Becky A Robertson Profile picture
๐–ฒ๐—Ž๐—‹๐—๐—‚๐—๐—ˆ๐—‹๐Ÿ›Ÿ๐–ฌ๐—ˆ๐—†โˆ™๐–ณ๐–พ๐–บ๐–ผ๐—๐–พ๐—‹โˆ™๐– ๐–ผ๐—๐—‚๐—๐—‚๐—Œ๐—โˆ™๐– ๐–ฝ๐—๐—ˆ๐–ผ๐–บ๐—๐–พ #๐–ซ๐–ข๐–ฃ๐–ข #๐–ฌ๐–บ๐—‹๐–ผ๐—๐Ÿฃ๐Ÿง #๐–ซ๐—ˆ๐—‡๐—€๐–ข๐—ˆ๐—๐—‚๐–ฝ๐– ๐—๐–บ๐—‹๐–พ๐—‡๐–พ๐—Œ๐—Œ โ™ก ๐“‘๐“ฎ ๐“š๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ญ ๐Ÿซถ
Aug 29 โ€ข 17 tweets โ€ข 7 min read
App-๐™ค๐™ง๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™ฃ๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ฎ ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™ž๐™ข๐™ฅ๐™ง๐™ค๐™ซ๐™š๐™ข๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ?

Everyone keeps talking about developing an app for #LongCovid & I would hate for anyone to recreate the wheel. Are you looking to track symptoms, recovery, treatment, exercise, vitals, pacing, sleep (or lack of), diet and/or sleep? Maybe a few of these designers could collaborate. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ

I currently track my data/stats with ๐™๐™ฃ๐™๐™ž๐™™๐™š, ๐™ˆ๐™ฎ๐˜ฟ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ƒ๐™š๐™ก๐™ฅ๐™จ, ๐™Ž๐™˜๐™ง๐™ž๐™ฅ๐™ฅ๐™จ, CDC Surveys (and bloodwork) & don 2 wearable devices. I love contributing to Science. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

I've compiled a list of the top 20 apps used by #LongCovid patients in hopes we might encourage collaboration or select all of the best features and/or formats to create THE all-encompassing interactive app/database for our community, our caregivers & doctors in realtime.

Which apps do you find helpful?
1/ โ€ขย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Visible: A pacing and symptom-tracking app tailored for Long COVID and ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). It uses smartphone camera-based heart rate variability (HRV) measurements, symptom logging, and activity data to help users avoid overexertion (post-exertional malaise). Features include daily โ€œpace scores,โ€ trend analysis, breathing exercises, and optional integration with wearables for all-day monitoring. It emphasizes rest over fitness, with reports for sharing with doctors. Available on iOS and Android; free basic version, premium subscription for advanced features.
2/
Aug 25 โ€ข 8 tweets โ€ข 3 min read
๐™„'๐™ซ๐™š ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ก๐™ก๐™š๐™˜๐™ฉ๐™š๐™™ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™ค๐™ช๐™จ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™๐™จ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฅ๐™–๐™ฅ๐™š๐™ง๐™จ/๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™™๐™ž๐™š๐™จ ๐™ค๐™ซ๐™š๐™ง ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™ฅ๐™–๐™จ๐™ฉ 6 ๐™ฎ๐™š๐™–๐™ง๐™จ ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š๐™ฎ ๐˜ผ๐™‡๐™‡ ๐™๐™–๐™ซ๐™š ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™จ๐™–๐™ข๐™š ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™˜๐™ก๐™ช๐™จ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ-

๐˜พ๐™Š๐™‘๐™„๐˜ฟ ๐˜พ๐˜ผ๐™๐™Ž๐™€๐™Ž ๐˜ฝ๐™๐˜ผ๐™„๐™‰ ๐˜ฟ๐˜ผ๐™ˆ๐˜ผ๐™‚๐™€!!
๐Ÿฆ  ๐Ÿง  ๐Ÿฆ 
Neurological Manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 Induced Inflammation and Possible Therapeutic Strategies Against COVID-19

link.springer.com/article/10.100โ€ฆ Neurological Involvement in COVID-19 and Potential Mechanisms: A Review
Review Article
Published: 13 July 2020

link.springer.com/article/10.100โ€ฆ
Aug 4 โ€ข 21 tweets โ€ข 7 min read
**COVID-19 can induce lupus**
๐Ÿ”ฌ๐Ÿฉบ๐Ÿงฌ๐Ÿฉธ๐Ÿงช๐Ÿฉน๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿฉป๐Ÿฆ ๐Ÿ’Š๐ŸŒก
(systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE) through several immune system mechanisms, especially in genetically predisposed individuals:
**Immune System Hyperactivation:**
COVID-19 triggers a strong immune response. The virus can cause excessive activation of B-cells (antibody-producing cells) and promote overproduction of interferons, both of which are implicated in lupus pathogenesis. This abnormal activation may lead to the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy body tissuesโ€”a hallmark of lupus.
1/
**Production of Autoantibodies:**
COVID-19 has been found to stimulate the immune system in a way that leads to the formation of autoantibodies (antibodies that target the bodyโ€™s own proteins. Autoantibodies such as antinuclear antibodies & lupus anticoagulant are commonly associated with lupus & have been detected in some COVID-19 patients.
2/
Jul 2 โ€ข 21 tweets โ€ข 5 min read
For ongoing long COVID patients, the top three reasons to consider a PET scan are:
1.Detecting Hidden Inflammation and Organ Damage
PET scans, especially when combined with MRI (PET/MRI), can reveal persistent inflammation in the heart, lungs, and other organsโ€”even when standard tests appear normal. This helps identify patients at risk for future cardiopulmonary complications such as heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, or valvular disease. Identifying Brain and Nervous System Involvement
PET scans (such as brain FDG-PET) can uncover hypometabolism or inflammation in the brain, which may explain cognitive, neurological, or autonomic symptoms in long COVID patients. This is particularly valuable for distinguishing long COVID from other neurological or psychiatric disorders.
May 3 โ€ข 23 tweets โ€ข 12 min read
It does sound โ€˜over the topโ€™ & who wants to believe we are letting our kids get repeated Cov infections potentially destroying their organs.

The tragedy of it all- we knew in 2020. Ask teachers if they see a difference in behavior, mood, memory recall, a dramatic increase in ADHD, and most importantly, look at the test scores and how they have plummeted long after a 3 month lockdown 6 yrs ago. COVID-19 has been linked to potential dementia risk in young people through mechanisms involving direct neurological damage, vascular changes, and systemic inflammation. Below are key studies and findings that explore this connection:

1. Systemic Vascular and Neurological Pathways** ย 
A 2021 review highlighted COVID-19โ€™s ability to trigger systemic vascular alterations and neuroinflammation, potentially accelerating neurodegenerative processes. Cognitive decline pathways include blood-brain barrier disruption and hypoxic brain injury, which may exacerbate pre-existing dementia or initiate early-onset cases[1].
Mar 22 โ€ข 6 tweets โ€ข 3 min read
My Dear Friends and Fellow Advocates,
With a heart full of passion and gratitude, I write to you today. For five long years, we have fought tirelessly for a cause that too often felt invisible to the world. Weโ€™ve faced indifference, weโ€™ve battled through personal strugglesโ€”4 to 5 infections, no lessโ€”and yet, we refused to succumb to the illness that sought to break us. Yes, I am tired. Yes, I have felt frustrated, defeated even. But here we are. WE MADE IT.
1๐Ÿงต Through every obstacle, every moment of doubt, we stood firmโ€”not just for ourselves but for humanity. For our love of people. For the belief that no one should ever endure what we have endured. And let me tell you this: after this past week, I am more inspired than ever. My conviction has been reignited, my spirit rekindled. I come back to our mission with new fervor and light, and I knowโ€”deep in my soulโ€”that together we can achieve even more. 2๐Ÿงต
Aug 11, 2024 โ€ข 6 tweets โ€ข 3 min read
Metformin and COVID-19: A Potential link
Metformin, primarily used for treating type 2 diabetes, has shown potential benefits in managing COVID-19. Here's a breakdown of the potential mechanisms:
Potential Benefits of Metformin for COVID-19

* Reduced viral load: Studies suggest metformin can lower the amount of virus in the body, potentially reducing the severity of infection.
* Lower risk of hospitalization: Research indicates metformin might decrease the chances of needing hospitalization for COVID-19.
* Reduced risk of long COVID: Evidence suggests metformin could lower the likelihood of developing long-term symptoms after COVID-19.
* Anti-inflammatory effects: Metformin has anti-inflammatory properties, which could help combat the excessive inflammation often seen in severe COVID-19 cases.
* Improved glucose control: For patients with diabetes, maintaining good blood sugar levels is crucial in fighting infections. Metformin can help with this.

How Does It Work?
While the exact mechanisms aren't fully understood, researchers believe metformin may:
* Interfere with the virus's ability to replicate
* Modulate the immune response to prevent excessive inflammation
* Improve overall health and metabolic function, making the body better equipped to fight infection
Important Considerations
* More research is needed: While promising, current evidence is still developing.
* Not a cure: Metformin is not a replacement for vaccines or other recommended COVID-19 treatments.
* Individual variation: Response to metformin can vary among individuals. Metformin as a potential treatment for COVID-19

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37194484/
Jun 9, 2024 โ€ข 12 tweets โ€ข 7 min read
โ€ผ๏ธโ€ผ๏ธBE PREPAREDโ€ผ๏ธโ€ผ๏ธ

In light of @DrEricDing s advice on the upcoming pandemic, I wanted to share a few things which everyone needs to have available in the event of an emergency- tornados, power outages, fires, hurricanes, sheltering in place, and deadly viruses ripping through the country unchecked.

AI agrees:
Here's why it's important to be prepared for H5N1:

* While H5N1 currently has low transmission among humans, it has the potential to mutate & become more transmissible.

* If it were to mutate and spread easily between people, it could cause a pandemic with serious health consequences.

* Being prepared can help mitigate the impact of an outbreak, both for individuals and for healthcare systems.Image
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Based on prior experience, I am confident we were not prepared for catastrophic events. FEMA has provided resources for you & your family. Please print out.

FOR PARENTS:
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Nov 15, 2023 โ€ข 7 tweets โ€ข 2 min read
Covid will be a leading cause of death in the U.S. indefinitely, whether or not the pandemic is 'over' nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna4โ€ฆ ox.ac.uk/news/2023-01-3โ€ฆ