persistence and relief

[mellowtigger]

An important overview paper about SARS-CoV-2 was published from The Medical Journal Of Australia online yesterday. It cites a lot of other papers, summarizing what's known about some of the issues I've been warning about here for a while. It focuses on things like immune dysregulation and viral persistence. This article has a long title with a bit of hope in it: "Towards a cure for long COVID: the strengthening case for persistently replicating SARS-CoV-2 as a driver of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19". Note, however, that it doesn't mention virus in neurons as another (non-curable) method of persistence. It only mentions the 2 methods of persistence (gut, and bone marrow/immune system) as potentially curable paths of persistence.

As always, I encourage everyone to keep masking. I do it myself every time I'm around other people.

I've decided to do something different in 2025. I know that even when restricting my doom-and-gloom posts to Moody Monday, that's still a lot of negativity that nobody needs in trying times. So I'm going to try transforming it into something almost "fun" for next year.

Near the end of 2024, I intend to post my Doom Bingo 2025 card. I will have each square with a topic that I expect to appear in 2025 as "Something Bad That Happens". I might even include some links for why I predict it will appear in the course of the year. During the year, however, I will not post about that topic. Really! Instead, as evidence piles up, I'll keep a folder of news clippings that I can use in December 2025 to determine if I "win" the bingo card for that year.

Now, I may post tangent topics, like helpful things to do to prepare for the troubles. I won't, however, post warnings any more. The time for warnings is over. Either my sense of trends is right or wrong. A Bingo game might make even bad news seem less traumatic. If nothing else, it'll keep this blog a little more like it used to be in the old days, focused more on interesting things to learn or do, or the fun intersection between many topics.

So, stay tuned. My planned Doom Bingo 2025 card will show up here soon. :) Finally, some relief from the stressful topics.

Comments

[rebeccmeister]

I like the idea of the Doom Bingo Card. At the same time, I actually also appreciate when you devote at least some blog posts to some of the doom-and-gloom news, where there are benefits to having an understanding of what's happening in our world these days.

To give an example, if left solely to my own devices, I would probably become overly cavalier about COVID risk mitigation. I am trying to use a range of techniques to keep myself reasonably vigilant, and one of those techniques is paying attention to social media posts and commentary by other people about the ongoing risks associated with that particular pandemic.

But the Bingo Card has a different sort of appeal, especially in terms of what predictions actually come to pass.

[mellowtigger]

It's hard to know what's happening about SARS-CoV-2, because the whole world has decided to "move on". I had to double-check, but the virus is still classified as BSL-3 when working with live virus. There is, however, use of BSL-2 safety protocols when working with inactivated virus. Regardless, either option is waaaaay more precautions than most people take in day-to-day life with virus still floating in the air everywhere. The CDC (I think, no link handy at the moment) has even taken to recalibrating their wastewater data graph, so the low points appear as nearly nonexistent presence rather than just low, pretending that there are times when transmission risk is zero. Ugh.

Edit: I had to go check again. Here's the CDC chart, link below. Notice farther down the page their own definitions for Minimal versus Low transmission. Then follow the data lines in the chart in the "Minimal" section. Some areas clearly qualify as "Low" transmission instead. Blatant misrepresentation, and this guy has a screenshot of what it used to look like, but when I check archive.org, the scraping is all kinds of messed up so I can't actually see the graph in the past to confirm.
https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-nationaltrend.html

[rebeccmeister]

Sigh. It's quite clear by now that the CDC is an economic body rather than one concerned about human health.

I can understand the virus still being classified as BSL-3 from the standpoint that there is no reason for governing bodies to hurry up and change a classification that is overly cautious when it comes to workplace practices, especially given the narrative about the virus potentially having been the result of a lab leak. So, a lot of political factors affecting the classification decision, in addition to what we do or do not know about what the virus does.

It's frustrating to have more limited information from the wastewater testing these days. On the other hand, I'm grateful that much of the newly developed wastewater testing infrastructure is continuing to be used, and is also helping with tackling trends for other infectious diseases (e.g. polio cases).

[shimmerwine]

I try not to swim in the darkness, but I absolutely have not moved on. I'm the only person I know who still masks. Always. And as for what's coming, jeezus, its terrifying and no one around me seems the slightest bit worried. It's mind-boggling and sometimes makes me wonder if I'm over-reacting even though I know I'm not. Having others post about write about the reality helps me stay firm and not stick my head in the sand like those around me.

[house_wren]

It still surprises me how cavalier others are, not masking and then later saying, "Oh, yeah, haha, I had covid again. It wasn't bad at all and I'm all better now." I make it a point not to be around people who are so casual about protecting themselves. There's not much chance they would change their behavior to protect me.

I am always wearing a mask when out and about. I have rheumatoid arthritis and other ailments. I really don't want to find out what covid would do to me.

FYI: I've liked reading your doom-and-gloom -- aka Reality -- posts. Helps me feel less isolated. (Which is ironic...less isolated while very isolated.)

You could make a bingo card that was cheery to counteract the gloomy doomy times we are in: saw a lilac bloom, found money on the sidewalk, ate the best peach, etc.

[mellowtigger]

At work (100% remote for me), I'm aware of people with lingering/recurring issues that I keep thinking is Long Covid, but I never bring it up as a possibility. At one of my grocery stores, there is a cashier who almost 100% of the time is wearing a cloth mask still. She's as old as me or older, still working the till.

I've insisted a few times over the years that I'm still optimistic about our collective future, but it hasn't read that way on the blog. I hope this change will make it more obvious that there are also good trends happening.

[shimmerwine]

What you said about those who have had it multiple times. My thought is always, "are you nuts?? You must not be paying any attention...or you're paying attention to the wrong things. And don't you wonder why you're sick with all kinds of illnesses year-round???" I just can't with them anymore, but sadly it's everyone around me so I can't opt out. I just keep masking and if one is sick, stay away from them as much as possible (difficult at work, though). I don't know what else we can do.