“endemic”
“only those with underlying conditions”
“live with the virus”
“back to normal”
“reach herd immunity”
“protect the vulnerable”
“the economy”
“kids are not affected”
“anxiety”
Words and phrases we’ve been hearing over and over during the past two years. I believe that in their desperate effort to dismiss the pandemic they prolonged it.

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More from @Dr2NisreenAlwan

13 Jan
Questions about the new guidance on self isolation after covid:
1/
"People self-isolating with COVID-19 will have the option to reduce their isolation period after five full days if they test negative on both day 5 and day 6 and do not have a temperature, from Monday 17 January"
2/
Does "have the option" mean that if people want to be on the safe side and isolate longer they can (and be excused by their employers) even if negative LFTs on days 5 and 6? In other words, are they *obliged* to end self-isolation on day 6 if they test negative on days 5 & 6?
3/
"and do not have a temperature"

Does this mean they can end isolation after five days if they're still symptomatic e.g. coughing and sneezing on day 6?
Read 4 tweets
11 Jan
Key @ONS UK #LongCovid stats:

1.3 million people (at least 4 wks).

That’s 1 in every 50 people in the UK.

About half a million for at least a year.

In about 2/3 of the 1.3m, day-to-day activities are affected.

In about a quarter of a million, activities “limited a lot”.
LC more common in those:
▪️aged 35-69
▪️women
▪️those living in poorer areas
▪️those working in healthcare, social care & teaching
▪️those with another activity-limiting health condition
Children (2-16 years):
117,000 affected ( at least 4 wks)
49,000 (at least 12 wks)
20,000 (at least 1 year)
Read 7 tweets
9 Jan
I missed this study from few months ago. Interestingly though sample relatively small and only basic analysis, the preliminary finding of lower antibody levels in those with more severe fatigue gives support to the link between immune response & #LongCovid
mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/1…
Remember this study I tweeted about months ago?
Also points to a link between Long Covid and weak antibody response to covid:
link.springer.com/article/10.100…
Two main implications for this:

1. It is useless to use antibody levels to assign cases and controls when studying prevalence of Long Covid. More here:
nisreenalwan.wordpress.com/2021/10/16/lon…
Read 4 tweets
9 Jan
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory agency declared the Pfizer covid vaccine safe & effective for 5-11 year olds with a positive benefit risk. However the vaccine is yet to be *offered* to all UK kids in this age group. Parents currently don’t have that choice.
Offered in Spain since 15 December according go this:

euractiv.com/section/all/sh…
Read 11 tweets
7 Jan
So Omicron and #LongCovid, what’s the deal?

Short 🧵
1/9
We don't know yet how much long term disability Omicron will generate, but it’s not only a matter of time. Separating the effect of vaccines (including boosters) from the effect of the variant will be challenging.
2/9
Breakthrough infection (in the double vaccinated) seems to be associated with less risk of LC. Obviously the evidence comes before Omicron. Also, there’s no evidence I’m aware of on the risk of LC in post booster infection (after 3 doses) whatever the variant.
3/9
Good news about vaccines if we assume the same applies to Omicron, but I’m still concerned. That’s because we have so much more infection with this wave, so even if the risk of LC with Omicron and vaccines is half or a quarter of what we had before, that’s still a lot of LC.
Read 9 tweets
7 Jan
I have several criticisms of this @BBCNews piece but I honestly can't believe that it includes this statement expressed as a fact, particularly that most UK adults are vaccinated and most kids are not:
"Children are less likely than adults to catch Covid"!
bbc.co.uk/news/health-57…
Other stuff:
1. There is actually a WHO definition:
who.int/publications-d…
2. ONS LC numbers following up confirmed infections published in Sep 21: Approach 3 is the most accurate IMO because it's not limited to assessment of listed symptoms so takes relpasing nature into account. That's 11.7% out of all infected, 17.7% out of those acutely symptomatic.
Read 6 tweets

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