Thread by @TaniaJSpencer

"Pooled mean prevalence results for any experience of PACS (Long Covid) extracted from nine systematic reviews, ranged from 51%–80%".

Yes. Read that again. 51%–80% of infections develop Long Covid. /1.

publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Docume…

"Pooled mean prevalence results for specific PACS [Long Covid] symptoms were extracted, when available, from 32 systematic reviews".

Yes. Read that again. Extracted from 32 systematic reviews. /2.

"Symptoms and prevalence results varied widely across reviews, however some of the most commonly reported symptoms included fatigue; shortness of breath; anxiety; depression; sleep disorder; cognitive and memory impairments; and negative impacts on quality of life (QoL)". /3.

It is time we stopped including anxiety and depression as symptoms of Long Covid. They are symptoms of a profound existential crisis - symptomatic of the distress caused by the symptoms of Long Covid (i. e. anxiety and depression are downstream of Long Covid symptoms). /4.

It is also time we accurately described the symptoms of Long Covid:

- It's not shortness of breath. It's a feeling of suffocation.
- It's not fatigue. It's so tired people can't-function-at-all-fatigue. /5.

- It's not sleep disorder. It's 3 hours sleep a night, as the light in your head keeps turning on.
- It's not cognitive impairment, with a little forgetting. It's like waking with concussion, every day. /6.

- And as for "negative impacts on quality of life" - some people living with Long Covid have valid concerns that their bodies are so injured, that they feel they are slowly dying.

That's Long Covid. /7.

I could live with a little shortness of breath. A little fatigue. Some tossing and turning in bed. A few headaches. Forgetting where I put things. Sure. But that's not what we have. /8.

#CountLongCovid #TreatLongCovid

H/t @RevivalCare

(PS) What if SARS‑CoV‑2 always was playing the long game - what if, by design, Long Covid actually is COVID-19? /9.