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North Jersey: "Will long COVID sway the 2024 election? These Rutgers researchers think it could"

'An aging U.S. population and the rise of long COVID mean voters with disabilities may have more of an impact on the upcoming election than ever before, a new Rutgers University report finds.'

'The emergence of a long COVID population still suffering with pandemic-related illnesses has also made health care and accessibility more salient'

“We've seen an increase in young people reporting cognitive impairments very consistent with long COVID," added Douglas Kruse, who co-directs the Rutgers program with Schur, his wife. "There's been a special increase there that could have an effect on the election."

'Between aging, long COVID and other factors, one in six eligible voters in the U.S. now has a disability of some type, the Rutgers researchers found. That's double the growth rate of voters without disabilities, their report said.'
 
Medscape:'How Much Does Long COVID Cost Society? New Data Shed Light'

'Long COVID, a major public health crisis, is also becoming a significant economic crisis. A new study in Nature reports that the global annual economic impact of long COVID has hit $1 trillion — or about 1% of the global economy.'

'Public health experts, economists, researchers, and physicians say they are only beginning to focus on ways to reduce long COVID’s impact.'

'But research into long COVID research continues to be underfunded compared with other health conditions, experts noted.'

'Cancer and diabetes both receive billions of research dollars annually from the National Institutes of Health. Long COVID research gets only a few million, according to Goda.'

'But these clinics have faced declining federal resources, forcing some to close and others to face questions about whether they will be able to continue to operate without more aggressive federal direction and policy planning.'

Post copied to the thread about the Nature article:
Long COVID science, research and policy, 2024, Al-Aly, Davis, McCorkell, Iwasaki, Topol+
 
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Post Bulletin (Rochester, MN): 'October proclaimed Dysautonomia Awareness Month in Rochester'

'Madelyn Saner and Lexi Dunn have been advocating for dysautonomia awareness, and organized an event for Dysautonomia Awareness Month...'

"Saner also got a proclamation from Gov. Tim Walz for Dysautonomia Awareness Month."

"For Saner and Dunn, spreading awareness is crucial. POTS is still a fairly new disorder and both women have had to advocate for themselves to family, strangers and even doctors in the health care system."

"The next event they would like to plan would be for International Day of Persons with Disabilities in December."
 
Dakota15 said:
North Jersey: "Will long COVID sway the 2024 election? These Rutgers researchers think it could"

'An aging U.S. population and the rise of long COVID mean voters with disabilities may have more of an impact on the upcoming election than ever before, a new Rutgers University report finds.'

'The emergence of a long COVID population still suffering with pandemic-related illnesses has also made health care and accessibility more salient'

“We've seen an increase in young people reporting cognitive impairments very consistent with long COVID," added Douglas Kruse, who co-directs the Rutgers program with Schur, his wife. "There's been a special increase there that could have an effect on the election."

'Between aging, long COVID and other factors, one in six eligible voters in the U.S. now has a disability of some type, the Rutgers researchers found. That's double the growth rate of voters without disabilities, their report said.'
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I've had an interest in US politics for over 2 decades and follow the election closely. I have not once seen any attempt to reach disabled voters. Not once. Same with local politics here. It is not simply not talked about, not a winning electoral strategy, because the message is always centered around workers, which they usually call taxpayers. People who 'work hard' and do stuff and so on. There are far smaller constituencies that get 100-1000x more attention, and not always just because they have money and influence. We are still political exiles in our own societies.

But I'm wondering with aging populations whether this may change in the future. Usually this is cleanly separated by age, as if disability only exists once you pass 65.
 
Dakota15 said:
Between aging, long COVID and other factors, one in six eligible voters in the U.S. now has a disability of some type, the Rutgers researchers found. That's double the growth rate of voters without disabilities, their report said.'
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Add to that the chronically ill who can still work, and a potentially large voting block could emerge. Many millions of sick people under a single banner. Larger than most unions.
 
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10/21/24, 'National Academy of Medicine Elects 100 New Members'

'The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced the election of 90 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.'

Newly elected regular members of the National Academy of Medicine and their election citations are:

'Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH, director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. For leading transformative research that has redefined our understanding of relationships between the vaginal microbiome and female reproductive tract infections, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), hormonal contraception, and risk of STI/HIV acquisition. She has had key roles in NIH-funded networks — Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium and HIV Prevention Trials.'

'Avindra Nath, MD, chief, Section of Infections of the Nervous System, and clinical director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. For pioneering research and strong leadership in emerging and persistent infections of the nervous system by studying pathophysiology, developing treatments, and conducting clinical studies. This includes retroviruses, Ebola, Zika, nodding syndrome, and COVID-19 as well as Long COVID, ME/CFS, and Gulf War syndrome.'
 
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Contagion: 'Detecting T Cell Dysfunction in Post-Acute Infection Syndromes'

'At IDWeek, Nigel McCracken, PhD, COO of Virax Biolabs, discussed their work on developing a diagnostic test for early detection of T cell dysfunction in post-acute infection syndromes like Long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome, and Lyme disease.'

'The test aims to identify T-cell exhaustion by measuring cell surface markers and cytokines released by B and T-cells.'

'He explained the two types of immune responses: innate and adaptive. “There’s an innate immune response, which is a quick response, and then there’s an adaptive response. The adaptive response is more focused, involving B cells that form antibodies and T cells that are cytotoxic, meant to kill the virus and remove it from the body.”

'“We hope to be able to identify that early to allow treatment management. There are no drugs specifically at this moment, but drug companies are working on Long COVID treatments.'

'..Nigel expressed hope that the increased awareness surrounding Long COVID could benefit others suffering from chronic conditions. “I think the whole thing around Long COVID has helped patients who have dealt with chronic fatigue syndrome for years. It has brought attention to a general problem around chronic inflammatory conditions. We really need to do something about it, as it is causing a huge healthcare problem and a significant burden on society.”'
 
Webinar today - NASEM: "A Long COVID diagnosis: Implications for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences"

Speakers:

(Moderator) Abigail Dumes, University of Michigan and Examining the Working Definition for Long COVID Committee Member

Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, University of Texas Health San Antonio and Examining the Working Definition for Long COVID Committee Member

Lisa McCorkell, Patient-Led Research Collaborative

Kate Murray, Program Manager, Minnesota Long COVID Program
 
Mij said:
Tim Hendrich's team is using multimodal PET imaging to measure T cell activation post-COVID: "We saw significant increases in activated T-cell signalling in [the brain stem and spinal cord], that shouldn't have activated T-cells in them."
https://twitter.com/user/status/1849512012683894875
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https://twitter.com/user/status/1849512015020052776

"Dr. Hendrich will present more findings from his #LongCovid PET and biopsy study at PolyBio’s upcoming symposium:"

Zoom link (Nov 8, 2024, 4:00 PM GMT)
 
University of South Florida: “USF Health receives $3.75 million NIH award to research whether Long COVID may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia”

“The grant, awarded in September, funds a five-year investigation with the potential for broad impact, given COVID-19 has burdened an estimated 30 million Americans with neurologic symptoms..”

“This NIH RO1 award has the potential to significantly impact our understanding of the long-term adverse effects of COVID, provide new insights into the triggers of dementia and eventually help the patients we serve,” he said.

“.. the public health impact is profound due to the number of individuals of all ages who have been or will be infected. There is a great lack of knowledge of the basic neuropathology and how to treat or prevent these conditions.”

“These include dementias and a drop in global cognitive performance,” Dr. Mohapatra said

"In a series of studies, they found that Long COVID produces a marker for Alzheimer’s disease called tau – an accumulation of neurotoxic molecules that create aggregates known as tauopathy. This accumulation leads to memory loss and loss of cognition, the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. Autopsies of individuals suffering from these symptoms revealed evidence that the virus made its way into the brain through inflammation to cause neurological issues."

'Autopsies of individuals suffering from these symptoms revealed evidence that the virus made its way into the brain through inflammation to cause neurological issues.”

“The team aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind COVID-induced tauopathy and identify potential drug targets to prevent or slow its progression.”

“Our model suggested that it can cause neuroinflammation – that was very important, because any neurodegenerative disease begins with this inflammation.”

“Four years later, they are truly taking their research to an even higher level – fueled by a landmark grant that underscores the vital importance of their work.”
 
There are quite a few studies lately showing that shingles may increase the risk of cognitive decline and AD. It's important to study the role of viral infections and cognitive impairment.
 
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NelliePledge said:
I don’t understand why people keep announcing that viruses have long term effects as some kind of revelation.
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It is definitely news to about 99% of MDs. Even those who "know" it. They don't actually know it, only some version of it that isn't especially close to reality.

It will have to be repeated until it sinks in, which at the rate things are going might be a long while. I'm glad it is. It should be repeated more. Louder. Happier. With mouths way more open. (Link is to a hilarious comedy sketch, if you're well and in the mood to laugh)
 
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