But for millions of people who contracted the virus in the early months of the pandemic, the impact of the disease remains.
Up to one in five adults who have recovered from Covid-19 infection have at least one long-Covid-related illness, according to a study released Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). experienced.
That number jumps to one in four in people aged 65 and older. The researchers found that the most common conditions in all adults were respiratory symptoms and musculoskeletal pain. Covid patients were also twice as likely as other people to have lung disease.
Despite the great scientific attention being devoted to understanding Covid-19 and developing vaccines and treatments, health professionals are still learning about Long Covid – one of the most unusual and damaging phenomena of the pandemic.
CDC researchers analyzed medical records of more than 350,000 people who tested positive between March 2020 and November 2021, so their new study provides a valuable clue in understanding the prevalence of the condition.
Another development came from a Scottish study published on Monday which found that more severe cases of Covid-19 can cause long-term damage to a range of organs.
According to the study, which tracked the progress of 159 people after being hospitalized for a year, heart inflammation was found to be an ongoing problem in one in eight patients hospitalized with Covid-19.
Inflammation throughout the body and kidney damage were also common. And the study supported other research that suggested women are at a higher risk of suffering from long-term Covid than men.
Previous research suggests that a small proportion of people now living with long Covid may have had no Covid-19 symptoms at all when they were first infected – or had mild or unusual symptoms.
What is certain, however, is that Covid has long been unpredictable, and even so deep in the pandemic it remains something of a scientific mystery.
YOU ASKED. WE HAVE ANSWERED.
Q: Will there ever be a longer lasting Covid-19 vaccine?
A: Currently, vaccine immunity wears off after a few months, and scientists are working around the clock to develop new versions to combat the mutation waves.
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN that “some vaccine platforms offer a very high level of protection, but the shelf life isn’t very long” as new variants keep emerging.
The mRNA platform — used in Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccines — makes vaccine redesign easier and faster, but we don’t know how long their immunity lasts because SARS-CoV-2 changes too frequently.
To make a longer-lasting vaccine, Fauci said, “we need to get better platforms and immunogens, maybe with adjuvants (substances that boost the immune response) that will allow us longer protection.”
READING OF THE WEEK
The three-dose Covid-19 vaccine elicits a powerful immune response in young children, Pfizer and BioNTech say
The vaccine makers said they will complete filing the study data with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week.
Antibodies tested one month after administration of the third dose in the study showed the vaccine elicited an immune response similar to two doses in 16- to 25-year-olds, the companies said, with results from the mid-term study suggesting vaccine efficacy of 80.3% showed against symptomatic Covid-19.
In a statement, Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO, said: “These top-line safety, immunogenicity and efficacy data are encouraging and we look forward to completing our filings with regulatory authorities worldwide soon in the hope of making this vaccine available as soon as possible.” available to younger children as possible, subject to regulatory approval.”
During the pandemic, a new billionaire was added almost every day
The rich only got richer during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Energy and food costs are sending prices skyrocketing, but those industries are booming, Oxfam said. Oxfam’s head of inequality policy, Max Lawson, said he had “never in history seen such a dramatic increase in poverty and wealth at the same time”.
The report coincided with the start of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday, a gathering of international leaders and the world’s wealthiest.
North Korea claims ‘positive trend’ in Covid cases
Despite this, state media KCNA Sunday reported a “positive trend” that has seen the daily number of new “fever” cases fall below 200,000.
The lack of independent reporting from North Korea means these figures are difficult to verify and are met with the same skepticism as the rest of the country’s Covid reporting.
Countries have offered vaccination assistance that has yet to be answered. During his visit to South Korea on Saturday, US President Joe Biden said the US had offered to provide vaccines but Pyongyang has yet to respond.
TOP TIP
Covid-19 reinfection is not a myth, so always test yourself
If you’re thinking that being vaccinated or having been previously infected with Covid-19 means you’re out of the woods, think again.
The latest high-profile case of reinfection comes from late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel, who revealed this week he has caught Covid twice in a short space of time.
Make sure you test yourself if you have reason to believe you may have Covid, even if you’ve had it recently.
