Dr. Faust, Good post, and informative. Thank you. Recently, it has become my opinion, without any proof, that once a person has endured a Covid infection, the virus has possibly altered their immune system and how their immune system has been coping with infections previously. Their immune system changes - mutates like a virus does - and directs its attention to defending the body against the Covid virus. This change alters the strength of the immune system to defend against heart disease, cancer, lung ailments and other potentially fatal medical ailments. I’ve read opinions that researchers are just considering what the effects of long Covid infections may have for the future health concerns of people with co-morbidities. If this overall observation proves to be true, then the more Covid infections that a person endures, - one, two, three or more - then the worse will be their long term survival chances when one of their other seemingly non-Covid related ailments flares unexpectedly. Medical oncologists have discovered an unexpected flare in progression of Stage 4 cancers in a disproportionate number of their patients who have experienced a Covid infection and when comparing their data, the oncologists wonder if this is related to earlier changes in their patients immune systems due to their Covid infection bouts with the disease. This is too long of an explanation to use when arguing why we should all be extremely careful and be mindful of the presence of the Covid virus everywhere and have our masks at the ready when being inside being in crowded spaces and around other people who may be transmitting a virus that they have mistakenly thought to be gone and forgotten. In my layman’s opinion, Covid is not over.
The past 3-4 weeks my state, Hawaii, has quadrupled (300 to 1200) in weekly case count with a test positivity of 17%. It’s is the only state you have to be in a small enclosed cabin for at least 5 hours to come to, and to leave. Our 2 top economic drivers (people movers) - military and tourism bring close to 1,000,000 arrivals/month in a state with only 1.5M residents.
Are we a canary in a coal mine? An anomaly? What’s your sense of this? Thank you
Data is crucial. I agree that reporting by hospitals about Covid cases should be required at least until we understand the long term effects of the disease much better than we do now.
Dr. Faust, Good post, and informative. Thank you. Recently, it has become my opinion, without any proof, that once a person has endured a Covid infection, the virus has possibly altered their immune system and how their immune system has been coping with infections previously. Their immune system changes - mutates like a virus does - and directs its attention to defending the body against the Covid virus. This change alters the strength of the immune system to defend against heart disease, cancer, lung ailments and other potentially fatal medical ailments. I’ve read opinions that researchers are just considering what the effects of long Covid infections may have for the future health concerns of people with co-morbidities. If this overall observation proves to be true, then the more Covid infections that a person endures, - one, two, three or more - then the worse will be their long term survival chances when one of their other seemingly non-Covid related ailments flares unexpectedly. Medical oncologists have discovered an unexpected flare in progression of Stage 4 cancers in a disproportionate number of their patients who have experienced a Covid infection and when comparing their data, the oncologists wonder if this is related to earlier changes in their patients immune systems due to their Covid infection bouts with the disease. This is too long of an explanation to use when arguing why we should all be extremely careful and be mindful of the presence of the Covid virus everywhere and have our masks at the ready when being inside being in crowded spaces and around other people who may be transmitting a virus that they have mistakenly thought to be gone and forgotten. In my layman’s opinion, Covid is not over.
The past 3-4 weeks my state, Hawaii, has quadrupled (300 to 1200) in weekly case count with a test positivity of 17%. It’s is the only state you have to be in a small enclosed cabin for at least 5 hours to come to, and to leave. Our 2 top economic drivers (people movers) - military and tourism bring close to 1,000,000 arrivals/month in a state with only 1.5M residents.
Are we a canary in a coal mine? An anomaly? What’s your sense of this? Thank you
Data is crucial. I agree that reporting by hospitals about Covid cases should be required at least until we understand the long term effects of the disease much better than we do now.