Big #LongCovid paper out with a lot of new insights (n=78k)!
-76% of LC patients were not hospitalized (!!)
-82% of female patients non-hospitalized vs 68% males
-36-50 year olds were the highest risk age group
-59.8% of patients female; 46.2% male
-Heartbeat irregularities were more common in age 13-22 (possibly dysautonomia)
-Myopathies (diseases that affect the muscles that control voluntary movement) were 11.1x more common in #LongCovid compared to the same population pre-COVID!
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On average, patients with #LongCovid had higher
HHS-HCC risk scores after COVID-19 than before.
HHS-HCC risk scores identify which patients are likely to consume more healthcare resources & incur more healthcare-related costs in the long run.
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Of everyone diagnosed with a #LongCovid code, the most common age range was 36-50.
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As other studies have found, there is a gender difference, but it heavily depends on age group! For children under 12 and adults over 50, the chance of getting #LongCovid is almost equal between male and female patients.
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Obstructive sleep apnea was the most common sleeping diagnosis, which seems weird to me. Wonder if any of these are actually central apnea?
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A few diagnoses were highlighted as uncommon but potentially serious, with a large difference between pre- & post-COVID.
These included myopathies (11.1x more common), diseases affecting the interstitium (4.8x more), pulmonary embolism (2.6x), other brain disorders (2x).
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Breakdown of "other disorders of the brain", which seems to be ME/CFS-type manifestations, metabolic encephalopathy, and encephalopathy.
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This could cause additional impacts like deficits in platelet energy metabolism, or hormonal dysregulation (because platelets carry serotonin) #LongCovid
Because this video has caused so much willful misinterpretation, I want to clarify: in the clip I’m countering the myth that #longcovid is lingering symptoms of acute COVID, since many people think it’s just a cough. I should‘ve said “acute COVID”; brain fogged & trying my best.
The interview was an hour long & they edited it to 5 min. I talked their ear off about all hypotheses & the science behind each & it didn’t make it in - the piece was for a general audience. I talked about all the other things COVID can cause, include diabetes & clots, at length.
Anyone who is suggesting I don’t think #longcovid is from COVID (????) or that I don’t think viral persistence is a high priority hypothesis (????) are *actively* ignoring 3.5 yrs of advocacy & that I’ve been highlighting viral persistence since 2020
The most exciting hypotheses in #LongCovid and #pwME are ones that could have cures! This includes viral persistence and others, and also includes the itaconate shunt hypothesis. I'm going to tweet this video as I watch it to try to explain it more 1/
Dr. Ron Davis used to work on the Human Genome Project but switched to ME/CFS when his son got sick. He's the director at the Stanford Genome Center. He is focused on *a cure* for ME/CFS. "I believe it is a curable disease." 2/
He describes the common onsets of ME - usually viral, but can have other causes too, refers to a big parasite onset in Norway from a few years ago 3/
@TheCrankyQueer: highlight the need for trans inclusion in trials, including understanding how different labs may present; biomarker nuance
Oved Amitay: need to create a center of excellence to learn from trials in other diseases 1/
Oved: FDA needs to align on decisions across similar fields, needs cross-talk across similar groups
@Dysautonomia: Most even great researchers don't understand autonomic disorders, which happen in up to 2/3 of LC...is there an opportunity to offer autonomic training? 2/
@Dysautonomia: Also, need to make arms in these trials for pre-Covid POTS/MECFS - this helps learn about LC as well (ie does Paxlovid help pre-covid pts)
"Fatigue turns the most mundane of tasks into an “agonizing cost-benefit analysis,” @turnoftheshrew said. If you do laundry, how long will you need to rest to later make a meal? If you drink water, will you be able to reach the toilet?"
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"Only a quarter of long-haulers have symptoms that severely limit their daily activities, but even those with “moderate” cases are profoundly limited. @julialmv still works, but washing her hair, she told me, leaves her as exhausted as the long-distance runs she used to do." 3/
Other factors that correlated with INCREASED likelihood to recover from #LongCovid include:
-being male
-having cardiovascular comorbidities
-lost appetite in acute phase
-had smell/taste alterations (this is often its own subtype that can come with no other symptoms)
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