The latest increase in COVID-19, caused by a combination of evolving omicron subvariant conversion, appears to be disappearing as cases and hospitalizations begin to decline.
As beyond the waves of covid, this will leave a lingering imprint in the form of a long covid, an ill-defined umbrella term for a set of symptoms that can present with debilitating fatigue, breathing difficulties, chest pain, and mental confusion.
Although omicron infections are sometimes milder than those caused by last summer’s delta variant, omicron has also been shown to cause long-term symptoms and organ damage. it is a subject of passionate study.
Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, is among the researchers who say the much higher number of omicron infections compared to previous variants indicates a desire to prepare for a significant buildup in the number of other people with the condition for a long time. The United States has recorded nearly 38 million covid infections so far this year, while omicron has covered the country. That’s about 40 percent of all infections reported since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Coronavirus Research.
Prolonged covid “is a parallel pandemic that most people don’t even think about,” said Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology at Yale University. “I suspect there will be millions of other people who will contract prolonged covid after an omicron infection. “. “
Scientists have only compared head-to-head variants, with varying results. While a recent study in The Lancet suggests that omicron is less likely to cause prolonged covid, others found the same rate of neurological disorders after omicron and delta infections.
Estimates of the proportion of patients affected by prolonged covid also vary, from 4-5% in adults with triple vaccination to 50% in the unvaccinated, depending on the differences in the populations studied. One of the reasons for this wide diversity is that long covid has been explained in highly variable tactics in other studies, ranging from self-reported fog for a few months after infection to a dangerously impaired inability for pulse and blood pressure that can last for years.
Even at the bottom of those estimates, the abundant number of omicron infections this year would increase the number of cases in the long run. “That’s precisely what we discovered in the UK,” said Claire Steves, professor of ageing and fitness at King’s College. London and author of the Lancet study, which found that patients were 24% to 50% less likely to spread a long covid wave omicron than delta wave. people have been left with omicron, the absolute numbers with prolonged covid have increased,” Steves said.
A recent study that analyzed a veterans Health Administration patient database found that reinfections particularly increase the risk of serious physical disorders, even in other people with mild symptoms. those who became inflamed again with covid were twice as likely to die or suffer a central attack than other people who became inflamed once. And they were much more likely to experience physical disorders of all kinds from six months, adding disorders in the lungs, kidneys and digestive system.
“We say that in a moment the infection is going to get worse; we say it increases the risk,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of studies and schooling at St. Louis veterans affairs.
The researchers say the study, published online but not yet peer-reviewed, should be interpreted with caution. Some have noted that VA patients have unique characteristics and tend to be older men with high rates of chronic diseases that increase the long-lasting threat. covid. They cautioned that the effects of the study cannot be extrapolated to the general population, which is generally younger and healthier.
“We want to validate those findings with other studies,” said Dr. Harlan Krumholz, director of the Center for Outcome Research and Evaluation at Yale New Haven Hospital. Still, he added, the VA has “troubling implications. “
With about 82 of Americans having become inflamed with the coronavirus at least once in mid-July, most of the new cases are now reinfections, said Justin Lessler, a professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Of course, the threat of people’s reinfection is based only on their immune system, but also on the precautions they take, such as masking, booster injections, and crowd avoidance.
New Jersey beauty salon owner Tee Hundley, 43, has had covid 3 times, twice before vaccines were available and returned this summer, having been fully vaccinated. It is still suffering the consequences.
After her momentary infection, she returned to work as a cosmetologist in her Jersey City living room, but struggled with illness and shortness of breath for the next eight months, feeling like she was “breathing with a straw. “
She was exhausted and infrequently slow to locate her words. When plucking a client’s eyebrows, “I literally knew which eyebrow she was waxing,” Hundley said. “My brain was so slow. “
When he had an advanced infection in July, his symptoms were brief and milder: cough, runny nose, and fatigue. But the tightness in his chest remains.
“I feel like it’s something that will stay,” said Hundley, who warns friends with covid not to work too hard. “Maybe you don’t feel bad, but inside your body there is a war. “
Although each omicron subvariant has other mutations, they are similar enough that other people inflamed with one, such as BA. 2, have smart coverage compared to newer versions of omicron, such as BA. 5. more vulnerable to BA. 5.
Several studies have shown that vaccination reduces the risk of prolonged covid. But the extent of this coverage varies by study, from 15% risk relief to a reduction of more than 50%. A study published in July found that the risk of prolonged covid minimized with the dose received.
For now, the only sure way to save yourself from long covid is to avoid getting sick. This is no easy task as the virus mutates and Americans have largely stopped wearing masks in public places. Current vaccines are perfect for saving you from serious diseases, but they don’t prevent the virus from spreading from one user to another. Scientists are working with next-generation vaccines: “variant-proof” injections that would work on any version of the virus, as well as nasal sprays that could simply save its spread. If they are successful, it may especially slow down new cases of prolonged covid.
“We want vaccines that transmit,” Al-Aly said. “We want it for yesterday. “
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The latest increase in COVID-19, caused by a combination of evolving omicron subvariant conversion, appears to be disappearing as cases and hospitalizations begin to decline.
As beyond the waves of covid, this will leave a lingering imprint in the form of a long covid, an ill-defined umbrella term for a set of symptoms that can present with debilitating fatigue, breathing difficulties, chest pain, and mental confusion.
Although omicron infections are sometimes milder than those caused by last summer’s delta variant, omicron has also been shown to cause long-term symptoms and organ damage. it is a subject of passionate study.
Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, is among the researchers who say the much higher number of omicron infections compared to previous variants indicates a desire to prepare for a significant buildup in the number of other people with the condition for a long time. The United States has recorded nearly 38 million covid infections so far this year, while omicron has covered the country. That’s about 40 percent of all infections reported since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Coronavirus Research.
Prolonged covid “is a parallel pandemic that most people don’t even think about,” said Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology at Yale University. “I suspect there will be millions of other people who will contract prolonged covid after an omicron infection. “. “
Scientists have only compared head-to-head variants, with varying results. While a recent study in The Lancet suggests that omicron is less likely to cause prolonged covid, others found the same rate of neurological disorders after omicron and delta infections.
Estimates of the proportion of patients affected by prolonged covid also vary, from 4-5% in adults with triple vaccination to 50% in the unvaccinated, depending on the differences in the populations studied. One of the reasons for this wide diversity is that long covid has been explained in highly variable tactics in other studies, ranging from self-reported fog for a few months after infection to a dangerously impaired inability for pulse and blood pressure that can last for years.
Even at the bottom of those estimates, the abundant number of omicron infections this year would increase the number of cases in the long run. “That’s precisely what we found in the UK,” said Claire Steves, professor of aging and fitness at King’s College. London and author of the Lancet study, which found that patients were 24% to 50% less likely to spread a long covid omicron wave than delta wave. people have stayed with omicron, the absolute numbers with prolonged covid have increased,” Steves said.
A recent study that analyzed a veterans Health Administration patient database found that reinfections particularly increase the risk of serious physical disorders, even in other people with mild symptoms. those who became inflamed again with covid were twice as likely to die or suffer a central attack than other people who became inflamed once. And they were much more likely to enjoy physical disorders of all kinds from six months later, adding disorders in their lungs, kidneys and digestive system.
“We are saying that in a moment the infection will get worse; we say it increases your risk,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, leader of studies and schooling at Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System.
The researchers say the study, published online but not yet peer-reviewed, should be interpreted with caution. Some have noted that VA patients have unique characteristics and tend to be older men with high rates of chronic diseases that increase the long-lasting threat. covid. They cautioned that the effects of the study cannot be extrapolated to the general population, which is generally younger and healthier.
“We want to validate those findings with other studies,” said Dr. Harlan Krumholz, director of the Center for Outcome Research and Evaluation at Yale New Haven Hospital. Still, he added, the VA has “troubling implications. “
With about 82 of Americans having become inflamed with the coronavirus at least once in mid-July, most of the new cases are now reinfections, said Justin Lessler, a professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Of course, the threat of people’s reinfection is based only on their immune system, but also on the precautions they take, such as masking, booster injections, and crowd avoidance.
New Jersey beauty salon owner Tee Hundley, 43, has had covid 3 times, twice before vaccines were available and returned this summer, having been fully vaccinated. It is still suffering the consequences.
After her momentary infection, she returned to work as a cosmetologist in her Jersey City living room, but struggled with illness and shortness of breath for the next eight months, feeling like she was “breathing with a straw. “
She was exhausted and infrequently slow to locate her words. When plucking a client’s eyebrows, “I literally knew which eyebrow she was waxing,” Hundley said. “My brain was so slow. “
When he had an advanced infection in July, his symptoms were brief and milder: cough, runny nose, and fatigue. But the tightness in his chest remains.
“I feel like it’s something that will stay,” said Hundley, who warns friends with covid not to work too hard. “Maybe you don’t feel bad, but inside your body there is a war. “
Although each omicron subvariant has other mutations, they are similar enough that other people inflamed with one, such as BA. 2, have smart coverage compared to newer versions of omicron, such as BA. 5. more vulnerable to BA. 5.
Several studies have shown that vaccination reduces the risk of prolonged covid. But the extent of this coverage varies by study, from 15% risk relief to a reduction of more than 50%. A study published in July found that the risk of prolonged covid minimized with the dose received.
For now, the only sure way to save yourself from long covid is to avoid getting sick. This is no easy task as the virus mutates and Americans have largely stopped wearing masks in public places. Current vaccines are perfect for saving you from serious diseases, but they don’t prevent the virus from spreading from one user to another. Scientists are working with next-generation vaccines: “variant-proof” injections that would work on any version of the virus, as well as nasal sprays that could simply save its spread. If they are successful, it may especially slow down new cases of prolonged covid.
“We want vaccines that transmit,” Al-Aly said. “We want it for yesterday. “
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