'Long covid' being deliberately vaguely defined

[JuneSummer]

It seems like you can't turn on the TV or open a newspaper at the moment without hearing about 'long covid'. So I decided to look at how it is actually being defined.

Christina Pagel (another who is not a virologist or medically qualified but is never out of the media), has defined it on Twitter as any DC with 'symptoms' after 4 weeks. She then used this definition to say '5-10% of DC with covid get long covid'.

But what are these symptoms- tummy pain, headaches and fatigue. Surely these are all extremely common ailments for DC and adults. Yet anyone who gets covid and has one of these symptoms later is now said to have 'long covid'.

I don't doubt that there are a (very small) number of people who do end up with long term side effects. But it seems to me that 'long covid' is actually now being used to drive up fear and justify the continuation of restrictions.

twitter.com/chrischirp/status/1369731297871007757

It had cut short his career, sorry
He is in hospital most years due to complications of what for many people would be a normal cold. Not this year, fortunately

has

As others have said, Epstein-Barr virus (aka glandular fever) causes everything from Hashimotos to Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and isn’t ever called ‘long EBV’

The general medical consensus is that the vast majority of people will make a full recovery from it but in a small number of people, it will cause or be associated with other conditions.

The resulting conditions aren’t treated any differently because they are post-viral
You just get appropriate medical treatment for the condition you have at that given time.
It should be the same for long covid.

Post viral illnesses have been around for as long as viruses have

@GappyValley

As others have said, Epstein-Barr virus (aka glandular fever) causes everything from Hashimotos to Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and isn’t ever called ‘long EBV’

The general medical consensus is that the vast majority of people will make a full recovery from it but in a small number of people, it will cause or be associated with other conditions.

The resulting conditions aren’t treated any differently because they are post-viral
You just get appropriate medical treatment for the condition you have at that given time.
It should be the same for long covid.

Post viral illnesses have been around for as long as viruses have

This. I had several years of chest/lung problems, culminating in repeated pneumonia, which I traced back to bronchitis after a nasty bout of flu. I'm a decentish singer and it intermittently wrecked my voice. At one stage I was being investigated for permanent lung damage.

It's sad that this is starting to sound like a race to the bottom.
One of the big things I'm hoping comes out of this, is that post viral fatigue will become more recognised, researched and understood.
One of the differences of covid compared to other viruses is the number of bodily systems involved / impacted, which in turn leads to the post viral aka long covid aspect of it to present a little differently to more common PVF syndromes. Plus the numbers are high, and it's predominantly younger people.
It's utterly shite that people with fibromyalgia, ME etc feel that they've been ignored. But this should help you too.

I completely agree jincompoop, but the people who complain that long covid is being dismissed when described as a post viral conditions need to look to themselves too to make sure they aren’t dismissing the experiences of others. I have seen it so much and it is extremely upsetting for those of us with loved ones who have suffered severe post viral effects previously.

After flu in my 20s I was unwell, and suffered recurring tonsillitis for 6 months. Any virus can knock you sideways.

I’m not sure how far the science has progressed but I think there is some evidence that COVID damages certain organs. I remember reading that autopsies on those that had died in Italy showed this in lungs. I remember the doctor saying that the lungs were ‘unrecognisable’. Not saying this to scare. Obviously this was very preliminary and I’m not sure how that line of enquiry went, but I don’t think we can say with any certainty that this is like any other virus. Time will tell.

Also, I think it’s likely that there will be a continuum from minimum effects to full blown CFS/ME type situation. We should be respectful of people’s actual lived experience and their account of that.

The advice from doctors is to rest fully if you get COVID to try and avoid long COVID. I’ll try and find a link but whilst I don’t think we need to be scared, neither should we be complacent.

Yes, my relative has terrible lung scarring as a result of a virus. This isn’t minimising - viruses can do horrible things

Fatigue isn’t easy but if you really want too or need too, you get through it.

One of the worst things I think people with long covid will have to face is ignorant rubbish like this

[quote noodlmcdoodl]@ChameleonClara it’s actually estimated 90 - 95% of the population have had an Epstein-Barr Virus Infection (which causes Glandular Fever) although clearly the numbers becoming ill are nothing like that. It’s thought to mainly be picked up in childhood or older teenage years - early 20’s. Studies show the virus can lay dormant and ‘flare up’ at times of extreme stress. It is also linked with certain cancers and Guillam-Barre Syndrome. Then of course there’s the PVF/ CFS and MS.[/quote]
How many get ill in a single year?

Fatigue isn’t easy but if you really want too or need too, you get through it.

I suspect this is written by someone who doesn't understand that fatigue isn't just feeling a bit tired.

My arthritis causes intense fatigue at times, as does long covid. I don't know whether it's my ongoing issues with covid or my arthritis which is causing fatigue.

At present it isn't too bad but on occasions over the past few years fatigue has been so so tired I've struggled to get out of bed. I can struggle through some times, but others it takes every ounce of my energy to get up and a shower, let alone more.

Please do not assume a fatigue is just feeling a bit tired.