COVID

I've been keeping up with what seemed to me to be the more trustworthy bits of information about COVID/long COVID. Listed here for convenience (basically - keeping up sensible protections/avoiding unnecessary high-risk situations seems like a rather good idea in terms of long-term health, and "(indoors) air quality" should be the next "food/water quality").

At least 100,000 Brits at risk of developing 'pure hell' disease "However, reduced levels of vaccinations in the past two years have increased the risk of serious symptoms when people become infected, experts say. Scientists warn more than 100,000 people will develop Long Covid in the next few weeks." (Jan 2024, The Mirror)

COVID Is 'Still a Pandemic,' WHO Leader Says "In a post, Marian Van Kerkhove, M.D. said COVID-19 is 'still a global health threat.' 'It’s still a pandemic causing far too many (re)infections, hospitalizations, deaths and long covid when tools exist to prevent them,' she wrote." (Jan 2024, Salon)

We are all playing Covid roulette. Without clean air, the next infection could permanently disable you "We also know that, with every new exposure, we are more likely to suffer adverse effects. A massive study in the US found that the risk of brain, nerve, heart, lung, blood, kidney, insulin and muscular disorders accumulates with every reinfection. The impacts of long Covid, according to health metrics researchers, are 'as severe as the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury'." (Jan 2023, The Guardian)

Nearly 1 in 5 adults who had COVID have lingering symptoms - U.S. study "Nearly 1 in 5 American adults who reported having COVID-19 in the past are still having symptoms of long COVID, according to survey data collected in the first two weeks of June, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday." (Jun 2022, Reuters)

Long Covid in Aotearoa NZ: Risk assessment and preventive action urgently needed "Evidence consistently shows that Long Covid is common, affects all ages, and frequently results in prolonged illness that can be disabling. It occurs with first infections and reinfections and follows all virus variants. There is currently no cure, making prevention critical." (Mar 2024, Public Health Communication Centre, Aotearoa)

Is It Dangerous to Keep Getting COVID-19? "But reinfections aren't harmless. As cases continue to rise and more variants arrive on the scene, infectious-disease experts are warning that repeat infections could have cumulative, lasting effects." (Jan 2024, Time)

Solving the puzzle of Long Covid "Reinfection, which is now the dominant type of SARS-CoV-2 infection, is not inconsequential; it can trigger de novo Long Covid or exacerbate its severity." (Feb 2024, Science)

US is turning its back on long COVID. We’ll pay the price if we don’t act. "There is a hidden public health crisis in America that we can no longer ignore. And that is the crisis of long COVID-19." (Jan 2024, Bernie Sanders' website)

BBC’s Sunday Show interview on Long COVID " Dr Duncan explains that a SARS-CoV-2 infection is not just a cold, how many people are likely still being impacted by #longcovid, the longer term cardio-vascular effects and why more needs to be done to lower #covid infection rates." (Feb 2024)

COVID barely gets a mention these days – here’s why that’s a dangerous situation "While infection does lead the body to produce antibodies, getting our antibodies from vaccines and boosters is a safer option, particularly in light of growing evidence that repeat COVID infections increase the risk of long COVID symptoms, hospitalisation and death." (Jan 2024, The Conversation)

Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores "The growing body of research now confirms that COVID-19 should be considered a virus with a significant impact on the brain. The implications are far-reaching, from individuals experiencing cognitive struggles to the potential impact on populations and the economy." (Feb 2024, The Conversation)

There Is Money in Prevention "Companies have been ignoring the enormous long Covid risk for too long. Now they're paying for it – literally. Implementing the Swiss cheese system could make them largely Covid-proof in no time. So what needs to be done?" (Dec 2023, Harvard Business Manager)

Covid linked to 33-fold increase in risk of potentially fatal blood clot "Although the risks were highest in patients with more severe illness, even those with mild Covid had a threefold increased risk of DVT and a sevenfold increased risk of pulmonary embolism." (Apr 2022, The Guardian)

Breathing room: Why parents and experts are calling for a clean-air revolution in schools "Many people aren’t yet aware of the importance of clean air and the role it plays in helping us avoid illness. The World Health Organization was late to the party, too: it didn’t state COVID-19 was airborne until 2022, two years after 239 scientists signed an open letter urging 'medical community and to the relevant national and international bodies to recognize the potential for airborne spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).'" (Jan 2024, TVO Today)

Parents issued grim health warning for any children who test positive for Covid "Parents have been warned that the majority of children who tested positive for Covid-19 could suffer from blood vessel damage which can lead to several frightening conditions." (Oct 2023, The Mirror)

Prevalence of persistent SARS-CoV-2 in a large community surveillance study "A much higher percentage of the population has experienced 'persistent' COVID-19 infections lasting more than 30 days than initially assumed, according to new research by the University of Oxford. The study, published on February 21 in Nature, found that one to three of every 100 infections may last a month or longer." (Feb 2024, Health Policy Watch)

Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 "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. [...] 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." (Jan 2024, Nature)

Hospitals forced to reintroduce masks after spike in Covid admissions "It follows a recommendation by the World Health Organisation to reintroduce masks in health facilities in the week before Christmas and calls by the Royal College of Nursing for the UK to follow the advice. NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency have not yet told hospitals to enforce mask-wearing again, although some hospitals have now begun of their own accord." (Jan 2024, The Independent)

The COVID-safe strategies Australian scientists are using to protect themselves from the virus "Meanwhile, studies continue to pile up showing COVID-19 can cause serious illness affecting every organ system in the body, even in vaccinated people with seemingly mild infections. It can cause cognitive decline and dysfunction consistent with brain injury; trigger immune damage and dysfunction; impair liver, kidney and lung function; and significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Then there's long COVID, a debilitating disease that robs fit and high-functioning people of their ability to think, work and exercise." (Jan 2024, ABC News)

What If COVID Reinfections Wear Down Our Immunity? "To Leonardi the ramifications seemed highly significant. It meant that repeated waves of COVID infection might not leave durable or competent memory to fight reinfection or to clear the virus. Repeat infections could get worse over time resulting in more death, organ damage and long-term disability." (Nov 2022, The Tyee)

Microstructural brain abnormalities, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction after mild COVID-19 "Our results suggest persistent cognitive impairment and subtle white matter abnormalities in individuals mildly infected without anxiety or depression symptoms." (Jan 2024, Scientific Reports)

Q&A: Ziyad Al-Aly on why Long Covid has a higher burden than "Long Flu," future research, and more "While the flu does contribute to health issues in the months and years after infection, Covid-19 does more damage to almost every organ system, the researchers found. Al-Aly describes this distinction between the two viruses: flu disrupts the respiratory system, while Covid-19 is multisystemic, disrupting many parts of the body. It’s not appropriate to equate 'Long Flu' and 'Long Covid' — as other outlets have done in covering this study — he said, as the research clearly finds Covid-19 is 'more formidable.'" (Dec 2023, The Sick Times)

Immune damage in Long Covid "The persistence of lingering symptoms after acute disease creates a considerable challenge for understanding the specific pathophysiology and risk factors underlying Long Covid. On page 273 of this issue, Cervia-Hasler et al. (2) report a multicenter, longitudinal study of 113 patients who either fully recovered from COVID-19 or developed Long Covid, identifying localized activation of the innate immune defense complement system as a likely culprit that induces thromboinflammation and prevents the restoration of fitness after acute COVID-19." (Jan 2024, Science)

Long COVID in a highly vaccinated but largely unexposed Australian population following the 2022 SARS-CoV-2 Omicron wave: a cross-sectional survey "Ninety days after infection with the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant, 18.2% of survey respondents reported symptoms consistent with long COVID, of whom 38.7% (7.1% of all survey respondents) sought health care for related health concerns two to three months after the acute infection." (Mar 2024, Medical Journal of Australia)

At least 100,000 Brits at risk of developing 'pure hell' disease	"However, reduced levels of vaccinations in the past two years have increased the risk of serious symptoms when people become infected, experts say. Scientists warn more than 100,000 people will develop Long Covid in the next few weeks." (Jan 2024, The Mirror)
COVID Is 'Still a Pandemic,' WHO Leader Says	"In a post, Marian Van Kerkhove, M.D. said COVID-19 is 'still a global health threat.' 'It’s still a pandemic causing far too many (re)infections, hospitalizations, deaths and long covid when tools exist to prevent them,' she wrote." (Jan 2024, Salon)
We are all playing Covid roulette. Without clean air, the next infection could permanently disable you	"We also know that, with every new exposure, we are more likely to suffer adverse effects. A massive study in the US found that the risk of brain, nerve, heart, lung, blood, kidney, insulin and muscular disorders accumulates with every reinfection. The impacts of long Covid, according to health metrics researchers, are 'as severe as the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury'." (Jan 2023, The Guardian)
Nearly 1 in 5 adults who had COVID have lingering symptoms - U.S. study	"Nearly 1 in 5 American adults who reported having COVID-19 in the past are still having symptoms of long COVID, according to survey data collected in the first two weeks of June, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday." (Jun 2022, Reuters)
Long Covid in Aotearoa NZ: Risk assessment and preventive action urgently needed	"Evidence consistently shows that Long Covid is common, affects all ages, and frequently results in prolonged illness that can be disabling. It occurs with first infections and reinfections and follows all virus variants. There is currently no cure, making prevention critical." (Mar 2024, Public Health Communication Centre, Aotearoa)
Is It Dangerous to Keep Getting COVID-19?	"But reinfections aren't harmless. As cases continue to rise and more variants arrive on the scene, infectious-disease experts are warning that repeat infections could have cumulative, lasting effects." (Jan 2024, Time)
Solving the puzzle of Long Covid	"Reinfection, which is now the dominant type of SARS-CoV-2 infection, is not inconsequential; it can trigger de novo Long Covid or exacerbate its severity." (Feb 2024, Science)
US is turning its back on long COVID. We’ll pay the price if we don’t act.	"There is a hidden public health crisis in America that we can no longer ignore. And that is the crisis of long COVID-19." (Jan 2024, Bernie Sanders' website)
BBC’s Sunday Show interview on Long COVID	" Dr Duncan explains that a SARS-CoV-2 infection is not just a cold, how many people are likely still being impacted by #longcovid, the longer term cardio-vascular effects and why more needs to be done to lower #covid infection rates." (Feb 2024)
COVID barely gets a mention these days – here’s why that’s a dangerous situation	"While infection does lead the body to produce antibodies, getting our antibodies from vaccines and boosters is a safer option, particularly in light of growing evidence that repeat COVID infections increase the risk of long COVID symptoms, hospitalisation and death." (Jan 2024, The Conversation)
Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores	"The growing body of research now confirms that COVID-19 should be considered a virus with a significant impact on the brain. The implications are far-reaching, from individuals experiencing cognitive struggles to the potential impact on populations and the economy." (Feb 2024, The Conversation)
There Is Money in Prevention	"Companies have been ignoring the enormous long Covid risk for too long. Now they're paying for it – literally. Implementing the Swiss cheese system could make them largely Covid-proof in no time. So what needs to be done?" (Dec 2023, Harvard Business Manager)
Covid linked to 33-fold increase in risk of potentially fatal blood clot	"Although the risks were highest in patients with more severe illness, even those with mild Covid had a threefold increased risk of DVT and a sevenfold increased risk of pulmonary embolism." (Apr 2022, The Guardian)
Breathing room: Why parents and experts are calling for a clean-air revolution in schools	"Many people aren’t yet aware of the importance of clean air and the role it plays in helping us avoid illness. The World Health Organization was late to the party, too: it didn’t state COVID-19 was airborne until 2022, two years after 239 scientists signed an open letter urging 'medical community and to the relevant national and international bodies to recognize the potential for airborne spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).'" (Jan 2024, TVO Today)
Parents issued grim health warning for any children who test positive for Covid	"Parents have been warned that the majority of children who tested positive for Covid-19 could suffer from blood vessel damage which can lead to several frightening conditions." (Oct 2023, The Mirror)
Prevalence of persistent SARS-CoV-2 in a large community surveillance study	"A much higher percentage of the population has experienced 'persistent' COVID-19 infections lasting more than 30 days than initially assumed, according to new research by the University of Oxford. The study, published on February 21 in Nature, found that one to three of every 100 infections may last a month or longer." (Feb 2024, Health Policy Watch)
Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2	"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. [...] 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." (Jan 2024, Nature)
Hospitals forced to reintroduce masks after spike in Covid admissions	"It follows a recommendation by the World Health Organisation to reintroduce masks in health facilities in the week before Christmas and calls by the Royal College of Nursing for the UK to follow the advice. NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency have not yet told hospitals to enforce mask-wearing again, although some hospitals have now begun of their own accord." (Jan 2024, The Independent)
The COVID-safe strategies Australian scientists are using to protect themselves from the virus	"Meanwhile, studies continue to pile up showing COVID-19 can cause serious illness affecting every organ system in the body, even in vaccinated people with seemingly mild infections. It can cause cognitive decline and dysfunction consistent with brain injury; trigger immune damage and dysfunction; impair liver, kidney and lung function; and significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Then there's long COVID, a debilitating disease that robs fit and high-functioning people of their ability to think, work and exercise." (Jan 2024, ABC News)
What If COVID Reinfections Wear Down Our Immunity?	"To Leonardi the ramifications seemed highly significant. It meant that repeated waves of COVID infection might not leave durable or competent memory to fight reinfection or to clear the virus. Repeat infections could get worse over time resulting in more death, organ damage and long-term disability." (Nov 2022, The Tyee)
Microstructural brain abnormalities, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction after mild COVID-19	"Our results suggest persistent cognitive impairment and subtle white matter abnormalities in individuals mildly infected without anxiety or depression symptoms." (Jan 2024, Scientific Reports)
Q&A: Ziyad Al-Aly on why Long Covid has a higher burden than "Long Flu," future research, and more	"While the flu does contribute to health issues in the months and years after infection, Covid-19 does more damage to almost every organ system, the researchers found. Al-Aly describes this distinction between the two viruses: flu disrupts the respiratory system, while Covid-19 is multisystemic, disrupting many parts of the body. It’s not appropriate to equate 'Long Flu' and 'Long Covid' — as other outlets have done in covering this study — he said, as the research clearly finds Covid-19 is 'more formidable.'" (Dec 2023, The Sick Times)
Immune damage in Long Covid	"The persistence of lingering symptoms after acute disease creates a considerable challenge for understanding the specific pathophysiology and risk factors underlying Long Covid. On page 273 of this issue, Cervia-Hasler et al. (2) report a multicenter, longitudinal study of 113 patients who either fully recovered from COVID-19 or developed Long Covid, identifying localized activation of the innate immune defense complement system as a likely culprit that induces thromboinflammation and prevents the restoration of fitness after acute COVID-19." (Jan 2024, Science)
Long COVID in a highly vaccinated but largely unexposed Australian population following the 2022 SARS-CoV-2 Omicron wave: a cross-sectional survey	"Ninety days after infection with the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant, 18.2% of survey respondents reported symptoms consistent with long COVID, of whom 38.7% (7.1% of all survey respondents) sought health care for related health concerns two to three months after the acute infection." (Mar 2024, Medical Journal of Australia)