random SARS-CoV-2 headlines

I expect this post to be my last one about this epidemic for a while. New research just supports my previous assertions rather than disproving them. I've already said everything that needs to be said. Reminder: Everything that's happening can be predicted easily from the 5 things to know about SARS-CoV-2.

See a few recent headlines...

Many people were told their Long Covid symptoms were "all in the head" and not real, like this child. These symptoms are not the result of anxiety. In fact, it's the reverse, with people feeling anxious because their health problems are being ignored. Thankfully, someone is now clearly stating that the medical community should stop doing that, because the damage is real, even when the mind or brain itself is affected. Front line physicians are finally beginning to realize just how little they know. That's good news, at least.

Also good news is that mainstream news has started to cover the long term complications of infection. This virus damages the immune system. Even Time Magazine did an article (free archive copy) recently on this topic. This virus infects and destroys CD4 T cells, it damages CD8 T cell responses, and it hampers interferon production. The new XBB 1.1.16 variant includes "improvements" (good for disease, bad for humans) in this interferon process, meaning that it will produce more virus in the body. So-called immunity debt was always a bad concept. As expected from a damaged immune system, we're seeing an increase in cancer, simultaneous disease is a thing that happens, and life expectancy continues to fall. I remember thinking to myself during the earlier epidemic, learning about toxoplasmosis in people with AIDS, "Wait, it's a disease in sheep that's infecting people?" Now, though, we have a disease in plants that is showing up in humans for the first time.

There has even been good news in the anti-vaccination realm. Researchers showed the effects on young people in England of vaccination versus infection. As rational people would expect, vaccination is good while infection is bad. "By contrast, a positive SARS-CoV-2 test is associated with increased cardiac and all-cause mortality among both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals." In fact, risk of cardiac events is so high after infection (even mild infection), that some cardiologists see clear benefit of vaccination in reducing that risk. Don't get infected. If you've been infected, then don't get infected again.

When the man in the shop
asked me
if I was going
to keep wearing my mask
forever
I replied by asking him
if he was going
to keep getting strangely ill
forever
and I could tell immediately
that he did not like my question.

https://mastodon.social/@plaguepoems/110119565072892815

The USA Senate voted to end the Covid-19 emergency declaration. Taking the opposite tactic, I have tried my best to warn people ahead of time about what they can expect to happen. I even created a website just for that sole purpose. Obviously, I failed to change the world. I'm encouraged by the fact that other people are taking up the cause, detailing with citations the many consequences of infection. Stay safe out there. Remember that the virus is airborne, so always isolate, distance, and mask.