The epidemic is not over. In a few years, we may look at Biden's announcing that COVID was over like we now look at Bush's "Mission Accomplished" banner. Denial is a big problem here.
Here's a recent overview article in Nature on long COVID:
"At least 65 million individuals around the world have long COVID, based on a conservative estimated incidence of 10% of infected people and more than 651 million documented COVID-19 cases worldwide1; the number is likely much higher due to many undocumented cases. The incidence is estimated at 10–30% of non-hospitalized cases, 50–70% of hospitalized cases, and 10–12% of vaccinated cases."
"Hundreds of biomedical findings have been documented, with many patients experiencing dozens of symptoms across multiple organ systems. Long COVID encompasses multiple adverse outcomes, with common new-onset conditions including cardiovascular, thrombotic and cerebrovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and dysautonomia, especially postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Symptoms can last for years, and particularly in cases of new-onset ME/CFS and dysautonomia are expected to be lifelong. With significant proportions of individuals with long COVID unable to return to work, the scale of newly disabled individuals is contributing to labour shortages. There are currently no validated effective treatments."
There's now a working definition of the symptoms that distinguish long COVID.[2] Imaging studies are matching up heart, lung, and brain damage with reported symptoms. It's becoming clearer what the damage is, and, over time, what heals and what doesn't.
People can get COVID over and over, sometimes with cumulative damage. Immunity from both vaccines and infections is only 3-18 months. What is this going to look like in five years?
And companies want to cram people into bullpens again.
Here's a recent overview article in Nature on long COVID:
"At least 65 million individuals around the world have long COVID, based on a conservative estimated incidence of 10% of infected people and more than 651 million documented COVID-19 cases worldwide1; the number is likely much higher due to many undocumented cases. The incidence is estimated at 10–30% of non-hospitalized cases, 50–70% of hospitalized cases, and 10–12% of vaccinated cases."
"Hundreds of biomedical findings have been documented, with many patients experiencing dozens of symptoms across multiple organ systems. Long COVID encompasses multiple adverse outcomes, with common new-onset conditions including cardiovascular, thrombotic and cerebrovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and dysautonomia, especially postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Symptoms can last for years, and particularly in cases of new-onset ME/CFS and dysautonomia are expected to be lifelong. With significant proportions of individuals with long COVID unable to return to work, the scale of newly disabled individuals is contributing to labour shortages. There are currently no validated effective treatments."
There's now a working definition of the symptoms that distinguish long COVID.[2] Imaging studies are matching up heart, lung, and brain damage with reported symptoms. It's becoming clearer what the damage is, and, over time, what heals and what doesn't.
People can get COVID over and over, sometimes with cumulative damage. Immunity from both vaccines and infections is only 3-18 months. What is this going to look like in five years?
And companies want to cram people into bullpens again.
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2
[2] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-06-02/how-comm...