Why would anyone promote "natural herd immunity". Ignoring the huge number of deaths -- it merely brings misery across the entire population including those with mild cases. Nearly One-Third of People with ‘Mild’ COVID-19 Cases Still Have ‘Persistent Symptoms’ Months Later: Study Fatigue was the most commonly reported symptom, while others included brain fog and continued loss of smell or taste https://people.com/health/nearly-on...-have-persistent-symptoms-months-later-study/ A new study has found that nearly one-third of people who reported having "mild" cases of COVID-19 still experience lingering symptoms up to nine months later. In a letter published last week in the JAMA Network Open, researchers from the University of Washington conducted a study with 177 adults who had "laboratory-confirmed" cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. While 11 participants were asymptomatic and another 16 had moderate or severe cases, 150 were outpatients with "mild illness" who did not require hospitalization. All participants filled out surveys about their lasting symptoms, which were completed 3 to 9 months after their symptoms began. RELATED: Three-Quarters of Recovered Coronavirus Patients Have Heart Damage Months Later, Study Finds Nearly one-third of outpatients and those who had been hospitalized reported experiencing at least one "persistent symptom," according to the study. Fatigue was the most commonly reported symptom, occurring in 14 percent of participants. Other symptoms included continued loss of smell or taste and brain fog. Less than 10 percent of patients, the majority of which had not been hospitalized, also "reported negative impacts on at least 1 activity of daily living, the most common being household chores." "Our research indicates that the health consequences of COVID-19 extend far beyond acute infection, even among those who experience mild illness," researchers wrote, noting that additional long-term studies will need to be performed "to fully understand the impact of this evolving viral pathogen." Researchers noted that their findings were consistent with a previous Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, which was published last May. However, that report examined symptoms lasting between 14-21 days after a positive test result. Another study published last month found that out of 1,733 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China, 76 percent were still experiencing at least one symptom after six months. "It's very hard to predict who will get these symptoms," Dr. Zijian Chen, the medical director of New York City's Center for Post-Covid Care at Mount Sinai Health System, told CNN. Chen went on to add that the patients treated at the center are "of all races" and "span in age from the 20s to 70s and 80s." Noting that treatment for each individual needs to be tailored to their specific needs, Dr. Christian Sandrock, who assesses patients at UC Davis' Post-COVID-19 clinic, stressed the importance of "supportive care." "That really involves better living and higher quality living, for lack of a better term. But that means you really need sleep," Sandrock told CNN. "We want people to really be patient with themselves, know that it's going to take a lot of time as they work through it. So that, I think, is key."
Strain on NHS as tens of thousands of staff suffer long Covid ONS says at least 122,000 health service workers have condition, threatening patient care https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/03/nhs-feels-strain-tens-thousands-staff-long-covid Intense pressures on the already overstretched NHS are being exacerbated by the tens of thousands of health staff who are sick with long Covid, doctors and hospital bosses say. At least 122,000 NHS personnel have the condition, the Office for National Statistics disclosed in a detailed report that showed 1.1 million people in the UK were affected by the condition. That is more than any other occupational group and ahead of teachers, of whom 114,000 have it. Patient care is being hit because many of those struggling with long Covid are only able to work part-time, are too unwell to perform their usual duties, or often need time off because they are in pain, exhausted or have “brain fog”. “Ongoing illness can have a devastating impact on individual doctors, both physically and by leaving them unable to work. Furthermore, it puts a huge strain on the health service, which was already vastly understaffed before the pandemic hit,” said Dr Helena McKeown, the workforce lead at the British Medical Association, which represents doctors. “With around 30,000 sickness absences currently linked to Covid in the NHS in England, we cannot afford to let any more staff become ill. Simply put, if they are off sick, they’re unable to provide care and patients will not get the care and treatment they need. “In the longer term, if more staff face ongoing illness from past Covid-19 infection, the implications for overall workforce numbers will be disastrous.” Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which speaks for health trusts in England, said: “Long Covid is a real and growing concern for trust leaders because of its impact on the health and wellbeing of the NHS staff affected and the effect their unavoidable absence has on the ability to deliver healthcare services. “It is particularly worrying that in the latest ONS data healthcare workers self-reported the highest rates of long Covid among all professions, with nearly 4% – accounting for about 122,000 of the estimated 1.094 million people in the UK reporting ongoing symptoms.” Dealing with long Covid will be “a significant challenge [for the NHS] for months and most likely years to come”, he added. A Facebook group for doctors with long Covid has 1,200 members, though a small number of those are thought to be fellow medics who are studying the condition. Dr Sarah Burns and Dr Sue Warren, the GPs who set up the group, said recently in the BMJ that doctors incapacitated due to long Covid feel “intense feelings of failure and grief for leaving colleagues with increased workloads and not personally contributing to the ‘fight against Covid’. This self-stigmatisation and shame is common among sick doctors.” They added that “many felt angry that they had, almost certainly, contracted Covid-19 in their workplaces but now felt abandoned or even penalised by colleagues. A small but not insignificant number have been asked to leave roles due to prolonged sick leave.” Some doctors with long Covid say the NHS has not understood their condition and that help so far has been patchy. Prof Andrew Goddard, the president of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), which represents hospital doctors, said: “Anyone with long Covid should be able to expect that those looking after them in the NHS understand their condition. It is worrying that doctors with long Covid have described their condition as not understood by their colleagues.” Recent RCP surveys have shown that a small but growing number of doctors have symptoms of long Covid, especially fatigue, pain and breathlessness. In February more doctors were off sick because of that than due to acute Covid itself, Goddard added. Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat MP who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus, wants ministers to classify long Covid as an occupational disease and set up a scheme to compensate workers in health, social care and other public service roles who have been left unable to work because they have it. The ONS found about 30,000 social care workers also had long Covid, which could affect staffing levels in care homes and among services that provide at-home care. NHS England said its new network of specialist long Covid clinics was already treating staff with the condition. A spokesperson said:“Our network of long Covid clinics is already supporting healthcare staff who are experiencing ongoing coronavirus symptoms, to make sure they get the right support. “We have also put in place a comprehensive package of support for the mental health impacts of the pandemic, including dedicated staff mental health hubs across the country, 24/7 text and phone support and free access to self-help apps.”
Kids can get long-haul COVID, too. Recovery can take months Hospitals open pediatric long-haul COVID units as children grapple with lingering virus effects https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-long-haul-hospitals-pediatric-units-children/ At least five hospitals in the U.S. have started pediatric long-haul clinics to help kids with lingering COVID-19 illness as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mount a massive, nationwide study of long-haul COVID that includes children. While many children do not experience severe COVID-19 illness, the coronavirus can have a lasting and serious impact on their health. At the request of CBS News, one hospital in Omaha documented how it is trying to help a girl who is struggling with the lingering effects of the virus. Twelve-year-old Piper Sibert has been battling extreme fatigue for the last two months. She has been going to the Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha to build back her endurance. These days when she gets to run, it's in rehab, to the encouragement of medical staff cheering her on. "It is scary because you don't know if you will do something that could make you stop breathing," Piper told CBS News' David Begnaud. "It's just kind of a squeezing. It almost feels like someone's sitting on your chest." Piper's mom Sarah said her husband tested positive for the virus in November, but no one else in the family got sick. Then one day in February, Piper was sent home from school. "Just went from a really active kid to very lethargic, wore out," Sarah Sibert said. "We took an antibody test and that proved that Piper had indeed had COVID at some point but we don't know exactly when that was." Dr. Jean Ballweg, who runs the Clinic for Pediatric Long Haulers, said these young patients are not showing the signs she expected. The clinic treats about 10 patients like Piper each Friday. "I think most of us would have expected that really symptomatic kids with acute COVID were the ones that were going to have symptoms for months, and that is just not what we're seeing," she said. And patients like Piper have a long road to recovery. "I'm frustrated that there's not a cure for it and something that can make it go away," Piper said. "I don't get to do the things that I really like and enjoy to do." Long-haul COVID is also different from another pediatric condition associated with the virus, Multisystem inflammatory syndrome of children. The latter illness is associated with high fever, rash and stomach pain. Nearly one in five COVID-19 cases within the last week of March were in kids under 18. Health experts say the coronavirus variant that was first discovered in England is driving a spike in coronavirus cases in several states. The director of the National Institutes of Health said it is likely 70% more infectious and significantly more deadly, even for young people. However, Brown University School of Public Health Dean Dr. Ashish Jha offered some optimism in an appearance on "CBS This Morning" Monday. "These vaccines are really remarkable," Jha said. "They seem to hold up very well against all the variants, against the U.K. variant that's spreading widely, it's terrific. Even against some of the more tricky variants, it seems to be largely holding up."
So let's see how COVID is impacting the suicide rate. No, it has nothing to do with "lockdowns". It is all the victims of COVID enduring "long-COVID" due to poor public health policy that failed to stop the spread of COVID. Especially at fault are all the politicians and pundits who claimed that we needed to stop restrictions and let COVID spread freely because "lockdowns" would cause more suicides, the exact opposite is turning out to be true. The victims of COVID are enduring unimaginable long-term symptoms leading to suicide. COVID long-haulers are killing themselves as symptoms become too painful to bear — but support groups offer relief https://www.insider.com/long-term-covid-sufferers-are-killing-themselves-heres-why-2021-4 Experts say there may be a link between severe post-COVID symptoms and increased suicide risks. Texas Roadhouse CEO Kent Taylor's death last month highlighted COVID-19's impact on mental health. Severe tinnitus and continuous "brain fog" are among the "long-haul" symptoms of COVID-19. Months-long suffering from "long-haul" COVID-19 symptoms has been linked to severe depression and anxiety and even suicidal ideation. Texas Roadhouse CEO Kent Taylor's death by suicide last month highlighted the coronavirus' severe toll on mental health. A statement released by Taylor's family linked his death to lingering symptoms he was experiencing including severe tinnitus, or ringing in ears. "Kent battled and fought hard like the former track champion that he was, but the suffering that greatly intensified in recent days became unbearable," the statement said. Taylor was among many who have struggled to cope with the debilitating long-term effects of COVID-19, which in addition to tinnitus include fatigue as well as constant "brain fog" and memory loss. These symptoms — and how people can manage them in the long term — are still being studied, as the number of known COVID-19 cases in the US alone passes 30 million. When physical stressors turn into psychological ones Research by Leo Sher, a professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, noted that COVID-19 survivors could continue to tangle with headaches, dizziness, seizures, and other neurological conditions long after their diagnosis. Those physical stressors, Sher warned, can often morph into psychological ones. "COVID-19 survivors should be regarded as individuals at elevated risk for suicide," Sher wrote in an April paper. "Recovered COVID-19 patients need to be screened for depression, and many coronavirus disease survivors will need long-term psychological interventions." Dr. Jill Stoller, a pediatrician from New Jersey, contracted COVID-19 in March 2020. She recovered from the infection but could never quite shake off some of the symptoms. Stoller, The New York Times reported in March, struggled with brain fog and depression. The 59-year-old spent months trying to push her way through to a full recovery but continued to feel weak and short of breath. After intensively researching the experiences of so-called COVID-19 long-haulers, Stoller became convinced she would never fully recover. "She had this amazing ability to bounce back from anything, but this time was different," her son, Travis Stoller, told The Times. Six months after contracting COVID-19, Stoller took her own life on November 29. "I don't think any of us realized how hopeless she felt," her son said. "But she was absolutely convinced this virus had completely changed her as a person." As noted in a Harvard Medical School blog post, some people who recover from COVID-19 are left with clear damage to their lungs, heart, kidney, or brain. But the long-haulers are in their own category, with symptoms that linger for months including constant headaches, fatigue, prolonged body aches, and inability to sleep. The New York Times also reported that long-haulers need not have suffered from intense COVID-19 symptoms to experience long-term effects — and some cases actually get worse over time. Long-term symptoms can have a devastating impact on one's mental health, making depression and suicidal ideation a risk of the recovery process. Recent research published in the European Respiratory Journal found as well that long-haulers were at significant risk of experiencing depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. "Our results show very clearly that among those who we provided post-COVID care for, many have experienced some level of poor mental health during their recovery," said Dr. Swapna Mandal, a consultant respiratory physician at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust who was the lead researcher on the study. "All health professionals who are involved in the care of those with long-COVID must be aware of this and should actively screen patients for symptoms, even in those with pre-existing mental health issues." Additionally, studies that monitored COVID-19 patients 21 days after their diagnosis and 60 days after discharge showed that some 50% to 80% of patients continued to not feel well up to three months after they first were diagnosed, months after tests no longer detect a live virus in their bodies. Some medical professionals liken long-haul COVID-19 symptoms to those of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic-fatigue syndrome. A 2015 study from Kings College London on people with ME/CFS suggested they were six times as likely to die by suicide than the general population. An uphill battle just to be believed Both those with long-haul symptoms and with ME/CFS have described struggling not only with managing symptoms, but also with being believed by their peers and loved ones. Lauren Nichols contracted COVID-19 in March 2020 and has since dealt with long-haul symptoms of brain fog and forgetfulness, along with the inability to do more than one thing at a time. She told The New York Times in January that she had contemplated suicide because friends, family members, and even her doctor didn't believe she was still sick. The desire to be believed is a core issue for Denise Kelley, a 29-year-old from Massachusetts, who said she was "constantly on the verge of having a breakdown" because no one would believe her. She told Insider that she used to be active, and loved going to the gym, but hadn't left her room in close to a month because of constant brain fog after receiving a COVID-19 diagnosis in January. "You feel so alone, and no one seems to understand why you're unable to function," she said. "I'm not lazy. I'm struggling with something even I can't quite comprehend or come to terms with." A ray of hope Christine Moutier, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's chief medical officer, told Insider that "encouraging" numbers regarding suicide rates were being reported across the US. "While suicide risk factors, such as anxiety, social isolation, economic stress, and suicidal ideation have increased during the pandemic, it is important for everyone to understand that suicide risk is complex and protective factors also play a powerful role," Moutier said. "While we do not yet have national suicide data from the full year of 2020, early data from Florida, Massachusetts, Utah, and Hawaii show that the overall suicide rates declined or saw no change in 2020, compared with the previous year." Some COVID-19 long-haulers have found ways to cope: online groups on social-media platforms like Facebook. Beth Lilla-Idrogo, 50, from Texas, told Insider that the COVID-19 support group she joined after her diagnosis in January was helping her cope with some of her symptoms — which include heart palpitations, inflammation, hearing changes, and brain fog. "The group helps because I know I'm not alone. I read the remedies others tried out and things that have helped, and give them a shot," she said. For others, these online groups are a source of emotional support. "I don't know anyone personally who is struggling with post-COVID symptoms, so seeing how many others are having the same symptoms helps validate my own," said Catherine Nilson, 35, who lives in Pennsylvania and received a COVID-19 diagnosis in December. "Like, this is actually happening: I'm not overreacting or imagining it." Nilson, who is a member of a COVID-19 long-haulers support group for women, added that the group helped her link some of the symptoms she was experiencing, like excessive thirst, to being a post-COVID-19 manifestation — something that helped alert her doctor to run the appropriate tests. "Luckily, I have a strong support system and I'm just taking things a day at a time and trying to remain positive that things will improve," she said. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.
Brain fog is a symptom of the restrictions and stress of lockdown...independent of being positive. I am sure that could be true for much of this long haul fear mongering.
'Long haulers' study suggests even mild COVID-19 could increase risk of death up to 6 months after infection https://www.businessinsider.com/long-covid-death-risk-hospital-study-long-haulers-2021-4
The medical community fully recognizes long haul Covid and is concerned about the unknowns on long term damages. We get it, you feel the emotional need to deny it. So what.
CDC study on COVID-19 long-haulers: Two-thirds of non-hospitalized patients received new diagnoses https://thehill.com/policy/healthca...ulers-two-thirds-of-non-hospitalized-patients A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released Friday found that two-thirds of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients received some kind of new diagnosis up to six months after contracting the virus, supporting concerns about later health problems. The research, done in partnership with Kaiser Permanente Georgia, found that 69 percent of patients had one or more outpatient medical visits between 28 and 180 days after their initial COVID-19 diagnosis. The study examined electronic record data of health care visits from 3,171 patients if they were not hospitalized in the first 28 days after their coronavirus diagnosis. A total of 2,177 patients had at least one medical visit between 28 and 180 days after the COVID-19 diagnosis, amounting to almost 8,000 visits total. Among patients with medical visits, 68 percent received a new diagnosis and 38 percent visited a new specialist who did not treat the patient in the year before the COVID-19 diagnosis. Patients who were older than 65, women, non-Hispanic Black patients and those with underlying health conditions were more likely to have an outpatient medical visit. The scientists suggested this could be partly because some groups are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus and are at higher risk for post-COVID-19 conditions. The new diagnoses included cough, shortness of breath, chest or throat pain, or fatigue, which the researchers noted “likely represent ongoing COVID-19 symptoms.” COVID-19 was documented as an active diagnosis in 10 percent of patients who had at least one medical visit within the 180 days. Visits for COVID-19 symptoms decreased after 60 days, but some people still reported issues beyond 120 days. The researchers noted that they did not compare the number of visits among non-hospitalized adults after COVID-19 to adults not diagnosed with COVID-19. They also said three-quarters of the participants were covered by commercial insurance, mostly leaving out uninsured or publicly insured people. The study comes as the medical community has warned that patients with COVID-19 have reported ongoing health issues in the weeks and months after getting infected. “The presence of active COVID-19, symptoms of COVID-19 diagnoses, and specialty referrals suggest that some non-hospitalized adults, including those with asymptomatic or mild acute illness, likely have continued health care needs months after diagnosis,” the study said. “Raising awareness among patients, clinicians, and health systems about common new diagnoses and health needs, including specialist evaluation, after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection is important to understand the long-term effects of the illness,” it added. A similar study published in the journal Nature this week concluded that COVID-19 survivors who were not hospitalized were 60 percent more likely to die than uninfected individuals.
I hope long Covid does not last as long as your posts. The gaslighting continues. The fascist left is looking for any reason to have us on some sort of lockdown forever. The answer is no, so you, they, whomever can make up more mysterious ailments about this flu bug, it ain't gonna fly for never ending government oppression. At this point I think Covid obsession should be in the mental illness category.