The global pandemic and our inability to deal with it.
#Bookmarks #Corona
The virus:
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have been developing a detailed understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells. By picking apart the infection process, they hope to find better ways to interrupt it through improved treatments and vaccines, and learn why the latest strains, such as the Delta variant, are more transmissible. – How the coronavirus infects cells — and why Delta is so dangerous
Many scientists are reserving judgement on whether the tamer coronaviruses were once as virulent as SARS-CoV-2. People like to think that “the other coronaviruses were terrible and became mild”, says Perlman. “That’s an optimistic way to think about what’s going on now, but we don’t have evidence.” – Profile of a killer: the complex biology powering the coronavirus pandemic
Scientists worry that pools of unvaccinated people could be a source of new variants, such as Omicron. – Researchers fear growing COVID vaccine hesitancy in developing nations
Nearly all of the monoclonal antibodies used to prevent severe disease fail to stand up to the new variant, laboratory assays show. – Omicron overpowers key COVID antibody treatments in early tests
Bogus remedies, myths and fake news about COVID-19 can cost lives. Here’s how some scientists are fighting back. – Coronavirus misinformation, and how scientists can help to fight it
As cases spread and countries plan their response, researchers await crucial data on the severity of the disease caused by the coronavirus variant. – How severe are Omicron infections?
Molnupiravir was initially heralded by public-health officials as a game-changer for COVID-19, but full clinical-trial data showed lower-than-expected efficacy. – Merck’s COVID pill loses its lustre: what that means for the pandemic
COVID researchers are working at breakneck speed to learn about the variant’s transmissibility, severity and ability to evade vaccines. – How bad is Omicron? What scientists know so far
What follows is a snapshot of the fast-evolving understanding of how the virus attacks cells around the body, especially in the roughly 5% of patients who become critically ill. – A rampage through the body
How the coronavirus infects cells — and why Delta is so dangerous
Profile of a killer: the complex biology powering the coronavirus pandemic
Researchers fear growing COVID vaccine hesitancy in developing nations
Omicron overpowers key COVID antibody treatments in early tests
Coronavirus misinformation, and how scientists can help to fight it
How severe are Omicron infections?
Merck’s COVID pill loses its lustre: what that means for the pandemic
How bad is Omicron? What scientists know so far
Masks:
Face masks protect against COVID-19. That’s the conclusion of a gold-standard clinical trial in Bangladesh, which backs up the findings of hundreds of previous observational and laboratory studies. – Face masks for COVID pass their largest test yet
Face masks for COVID pass their largest test yet
mRNA:
So neu ist die Technik aber auch wieder nicht: Mit mRNA wird seit Anfang dieses Jahrhunderts experimentiert. – mRNA-Impfung: Nobelpreiswürdig
mRNA-Impfung: Nobelpreiswürdig
Long Covid:
‘The takeaway from this: there are two subtypes of “long #COVID.” One falls into the category of post-COVID complications. For example, respiratory-related issues due to lung scarring. The other is long COVID in a more concerning sense: a condition of chronic symptoms that can’t be traced to an underlying source. It’s this diagnosis by exclusion form of long COVID that has the potential to be the early stages of a neurodegenerative disease.’ – Long COVID is devastating and far from rare. As infections rise again, why are we still ignoring it?
“If long COVID has a neurological impact, then it’ll be much harder to treat than current policy would have us believe. Right now, medical experts, employers, insurers and individuals are treating long COVID as a condition that can be solved through time and therapy — but what if this is not the case for millions of long COVID patients? What if COVID variants continue to cause long COVID and increase the risk of neurodegeneration in those who get infected?” – ibid.
“if you’ve been double vaccinated and boosted, then the risk of developing long COVID, if you get COVID, is probably more like 16, 17 percent” – The Long Haul
Misfolded alpha-synuclein is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia, multiple system atrophy, and pure autonomic failure — all neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as synucleinopathies. And what can cause alpha-synuclein misfolding? Genetic mutations, exposure to certain toxins, and infections. COVID-19 may be one such infection — and that means long COVID symptoms may be a reflection of a developing neurological disorder. – Why long COVID could be a ticking time bomb for public health
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is new, but postviral syndromes are not. Research on other viruses, and on neurological damage from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in particular, is guiding work on long COVID. And the recognition that the syndrome may cause its many effects through the brain and the nervous system is beginning to shape approaches to medical treatment. – [Long COVID Now Looks like a Neurological Disease, Helping Doctors to Focus Treatments], Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0323-26
In this Review, we explore the current literature and highlight key findings, the overlap with other conditions, the variable onset of symptoms, long COVID in children and the impact of vaccinations. Although these key findings are critical to understanding long COVID, current diagnostic and treatment options are insufficient, and clinical trials must be prioritized that address leading hypotheses. Additionally, to strengthen long COVID research, future studies must account for biases and SARS-CoV-2 testing issues, build on viral-onset research, be inclusive of marginalized populations and meaningfully engage patients throughout the research process. – Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations
Lungenschäden mit und ohne künstliche Beatmung … Entzündungen in den Blutgefäßen … Blutgerinnsel im Gehirn oder Herzen … Bakterielle Infektion … Geruchssinn geht wochenlang verloren … – Mögliche Langzeitfolgen der Covid-19-Erkrankung
In summary, our results show that SARS-CoV-2 RNA and proteins can be detected in the CNS. The brain shows mild neuropathological changes with pronounced neuroinflammation in the brainstem being the most common finding. However, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the CNS was not associated with the severity of neuropathological changes. Careful neuropathological interpretation will be essential to disentangle which changes are attributable to SARS-CoV-2. – Neuropathology of patients with COVID-19 in Germany: a post-mortem case series
Neurologic manifestations were present at Covid-19 onset in 215 (42.2%), at hospitalization in 319 (62.7%), and at any time during the disease course in 419 patients (82.3%). The most frequent neurologic manifestations were myalgias (44.8%), headaches (37.7%), encephalopathy (31.8%), … Our results suggest that, of all neurologic manifestations, encephalopathy is associated with a worse functional outcome in hospitalized patients with Covid-19, and may have lasting effects. Long-term follow-up is necessary to assess the true burden of encephalopathy in these patients. Whether milder forms occur in non-hospitalized individuals with Covid-19 who complain of protracted inability to concentrate or decreased short term memory (referred to as ‘brain fog’) warrants further evaluation. – Frequent neurologic manifestations and encephalopathy-associated morbidity in Covid-19 patients
Laut einer Studie der Universität Leicester und der britischen Statistikbehörde ONS wurde fast jeder Dritte als geheilt entlassene Covid-19-Patient innerhalb von fünf Monaten wieder eingeliefert, oft mit Problemen an mehreren Organen. Fast jeder achte von ihnen starb - und wurde trotzdem statistisch nicht als Opfer der Viruserkrankung gezählt … – Eine Krankheit, die oft bleibt
Out of 47,780 people who were discharged from hospital in the first wave, 29.4 per cent were readmitted to hospital within 140 days, and 12.3 per cent of the total died. – Almost a third of recovered Covid patients return to hospital in five months and one in eight die
Auch weniger schwer Erkrankte können über die akute Krankheitsphase hinaus gesundheitliche Symptome haben oder auch neu entwickeln. Nach aktuellen Leitlinien wird je nach Zeitraum, in dem die Beschwerden bestehen, von „Long-COVID“ (mehr als vier Wochen nach Infektion oder Erkrankung fortbestehende Symptome) oder von „Post-COVID-19-Syndrom“ (jenseits von zwölf Wochen noch bestehende oder neu auftretende Symptome oder Gesundheitsstörungen, die anderweitig nicht erklärt werden können) gesprochen. Oftmals stehen hinsichtlich ihrer Ursachen unspezifische Beschwerden wie ständige Erschöpfung, Luftnot, Konzentrationsstörungen („Gehirnnebel“) oder Schwindel im Vordergrund. Verlässliche, repräsentative Daten zum Anteil der Erkrankten mit Langzeitfolgen liegen noch nicht vor. Möglicherweise haben zehn bis 15 Prozent aller Erkrankten mit Langzeitfolgen dieser Art zu kämpfen, schätzt die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pneumologie und Beatmungsmedizin (DGP). – Long Covid als Langzeitfolge des Coronavirus
Eine erste Zwischenbilanz … 20 Prozent der Patienten und Patientinnen haben Organschäden. … Die meisten Menschen, die in die Sprechstunde kommen, sind demnach zwischen 40 und 50 Jahre alt. „Und eigentlich verhältnismäßig gesund, also ohne chronische Vorerkrankungen“, so der Oberarzt. – Ulmer Forschungsprojekt zu Long Covid: Jeder Fünfte mit Organschäden
In an analysis of more than 11 million U.S. veterans’ health records, researchers found the risk of 20 different heart and vessel maladies was substantially increased in veterans who had COVID-19 1 year earlier, compared with those who didn’t. The risk rose with severity of initial disease and extended to every outcome the team examined, including heart attacks, arrhythmias, strokes, cardiac arrest, and more. Even people who never went to the hospital had more cardiovascular disease than those who were never infected. – COVID-19 takes serious toll on heart health—a full year after recovery
This study sought to ascertain the prevalence of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) among a sample of 465 patients with Long COVID. … Among the 465 participants, 58% met a ME/CFS case definition. Of respondents who reported that they had ME/CFS only 71% met criteria for ME/CFS and of those who did not report they had ME/CFS, 40% nevertheless did meet criteria for the disease: both over-diagnosis and under-diagnosis were evident on self-report. This study supports prior findings that ME/CFS occurs with high prevalence among those who have persistent COVID-19 symptoms. – ME/CFS and Post-Exertional Malaise among Patients with Long COVID
Long COVID is devastating and far from rare. As infections rise again, why are we still ignoring it?
Why long COVID could be a ticking time bomb for public health
Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations
Mögliche Langzeitfolgen der Covid-19-Erkrankung
Neuropathology of patients with COVID-19 in Germany: a post-mortem case series
Frequent neurologic manifestations and encephalopathy-associated morbidity in Covid-19 patients
Eine Krankheit, die oft bleibt
Almost a third of recovered Covid patients return to hospital in five months and one in eight die
Long Covid als Langzeitfolge des Coronavirus
Ulmer Forschungsprojekt zu Long Covid: Jeder Fünfte mit Organschäden
COVID-19 takes serious toll on heart health—a full year after recovery
ME/CFS and Post-Exertional Malaise among Patients with Long COVID
Stay safe
If you are in an open floorplan office, you really need to critically assess the risk (volume, people, and airflow). If you are in a job that requires face-to-face talking or even worse, yelling, you need to assess the risk. If you are sitting in a well ventilated space, with few people, the risk is low. If I am outside, and I walk past someone, remember it is “dose and time” needed for infection. You would have to be in their airstream for 5+ minutes for a chance of infection. While joggers may be releasing more virus due to deep breathing, remember the exposure time is also less due to their speed. Please do maintain physical distance, but the risk of infection in these scenarios are low. – The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them
We conclude that the effectiveness of any one intervention in isolationis likely to be limited, requiring multiple interventions to be combined to have a substantial impact on transmission. – Report 9: Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand
The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them
Fakes:
In diesem Artikel sammelt das #Faktenfuchs-Team ältere Fakes und Desinformation rund um das Thema Corona. – Archiv: Die gesammelten Fakes zu Corona
Gerüchte und Falschmeldungen zu Corona verbreiten sich so schnell wie das Virus selbst. Der #Faktenfuchs überprüft laufend Behauptungen. – Fake-News-Ticker: WHO warnt nicht grundsätzlich vor Kreuzimpfung
Archiv: Die gesammelten Fakes zu Corona
Fake-News-Ticker: WHO warnt nicht grundsätzlich vor Kreuzimpfung
Sweden:
During 2020 … Sweden had ten times higher COVID-19 death rates compared with neighbouring Norway. In this report, we try to understand why, using a narrative approach to evaluate the Swedish COVID-19 policy and the role of scientific evidence and integrity. We argue that that scientific methodology was not followed by the major figures in the acting authorities—or the responsible politicians—with alternative narratives being considered as valid, resulting in arbitrary policy decisions. – Evaluation of science advice during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
Evaluation of science advice during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
Omicron
Our data reveal that emerging omicron sublineages are resistant to most (ie, BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, and BJ.1) or all (BQ.1.1) clinically used mAbs [monoclonal antibodies]. – Omicron sublineage BQ.1.1 resistance to monoclonal antibodies
Omicron sublineage BQ.1.1 resistance to monoclonal antibodies
As we approach the end of 2023:
New studies suggest that BA.4 and BA.5, currently sweeping … countries around the globe, have a growth advantage … the latest dominant COVID subvariants have a reproductive rate of around 18.6, tying or surpassing measles, the world’s most infectious viral disease, according to Esterman. – Your COVID protection outside isn’t what it was in 2020. Here’s why it’s time to think more critically about outdoor gatherings
The article above cites Esterman for the measles comparison but when I followed the link I found this:
Correction 25/7/22: this article originally estimated BA.2 had an R0 of about 13.3 and BA.4/5 had an R0 of 18.6, similar to measles, our most infectious viral disease. However these are likely to be overestimates, as the calculations didn’t take into account immune escape. These estimates and the reference to measles have now been removed. – https://theconversation.com/australia-is-heading-for-its-third-omicron-wave-heres-what-to-expect-from-ba-4-and-ba-5-185598
I don’t doubt that R0 is high but I wonder how high it actually is, now. The South-African pre-print mentioned eventually got printed and says:
we estimated growth advantages for BA.4 and BA.5 of 0.08 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.08–0.09) and 0.10 (95% CI: 0.09–0.11) per day, respectively, over BA.2 in South Africa. – Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages BA.4 and BA.5 in South Africa
Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages BA.4 and BA.5 in South Africa
In any case, avoiding crowds seems to be a wise choice no matter what. 😷
A failing society is giving up the fight:
Today, we are told that it is impossible to contain SARS-CoV-2 and we have to "just live with it,” as if germ theory no longer holds. The argument that the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to wildlife means that containment is impossible illustrates these contradictions further – SARS-CoV-2 came from wildlife, as did all other zoonotic infections, so how does the virus spilling back to wildlife change anything in terms of public health protocol? But if one has decided that from here on there will be no effort to break transmission chains because it is too costly for the privileged few in society, then excuses for that *laissez-faire* attitude will always be found. – 'Endemic' SARS-CoV-2 and the death of public health, John Snow Project Editorial
'Endemic' SARS-CoV-2 and the death of public health
Same site with an overview of some papers:
Most people have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 and had COVID-19. Some people have recovered without any complications, but many of us know someone who has been left with a lingering cough, fatigue, vertigo, headaches or something more serious. Sometimes people fail to link their ongoing symptoms with their original COVID-19 infection because they haven’t been informed the virus can have long-term effects. – All infections can cause serious problems
All infections can cause serious problems
Staffing attrition:
It’s time for our society to admit that we’ve made a mistake and change course. The COVID-is-mild experiment, despite the wishing and the hoping, has been a tragic failure. We aren’t just accepting ongoing hospitalizations and deaths to protect the economy, but also ignoring the social and economic costs of continuing high levels of acute infections. Worse still are more cases of Long COVID, a condition that takes many people entirely out of the workforce. And with every wave, the staffing attrition worsens. – Opinion: This is a pandemic of attrition, by Joe Vipond, Julia M. Wright, and Dan Furst, for the Calgary Herald
Opinion: This is a pandemic of attrition
Infections are bad, reinfections are worse:
First infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with increased risk of acute and postacute death and sequelae in various organ systems. … Compared to no reinfection, reinfection contributed additional risks of death … hospitalization … and sequelae including pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematological, diabetes, gastrointestinal, kidney, mental health, musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. The risks were evident regardless of vaccination status. The risks were most pronounced in the acute phase but persisted in the postacute phase at 6 months. Compared to noninfected controls, cumulative risks and burdens of repeat infection increased according to the number of infections. Limitations included a cohort of mostly white males. The evidence shows that reinfection further increases risks of death, hospitalization and sequelae in multiple organ systems in the acute and postacute phase. – Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, by Benjamin Bowe, Yan Xie & Ziyad Al-Aly, in Nature (2022)
Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection
Same authors, August 2023:
We built a cohort of 138,818 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 5,985,227 noninfected control group from the US Department of Veterans Affairs and followed them for 2 years to estimate the risks of death and 80 prespecified postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) according to care setting during the acute phase of infection. The increased risk of death was not significant beyond 6 months after infection among nonhospitalized but remained significantly elevated through the 2 years in hospitalized individuals. Within the 80 prespecified sequelae, 69% and 35% of them became not significant at 2 years after infection among nonhospitalized and hospitalized individuals, respectively. Cumulatively at 2 years, PASC contributed 80.4 … and 642.8 … disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 1,000 persons among nonhospitalized and hospitalized individuals; 25.3% … and 21.3% … of the cumulative 2-year DALYs in nonhospitalized and hospitalized were from the second year. In sum, while risks of many sequelae declined 2 years after infection, the substantial cumulative burden of health loss due to PASC calls for attention to the care needs of people with long-term health effects due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. – Postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 years, Benjamin Bowe, Yan Xie & Ziyad Al-Aly (2023), Nature Medicine
Postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 years
First time I heard about ‘mucosal’ vaccines, delivered up the nose or down the throat:
The latest results also raise hopes that mucosal vaccines that offer ‘sterilising’ immunity — complete blockage of infection — could become a reality. – Inhaled COVID vaccines stop infection in its tracks in monkey trials, by Ewen Callaway, nature news, 19 December 2023
Inhaled COVID vaccines stop infection in its tracks in monkey trials
A long list of links OK DOOMER:
So, we have a virus that's incredibly contagious. It kills some people immediately. For everyone else, it damages your brain. It damages your heart and blood vessels. It damages your immune system, making you vulnerable to other diseases. It shortens your telomeres. It ages you.
Instead of warning the public, our leaders have worked on behalf of corporations to shield them from liability. They've manipulated and distorted data to present an illusion of normalcy, while alleviating themselves from the responsibility to care for disabled Covid survivors. They've pressured the media to publish misleading, false stories encouraging everyone to move on with their lives and put themselves at risk for the sake of short-term profits. – It's that bad, by Jessica Wildfire
Mental problems:
Participants were mostly female (83%), with a mean age of 45 ± 11 years. The median time of evaluation was 9 months after COVID-19 (range 3–12 months), and most (11/12, 92%) had a history of only a mild infection. The most common neuro-PASC symptoms were cognitive difficulties and fatigue, and there was evidence for mild cognitive impairment in half of the patients (MoCA score ). The majority (83%) had a very disabling disease, with Karnofsky Performance Status ≤80. – Deep Phenotyping of Neurologic Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (2023), Neurology® Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, via Long COVID Seems to Make Distinct Changes to The Immune System, Science Alert
Deep Phenotyping of Neurologic Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Long COVID Seems to Make Distinct Changes to The Immune System
Does vaccination help against Long Covid? For the longest time, people didn't know.
Several new studies reveal that getting multiple COVID vaccine doses provides strong protection against lingering symptoms. … The prevalence of long COVID is currently 11 percent among those who are unvaccinated and 5 percent among those who have had two or more doses of the vaccine. – Vaccination Dramatically Lowers Long Covid Risk
A post-COVID condition was defined as any symptom that was present four or more weeks after COVID-19 infection. We calculated the pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) (95% confidence interval) for post-COVID conditions between fully vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated as 100% x (1-DOR). Thirty-two studies with 775,931 individuals evaluated the effect of vaccination on post-COVID conditions, of which, twenty-four studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled DOR for post-COVID conditions among fully vaccinated individuals was 0.680 (95% CI: 0.523–0.885) with an estimated VE of 32.0% (11.5%–47.7%). Vaccine effectiveness was 36.9% (23.1%–48.2%) among those who received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine before COVID-19 infection and 68.7% (64.7%–72.2%) among those who received three doses before COVID-19 infection. The stratified analysis demonstrated no protection against post-COVID conditions among those who received COVID-19 vaccination after COVID-19 infection. – The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine in the prevention of post-COVID conditions: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the latest research
Vaccination Dramatically Lowers Long Covid Risk
Immunology problems:
Long COVID (LC) occurs after at least 10% of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, yet its etiology remains poorly understood. … We found that LC individuals exhibited systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation. … Our analysis suggested an improper crosstalk between the cellular and humoral adaptive immunity in LC, which can lead to immune dysregulation, inflammation and clinical symptoms associated with this debilitating condition. – Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2
A possible cause?
About 5% of all infected individuals do not recover from acute disease but develop long-term complications, called Long Covid. Current hypotheses on factors contributing to Long Covid include tissue damage, viral reservoirs, autoimmunity, and persistent inflammation. There are currently no diagnostic tests or therapeutic solutions for affected patients. … In addition to offering a basis for new diagnostic solutions, our work provides support for clinical research on complement modulators for patients suffering from Long Covid. – Persistent complement dysregulation with signs of thromboinflammation in active Long Covid
Persistent complement dysregulation with signs of thromboinflammation in active Long Covid
The WHO:
We’re still in a pandemic. There’s a lot of complacency at the individual level, and more concerning to me is that at the government level. – Rampant COVID Poses New Challenges in the Fifth Year of the Pandemic, Maria Van Kerkhove, now interim director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, in an interview with Meghan Bartels, for Scientific American
Rampant COVID Poses New Challenges in the Fifth Year of the Pandemic
It's not over.
A recent study from the United States suggests current COVID-19 vaccines (including WA1/BA.5 bivalent mRNA vaccine) are ineffective against BQ and XBB Omicron due to the superiority of these subvariants in evading antibodies.11 Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants such as XBB 1.5 and evidence of waning vaccine efficacy due to immune escape pose significant potential barriers to control of the COVID-19 pandemic. – Long COVID: the next public health crisis is already on its way, by Chengliang Yang and Scott J. Tebbutt, in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe
Long COVID: the next public health crisis is already on its way
Polycrisis:
This minimization keeps the quiet part quiet: that “the world is still in a pandemic” per the WHO; that more than 73,000 Americans died of COVID in 2023, a higher number than from car accidents or influenza; among those infected, 9 percent and counting have long COVID, a serious and often disabling condition with a disease burden comparable to cancer or heart disease, and an economic cost rivaling the Great Recession, and for which there are no approved treatments. What’s more, each infection is associated with a substantially increased risk of health issues like cognitive dysfunction, autoimmune disease and cardiovascular problems, even for mild infections. – We’ve Hit Peak Denial. Here’s Why We Can’t Turn Away From Reality, by Marianne Cooper & Maxim Voronov, for Scientific American
We’ve Hit Peak Denial. Here’s Why We Can’t Turn Away From Reality
What would be a good way forward?
So what, in my wildest dreams, would competent public health bodies be doing to mitigate transmission of COVID, even years into a botched response with millions of people negatively polarized against collective measures? … The problem underlying all the current failures is that, quite simply, our government is not trying to end this pandemic. It is trying to hide this pandemic. And you’re not going to solve a problem you won’t acknowledge. – What would an adequate COVID response look like?, by Julia Doubleday, for The Gauntlet
What would an adequate COVID response look like?
Will people change now that it seems that kids get Long COVID, too?
Most research to understand postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), or long COVID, has focused on adults, with less known about this complex condition in children. … To identify the most common prolonged symptoms experienced by children (aged 6 to 17 years) after SARS-CoV-2 infection, how these symptoms differ by age (school-age [6-11 years] vs adolescents [12-17 years]), how they cluster into distinct phenotypes, and what symptoms in combination could be used as an empirically derived index to assist researchers to study the likely presence of PASC. – Characterizing Long COVID in Children and Adolescents
Characterizing Long COVID in Children and Adolescents
Brain damage:
Brain fog … makes it difficult to concentrate, remember things and think clearly … there is now abundant evidence that being infected with SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – can affect brain health in many ways. In addition to brain fog, COVID-19 can lead to an array of problems, including headaches, seizure disorders, strokes, sleep problems, and tingling and paralysis of the nerves, as well as several mental health disorders. – Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including significant drops in IQ scores, by Ziyad Al-Aly, for The Conversation