The Coronavirus Thread

[Sean Hayden]

—the number of cases is going up again.

—//—

[Brian Peacock]

Scatology is funny.

[Sean Hayden]

Is that a question?

—//—

COVID-19 can have profound effects on the brain, leading to neurocognitive symptoms like brain fog, memory loss, and even dementia.

https://time.com/6294762/how-covid-19-a ... in-memory/

[JimC]

Scatology is funny.

Shit yeah!

[Brian Peacock]

Is that a question?

—//—

COVID-19 can have profound effects on the brain, leading to neurocognitive symptoms like brain fog, memory loss, and even dementia.

https://time.com/6294762/how-covid-19-a ... in-memory/

Don't forget memory loss as well.

[Sean Hayden]

Stop mumbling!

[L'Emmerdeur]

An article on the possibility that long COVID has a longer-term (scale of decades) effect, including a neurodegenerative component. The good news is that there is a new test to detect misfolding of alpha-synuclein proteins in living patients (misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins are part of the neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases) which could help with earlier treatment.

'Long COVID is devastating and far from rare. As infections rise again, why are we still ignoring it?'

While things seem to be getting back to normal for most people, those with long COVID are still suffering – and this suffering will likely continue on indefinitely if nothing is done to change course.

As previously reported by Salon, an alarming scientific pattern is revealing itself across intersecting areas of research, which suggests that long COVID could be linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's – having to do with the misfolding of alpha-synuclein proteins in the human nervous system. This misfolding is possibly triggered by an initial COVID infection and can lead to unwanted accumulation of alpha-synuclein and the formation of Lewy bodies, resulting in neurological disorders.

It's imperative that we follow this trail of science all the way through to the end. We can hope it's disproved, but ignoring it will leave us headed in the direction of disaster: debilitating, chronic, irreversible health conditions — or what some are calling a "mass-disabling event."

However, as a result of the Public Health Emergency Act expiring, COVID research and tracking has become more difficult. Coverage for tests, contact tracing, research funding, data reporting – it's all been thrown out the window, along with what little COVID precaution was left. Yet every COVID infection still puts an individual at risk of developing long COVID – which, according to the data, is increasingly likely among the less vaccinated and the more times you've contracted the virus.

It remains unclear whether certain COVID variants have greater potential to cause long COVID, but what is clear is that long haulers (people with long COVID) often report symptoms that line up with what those going through the prodromal (subclinical) phases of various brain diseases describe – meaning that long COVID patients are quite possibly experiencing the early stages of neurodegeneration.

[Brian Peacock]

derp

[L'Emmerdeur]

Yeah. I admit I am one of those who continues to wear a mask in some settings. On a trans-Atlantic flight, for instance. I prefer to do damage to my health/brain at my own discretion and in gradual increments. Don't need any help from viruses.

[Brian Peacock]

I've not been right since I contracted COVID in May 2022.

[L'Emmerdeur]

I'll take your word for it, but you have written some excellent stuff here since that date, in my opinion.

[Brian Peacock]

That's very kind of you L'Emmy, but I feel it's not just impacted my physical stamina but my mental resources too. Then again, I'm not as young as I used to be - even though COVID knocked me sideways for a few months perhaps it's just a coincidental, age-related slow down.

[JimC]

I have never had a positive COVID reading on tests, though early this year I suspect both Bron and I had a bout of it, even after 4 jabs (we didn't bother testing that time). If it was, I don't think it had any lasting effect on me. I would like to say that this is due to the protective powers of gin, but Bron seems fine, and she hardly drinks at all...

[Svartalf]

Same here, I suspect I had it twice, but the time I had a test it came back negative, though my quack insisted it was it

[Sean Hayden]

That's very kind of you L'Emmy, but I feel it's not just impacted my physical stamina but my mental resources too. Then again, I'm not as young as I used to be - even though COVID knocked me sideways for a few months perhaps it's just a coincidental, age-related slow down.

I haven’t noticed.