Thread by @MamaToronto

“Is COVID-19 Dysregulating Our Immune Systems? The Agenda, 14/11/22”



29:00 H/T @FurnessColin

“There is one logical thing to point out here. A virus has 2 strategies, broadly speaking, in terms of being successful…

… & I think we can agree that #C19 is a pretty successful virus. It can mutate to change its appearance to avoid the immune system and we know that #C19 does that so does flu, every successful virus seems to be able to do that, or most…

… but it can also attack the immune system as another legitimate strategy, so to say that #C19 is not causing immune harm is to say that somehow it’s become this amazingly effective virus by only really using one of the two strategies available”

“The kids are not alright: Data suggests 10% of children with COVID-19 become "long-haulers"
Doctors around the world estimate one in ten children with COVID-19 have long-term side effects, JANUARY 22, 2022”

salon.com/2022/01/22/the…

H/T @laurieallee

“The four kids… have a few things in common: namely, they all contracted a mild case of COVID-19 weeks before the onset of their symptoms, and have all now accepted a diagnosis of " #LongCovid ."…

… Their situations are a testament to COVID-19's indiscriminate nature — and a rebuke to the myth that COVID-19 is always mild in children.”

“"We are definitely seeing long COVID in children," said Dr. Amanda Morrow, Co-Director of the Kennedy Krieger Institute's Pediatric Post-COVID-19 Clinic in Maryland. "It does exist. And it is impacting day-to-day lives significantly."”

“Available studies have reported wildly varying numbers on the proportion of children who suffer long Covid, ranging from 0.8% to 66% of total pediatric COVID-19 cases.”

“"It will end up being about 10% — is my guess," said Morrow. "We do not know at this point what risk factors predispose children to developing long COIVD. It could be a possible outcome for anyone. We just don't know."”

“"My best guess is 10 to 20%" said Mohandas. "It depends at what time you are looking at symptoms."  At the four week mark, it may be closer to 20%, reducing after that, she explained. "That's a rough estimate based on limited experience."”

“There are currently about 10 pediatric long Covid clinics in the United States, including those where Morrow, Yonts, and Mohandas work.”

“Sammie Mcfarland (Kitty's mother) co-founded "Long Covid Kids" in 2020 - the first U.K.-based international charity for long Covid kids. It started with the stories of seven families…

Today, the group has more than 5,500 families, some with multiple children with long Covid. About 100 to 120 new families are joining every week.”

“The majority of children developing long Covid had only mild cases of the initial SARS-CoV2 infection, and were healthy pre-COVID with no underlying conditions. A significant portion had asymptomatic cases.”

“It is now well documented that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can affect nearly every organ and system in the body — and long Covid in kids appears to do the same.”

“The process of recovery & healing can only start once the experiences of the #LongCovidKids are acknowledged and validated, Mohandas said…

… It's requiring a "holsitic and multidisciplinary approach," Mohandas said, and they are acquiring more and more knowledge and tools to help kids minimize and cope with the physical and mental health symptoms that accompany #LongCovid”.

“A big unknown at this time is how long — and for some, even if — kids will recover.”

“The mothers of all 4 #LongCovidKids described an endlessly frustrating process of going to new drs, getting more tests, trying more treatments — only to find they still have very few — if any — answers…

as to why this is happening to their child, what can make them feel better, & how long it will last.”

“"Not being able to do anything to make him better has been the hardest thing," said Noah's mom, Sheila Symons. "We keep looking forward to doctors appointments feeling like we are going to find something that helps. The disappointment every time is horrible."”

“"He wants to be normal — but now this is getting to be normal," Sheila said. 

"He taught himself how to scream on the inside," said Noah's father, Aaron. "Those are his words."”

“"Don't be fooled into thinking kids — your kids — are not going to be the ones affected," Sheila Symons said. "It could happen to anyone."”

“Long-COVID in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analyses, June 23 2022”

“… 80,071 children & adolescents were included. The prevalence of long-COVID was 25.24%”

nature.com/articles/s4159…

Government of Canada:

“The best way to currently prevent post COVID-19 condition is to take measures to avoid getting infected…There's currently no universally agreed-upon approach to diagnose and treat post COVID-19 condition.”

canada.ca/en/public-heal…

PHO 8/7/22

“…increasing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can cause immune dysregulation… a potential increase in acquired impaired immunity in the ON pop could have sig impact on the incidence & assoc burden of infectious diseases“

publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Docume……

https://twitter.com/Billius27/status/1588638555618045952?s=20&t=qcPQOQAi85rqbe4r34j0Zg

🧵 H/T @SabiVM @DrSamiraJeimy

https://twitter.com/SabiVM/status/1588658173866823682?s=20&t=qcPQOQAi85rqbe4r34j0Zg

Paediatric hospitals & an explanation in laypersons terms, H/T Epidemiologist @FurnessColin:

🧵

https://twitter.com/FurnessColin/status/1589103107048624129?s=20&t=rKzYkJRbqWszmvJIs5e-TA

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1589103…

🧵

https://twitter.com/MamaToronto/status/1592890981925650433?s=20&t=zgJPkwK-4eUP4j-nnzPAOw

🧵 + article link

https://twitter.com/MamaToronto/status/1593249383700578306?s=20&t=5jFE_EuaaEM71L7myJaXPw

tvo.org/article/with-o…

Evidence-based protections for airborne spread of airborne viruses are simple & effective:

#BringBackMasks
#Ventilate2Educate
#Educate2Ventilate
#C02Monitors
#TestTraceIsolate

scientificamerican.com/video/how-to-i…

RSV #Airborne studies

atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/rc…

academic.oup.com/cid/article/50…

The risk of #C19 infection is “Severe”

datastudio.google.com/embed/u/0/repo…

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

@CPHO_Canada
11 months ago:

“No more cloth masks”
cbc.ca/player/play/19………

“It’s time to switch to an N95 mask in the battle against Omicron”: macleans.ca/news/n95-mask-…

Delphi consensus, H/T @MarieSnyder27

🧵

https://twitter.com/MarieSnyder27/status/1591450969673723908?s=20&t=VQfeFxYss40OaXVN2LckoQ

Protect kids
Protect families

#BringBackMasks

“Our results support universal masking as an important strategy for reducing Covid-19 incidence in schools and loss of in-person school days.”

nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…

https://twitter.com/Nannynannynanoo/status/1591219292485619712?s=20&t=0EfUFm66xd1vPAxBTv0SMQ

@PingThread Unroll