This is the only post for 2024. From now on, if I ever post about COVID, it will be a unique post about a specific topic or incident.
Below is some information that I read in 2024. I made sure that I verified the sources:
The most recent information is posted at the top.
COVID-19 isn’t slowing down; rather, in at least 42 states, emergency room visits and hospitalizations all spiked during summer 2024. More than 1 in 50 Americans 65 and older went to an ER and were diagnosed with COVID, more than double of last summer’s rate, a rise attributable to the highly contagious omicron strains known as FLIRT.
So in Summer 2024, Lynn and I got COVID. It was mild; the worst symptom was tiredness. No fever or aching muscles. Some loss of appetite, some congestion. We weren’t enough to take Paxlovid (after consulting our primary physician). Hooray, no lingering cough or onset of asthma! We received our annual flu/COVID vaccine in October, after our immunity period from having the virus had probably ended.
FLIRT strains are the majority of cases at the present time, and they are very contagious, and they have mutated to evade some antibodies. And most of us have some degree of immunity now from COVID-19. Still, older adults remain at risk. Hospital rates were 14 times higher than for adults under 50.
So the current recommendation is: get your vaccinations up to date right away.
The advice is:
- don’t relay on prior immunity
- don’t rely on a history of luck
- protect yourself in high-risk areas
- have a Paxlovid plan
- stock up on home tests
- If you test positive, remain isolated until symptom-free for at least 24 hours without the use of medications, according to the CDC. After that, wear a mask and practice social distancing for 5 days.
- Enjoy your life!
Long Covid is a big concern
Even mild cases of COVID-19 are linked to potential long-term repercussions, some of them deadly serious. Source: AARP Bulletin, September 2024).More than 1 in 20 of us are living with its symptoms, and researchers have begun to link long-term COVID with a decreased life expectancy. We are forgetting COVID. Here are some stats: in 2022, g.9% of U.S. adults reported experiencing long COVID. (Source: CDC Report, Long Covid Prevalence Among Adults – February 15, 2024).
Lynn and I know two people who are currently suffering from dizziness and “brain fogging” that has so far been unexplained after numerous tests. The symptoms are debilitating. The theory now is that it is LONG COVID.
In July, COVID accounted for less than 1 percent of all deaths in the U.S. Life expectancy in the U.S. is 77.5 years, reflecting an uptick over the past two years but still lower than pre pandemic levels.The long-term effects of COVID are part of that. Some people who were mildly ill had lingering issues for three years after the initial infection. It has been known for some time that an acute case of COVID can affect the heart. Unfortunately, no single test can diagnose Long Covid at this point. There is no umbrella treatment. It is recognized as a disability if it limits one or more major life activities. Below are conditions that COULD indicate LONG COVID:
- extreme fatigue
- shortness of breath
- cognitive changes
- depression and anxiety
- sleep disturbances
- digestive upset
- new or worsened allergies
LONG COVID is more recognized these days, and there is ongoing research that will continue for some time. Things will look different down the road. Meanwhile. SEE YOUR DOCTOR is what they recommend if any of the above symptoms look familiar.
June 14, 2024
Dr. Anthony Fauci was questioned at a congressional hearing held this month. It was more than time to get a full accounting of the pandemic, including what we know now and what we can do to more effectively deal with future pandemics. By now, much of the fact and speculation would have been untangled …. one would think.
But unfortunately, no. Time during the hearing was primarily spent attacking Dr. Fauci and asking him selective politically-charged questions followed by grandstanding that represented ideological viewpoints. Unfortunately, congressional members representing both parties made sure THEY were heard (by their constituents) which meant we, the American public, are still A LONG WAY from resolving the pandemic’s many lingering questions. What a sign that our science and politics are extremely damaged. Currently, one doesn’t dare ask the questions that NEED to be asked. A chance was missed.
Listen for yourself: an assessment by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
Leave a Reply