Thread by @WesElyMD

1/🧵 What is #LongCOVID⁉️
 
A disabling malady from ongoing inflammation, autoimmunity, & potential viral reservoirs (GI, brain?)
 
NEW DATA: The Lungs “light up” on special MRI Scans 3 to 9 months later in patients never hospitalized for COVID.
 
bit.ly/344Oajp

2/ These #LongCOVID pts had NORMAL CT scans but when asked to inhale Xenon, an inert gas, the MRI showed their lungs transferred gases (think oxygen) into the bloodstream abnormally. This is alarming evidence of another weird form of organ damage from COVID not visible on CXR/CT.

3/ Oxford Prof Dr. Gleeson says these patients, who were never in hospital & didn’t have acute severe illness w their COVID19, have been experiencing symptoms for a year after contracting the infection.

4/ So our lungs are damaged with COVID. What’s the importance of this in our bodies?

In #EveryDeepDrawnBreath, I tried to make it clear how amazing the cardiovascular system is.

Here is what’s getting damaged…

5/ FACTS: “Our 6 liters of blood, traveling through the body at around 4 miles an hour, exchange oxygen & CO2 using 10,000 liters of air & 8,000 liters of blood coursing through 60,000 miles of blood vessels…

6/…All of this air and blood comes into contact with the surface of our air sacs, alveoli, that if spread out would be the size of a tennis court. This maintains us as living, sentient beings.”
P. 51-52, #EDDB

This machinery is what you protect when you choose to get #Vaxxed!

7/ A new review article👇 in @Nature points out helpful observations about #LongCOVID.

It’s likely caused by some or all of these:
📍Virus continuing to live in our brains, GI, lungs, etc
📍Ongoing inflammation
📍Immune system reprogramming

go.nature.com/3gyWJWl

8/ Look at the tables. Notice how list of problems from ACUTE #COVID Dz is much shorter than the list of problems in #LongCOVID. You DO NOT want this virus, even “mild” #Omicron (hint: there is no such thing as mild COVID). All are at risk for #LongCOVID.
 
H/T @Dr_Dan_Markley

9/ My 🧵👇presents evidence than even mild COVID leads to this unsolvable (for now) problem of #LongCOVID disabling millions of wonderful people today & tomorrow.
 
Get yourself #vaccinated & #MaskUp.
 

https://twitter.com/WesElyMD/status/1483824487284023297?s=20&t=x_MeqTa8FWIBBvYowru8eg

10/ Remember that the unvaxxed are 23X more likely to be hospitalized than vaxxed, even in #Omicron wave. Also, the booster helps a ton as those vaxxed but not boosted are more likely to land in a hospital.

bit.ly/3KXKmkx

11/ Data consistently reaffirm that in omicron, vaccinated people can get infected, BUT the shots are highly effective in reducing severe illness and hospitalization.
 
To the phrase, “DO YOUR JOB,” the vaccines answer beautifully and keeps you safe.

12/ What we do NOT know is whether the rates of #LongCOVID from Omicron will be lower in those vaccinated.
 
Why is it a good bet to get the vax even if you are young and healthy?

13/ Having a reservoir of antibodies on hand when the virus enters your body, which reduces overall amount of inflammation and therefore hospitalization, is likely to help the body to stem the tide of injury and shorten recovery time.

14/fin
Let’s review: #LongCOVID

💥COVID causes injury to lung gas exchange.
💥That leads to brain problems since neurons need Oxygen.
💥The immune system fights itself after COVID, which is suboptimal.
💥💥The best way to prevent all of this is via a shot, mask, and distancing.