the rest of your life.
Social Security Disability Eligibility
Social Security disability benefits are only possible if your disabling medical condition is expected to last for at least 12 months or cause death.
This requirement may complicate your Social Security disability claim if:
- You were diagnosed with Covid-19 within the last 12 months. If your only long-term complication is post-covid brain fog, then the Social Security Administration may delay a decision on your claim until 12 months after your Covid diagnosis. However, if you have other long-Covid symptoms that may qualify you for benefits, such as heart problems, then you may qualify for benefits sooner.
- You never received a positive Covid-19 test. The Social Security Administration needs proof of a Covid-19 diagnosis. However, the agency has explicitly said that you do not need to provide evidence of a positive PCR test for SAR-CoV-2. The Social Security Administration will accept either a diagnostic test consistent with Covid, such as a chest x-ray, or a medical diagnosis of Covid if you exhibited Covid symptoms such as a fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
Since there is currently no Blue Book Listing for post-Covid neurological issues, the Social Security Administration will consider whether your brain fog affects your life in ways that are substantially similar to other blue book listings. Relevant listings may include:
- Lyme Disease
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Any of the neurological listings in Section 12.00
Even if your condition is not similar to any of these listings, you may still qualify for benefits if you can prove that you are unable to work because of your Covid-related brain fog.
Let a Social Security Disability Lawyer Help You
Getting the recovery that you deserve for Covid-related brain fog can be complicated for the reasons described above. However, you don’t have to go through this process alone.
Our Boston area Social Security disability lawyers are here to fight for the recovery that you deserve. If you live anywhere in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, or New Hampshire, we encourage you to contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
We can prepare and file your application for you. We will make sure that all relevant medical documentation is included and that your application is easy to understand so that there is less room for the Social Security Administration to make a mistake.
Keefe Disability Law will not charge you any upfront or hourly fees. Instead, we will receive a percentage of your back pay when your Social Security disability benefits are approved. Social Security disability lawyers and non-attorney advocates typically charge the same fees. Therefore, you have nothing to lose and a lot to potentially gain by hiring an experienced lawyer.
Please contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We would be happy to meet with you in our conveniently located Natick law office or by phone. Together, we can discuss your potential Social Security disability eligibility and how to protect the benefits you’ve earned.
Are You Looking for a Social Security Disability Attorney in Boston, MA?
If you are looking to apply for social security disability, you need to speak with an experienced social security disability lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Natick Office directly at 508.283.5500 to schedule your free consultation.
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