Everyday Ageism: FEMAIL columnist CHRISTA D’SOUZA, says we need to stop using ‘Covid Brain’ as an excuse for forgetfulness
- Christa D’Souza says the phrase ‘Covid brain’ has gathered momentum recently
- She also dislikes people using the phrase ‘senior moment’ for forgetfulness
- Blaming forgetfulness on Covid is a poor excuse to the Femail columnist
It’s the last tolerated prejudice. But Femail’s had enough. It’s time we called out those day-to-day moments when we’re patronised for no longer being young.
A phrase which has gathered a lot of momentum in the last few months is ‘Covid brain’.
As in: ‘What’s her name, why can’t I think of it? I had it just a moment ago, must be Covid brain’; or ‘Where did I put my glasses, I’m sure I put them right here, must be Covid brain’; or . . . well, you get the gist.
Though not quite as irritating or unfunny as the phrase ‘senior moment’, I wish people wouldn’t use it.
Christa D’Souza (pictured) says it is time people stop patronising older people for no longer being young
Not because it makes a mockery of those who really did get clinically affected in that way by the virus, but because it feels like such an excuse.
Us older folk need all the positive incentives we can get, frankly, to keep those neural pathways firing, whether we are suffering from the long-term effects of the virus or not.
Blaming it on Covid kind of encourages what’s happening anyway.
Over supper last Sunday, my partner — who, aged 66, caught the virus back in early March and made a complete recovery — said it at least five times.
‘That’s not Covid brain,’ I wanted to shout, ‘that’s you forgetting the name of someone you haven’t seen for years who you didn’t know very well.’
We had company so I didn’t, but I plan to have a word.