In England, the prevalence of persistent symptoms was higher in women and older people. Obesity, smoking or vaping, hospitalisation and deprivation were also associated with a higher probability of persistent symptoms. Those who were hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK showed even more severe outcomes.
In the US, younger survivors were at higher risk than people over 65 for heart-rhythm disturbances and musculoskeletal pain. This is consistent with other observations that long COVID is not a disorder only of older age.
Older survivors had a significantly higher risk of developing certain conditions, including kidney failure, clotting disorders, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), type 2 diabetes, muscle disorders and a variety of neurologic and psychiatric conditions.
A US study involving more than five million people shows the risk of long COVID increases with the number of reinfections.
ADOPT REGULAR MASK USE
There are lessons from the 1918-19 influenza pandemic that we need to bring back into our repertoire, not for a month or two but for the long term.
Japan adopted mask wearing as a key public-health element on a short list of available measures. As science writer Laura Spinney notes in her excellent 2017 coverage of the flu pandemic’s history, it “probably marked the beginning of the practice of mask wearing to protect others from one’s own germs”.
In Japan, mask use was compulsory for some, such as the police. In some towns, people were not permitted on public transport or allowed to enter a theatre without a mask.
Japan had the lowest death rate of all Asian countries in the flu pandemic and is looking to be close to the lowest cumulative mortality in the OECD for the COVID-19 pandemic.
We would remain stronger and healthier – and reduce the burden of long COVID – if we increased vaccination coverage and universally adopted Japanese-style regular mask use and physical distancing.
Singapore is a very impatient tiny country - the MMTF must be very tired of waiting for the Covid-19 pandemic to blow over.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the problem now is NOT that cases have gone down. Comparatively speaking, the cases have gone down for a short period of time. It was 18,000 plus cases per day only in February this year. Now, it is still more than 1,000 cases a day.
We still do not know much about the Omicron variant yet. Though it is somewhat mild but it can cause pneumonia and difficulty breathing. It is also very widely spread and easily transmissible.
Therefore, I would caution that we should wait until the cases have come down to about 50 cases per day. Then, and only then, we can take off our mask!
Moreover, there is this long Covid-19 to content with in the long-term.
It is a fact that viruses keep on mutating. The Covid19 and the common flu viruses are viruses and must be mutating all the time.
ReplyDeleteWhen Covid19 virus was 'discovered', somehow magically, the common flue virus disappeared. No one is suffering from common flu when the number of daily cases were as large as the Covid19 flu. Theoretically, if both flue are existing side by side, the number of infections and deaths would be double.
But funny, no more mention of common flu, like it does not exist anymore.
Did the common flu virus mutated themselves into thin air? It cannot be that the common flu virus is static, does not mutate.
Where have the common flu viruses gone to? Or it is now called Covid19 or Omicron or whatever? It cannot disappeared totally. It cannot stop mutating.
Go figure.
I have attended a wake in an enclosed airconditioned place 2 months ago. I noticed several tables of visitors removed their masks when chatting. A week later I found out that at least 5 people who attended the wake contracted Covid. I always have my mask on in public transport and never dined in an enclosed space in the last 2.5 years. Glad I am Covid-free in this 70% infected city.
ReplyDeleteLet's see the outcome in due course, from the Western society that is more transparent their news report. Especially on those who are eager to 'live with Covid', and have happily taken accepted their 4 mRNA jabs.
The mRNA Jabs have been proven to be ineffective. The most they can last is for about 2 to 3 months.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, it does not mean that after your 4th Jab, you do not need any more jabs. You may have to take jabs every 2 to 3 months. It is more or less like Flu Jabs.
The doctors will be very to happy to know that you a regular "jabber", jabbing for the sake of jabbing, nothing else.
And perhaps you are also quite rich - that you can afford to be jabbed every 2 to 3 months.
However, besides having to be jabbed every 2 to 3 months, you may become addicted to having your regular jabs. Worst case scenario is that your DNA has been altered until you become a monster or a tiny Guinea Pig.
Fear is the key to all these hypes.
First, they instill fear into you. Then they take their time to keep changing the efficacy and effectiveness of the pseudo vaccines. Once you are hooked, you are forever hooked for the rest of your miserable life.