Re <<hoping for salvation via Federal Reserve last gasp defense of USD by increasing interest rates>>
... unusual hope at this juncture when the officialdom intention is to both trash the currency as well as to tee-up inflation, run up debt, and then default by any and all means necessary, whatever it shall take.
In the meantime report in indicating it-isn’t-over-until-is-over w/r to long-CoVid
bloomberg.com
Why Covid-19’s Impact on Health Is a Long-Term Worry
Jason Gale
October 8, 2020, 11:03 AM GMT+8
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The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is as fast-spreading as it is enigmatic -- with those afflicted experiencing everything from no symptoms to a scratchy throat to life-threatening pneumonia. While it seems that most infections lead to only mild cases of Covid-19, a significant portion of the tens of millions of people who have “recovered” suffer from lingering and sometimes debilitating heart, lung and nervous-system impairments. As researchers try to measure the durability and depth of what’s being called “long Covid,” patient anecdotes and a burgeoning number of post–Covid clinics indicate recovery can be slow and painful, likely meaning the pandemic will sap health resources long after it ends.
1. What are the persistent ailments?
Surveys and preliminary research indicate the most commonly reportedinclude fatigue, breathlessness, headache, insomnia, chest pain, joint pain, coughing, loss of taste and smell, intermittent fevers and skin rashes. Less frequently, hearing problems, “ brain fog,” mental-health problems and hair loss have been reported, though these have yet to be confirmed by studies. Besides these general symptoms, specific organ dysfunction has been reported, involving primarily the heart, lungs, and brain -- even among those whose acute infection led to no discernible symptoms. But the science is still evolving and there’s no consensus yet on a clinical definition for long, or post-acute, Covid.
2. What’s the risk?
It probably increases with the severity of the initial bout of Covid-19. For instance, two-thirds of patients who had mild-to-moderate Covid-19 reported at least one persistent symptom 60 days after falling ill, according to a French study that followed 150 non-critical patients from March to June. A similarly sized study of older, more seriously ill hospital patients in Italy found 87% had at least one symptom, particularly fatigue and shortness of breath, an average of two months later. A survey in the U.S. found 35% of patients who weren’t hospitalized had not returned to normal health as long as three weeks after testing positive. Among 18-to-34-year-olds with no chronic medical conditions, the figure was 19%.
3. How big a problem is this?
We don’t know yet because Covid-19 is a new disease. Researchers haven’t studied enough patients over a long enough period of time to know what the full range of long-term effects, or sequelae, might be. Nor do they know what proportion of patients will suffer from them or for how long. The uncertainties have sometimes led to what so-called long haulers describe as medical gaslighting by health professionals who don’t take their complaints seriously, especially if the patient is a woman. Early findings and the demand for specialized post-Covid clinics to help survivors deal with scarred lungs, chronic heart damage, post-viral fatigue and other debilitating conditions indicate a significant prevalence. The social and economic impact would be magnified if people end up enduring years or decades of coronavirus-related disability. Some researchers say the pandemic may spur chronic fatigue syndrome, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME, and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
4. Do other viruses cause prolonged illness?
Yes. Post-viral syndromes occur after many viral infections, including the common cold, influenza, HIV, infectious mononucleosis, measles and hepatitis B. Diabetes and other long-term consequences were observed in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome, which is caused by a related coronavirus. A Canadian study found 21 health-care workers from Toronto had post-viral symptoms for as long as three years after catching SARS in 2003, and were unable to return to their usual work. Some people who were hospitalized with SARS in Hong Kong still had impaired lung function two years later, a study of 55 patients published in 2010 found. Still, it’s not known yet whether the lessons of SARS are applicable to Covid-19. What’s novel about SARS-CoV-2 is the broad spectrum of symptoms that are being reported and the duration of months not weeks.
The Reference Shelf
Related QuickTakes on what you need to know about the virus, how it spreads, the impact on kids, the risk of second waves, the quest for vaccines and treatments, and how safe is flying.Peter Wark, a conjoint professor in the school of medicine and public health at the University of Newcastle, reviews what we know so farabout the long-term symptoms, as does a report from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.The World Health Organization answers commonly asked questions about Covid-19.An app that records daily symptoms developed at King’s College London tracks more than 4 million Covid-19 patients in the U.K., Sweden and the U.S.Support groups on Slack and Facebook share experiences of thousands of long haulers, and the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at their stories too.
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