A man dies from a stroke. A friend in her 40s and another in his 70s experience a lot of dizziness, their hearts pounding when they stand. A 21-year-old student with no previous medical history is admitted to the intensive care unit with heart failure, while a 48 year old avid tennis player suddenly has a heart attack. pericarditis is an inflammation of the protective sac around the heart.
I don't know the cause of all these cases. All of the people I mentioned had a history of chronic bronchitis either days or months before they got sick.
Is it possible that we still underestimate COVID? I don't think it's normal for me to know so many people. It's not normal at all.
While there are many possible causes for a person's health misfortunes, the sheer volume of cases speaks to something more worrisome than just a fad.
The incidence of strokes in young patients has been documented in a large international study. Many lacked typical risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure, and were younger than 55.
In a study that included patients from the initial wave of the Pandemic, scientists from the University of Florida found that survivors of severe COVID-19 had two-and-a-half times the risk of dying in the year following illness. The majority of downstream deaths were not due to typical Covid problems.
Arch Mainous is one of the study's authors.
In a huge analysis of more than 30,000 patients who had received a vaccine, scientists found that six months after the vaccine was given, patients had a higher risk of death and long-term COVID symptoms.
The fittest are not protected. There has been a troubling pattern of sudden cardiac deaths in athletes in the wake of the Pandemic. J.J. Watt, a football player for the ArizonaCardinals, recently disclosed that he had an episode of a heart rhythm problem, and it is noteworthy that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 six weeks prior. Covid has been associated with atrial fibrillation.
Ziyad Al-Aly from the Washington University School of Medicine and his team analyzed the health records of 38,000 people with COVID re infections. Researchers found that individuals who had re-infection had a higher risk of mortality, hospitalization, and adverse health outcomes.
The risks were present regardless of whether or not you had a vaccine. Acute and long-term risks were increased by every infection.
We don't know how pervasive this all is. According to an analysis of more than 150,000 COVID-19 survivors published in Nature Medicine, people with coronaviruses are at increased risk of developing neurological sequelae, including strokes, cognitive and memory problems, seizures, movement disorders, and many other issues. People who did not need to be hospitalized for their initial infections were at higher risk of developing long-term problems.
The long-term consequences of COVID-19 were shown by the results. Some of these will ruin people's lives for a long time.
More than 40 million new neurologic cases are thought to be caused by COVID. Predated vaccines are a key caveat. Al-Aly knows that vaccines do not eliminate Covid risk. A large study shows that vaccines are only 15% effective at preventing long COVID.
The risk of some of these problems is higher in young adults. A study found that COVID-19 increased the risk of Alzheimer's in people with no previous diagnosis.
The risk of blood clot is thought to be increased by the COVID-19 infections. In a study of 48 million adults in England and Wales, COVID-19 was found to be linked with dramatic increases in both arteries and veins.
Some of the results of the virus are frightening. A study that included data from over a million patients found that adolescents ages 18 and younger had a 72 percent increased risk of developingType 1 diabetes in the six months following their COVID infections. Adults are also at risk of that risk.
There is a nightmare scenario. There is a mild case of diabetes. Most cities, governments, and even the CDC are relaxing restrictions when it comes to precautions for cobras.
It's time for America to wake up. According to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, two thirds of Americans don't want to get the updated booster shots.
The degree of immune escape and evasion is crazy right now, according to a researcher. BQ. 1.1, CA.1, and XBB are the most antibody-evasive strains to date, according to a preprint. The results suggest herd immunity may not provide enough protection against infections.
300 to 400 carbon dioxide deaths are happening every day in our country. There are rising cases in some European countries. Karl Lauterbach, Germany's federal minister of health, said in a press conference that they are at the beginning of a winter wave. New rules require mask-wearing in hospitals, nursing homes, and doctors' offices in Germany.
The road ahead will be difficult until we can develop a variant-proof vaccine, approve nasal vaccines to help block infections at the port of entry, and develop better treatments. The arsenal is not expanding despite what the CDC may say. Many monoclonal therapies were rendered obsolete after they were approved as the virus outsmarted us and kept evolving.
Al-Aly estimates that up to 12% of people with breakthrough infections may die from long COVID. Around the world, an estimated 145 million people suffer from the condition.
We need to do a better job of preventing infections, funding research, and developing a coordinated response. Universal coronaviruses and drugs to minimize Covid risk are top priorities. Al-Aly says that we need ambitious policies to get ahead of the epidemic.
We are clearly tired of masking, boosting, and consorting in general. We are nowhere near the finish line. We can't pretend otherwise.
Carolyn Barber has practiced medicine for 25 years. She is the author of the book Runaway Medicine: What You Don't Know May Kill You. The Wheels of Change program is based in California.
The opinions and beliefs of Fortune are not reflected in the commentary pieces.
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