The times they are a-changin'! The Coronavirus Briefing put up by The New York Times is becoming the Virus Briefing, issued on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They say, "We will continue our expansive coverage of the coronavirus, but will also keep close tabs on other viral threats and health issues." As might be expected, the spread of monkeypox and resurgence of polio helped them make the decision. Monday and Friday, the briefing will present a "short breakdown of news you need to know." On Wednesday, it will present 'in-depth coverage of the latest developments."
The relationship between long covid and mental health goes both ways. Electronic records of over 150,000 covid patients were compared to those of patients who had not had covid. None of the covid patients had been treated for mental health issues in the two years prior to the covid infection. Looking at the patients who had had covid, 39 percent were more likely to be diagnosed with depression while 35 percent were more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety one year after recovery from covid. On the flip side, people previously diagnosed with depression or anxiety seem to be at greater risk for developing long covid. Depression and anxiety are very common in today's America, but seem a bit more common in people who develop long covid.
The article I was reading actually had a section with the title, "Why are people with long covid experiencing mental health issues?" My immediate thought was, "Well, duh!" The article did note that just having covid can be depressing and cause anxiety, but only after discussing how inflammation and immune response affect the brain as well as the rest of the body. It can develop into a vicious cycle. As for how people suffering from long covid should seek help, the article suggested support groups or doctors who specialize in treating long covid patients. This generated another "Well, duh" response here.
Global covid deaths dropped nine percent last week, but cases stayed the same. Same old, same old?
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