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Cat in the Hat 🐈‍⬛ 🎩 🇬🇧 Profile picture
@_CatintheHat
Dec 11, 2023 • 26 tweets • 13 min read • Read on X
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LONG COVID, a 🧵

Long Covid prevalence is no longer tracked in the UK so it’s useful to see data from other countries.

A new study from Canada was published this week which led with the shocking statistic that:

📍1 in 9 Canadian adults have experienced long-Covid symptoms…
Image
Of the 1 in 9 Canadian adults who have experienced Long Covid since the start of the pandemic:

📍80% experienced symptoms for at least 6 months or more;

📍58% are still continuing to experience long-term symptoms as of June 2023, ie. they have never recovered. Image
But perhaps the most interesting thing in this report is this chart which looks at the impact of cumulative infections.

The risk of developing Long Covid symptoms is:

📍15% after 1 infection

📍25% after 2 infections

📍38% after 3+ infections - that’s 1 in every 2.6 people! Image
Let’s just take a moment to appreciate that statistic.

📍38% of Canadian adults reporting 3 or more Covid infections had experienced Long Covid symptoms.

These figures make it quite clear that the more infections people have, the higher the risk is. Image
You might wonder what this looks like if you extrapolate it out further.

Well, @DavidSteadson has developed a model for just that.

This chart shows the cumulative probability of developing Long Covid at different estimates of risk for each additional new infection… Image
Plugging the figures for the risk of Long Covid from 1st, 2nd & 3rd infection from the Canadian survey into David’s model, it’s incredible how well the data fits the curve.

Worryingly, this model estimates that, after 10 infections, you have an ~80% chance of having Long Covid.
Image
To anyone who’s been paying attention to the scientific research, these numbers will come as no big surprise.

The CDC estimate that ~1 in 5 adults now have a health condition that may be related to their previous Covid infection.

That’s 20% of us! Image
Here in the UK, Long Covid stopped being officially tracked in March.

At that time, ONS estimated that nearly 2 MILLION people were suffering from Long Covid - that’s nearly 3% of the entire population!

Of these, around 700k developed Long Covid since the Omicron era began. Image
We also know that Covid can cause significant long-term sequelae which may not always be linked back to a previous infection.

For example, a recent study by the BHF found that people who caught Covid were 5x more likely to die from heart disease in the 18 months after infection. British Heart Foundation There have been more excess deaths involving cardiovascular conditions than any other disease groups in this analysis - a total of 96,540 since February 2020, the analysis of data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) finds. There are also concerns of a potential rise in heart problems linked to Covid-19. A study from January this year found that people with and without pre-existing heart conditions who caught Covid-19 before the vaccine roll-out were 40 per cent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and five times more likely to d...
And, as this BBC article acknowledges, it’s very likely that at least some of the deaths which were (or will be) hastened by the after-effects of a Covid infection will *not* end up being linked to the virus when the death is registered.

bbc.co.uk/news/health-64…
@bbc.co.uk Lasting effect of pandemic Some of the excess may be people whose deaths were hastened by the after-effects of a Covid infection. A number of studies have found people are more likely to have heart problems and strokes in the weeks and months after catching Covid, and some of these may not end up being linked to the virus when the death is registered. As well as the impact on the heart of the virus itself, some of this may be contributed to by the fact many people didn't come in for screenings and non-urgent treatment during the peak of the pandemic, storing up trouble for the fu...
The CDC even added an update to their guidance for certifying ‘Deaths due to Covid’, making it clear that clinicians should bear in mind that Covid “can have lasting effects on nearly every organ of the body for weeks, months & potentially years after infection.” Image
But for many, death is not the biggest risk.

Long-term chronic illness is.

Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve seen a huge rise in the number of people dropping out of the workforce altogether due to long term sickness, reaching an all-time high of 2.6 million as of July. Image
According to a discussion paper recently published by the Institute for Public Health Research, long-term sickness absence is now a ‘serious fiscal threat’ in the U.K.

They have called for urgent action to tackle this ‘tide of sickness’ head-on.

ippr.org/files/2023-09/…
“People are spending more years in sickness than ever before. It's a structural force affecting rich democracies around the world, but one that is especially powerful in the UK. Not only is it constraining the quality of modern life, but sickness has also become a serious fiscal threat. The number of people out of the labour market due to sickness is now at an all-time high. There is no road to prosperity for this nation without tackling the tide of sickness head-on.” Reforming Health & Social Care Discussion Paper, September 2023, Institute for Public Policy Research
And, as the Canadian study at the top of this thread showed, it’s clear that the risk of developing Long Covid increases with each successive reinfection.

Just because you’ve had Covid before and were fine, it doesn’t mean you’ll be fine next time…

nature.com/articles/s4159…
Image
We also know that Long Covid can strike anyone, even those who only had mild symptoms during the ‘acute’ phase.

In fact, studies have shown that 90% of people suffering from Long Covid initially experienced only mild illness with COVID-19.

fortune.com/2023/01/05/ori…
Image
There are so many studies now… all coming to the same conclusion:

That Covid causes multi-organ damage which persists long after the acute phase.

Covid is not, and will never be, ‘just a cold’.

nature.com/articles/s4157…
Image
Covid’s effect on the brain is particularly concerning.

In the thread 🧵 below, I’ve compiled a number of scientific studies from around the world, all of which examine the long-term impact of Covid infection on the brain.

None of it is good.
I could keep posting studies like this all day long, but instead I’ll direct you to this link where @JessicaLexicus has collated a list of 171 sources explaining the long-term harm that Covid can cause to your vital organs

It’s well worth taking a look.

raindrop.io/JW_Lists/resea…
Despite all this evidence, most people are blissfully unaware of the risks of repeated Covid infections.

Meanwhile, scientists are sounding the alarm, warning that ‘the oncoming burden of Long Covid is so large as to be unfathomable’.

What will it take to get people to listen?
Image
Sadly, the media and government have done a truly appalling job of raising awareness of the risk of Long Covid.

It appears they are following the “don’t look up” strategy and we’re currently stuck in the “sit tight & assess” phase…
But there are a few exceptions… a few brave politicians who have been prepared to speak out about this.

Just last week, the German Health Minister made a very powerful speech discussing the long-term harms of Covid.

I’ve written up part of his speech from the video below 👇🏻
Prof. Karl Lauterbach, Health Minister, Germany 4 December 2023 “First of all, long Covid is a disease that stays with us and that we cannot yet cure. And we are seeing an increasing number of cases as the waves of infection continue to affect us. Secondly, Covid is not a cold - with a cold, you don't usually see any long-term effects. You don't see any changes in the blood vessels. You don't usually see an autoimmune disease developing. You also don't usually see neurological inflammation - these are all things that we see with long Covid. Therefore, one should not assume that Covid infe...
And then, of course, there’s the formidable @CassyOConnor_ (MP for Clark, Tasmania until her resignation in July 2023) who gave an absolute masterclass in holding politicians to account back in June, asking the critical questions to confront the elephant in the room…
Image
There are also a few brave journalists bold enough to speak the truth about Long Covid, journalists like @GeorgeMonbiot.

amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Image
@GeorgeMonbiot When are people going to wake up & realise the enormous implications of getting repeatedly infected with Covid multiple times a year?

We could be doing so much more to reduce the spread of Covid in schools, hospitals, workplaces.

But first, we need the tide of opinion to turn.
I don’t know when the tipping point will come… but it had better come soon.

Already the economic impact of Long Covid in the UK alone is estimated to be £534 BILLION (see thread 🧵below ).

And it’s only going to keep getting worse unless something is done about it…
Apologies, minor typo in this tweet.

I should have written “Institute for Public 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮 Research”, not “Institute for Public 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 Research”.

Oh, for an edit button!!

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More from @_CatintheHat

Cat in the Hat 🐈‍⬛ 🎩 🇬🇧 Profile picture
May 22
“LONG COVID IS FUELLING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN CHILDREN”

🚨Nearly 40% of children with Long COVID reported anxiety or depression; half had no prior diagnosis.

🚨Mental health impact was comparable to that of serious chronic illnesses like cancer.

neurosciencenews.com/long-covid-chi…Image
Meanwhile, more than 500 children a day in England are being referred to NHS mental health services for anxiety, more than DOUBLE the pre-pandemic rate…

…and yet, the impact of repeated COVID infections on children is never even considered as a contributing factor. Image
There are so many studies about the detrimental impact that Covid has on the brain…

…how the brain inflammation can trigger neurological symptoms such as depression & anxiety.

I don’t understand why this is just being ignored by the mainstream media.

health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/…Image
Read 4 tweets
Cat in the Hat 🐈‍⬛ 🎩 🇬🇧 Profile picture
May 15
LONG COVID IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

🚨40% of the undergrad students reported brain fog due to COVID-19.

🚨37 % of the undergraduates exhibited impaired cognition up to 17 months post-infection.

🚨Brain fog appeared to affect the distinct prefrontal haemodynamic patterns. Image
This study was conducted by scientists at the University of Otago (NZ) who were looking to investigate the cognitive effects of COVID infection in a population highly representative of young adults: undergraduate university students.

Link to full study:
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…Image
A summary article about this worrying study can also be found here:

“New neuroscience research shows COVID-19 leaves mark on young adult brains” (Feb 2025)

psypost.org/new-neuroscien…Image
Read 4 tweets
Cat in the Hat 🐈‍⬛ 🎩 🇬🇧 Profile picture
Mar 15
Today, in honour of #LongCovidAwarenessDay, I’m sharing a series of short videos from Dr Rae Duncan (@Sunny_Rae1) about the ongoing impact of Long Covid.

1. WHAT IS LONG COVID?

Long Covid is a multi-systemic inflammatory condition that can affect almost every organ of the body.
2. WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPAL MECHANISMS & MANIFESTATIONS OF LONG COVID?

Dr Rae Duncan explains some of the key manifestations of Long Covid, including:

▪️immune-mediated issues

▪️abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system (the nerves which control things like our heart rate).
3. WHAT ARE THE MAIN SYMPTOMS OF LONG COVID?

Dr Rae Duncan discusses some of the most prevalent symptoms of Long Covid, such as fatigue and post-exertional malaise.

There are over 200 recognised symptoms of Long Covid though, so each patient may experience different symptoms.
Read 11 tweets
Cat in the Hat 🐈‍⬛ 🎩 🇬🇧 Profile picture
Feb 18
⚠️ IPC GUIDANCE

Newly-appointed Health Minister @AshleyDalton_MP has just responded to a question from MP @_Chris_Coghlan.

Chris asks when the NHS IPC manual will be updated to reflect the latest science on AIRBORNE transmission.

Let’s take a closer look at Ashley’s reply… Image
The key bit is highlighted in yellow here:

“Should new evidence emerge that warrants updates, the guidance will be reviewed & revised accordingly by NHS England & UKHSA to ensure the highest standards of infection prevention & control are maintained across healthcare settings.” Image
Well @AshleyDalton_MP, new evidence HAS emerged.

It’s not even new news as we’ve known about it since 2020!

There’s not a single credible scientist who still denies that Covid is transmitted via the AIRBORNE route.

Please listen to independent expert witness Prof Beggs here ⬇️
Read 27 tweets
Cat in the Hat 🐈‍⬛ 🎩 🇬🇧 Profile picture
Feb 15
I wonder why so many people who’ve had Covid might be suffering with ‘anxiety’ 🤔

Hmmmm, let me think…

Could it be because Covid infections cause brain inflammation which triggers a plethora of neurological symptoms, including depression, anxiety & cognitive dysfunction?
The symptom may be ‘anxiety’ but this can often be the first sign of underlying neurological damage caused by COVID infections.

Patients affected may also be struggling with cognitive dysfunction, memory problems, difficulty concentrating etc.

This video helps explain why ⬇️
Here’s a fascinating post from neuroscientist @DaniBeckman which explains a little more about the damage that COVID can cause within the brain, disrupting neuronal circuits and contributing to neuronal loss. Image
Read 6 tweets
Cat in the Hat 🐈‍⬛ 🎩 🇬🇧 Profile picture
Feb 13
“WHY ARE YOU STILL MASKING?”

The folks at the @TheWHN have put together a really excellent set of science-based answers to various questions about why you’re still wearing a mask.

(Even if you’re not still masking, you might be interested in the answers).

Let’s take a look…🧵 Image
1. “Isn’t the pandemic over?”

Short Answer: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the emergency phase over, but that doesn’t mean the pandemic itself has ended.

(h/t @TheWHN) Image
2. “But you’re not high-risk, so why bother wearing a mask?”

Short Answer: Because preventing transmission matters for everyone, not just people in vulnerable groups.

(h/t @TheWHN) Image
Read 12 tweets

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