Thread by @elisaperego78

This is wrong from a biomedical and clinical perspective. Covid is not less dangerous than the flu even now, with vaccination. Covid is a multi-system disease, not just a respiratory condition. Having a test matters, because no test will mean poor access to appropriate care

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https://twitter.com/BBCMorningLive/status/1511260613317738497

In more details: it's true you can have upper respiratory symptoms, like sneezing, with covid. This is especially now with omicron ~ lot of prior immunity | lower respiratory tract infection may be less prominent | yet: covid is a multi-system disease | pneumonia remains possible

We also need to fully understand whether BA.2 and other emerging variants and sub-lineages, are intrinsically more pathogenic than omicron BA.1. And BA.1 was *not* "mild" or "the common cold". It is |was covid, fully able to kill and cause #LongCovid.

You can still have all sort of symptoms incl. gastrointestinal symptoms at onset already. Covid is a disease with a complex progression and potential degeneration = #LongCovid. While vaccination can help stop this, you need to remain vigilant even if early symptoms are "mild".

While it's true we can, according to certain criteria, classify SARS-CoV-2 as a respiratory virus based on mode of transmission = mainly airborne and with early infection of the respiratory tract, covid remains a multi-system disease, with a massive cardiovascular potential.

While seasonal flu can have, occasionally, severe complications and sequelae like pneumonia, #longflu, this is certainly not as common as with SARS-CoV-2 | covid. Not even close. #LongCovid | covid aren't the "sniffles" and some "cough". Please remain vigilant.

A final note on tests: we know from the 2020 wave that patients with no positive SARS-CoV-2 test had huge problems in accessing the right support for #LongCovid and related complications. Scrapping testing is a *massive* problem that will impact omicron patients badly.

Thanks @benking01 for signalling this to me!