Long Covid And Inplications

[jyl]

I recently started paying attention to “long Covid”, meaning long term symptoms and/or organ damage in persons who have supposedly recovered from Covid.

Read this paper if you’re not up to speed on this: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-0878

I am trying to figure out how serious a problem this is going to be.

In the US, between 34 million and 100 million people have contracted Covid (the lower number is the confirmed cases, the higher number is an estimate of actual cases).

If, say, 10% of those suffer from long Covid, that could potentially be 3 to 10 million persons. If half of those persons are of working age, that could be a significant number - a couple million or several million - persons who may have difficulty working at their prior level. And, perhaps, significant medical expense. That’s a lot of impact - potentially.

What do you know about this? Any information to share?

[porsche4life]

We’ve talked about this a lot. With the lung damage it did to some folks, and that seeming to not heal, Will there be a rash of people needing lung transplants in a decade? I think we are going to be learning more about the effects of this for years.

[wdfifteen]

I have only an anecdote. A friend in his early 30s got COVID from his mother or father, both of whom died of it, about 6 months ago. He has had respiratory problems like wheezing when he breathes and shortness of breath for months. It doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

[Fast Freddy 944]

The bio-weapon is doing its job. 3/4 of the earth population is to be reduced...

[Chocaholic]

Omg.

[mattdavis11]

I can't read that. I have to stay positive, and whatever might be in the article could be depressing as hell.

I am still having problems 6 months later. It did not attack my respiratory system as bad as others, but I'm not who I was before the turn of the year. Things got really bad for awhile. I was on 25mg of BP medicine before, now I take 75mg daily.

I can only do so much anymore, I'm 46 and now feel like a shell of myself. Just have to press on.

[Tobra]

China is asshoe

[jyl]

I am sorry for everyone struggling w/ long Covid. Thanks for sharing your info and hang in there.

For what its worth, I'm starting to read about research into Long Covid treatments, and it sounds like there's a lot of activity and some hints of progress.

On a economic basis, I'm wondering if one effect of Covid is an increase in medical and disability costs, and a reduction of the labor force, of unknown duration.

I haven't looked up numbers, but I think Covid has disproportionately hit certain demographics and occupations that might be more likely to have jobs with significant physical demands, that would be particularly hard to do with long Covid effects.

That is like retail, healthcare, first responders, etc. Over 900 Secret Service officers have gotten Covid. And now with schools reopening and not much pediatric vaccination, children are getting Covid at a high rate - right now, 22% of new Covid cases are in kids.

Meanwhile, progress in getting Americans vaccinated has slowed a lot, in some states and counties many people seem to have lost interest in getting vaccinated, and the antivaxxers are still spouting away which makes Putin and China happy.

I'm not hearing much talk about this in media or from public figures. Many people seem to think that as you as you get over the acute Covid symptoms, it's all good - hey, you're immune, congrats! - and that it doesn't matter if young kids get Covid - they almost always have mild cases, so who cares? Let's have a Covid sleepover, whee!

I'm thinking there is still a lot we are learning about Covid, and some of it is going to be not-good-at-all. If we walk into a winter Covid surge with Delta, while Covid spreads through schoolkids like disease usually does, can we just look at the death rates staying low, and figure its all fine?

[vash]

Originally Posted by Tobra

China is asshoe

its not like they surprised us with it.

[vash]

Originally Posted by jyl

I am sorry for everyone struggling w/ long Covid. Thanks for sharing your info and hang in there.

For what its worth, I'm starting to read about research into Long Covid treatments, and it sounds like there's a lot of activity and some hints of progress.

On a economic basis, I'm wondering if one effect of Covid is an increase in medical and disability costs, and a reduction of the labor force, of unknown duration.

I haven't looked up numbers, but I think Covid has disproportionately hit certain demographics and occupations that might be more likely to have jobs with significant physical demands, that would be particularly hard to do with long Covid effects.

That is like retail, healthcare, first responders, etc. Over 900 Secret Service officers have gotten Covid. And now with schools reopening and not much pediatric vaccination, children are getting Covid at a high rate - right now, 22% of new Covid cases are in kids.

Meanwhile, progress in getting Americans vaccinated has slowed a lot, in some states and counties many people seem to have lost interest in getting vaccinated, and the antivaxxers are still spouting away which makes Putin and China happy.

I'm not hearing much talk about this in media or from public figures. Many people seem to think that as you as you get over the acute Covid symptoms, it's all good - hey, you're immune, congrats! - and that it doesn't matter if young kids get Covid - they almost always have mild cases, so who cares? Let's have a Covid sleepover, whee!

I'm thinking there is still a lot we are learning about Covid, and some of it is going to be not-good-at-all. If we walk into a winter Covid surge with Delta, while Covid spreads through schoolkids like disease usually does, can we just look at the death rates staying low, and figure its all fine?

my friend tells me he now has to take breaks when he goes up stairs. he gets winded super easy..and to me he still sounds like a smokes two packs a day.

[Tishabet]

Originally Posted by jyl

And now with schools reopening and not much pediatric vaccination, children are getting Covid at a high rate - right now, 22% of new Covid cases are in kids.

Many people seem to think that as you as you get over the acute Covid symptoms, it's all good - hey, you're immune, congrats! - and that it doesn't matter if young kids get Covid - they almost always have mild cases, so who cares? Let's have a Covid sleepover, whee!

I'm thinking there is still a lot we are learning about Covid, and some of it is going to be not-good-at-all. If we walk into a winter Covid surge with Delta, while Covid spreads through schoolkids like disease usually does, can we just look at the death rates staying low, and figure its all fine?

This is exactly what worries me as father to a kid too young to get vaccinated... No worries at all that my kid would get sick and die of covid, but absolutely concerned that my kid would catch it and have long term issue that we haven't even identified yet. Think about the long term virus issues we know about with HPV and cancer, chicken pox and shingles, mumps and sterility, etc.

[jyl]

Hopefully there will be vaccines authorized for young children by September.

There hasn’t been that much data on long Covid in children, but as more attention is being focused on the topic, some (very preliminary, uncertain reliability) data is starting to emerge. E.g. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7927578/#__ffn_sectitle

[vash]

isnt the term "long-haul" Covid? could be wrong.

[thor66]

No way to figure out how serious a problem this is going to be right now.

We don't know the mechanisms involved nor how long the detriments will be around.

All we know for sure is that a lot of different mechanisms are involved, and that many unvaccinated people will be infected by the variants.

[ckelly78z]

My lungs have been compromised with scar tissue for years from radiation treatments that I had 35 years ago for Hodgkins disease (cancer). I noticed early this year that I couldn't keep up with my wife/daughter on our weekly hikes, and had to stop, and catch my breath on the uphill sections.

I believe that I may have had covid in November 2019 (before it was widespread in America) when I was treated for a upper respiratory infection by my family doctor.

I am now trying to rehab my lung capacity, by staying active, and pushing myself, but it's a long slow road. I still work full time, cut firewood, hike/bike, and kayak, but everything seems harder now.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

My lungs have been compromised with scar tissue for years from radiation treatments that I had 35 years ago for Hodgkins disease (cancer). I noticed early this year that I couldn't keep up with my wife/daughter on our weekly hikes, and had to stop, and catch my breath on the uphill sections.

I believe that I may have had covid in November 2019 (before it was widespread in America) when I was treated for a upper respiratory infection by my family doctor.

I am now trying to rehab my lung capacity, by staying active, and pushing myself, but it's a long slow road. I still work full time, cut firewood, hike/bike, and kayak, but everything seems harder now.

Maybe get an antibody test to see if you did indeed have Covid? Knowing might help guide treatment.

[Superman]

There are many stories of a wide variety of long term ailments, not just respiratory, after Covid infections. And many of them occurred after asymptomatic infection or infection with otherwise minor symptoms.

And yeah, I think the Covid thing puts natural selection into play. Many people are just so very tough and brave that they refuse to take, or support, any steps toward public (or personal) health. These same people might also approach a downed power line which is sparking in the grass. So brave and fearless are they.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by vash

isnt the term "long-haul" Covid? could be wrong.

It is now.

Originally Posted by Superman

There are many stories of a wide variety of long term ailments, not just respiratory, after Covid infections. And many of them occurred after asymptomatic infection or infection with otherwise minor symptoms.

And yeah, I think the Covid thing puts natural selection into play. Many people are just so very tough and brave that they refuse to take, or support, any steps toward public (or personal) health. These same people might also approach a downed power line which is sparking in the grass. So brave and fearless are they.

Add to list chronic fatigue. That's been around for a long time but now there is at least one known cause. Hopefully researchers can go back over data and make some meaningful connections that they did not see before.

But what do you do about it? I think my wife is a victim.

[group911@aol.co]

A good friend also thinks he got it in Nov 2019. Perfectly healthy 65 yo. 30 days of severe coughing before his wife made him go in. Hospital sent him home with oxygen and he spent 30 days in bed. Ended up throwing clots and lost vision in one eye. Still on inhalers and only slight peripheral vision in that eye. Won't get vaccinated. Doctors told him no need since he had it.
Studies show vaccinations are actually improving some long haul symptoms. Still won't get vaccinated. Depressing to watch the inevitable train wreck.

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

My lungs have been compromised with scar tissue for years from radiation treatments that I had 35 years ago for Hodgkins disease (cancer). I noticed early this year that I couldn't keep up with my wife/daughter on our weekly hikes, and had to stop, and catch my breath on the uphill sections.

I believe that I may have had covid in November 2019 (before it was widespread in America) when I was treated for a upper respiratory infection by my family doctor.

I am now trying to rehab my lung capacity, by staying active, and pushing myself, but it's a long slow road. I still work full time, cut firewood, hike/bike, and kayak, but everything seems harder now.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by group911@aol.co

A good friend also thinks he got it in Nov 2019. Perfectly healthy 65 yo. 30 days of severe coughing before his wife made him go in. Hospital sent him home with oxygen and he spent 30 days in bed. Ended up throwing clots and lost vision in one eye. Still on inhalers and only slight peripheral vision in that eye. Won't get vaccinated. Doctors told him no need since he had it.
Studies show vaccinations are actually improving some long haul symptoms. Still won't get vaccinated. Depressing to watch the inevitable train wreck.

Doctors are wrong. Variants with a certain mutation (E484K, found in Brazil / P1 / Gamma variant) can reinfect persons who previously had the original strain of Covid. In parts of Brazil, reinfection has been widespread. The mRNA vaccines are quite protective against Gamma and all known strains.