Editorial: Lancet: Long COVID: 3 years in, 2023

[Andy]

"March 11 marks 3 years since WHO declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. While the world is determined to move on from the acute phase, at least 65 million people are estimated to struggle with long COVID, a debilitating post-infection multisystem condition with common symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive dysfunction, impairing their ability to perform daily activities for several months or years. Although the majority of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 recover within a few weeks, long COVID is estimated to occur in 10–20% of cases and affects people of all ages, including children, with most cases occurring in patients with mild acute illness. The consequence is widespread global harm to people's health, wellbeing, and livelihoods—an estimated one in ten people who develop long COVID stop working, resulting in extensive economic losses. In 2021, we called for a coordinated research and health-care agenda to tackle this new medical challenge. However, progress has been excruciatingly slow due to lack of attention and resources."

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00493-2/fulltext

 

[rvallee]

However, progress has been excruciatingly slow due to lack of attention and resources

And they are trying very hard to find out who caused this. Very, very hard.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Because of long COVID's diverse symptomatology, reliance on self-reported symptoms, and a lack of diagnostic tests and consensus definition, many patients struggle to obtain a definitive diagnosis. As a result, long COVID is often easily dismissed as a psychosomatic condition. Given what we now know about the effects of long COVID and its biological basis, it must be taken seriously.

The clear implication being that psychosomatic illness is not taken seriously.

 

[JemPD]

The acute months of the COVID-19 pandemic motivated an unprecedented response from governments, international organisations, pharmaceutical companies, and civil society. Long COVID has not received anywhere near the same level of attention or resources: the result has been widespread harm to health, societies, and economies. 3 years in, more is needed to recognise, treat, and support patients with long COVID.

Lets just edit it a bit...
Acute illness, and chronic illness with recognised biomarkers receives an appropriate response from governments, international organisations, pharmaceutical companies, and civil society & the medical profession. Long VIRUS/INFECTION (now called ME/CFS) has not received anywhere near the same level of attention or resources: the result has been widespread harm to health, societies, and economies. Roughly 100 years in, more is needed to recognise, treat, and support patients with ME/CFS.

I wonder how it will be reported on in 2123, i wonder whether things will be any different, because at the rate things are going...

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Merged thread

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00493-2/fulltext

As a result, long COVID is often easily dismissed as a psychosomatic condition. Given what we now know about the effects of long COVID and its biological basis, it must be taken seriously.

So they are saying psychosomatic conditions are not taken seriously. If an ME patient said that, then they would be told they are stigmatising mental health by the likes of Max Pemberton.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/8641007/Protesters-have-got-it-all-wrong-on-ME.html

...the medical profession is not taking them seriously

 

[rvallee]

So they are saying psychosomatic conditions are not taken seriously. If an ME patient said that, then they would be told they are stigmatising mental health by the likes of Max Pemberton.

No one really takes psychosomatism seriously. It's all for show when they pretend otherwise. Deep down they know there is no actual evidence for any of this, but it's a con, where expressing confidence is the whole thing, so it goes with huffing and puffing when people point out that it's a hollow construct that no one takes seriously, most of all the people who are behind the theories.

But those ideas can't be reconciled. The emperor has clothes. They are made of golden thread. Pointing out that the emperor is naked is therefore not admissible. Even though everyone can see the imperial dong, it just can't be said out loud, instead there has to be huffing and puffing about how obviously there is an imperial golden robe.