We knew Covid—LongCOVID are multi-system conditions affecting a significant percentage of people, sometimes very severely so, in 2020 already. As regards #LongCovid, so much work was done by survivors already in the 1st pandemic months. Let's stop making excuses for policymakers SARS-CoV-2 was left to rip, basically with almost zero containment as the pandemic progressed, and while even more cautious countries were abandoning any measures to limit or drive to zero the spread. As a consequence, millions died and myriads developed long-term health problems

Covid survivors from the 1st wave started to alert the public, health officials, and policymakers about the devastating consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in *early 2020*. This is historically documented. We identified, defined and named #LongCovid. We were correct.

https://twitter.com/long_covid/status/1729884229298004211

By late May 2020, Italy was announcing that long-term term lung damage, possibly permanent, was being seen in around 30% of the Covid survivors who were being monitored

aogoi.it/notiziario/arc…

Sample of 1359 CoVID survivors from Wuhan: 728 (54%) had at least 1 sequelae symptom at 3 years 🔺️ after symptom onset and before omicron. #LongCovid patients had higher rates of reinfection with Omicron (2022) and more severe outcomes from reinfection

thelancet.com/journals/lanre… The study sample included only survivors who completed both a 2-year and 3-year follow-up (so it's not the entire original cohort from 2020, with patients "falling out" the sample for various reasons)

A relatively new brain imaging technique, called diffusion microstructure imaging=DMI, showed significant alterations in the brain at the microstructural level after Covid, compared to uninfected controls. Research presented at a conference 👇

#LongCovid
newatlas.com/medical/struct… "The technique (DMI) tracks the movement of water molecules through brain tissue to deliver a high-resolution picture of the microstructures of the brain."

#LongCovid and the musculoskeletal system 🔺️ 142 survivors of "moderate Covid" (no oxygen required) reported a high frequency of musculoskeletal manifestations in the form of arthralgia, myalgia and arthritis. Patients in their 30s to 60s
reu.termedia.pl/Peculiarities-… The study performed "standard clinical methods of examination of the joints and muscles" + blood analysis of "levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, antistreptolysin O (ASLO), rheumatoid factor, anti-nuclear bodies, antibodies to cyclic citrulline peptide, and HLA-B27 antigen"

Can respiratory infections cause prolonged symptoms and sequelae? Yes, they sometimes do. It was known before the pandemic. Is Covid on average *much more* severe than diseases like influenza? Yes, it is. This is why we are in the most devastating pandemic in one century

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1710291479900356963

A thread I curated on the study from which many of these articles on "long colds" derive. At least @SkyNews recognised in its tweet the study in question addressed conditions like pneumonia and influenza and not "long colds". Pneumonia isn't a "cold"

https://twitter.com/elisaperego78/status/1710719813645897744?t=uAc9iKaU0AmYisIHpB39vQ&s=19

So. We've seen much press about a study which would compare #LongCovid to "long colds". Is this comparison correct? No. The study isn't about long colds but respiratory diseases including pneumonia, which can kill. The study, also, can't prove such diseases weren't in fact Covid Background. In the last few days, we have seen a flurry of newspaper articles claiming "long colds" would be a thing. Their burden, in addition, could be somewhat comparable to #LongCovid. These pieces, however, are erroneous and misleading on multiple levels. Let's see why

In case it wasn't clear, #LongCovid was going viral in the media in spring to summer 2020. The first clinics for Covid survivors were being opened in the same period. The WHO openly recognised Long Covid on 21 August 2020. By October 2020, LC was an established phenomenon On the groundbreaking role of Covid survivors in bringing #LongCovid to light in spring to summer 2020, and obtaining recognition from the WHO: see, for example Callard and Perego 2020[2021], Turner et al. 2023



sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Stop gaslighting patients and the public by saying only now, in 2023, we have some of the "first evidence Long Covid is a biological illness". We had the evidence in 2020. Yet, SARS-CoV-2 was left to rip and people with #LongCovid were left with no care #LongCovid was openly recognised by the WHO in August 2020, following intense advocacy by Covid survivors. Guidelines were soon being put together by multiple countries, including the UK and others.

Persistent, severe vascular pathology over a period of 15 months after asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, with recurrent thrombi, large vessel vasculopathy, scarring of femoral artery and hypercoagulability. Patient: a 35 year-old "healthy" male. Required surgery

#LongCovid The patient, a migrant worker, reportedly suffered from asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. He was PCR negative but positive to serology for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, when he presented for medical care because of acute lower limb pain. He had contact with Covid + people too

I am very sorry, but the research "published on Monday in the journal Nature" is NOT "among the first to prove "Long Covid is in fact a biological illness". We know LC is a biological disease since 2020. We know this by thousands of studies and patient-driven data/test results I removed the name of the person making the above claim, as I know things might be sometimes misquoted in the press. But we must be crystal clear about the huge amount of data we have on #LongCovid starting from 2020. Erroneous portrayals of the disease in the press aren't ok

Yes, organ damage/impairment was already documented in 2020 in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized Covid/ #LongCovid patients. In addition, many people with severe Covid have never been hospitalized despite need for hospital care, because healthcare collapsed in many hotspots Multi-organ impairment in "low risk" #LongCovid patients, autumn 2020

bmj.com/content/371/bm…

There are some big issues with this interview by Dr Fauci, although I appreciate him raising the alarm on #LongCovid. It is incorrect to say we didn't know basically much about LC until very recently. Most key issues in acute/LC were known about by 2020 and 2021. I was there.

https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan/status/1704970139341402532

Not that *everything* was clear by 2020/2021 on LC, but already known were issues like multiorgan sequelae, lung pathology, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, metabolic disease, evidence of autoimmunity, thrombotic disorders, potential/early evidence for viral persistence ~

In advance of the high-level pandemic prevention meeting in New York #UNGA, we wrote to key stakeholders, like WHO, UN and Heads of States, to ask to address the ongoing threats of SARS-CoV-2 spread, including #LongCovid. I share again our key concerns

@winslow_la

https://twitter.com/winslow_la/status/1703803391464394774

First, we strongly asked the #UNGA stakeholders to appropriately and thoroughly address the best practices to prevent the ongoing spread and evolution of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the potential spread of emerging pathogens of concern

5.2% people in a group of Covid survivors was still experiencing alterations/loss of taste and small three years after infection. However, improvement/resolution of these symptoms had increased significantly over time in this study's cohort

#LongCovid

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37715807/ There are very few data on loss taste/smell years post Covid. Thus, the study wanted to "estimate the 3-year prevalence and recovery rate of self-reported COVID-19-related chemosensory dysfunction in a cohort of patients with antecedent *mild* COVID-19."

Facciomo chiarezza sul #LongCovid visto che se ne parla in televisione in Italia, anche in modo inappropriato da quel che vedo. Long Covid e' il termine usato per descrivere i sintomi, segni clinici e le sequele dovute all'infezione da SARS-CoV-2. Come termine ed entita' clinica, il #LongCovid e' emerso nei primi mesi della pandemia, quindi quasi un anno prima dell'introduzione del vaccino anticovid. Il Long Covid e' stato apertamente riconosciuto dell'OMS il 21 agosto 2020

Study: increased levels of 🔺️autoantibodies targeting receptors in the vasoregulatory and autonomic nervous system have been linked to the severity of a range of neurological symptoms in a group of #LongCovid patients from Germany

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37689093/ The study aimed to assess a potential aspect of #LongCovid pathophysiology by looking at auto-immune reaction to G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR).

The pandemic isn't over. Rather, it's gaining momentum again. Covid is growing across multiple countries and new variants are on the rise. We are not in the "endemic equilibrium" some "experts" predicted for us. We're still dying. Still getting sick. Healthcare under duress. The United States

https://twitter.com/BNOFeed/status/1696278028563677584?t=DaFQW8rV8wBQLNYAp23Zhw&s=19

The pandemic isn't over. People are dying from Covid, are being hospitalized, and developing Long Covid. Covid isn't an harmless "endemic" disease as some "experts" have portrayed it. Cases are rising again across multiple countries. New variants are continuously emerging. Detected cases are growing in South Korea with severe numbers noted daily

https://twitter.com/CoronaHeadsUp/status/1691825442720743541?t=7mMvHkXBhMHo-kmw0qL43Q&s=19

I am concerned and enraged by the way the press, Twitter pundits, policymakers, some researchers etc. are trying to reframe key discoveries on Covid we knew about in 2020, as something which just emerged. One reason for this is to justify mass infection dynamics It was known in 2020 and 2021 that SARS-CoV-2 infection could lead to a devastating array of long-term health problems. Yet, policymakers decided to let this dangerous SARS virus rip. The ideology of "learning to live with Covid" was created. The population was mass infected

I can assure everyone that it was already evident in 2020—2021 that Covid and #LongCovid had a massive toll on heart health. It was reported both in patient driven testimonials as well as in biomedical research. It was in the press. And, yes: SARS-CoV-2 was let to rip anyway

https://twitter.com/AP/status/1689702169526603777

Let's have a look at some data
"A rampage through the body"
"The disease can attack almost anything in the body [including heart and blood vessels] with devastating consequences” ferocity is breathtaking and humbling.” Yale cardiologist

—24 April 2020

science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…