(Photo by Viktor Forgacs)

 

The main concerns surrounding the rapid transmissibility of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, which accounted for 97.2% of samplings of infections last week, are not hospitalisation or mortality rates, but the long-term effects on the mental and physical health of the patients, known as long COVID, according to a senior Thai doctor.

 

These symptoms may disrupt patients’ ways of life, their families, their working efficiency, as well as having long-term economic and social impacts, at both the individual and national levels, according to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thira Woratanarat of the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University today (Tuesday).

 

In his Facebook post, Dr. Thira provided an overview of the global COVID-19 pandemic situation, which shows that over 413 million people have been infected by the virus and over 5.8 million people have died.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/concerns-raised-over-omicron-variants-long-term-physical-and-mental-effects/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-02-15

 

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Here in the UK, omicron has a fatality rate close to flu and no one talks about long covid being associated with it.

Heavy cold or flu symptoms yes but not all this nonsense.

Thailand seems to want to live in a state of fear.

"We're worried that you are beginning to relax and think that life might return to normal due to Omicron, so we're here to try and keep you scared with some nonsense."

What he suggested is possible because if happened with previous, more severe variants but no one knows for sure either way. Same with the vaccines. We don’t know if these will have any long term effects because we haven’t been using them long term yet. He didn’t mention that. BTW I am not an anti-vaxxer.

1 hour ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Here in the UK, omicron has a fatality rate close to flu and no one talks about long covid being associated with it.

Heavy cold or flu symptoms yes but not all this nonsense.

Thailand seems to want to live in a state of fear.

The pandemic is basically over.  Just wait for countries to start really declaring this.  

Omicron is a total joke.  Know 3 people that have it now, one had a runny nose for 4 hours and took a nap.  That was it!  

Since when has mental health issues, economical and social aspects been a part of what is known as long covid?

 

1 hour ago, Blumpie said:

The pandemic is basically over.  Just wait for countries to start really declaring this.  

Omicron is a total joke.  Know 3 people that have it now, one had a runny nose for 4 hours and took a nap.  That was it!  

It is basically like that for most people, although some people suffer the heavier symptoms associated with a 'wicked cold'.

 

But there is a price to society for a return to normality, quite a high one really, because Omicron can become more pernicious with very old folk, and those who are immuno-compromised.  Consider what's happening in Japan at the moment and you'll see what I mean. Nevertheless, it's very debatable if these people are really dying ov Covid, or with it.

20 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

It is basically like that for most people, although some people suffer the heavier symptoms associated with a 'wicked cold'.

 

But there is a price to society for a return to normality, quite a high one really, because Omicron can become more pernicious with very old folk, and those who are immuno-compromised.  Consider what's happening in Japan at the moment and you'll see what I mean. Nevertheless, it's very debatable if these people are really dying ov Covid, or with it.

Japan started giving boosters late in the process which might explain parts of the story.

Omicron ripped through my neighborhood and I ended up with 7 very close neighbors who caught it.  None of them described it as a 'cold'.  One couple weren't vaccinated and they were sick for an extended period of time, as in weeks.  All the rest were vaccinated and boosted. For them, it lasted 5 days of being quite sick -- at least  in bed sick.  As one said, "I wouldn't describe it as mild.'  

 

In addition to being a respiratory infection, Covid is also a vascular disease and it attacks the heart and vascular system.  It also can damage kidneys and has implications for the neurological system.  

 

A long-term study of 153,760 U.S. veterans who had survived Covid-19 for at least 30 days beyond the initial diagnoses. veterans shows a definite uptick in cases of heart attack, stroke and other cardiac issues.   Those who had recovered from Covid-19 coronavirus infections were 63% more likely to have had some kind of cardiovascular problem in the ensuing year than those in the control groups.   And there were two control groups, one of people during the same time period who did not have Covid and another group that was pre-covid.  

 

The study found that it included a 52% greater likelihood of suffering a stroke, a 63% higher likelihood of a heart attack,  and a 145% higher likelihood of heat failure. Those who had had Covid-19 were also more likely to subsequently have various abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation (71% more likely), sinus tachycardia (84%), sinus bradycardia (53%), and ventricular arrhythmias (84%).

 

The same results were consistent for different ages, races, sex and other cardiovascular risk factors.  

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/02/13/study-finds-increased-heart-disease-stroke-risk-after-surviving-even-mild-covid-19/?sh=17843b1e2134

 

 

2 hours ago, Blumpie said:

The pandemic is basically over.  Just wait for countries to start really declaring this.  

Omicron is a total joke.  Know 3 people that have it now, one had a runny nose for 4 hours and took a nap.  That was it!  

Is that so and I know a guy who was tripple vaccinated and died

Just to add, one of the major complaints from people with long covid (and those recovering from covid) is the high level of fatigue.  Fatigue is also a defining symptom of a cardiac problem.

 

41 minutes ago, Scott said:

Omicron ripped through my neighborhood and I ended up with 7 very close neighbors who caught it.  None of them described it as a 'cold'.  One couple weren't vaccinated and they were sick for an extended period of time, as in weeks.  All the rest were vaccinated and boosted. For them, it lasted 5 days of being quite sick -- at least  in bed sick.  As one said, "I wouldn't describe it as mild.'  

 

In addition to being a respiratory infection, Covid is also a vascular disease and it attacks the heart and vascular system.  It also can damage kidneys and has implications for the neurological system.  

 

A long-term study of 153,760 U.S. veterans who had survived Covid-19 for at least 30 days beyond the initial diagnoses. veterans shows a definite uptick in cases of heart attack, stroke and other cardiac issues.   Those who had recovered from Covid-19 coronavirus infections were 63% more likely to have had some kind of cardiovascular problem in the ensuing year than those in the control groups.   And there were two control groups, one of people during the same time period who did not have Covid and another group that was pre-covid.  

 

The study found that it included a 52% greater likelihood of suffering a stroke, a 63% higher likelihood of a heart attack,  and a 145% higher likelihood of heat failure. Those who had had Covid-19 were also more likely to subsequently have various abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation (71% more likely), sinus tachycardia (84%), sinus bradycardia (53%), and ventricular arrhythmias (84%).

 

The same results were consistent for different ages, races, sex and other cardiovascular risk factors.  

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/02/13/study-finds-increased-heart-disease-stroke-risk-after-surviving-even-mild-covid-19/?sh=17843b1e2134

 

 

Omicron is in the rear view mirror in the UK.

Wales announced the lowest amount of patients in ICU since July 2021.

Remember some UK scientists forecast carnage only 6 weeks ago.

People are fed up and bored with omicron.

It's fatality rate is now barely above the seasonal flu.

The UK is getting back to normal, not new normal just plain old normal.

Time to move on.

 

https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/covid-now-comparable-to-flu-may-turn-endemic-post-omicron-uk-professor-122011100621_1.html

 

4 hours ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Here in the UK, omicron has a fatality rate close to flu and no one talks about long covid being associated with it.

Heavy cold or flu symptoms yes but not all this nonsense.

Thailand seems to want to live in a state of fear.

UK health agency says long COVID less common in the vaccinated

 

Long COVID is less likely to affect vaccinated people than unvaccinated people, a new review of 15 studies by the UK Health Security Agency released on Tuesday has concluded.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-health-agency-says-long-covid-less-common-vaccinated-2022-02-15/

2 hours ago, Virt said:

Since when has mental health issues, economical and social aspects been a part of what is known as long covid?

 

 

It also found that females, people living in low-income areas, and those with a health condition or disability that limits their ability to exercise were also more likely to report having long COVID.

 

The professions that produced the highest number of people with long COVID were social care, teaching and education, and healthcare.

3 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

UK health agency says long COVID less common in the vaccinated

 

Long COVID is less likely to affect vaccinated people than unvaccinated people, a new review of 15 studies by the UK Health Security Agency released on Tuesday has concluded.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-health-agency-says-long-covid-less-common-vaccinated-2022-02-15/

Thanks for this.

Another reason to get triple jabbed.

 

46 minutes ago, Scott said:

A long-term study of 153,760 U.S. veterans who had survived Covid-19 for at least 30 days beyond the initial diagnoses. veterans shows a definite uptick in cases of heart attack, stroke and other cardiac issues.   Those who had recovered from Covid-19 coronavirus infections were 63% more likely to have had some kind of cardiovascular problem in the ensuing year than those in the control groups.   And there were two control groups, one of people during the same time period who did not have Covid and another group that was pre-covid.  

 

The study found that it included a 52% greater likelihood of suffering a stroke, a 63% higher likelihood of a heart attack,  and a 145% higher likelihood of heat failure. Those who had had Covid-19 were also more likely to subsequently have various abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation (71% more likely), sinus tachycardia (84%), sinus bradycardia (53%), and ventricular arrhythmias (84%).

 

The same results were consistent for different ages, races, sex and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Which variant?

It’s too early to know for sure, but many doctors believe it’s possible to have long-term effects from the omicron variant of the virus.

Long COVID is usually diagnosed many weeks after a bout with COVID-19. Any long-lasting effects typically appear about 90 days after symptoms of the initial infection go away, Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said this week.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/symptoms-omicron-world-health-organization-stanford-university-yale-university-b2010884.html

8 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Which variant?

I don't think it specifies the variant, but since it is a rather extensive study, I suspect it covers all the variants.  I will see if I can find the actual study.  

 

A quick search doesn't reveal much, but I suspect it doesn't matter what variant.  I suspect it has to do with the seriousness of the infection:

 

The risk rose with severity of initial disease and extended to every outcome the team examined, including heart attacks, arrhythmias, strokes, cardiac arrest, and more. Even people who never went to the hospital had more cardiovascular disease than those who were never infected.

The results are “stunning … worse than I expected, for sure,” says Eric Topol, a cardiologist at Scripps Research. “All of these are very serious disorders. … If anybody ever thought that COVID was like the flu this should be one of the most powerful data sets to point out it’s not.”

 

https://www.science.org/content/article/covid-19-takes-serious-toll-heart-health-full-year-after-recovery

 

35 minutes ago, Scott said:

A quick search doesn't reveal much, but I suspect it doesn't matter what variant.  I suspect it has to do with the seriousness of the infection:

 

The risk rose with severity of initial disease and extended to every outcome the team examined, including heart attacks, arrhythmias, strokes, cardiac arrest, and more. Even people who never went to the hospital had more cardiovascular disease than those who were never infected.

The results are “stunning … worse than I expected, for sure,” says Eric Topol, a cardiologist at Scripps Research. “All of these are very serious disorders. … If anybody ever thought that COVID was like the flu this should be one of the most powerful data sets to point out it’s not.”

 

https://www.science.org/content/article/covid-19-takes-serious-toll-heart-health-full-year-after-recovery

 

If i'm not mistaken that study is before Omicron surfaced if we're talking about the same study.

My technical english is not that great, so i might be wrong.

Please delete my post if i'm wrong.

 

Not saying covid are not lethal and does not cause a lot of problems, but if it does not cover the Omicron variant,

the data is "just" a history lesson and not something we could expect with Omicron.

 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01689-3#MOESM1

 

A flowchart of cohort construction is provided in Fig. 1. Of 6,241,346 participants who encountered the VHA in 2019, 162,690 participants who had a positive COVID-19 test between 1 March 2020 and 15 January 2021 were selected into the COVID-19 group. 

 

 In the COVID-19 and contemporary control groups, 31 October 2021 was the end of follow-up.

 

This study has several limitations.

 

Finally, as the pandemic, with all its dynamic features, continues to progress, as the virus continues to mutate and as new variants emerge, as treatment strategies of acute and post-acute COVID-19 evolve and as vaccine uptake improves, it is possible that the epidemiology of cardiovascular manifestations in COVID-19 might also change over time²¹.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Virt said:

If i'm not mistaken that study is before Omicron surfaced if we're talking about the same study.

My technical english is not that great, so i might be wrong.

Please delete my post if i'm wrong.

 

Not saying covid are not lethal and does not cause a lot of problems, but if it does not cover the Omicron variant,

the data is "just" a history lesson and not something we could expect with Omicron.

 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01689-3#MOESM1

 

A flowchart of cohort construction is provided in Fig. 1. Of 6,241,346 participants who encountered the VHA in 2019, 162,690 participants who had a positive COVID-19 test between 1 March 2020 and 15 January 2021 were selected into the COVID-19 group. 

 

 In the COVID-19 and contemporary control groups, 31 October 2021 was the end of follow-up.

 

This study has several limitations.

 

Finally, as the pandemic, with all its dynamic features, continues to progress, as the virus continues to mutate and as new variants emerge, as treatment strategies of acute and post-acute COVID-19 evolve and as vaccine uptake improves, it is possible that the epidemiology of cardiovascular manifestations in COVID-19 might also change over time²¹.

I am certainly not going to remove your post.  You cite a credible source and it is a discussion forum.

 

I was also wondering if Omicron is presenting with the same symptoms down the line, but I would guess that all we can do is speculate. 

 

I would venture to guess, and that is all it is, is a guess that Omicron will show the same long-term effects.  I base that on the fact that it is still the same virus, affecting the same organs.  

 

From what I can ascertain, vaccinated people have fewer long term effects from Covid than unvaccinated and since they tend to get less sick, I suspect that it is the length of time and the severity of the infection that has the most negative outcomes.  This is probably due to the extent to which the virus has time to 'seed' itself in other organs, such as the heart and circulatory system, as well as the kidneys and nervous system.  

 

But again, this is speculation.   It's still Covid and it's still the same virus.

4 minutes ago, Scott said:

I am certainly not going to remove your post.  You cite a credible source and it is a discussion forum.

 

I was also wondering if Omicron is presenting with the same symptoms down the line, but I would guess that all we can do is speculate. 

 

I would venture to guess, and that is all it is, is a guess that Omicron will show the same long-term effects.  I base that on the fact that it is still the same virus, affecting the same organs.  

 

From what I can ascertain, vaccinated people have fewer long term effects from Covid than unvaccinated and since they tend to get less sick, I suspect that it is the length of time and the severity of the infection that has the most negative outcomes.  This is probably due to the extent to which the virus has time to 'seed' itself in other organs, such as the heart and circulatory system, as well as the kidneys and nervous system.  

 

But again, this is speculation.   It's still Covid and it's still the same virus.

Omicron isn't the same as Delta.

I don't know why you don't want to move on.

I have posted the UK's experience and how the country has moved on.

All you had to do was watch the six nations rugby at the weekend.

Maskless packed stadiums with people celebrating living again.

You can't live as if your dead.

Get tripled jabbed, live your life and lose the fear.

Developed countries are.

3 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Omicron isn't the same as Delta.

I don't know why you don't want to move on.

I have posted the UK's experience and how the country has moved on.

All you had to do was watch the six nations rugby at the weekend.

Maskless packed stadiums with people celebrating living again.

You can't live as if your dead.

Get tripled jabbed, live your life and lose the fear.

Developed countries are.

Feel free to move on.  I don't recall saying I didn't want to move on.  The topic is about the long-term effects.   I don't know what that has to do with maskless packed stadiums or anything else. 

 

 

Protect the elderly and vulnerable.

 

Get vaccinated.

 

Get on with life for everybody who wants to.

Simples

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/02/harvard-experts-expect-new-wave-of-long-covid-cases/
 

This Harvard article suggests that long COVID caused by the omicron variant is a very distinct possibility, although it is still too early to tell.

12 hours ago, Blumpie said:

The pandemic is basically over.  Just wait for countries to start really declaring this.  

Omicron is a total joke.  Know 3 people that have it now, one had a runny nose for 4 hours and took a nap.  That was it!  

In my area a lot of kids are getting covid and they are getting tested before going to school. Very sad to see this happen.

11 hours ago, Scott said:

Omicron ripped through my neighborhood and I ended up with 7 very close neighbors who caught it.  None of them described it as a 'cold'.  One couple weren't vaccinated and they were sick for an extended period of time, as in weeks.  All the rest were vaccinated and boosted. For them, it lasted 5 days of being quite sick -- at least  in bed sick.  As one said, "I wouldn't describe it as mild.'  

 

In addition to being a respiratory infection, Covid is also a vascular disease and it attacks the heart and vascular system.  It also can damage kidneys and has implications for the neurological system.  

 

A long-term study of 153,760 U.S. veterans who had survived Covid-19 for at least 30 days beyond the initial diagnoses. veterans shows a definite uptick in cases of heart attack, stroke and other cardiac issues.   Those who had recovered from Covid-19 coronavirus infections were 63% more likely to have had some kind of cardiovascular problem in the ensuing year than those in the control groups.   And there were two control groups, one of people during the same time period who did not have Covid and another group that was pre-covid.  

 

The study found that it included a 52% greater likelihood of suffering a stroke, a 63% higher likelihood of a heart attack,  and a 145% higher likelihood of heat failure. Those who had had Covid-19 were also more likely to subsequently have various abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation (71% more likely), sinus tachycardia (84%), sinus bradycardia (53%), and ventricular arrhythmias (84%).

 

The same results were consistent for different ages, races, sex and other cardiovascular risk factors.  

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/02/13/study-finds-increased-heart-disease-stroke-risk-after-surviving-even-mild-covid-19/?sh=17843b1e2134

 

 

How many were hospitalized?

 

I'm not at all sure Omicron sufferers will go on to develop long covid: primarily it is an URTI.

 

It's certainly a big deal for very old and sick people, but then again any virus could be.

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

 

How many were hospitalized?

 

None in my neighborhood were hospitalized.  The unvaccinated couple were under a dr's. care and the husband was given Ivermectin and the wife was given Hydroxychloroquine.   They remained at home and there were medical providers that stopped by and checked on them.  Just as an aside, neither of them have strong political positions and had not requested the medication be used.    They are still recovering and it's difficult to know if it's just very, very slow or long covid.  

 

The rest of the people all just toughed it out.  Some said they didn't talk to a medical provider and some did, but none received any prescription medication.   So far, a few are still recovering, complaining mostly of fatigue and a small amount of brain fog, confusion etc.   Others are pretty much back to normal.  

18 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

How many were hospitalized?

 

I'm not at all sure Omicron sufferers will go on to develop long covid: primarily it is an URTI.

 

It's certainly a big deal for very old and sick people, but then again any virus could be.

You could be right.   I think that by first hitting the upper respiratory system which is at least somewhat less instrumental in the Oxygen levels, it gives the immune system time to respond.  I believe the level of protective epithelial cells are a little thicker and harder to penetrate making a serious infection less likely.   Time is important for the adaptive immune system to kick in and specifically target the virus. 

 

All that said, if the virus gets 'seeded' well, then it can start infecting other organs in the vascular system.   But this is just conjecture on my part as to how I think this progresses.

 

At any rate, it does seem that a milder infection that clears quickly lessens the chances of long covid.  Time will tell.

 

Long COVID symptoms after Omicron: WHO on worrying signs

 

"speaking on chances of suffering from long COVID after Omicron, the UN health agency noted that the possibility is high (as compared to other variants), still more study is needed on that."

https://www.livemint.com/science/health/whos-warning-on-long-covid-symptoms-heart-diseases-and-other-worrying-signs-to-watch-out-for-11644579525137.html