COVID-19

[Rodius]

For Australia average age of covid deaths is 83.

Two points to make here.

Saying Australia had an average age of 83 is a good thing.
The average age globally is 72, and that ignores the entire continent of Africa.

Secondly, the increased age of the Australian stat is due to a few factors.

1 - The federally funded aged care facilities were found wanting in almost every aspect, and because of that, Covid got into them and ran rampant killing a lot of old people. In the State funded aged care providers, I don't think many people died at all.

2 - we also had lockdowns.
The fact that the age is so high means we also saved many lives of younger people. Which is a win in my book.

So... mentioning 83 as a criticism is not really a good idea because it proves that what Australia did end up saving more young people than the global average.

From Federal Queensland Senator Gerrard Rennick -

"Figures compiled from Government links below.
Case data comes from the worksheet “Notifications for all diseases” then scroll down to Respiratory Dieases section.
Death data is from the ABS link.
Key points.
• The mortality rate for Covid alone is below the all cause mortality rate. Day to day living is more dangerous than Covid if you are healthy.
• The mortality rate for Covid if you had a comorbidity is below the all cause mortality rate for all years except 2020. Even if you’re sick, something other than Covid is more likely to kill you.
. 805 of the 906 Covid deaths in 2020 were from Victoria during their lockdown in winter, most of which were in Aged Care centres. Were the draconian lockdown measures taken by Dan Andrews responsible for these deaths?
•There were over 10 million cases of Covid in 2022, despite most of the adult population being vaccinated. The vaccines did nothing to stop transmission or infection.
• All up there have been less than 1,000 deaths in Australia over the last four years from Covid alone.
•On the other hand, deaths rose by 10,000 in 2021 before Covid was in the community but after the vaccine rollout. The vaccine increased the death rate, not Covid.
• In 2022 deaths rose by 28,000 from 2020, of which 343 was due to Covid only.
• The pandemic was caused by the government and the media, not the virus."

https://nindss.health.gov.au/pbi-dashboard/

https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/covid-19-mortality-australia-deaths-registered-until-30-november-2023

Given Covid isn't so bad, why did it go from nothing to the third leading cause of death in 2022?

And since Covid isn't all that bad according to you, maybe we should stop putting in so much effort to prevent heart disease and cancer and lung diseases... I mean, only two of them are worse than Covid, the others must be a walk in the park.

https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/latest-release

As for the key points.... since you cherry picked, let me do the same from the same article you gave...

Key statistics
20,755 of the 658,524 death registrations received by the ABS between March 2020 and November 2023 were of people who died from or with COVID-19.

The underlying cause of death for 16,472 (79.4%) of these people was COVID-19.

There were a further 4,283 people who died of other causes (e.g. cancer) but COVID-19 contributed to their death. 

Chronic cardiac conditions were the most common pre-existing chronic condition for those who had COVID-19 certified as the underlying cause of death.

379 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died from or with COVID-19 since August 2021

There is also a graph in your article showing multiple thousands of deaths given in monthly instalments..... yet you pick the 300ish from Covid only thing.

The article makes no mention of the media and government causing the pandemic... where is that coming from?

And 343 from Covid alone.... in that graph you completely ignore the rest.
I wonder if those 343 were people under 50? I would hazard a guess they were under 30.

Keep cherry picking mate... it will help you feel better about your incorrect belief about virus'.

[SeanAU]

For the Politics thread avoidance crowd.

ZH has a posting up with the title

"It Just Sort Of Appeared" - Fauci Comes Clean Over 'Science-less' Six-Foot-Distancing Rule

the quote

    Anthony Fauci was asked this question this week in U.S. House hearings on the COVID response.

    Incredibly, he didn’t really know how this came about.

    “It just sort of appeared,” he told the subcommittee, which was an unusual answer since he otherwise said 100 times that he could not remember anything. Here, however, he admits there was never any science behind it.

    That’s extremely peculiar.

    This rule governed all social interaction for two years and more.

    It wrecked every manner of things, made people feel diseased and isolated, made meetings impossible, and gave rise to a whole ritual of interaction that was utterly alien to the normal human way, including elbow bumps and water-gun baptisms.

    It was why schools were so delayed in reopening. They could not guarantee that students would stay apart. It’s why airports were so crowded. Everyone was trying to avoid everyone else. It’s why park benches were roped off, why restroom stalls were operating at 50 percent, and why you could not hold weddings and funerals. This stuff was enforced at all levels of society.

    And yet here is the “nation’s leading infectious disease scientist” who took charge of the pandemic response saying that he has no idea where this idea came from.

    Back in March 2021, the New York Times, of all egregious venues, got curious about this too. Reporter Emily Anthes asked around the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the mandate and the science behind it.

    She quotes Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.

    “It never struck me that six feet was particularly sensical in the context of mitigation. I wish the C.D.C. would just come out and say this is not a major issue.”

    She wrote that the origin of the six-foot distancing recommendation is something of a mystery.

    “It’s almost like it was pulled out of thin air,” said Linsey Marr, an expert on viral transmission at Virginia Tech University.

---

make of it what you will.

[morganism]

(Yeah , remember that rouge biolab that was found in Cali a few months ago?  It gets way worse.)
PS. this author is...edgy

Chabria  @ShivenChabria Jan 7

Thread: House of Horrors: An exclusive in-depth exposé of the illegal California biolab.

(This is a companion thread to the one I did a couple of months ago and will add to the facts and findings that hadn't come to light then)
(...)
36. And here’s the pièce de résistance:
You're going to have to sit down for this one.

Zhu’s lab received a $360,000 tax credit from Governor Gavin Newsom’s ‘GO-Biz’ program.

37. How in holy hell does a complex network of shell corporations run by an international fugitive running a packaging facility front for overseas manufactured tests qualify for tax credits get zero scrutiny from a gigantic state machinery of checks and balances?

38. While what I have posted here shocks one to their very core, it is still a fraction of what can be found by reading my comprehensive investigative report.
As promised, here it is. And while you're there don't forget to subscribe and share.

https://nitter.poast.org/ShivenChabria/status/1744057741482631560#m


House of Horrors: An exclusive in-depth exposé of the illegal California biolab
How an international fugitive run, CCP-linked lab sold fake COVID and pregnancy tests, experimented on deadly pathogens, enjoyed California tax credits and evaded detection by multiple US agencies

https://thesovereignmind.substack.com/p/house-of-horrors-an-exclusive-in


https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/scc-reedley-report-11.15.pdf

[nadir]

A new research facility for “Disease X”. No April’s Fools. BBC reports (warning: high levels of propaganda; couldn’t find anything better)

See link for video. It´s a better fit with the other thread.

Disease X is the scary denomination for “anticipating expensive vaccines for coronavirus diseases that do not yet exist…

[morganism]

Deaths induced by compassionate use of hydroxychloroquine during the first COVID-19 wave: an estimate

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S075333222301853X

Highlights

    •

    Hydroxychloroquine was prescribed in hospitalised patients with Covid-19 despite of the low-level evidence.
    •

    Subsequently, HCQ use was associated with an 11% increase in the mortality rate in a meta-analysis of randomized trials.
    •

    The number of hydroxychloroquine related deaths in hospitalised patients is estimated at 16,990 in six countries.
    •

    These findings illustrate the hazard of drug repurposing with low-level evidence for the management of future pandemics.

Abstract

Background

During the first wave of COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was used off-label despite the absence of evidence documenting its clinical benefits. Since then, a meta-analysis of randomised trials showed that HCQ use was associated with an 11% increase in the mortality rate. We aimed to estimate the number of HCQ-related deaths worldwide.
Methods and findings

We estimated the worldwide in-hospital mortality attributable to HCQ use by combining the mortality rate, HCQ exposure, number of hospitalised patients, and the increased relative risk of death with HCQ. The mortality rate in hospitalised patients for each country was calculated using pooled prevalence estimated by a meta-analysis of published cohorts. The HCQ exposure was estimated using median and extreme estimates from the same systematic review. The number of hospitalised patients during the first wave was extracted from dedicated databases. The systematic review included 44 cohort studies (Belgium: k = 1, France: k = 2, Italy: k = 12, Spain: k = 6, Turkey: k = 3, USA: k = 20). HCQ prescription rates varied greatly from one country to another (range 16–84%). Overall, using median estimates of HCQ use in each country, we estimated that 16,990 HCQ-related in-hospital deaths (range 6267–19256) occurred in the countries with available data. The median number of HCQ-related deaths in Belgium, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, and the USA was 240 (range not estimable), 95 (range 92–128), 199 (range not estimable), 1822 (range 1170–2063), 1895 (range 1475–2094) and 12739 (3244− 15570), respectively.
Conclusions

Although our estimates are limited by their imprecision, these findings illustrate the hazard of drug repurposing with low-level evidence.

[neal]

A very interesting study out of Cornell with some major implications

Mice bred without immune cells (T or B lymphocytes) show no SARS-CoV-2 symptoms

Well, there is clear evidence that Covid infection reduces effective T cells in people (T-cell exhaustion)

Which, from the Cornell study, would mean that we should see a lessening of Covid symptoms from repeated exposure to the Covid virus as our T cell-levels drop

However, as our T cells levels drop, we become vulnerable to more and more other illnesses that our immune system no longer has the means to resist

This is great news for the survival of the virus and not such great news for the survival people living in a world full of many potential diseases

The ultimate implication of this is that we would start to see increasing levels of illness and disease in the population exposed to multiple Covid infections

Mice without immune cells show no SARS-CoV-2 symptoms

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/01/mice-without-immune-cells-show-no-sars-cov-2-symptoms

[Neven]

The government quickly caved into the BAU (business as usual) argument of big money, big business.

Indeed they did, and OXFAM proves it with their yearly Davos report:

The past three years’ supercharged surge in extreme wealth has solidified while global poverty remains mired at pre-pandemic levels. Billionaires are $3.3 trillion richer than in 2020, and their wealth has grown three times faster than the rate of inflation.

The point has been reached where not only don't the elites let a good crisis go to waste, but crises are now actively created, because they're very good for wealth concentration.

The only question is which one is next? Will it be the germophobe hypochondriac's wet dream in the form of a much more serious engineered corona/influenza strain? Will it be some bio-weaponised microbes that ravage intestines and brains? Or will it be a relatively benign cyber-pandemic first?

[Rodius]

The government quickly caved into the BAU (business as usual) argument of big money, big business.

Indeed they did, and OXFAM proves it with their yearly Davos report:

The past three years’ supercharged surge in extreme wealth has solidified while global poverty remains mired at pre-pandemic levels. Billionaires are $3.3 trillion richer than in 2020, and their wealth has grown three times faster than the rate of inflation.

The point has been reached where not only don't the elites let a good crisis go to waste, but crises are now actively created, because they're very good for wealth concentration.

The only question is which one is next? Will it be the germophobe hypochondriac's wet dream in the form of a much more serious engineered corona/influenza strain? Will it be some bio-weaponised microbes that ravage intestines and brains? Or will it be a relatively benign cyber-pandemic first?

The next crisis is a major war.

Just to clarify this a little.... Covid was a real problem that was exploited by the asshats in power to increase their power and wealth with a focus on Big Pharma.

It is of concern that new labs are being made to fight a disease that doesn't exist when the current labs should be doing that job anyway, why do we need to more labs and increased risk of lab escapes? (My current theory is the new lab is a form of propaganda that relates to "without us doing this stuff, the world would be even more scary so you need us more than we need you and we have your back")

Anyway, war is next, that should be obvious.

[Neven]

Anyway, war is next, that should be obvious.

Too much war is bad for wealth concentration, so I think it's going to be just the right amount, where there is a steady flow of weapon sales and some testing grounds for new tech (such as Ukraine, to make sure AI and drones preclude any chance of revolution in the future).

Of course, there will be a lot of fearmongering to create the illusion that there will be a big war. But my bet is on more bioweapons (viruses and bacteria) and a fake cyber-pandemic to keep the financial system afloat and firmly decoupled from the real economy.

Just to clarify this a little.... Covid was a real problem that was exploited by the asshats in power to increase their power and wealth with a focus on Big Pharma.

Did they perchance exploit it by overhyping it a little? Or was the hysteria purely self-fuelling?

I mean, it turns out they lied about so many things. Was none of it malicious intent? Did it just sort of happen?

The Disinformation Chronicle (author has done a multitude of pieces on climate disinformation in the past):

Former White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted in a congressional deposition last week that the federal government’s COVID guidance for six-feet social distancing was not based on scientific evidence, stating under oath “it sort of just appeared.” Fauci's testimony came during the second day of his closed-door deposition before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, and echoed a similar comment made by former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb.

"The six feet rule was arbitrary in and of itself," Dr. Gottlieb said during a September 2021 appearance on "Face the Nation" while discussing COVID guidance. "Nobody knows where it came from. The six feet is a perfect example of sort of the lack of rigor of how CDC made recommendations."

I'll copy this comment to the Implications-thread, as this thread is for the 'science' related to (long) COVID.

[Rodius]

Yeah, they need just the right amount of war, but war tends to get out of hand quickly due to its chaotic nature.

But, in terms of controlled war, you are right, it has limits.

So does a virus, given the uncontrollable nature of adaption... but I suppose if you get the death rate "just right", it could be another propaganda effort. Need more labs for that? (Shit, am I becoming a conspiracy theorist?)

At the beginning of Covid, I don't think it was deliberate fearmongering. It was an unknown virus causing many deaths in a country that tends to hide information. A lot of unknowns make it more sensible to err on the side of caution.

As things progressed, politicians started using it for their own nefarious means. Late 2020 is my guess as to when that was exploited more and more for less and less reasons.

After that, the conspiracies ramped up (I wouldn't be surprised if it was funded by wealthy people) and the game got started properly after that until we reached the stage of a "Brave New World".
So much information that people gave up trying to figure it out and just gave up.

And now, we don't talk about the stresses on hospitals. Even now, Melbourne struggles with hospitalized Covid cases. They may not die as often, but they still take up space for long periods of time.
And the ever-growing Long Covid issue... which is real but still used as a fear machine for those in power to get what they want easier. Both can be true.

Covid is a problem, but not to the scale the fear mongers tell us, and not as weak as the conspiracy theorists say, but with the right resource management it is something that can be handled.

The biggest problem is unravelling the bullshit from the information that matters.

[morganism]

(cytokine storm blocker- huge for sepsis too...)

Short-acting antibody curbs cytokine storms with minimal side effects

Cytokines are chemical messengers that help the body get rid of invading bacteria and viruses, and control inflammation. The body carefully balances cytokines because they help keep the immune system healthy. However, this balance is upset if the immune system overreacts. A serious infection or a severe burn can unleash a cytokine storm in the body. During the storm—also called cytokine release syndrome (CRS)—the body produces too many cytokines, leading to life-threatening inflammation.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key cytokine in the storm because it helps to drive the inflammation that damages the body. IL-6 delivers its message by fastening to IL-6 receptors within cells, which tells the cells to spread inflammation. Because IL-6 is important in CRS, treatments that block the IL-6 signal can relieve inflammation. However, this blocking tends to be long-lasting, which leads to side effects.

In a study published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers from Osaka University have discovered a way to block IL-6 signals while minimizing treatment side effects. The group interrupted the inflammatory signal using an antibody that blocks the IL-6 receptor for only a short time. The brief interruption was long enough to protect the tissues against injury from cytokine storms caused by sepsis or severe burns.

Vascular damage happens when an infection or burn causes the cells that line the inner surface of blood vessels to become leaky. The leaking fluid triggers a cytokine storm and can cause a secondary infection. The group also reported a potential mechanism for this damage to cells. When IL-6 binds to its receptor it activates a protein called hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α), which amplifies inflammation.

"We found that blocking the IL-6R-HIF1α signal strengthened vascular endothelial cells and improved vessel integrity. This helped to prevent leakage from the vessels and relieved the inflammation caused by CRS," explains senior author Tadamitsu Kishimoto. "We hope this will help patients suffering from CRS and other inflammatory diseases in the future."

Other diseases that can cause CRS include sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, COVID-19 infection, and ischemia. People with traumatic injuries and those taking some cancer immunotherapies can also experience a cytokine storm. The findings of this study can hopefully provide an alternative therapeutic approach to patients with these conditions.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240116/Short-acting-antibody-curbs-cytokine-storms-with-minimal-side-effects.aspx

Gp130–HIF1α axis–induced vascular damage is prevented by the short-term inhibition of IL-6 receptor signaling. PNAS. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2315898120.

[neal]

...And the ever-growing Long Covid issue... which is real but still used as a fear machine for those in power to get what they want easier....

Please explain to me

1)who are the people in power who are using long covid as a fear machine?

2)what are some changes that these people in power want?

3)where are these changes being implemented?

I would say to you, the "people in power" want covid to go away. Period.  Long covid, too.

It increases costs, it decreases spending.  BAU suffers when the population is concerned about their health or are ill.

Tell me why I'm wrong

[neal]

SARS-CoV-2 Can Infect Dopamine Neurons Causing Senescence

A new study reported that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, can infect dopamine neurons in the brain and trigger senescence—when a cell loses the ability to grow and divide. The researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons suggest that further research on this finding may shed light on the neurological symptoms associated with long COVID such as brain fog, lethargy and depression....

https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2024/01/sars-cov-2-can-infect-dopamine-neurons-causing-senescence
The findings, published in Cell Stem Cell on Jan. 17, show that dopamine neurons infected with SARS-CoV-2 stop working and send out chemical signals that cause inflammation. Normally, these neurons produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in feelings of pleasure, motivation, memory, sleep and movement. Damage to these neurons is also connected to Parkinson’s disease.

[SeanAU]

BAU suffers when the population is concerned about their health or are ill.

It doesn't suffer when you're in the Health (Sickness) Business or Financing it long term.

There's Gold in them there hills Moriarty!

And massive amounts of election funding and Media advertising and News to sell too.

[neal]

BAU suffers when the population is concerned about their health or are ill.

It doesn't suffer when you're in the Health (Sickness) Business or Financing it long term.

There's Gold in them there hills Moriarty!

And massive amounts of election funding and Media advertising and News to sell too.

OK, you tell me which medical operation is making big money on long-covid?  They all are funded by insurers, and all insurers are trying their hardest to eliminate long-covid people from their rolls.

Who's even talking about long-covid in the major media or advertising ?

And who, in this election cycle is even talking about the issue.  Issues without sound-bite solutions are not winning campaign topics.

The marginalization and dismissal of long-covid people runs deep.

[Rodius]

...And the ever-growing Long Covid issue... which is real but still used as a fear machine for those in power to get what they want easier....

Please explain to me

1)who are the people in power who are using long covid as a fear machine?

2)what are some changes that these people in power want?

3)where are these changes being implemented?

I would say to you, the "people in power" want covid to go away. Period.  Long covid, too.

It increases costs, it decreases spending.  BAU suffers when the population is concerned about their health or are ill.

Tell me why I'm wrong

Covid was used by politicians (and others) to do some pretty shitty things under the guise of emergency actions.

You have a point though....
For example, Long Covid isn't a fear trigger because the media is almost completely ignoring it. Like they ignore Covid for the most part unless there is an outbreak and the news covers the event and encourages people to get the vaccine... which makes sense.

The changes they made have been done in terms of wealth creation. They are still mentioning Covid when new biotech labs are wanted (even though there is no real reason for more labs since things like that already have the resources they need... so what I going on there?)

I am fairly sure we all understand Covid is here to stay, so wanting it gone is wasted energy.

So yeah, your points are taken and basically, you are right.

[neal]

Background
COVID-19 survivors may experience a wide range of chronic cognitive symptoms for months or years as part of post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC). To date, there is no definitive objective cognitive marker for PCC. We hypothesised that a key common deficit in people with PCC might be generalised cognitive slowing.

Methods
To examine cognitive slowing, patients with PCC completed two short web-based cognitive tasks, Simple Reaction Time (SRT) and Number Vigilance Test (NVT). 270 patients diagnosed with PCC at two different clinics in UK and Germany were compared to two control groups: individuals who contracted COVID-19 before but did not experience PCC after recovery (No-PCC group) and uninfected individuals (No-COVID group). All patients with PCC completed the study between May 18, 2021 and July 4, 2023 in Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany and Long COVID clinic, Oxford, UK.

Findings
We identified pronounced cognitive slowing in patients with PCC, which distinguished them from age-matched healthy individuals who previously had symptomatic COVID-19 but did not manifest PCC. Cognitive slowing was evident even on a 30-s task measuring simple reaction time (SRT), with patients with PCC responding to stimuli ∼3 standard deviations slower than healthy controls. 53.5% of patients with PCC's response speed was slower than 2 standard deviations from the control mean, indicating a high prevalence of cognitive slowing in PCC. This finding was replicated across two clinic samples in Germany and the UK. Comorbidities such as fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and post-traumatic stress disorder did not account for the extent of cognitive slowing in patients with PCC. Furthermore, cognitive slowing on the SRT was highly correlated with the poor performance of patients with PCC on the NVT measure of sustained attention.

Interpretation
Together, these results robustly demonstrate pronounced cognitive slowing in people with PCC, which distinguishes them from age-matched healthy individuals who previously had symptomatic COVID-19 but did not manifest PCC. This might be an important factor contributing to some of the cognitive impairments reported in patients with PCC.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00013-0/fulltext

[John Batteen]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-19/largest-covid-vaccine-study-yet-finds-links-to-health-conditions

Largest Covid Vaccine Study Yet Finds Links to Health Conditions

    Small increases in neurological, blood, heart-related issues
    Looks at medical problems among 99 million immunized people

By Jason Gale
February 18, 2024 at 8:29 PM CST

Vaccines that protect against severe illness, death and lingering long Covid symptoms from a coronavirus infection were linked to small increases in neurological, blood, and heart-related conditions in the largest global vaccine safety study to date.

The rare events — identified early in the pandemic — included a higher risk of heart-related inflammation from mRNA shots made by Pfizer Inc., BioNTech SE, and Moderna Inc., and an increased risk of a type of blood clot in the brain after immunization with viral-vector vaccines such as the one developed by the University of Oxford and made by AstraZeneca Plc.

The viral-vector jabs were also tied to an increased risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nervous system.

More than 13.5 billion doses of Covid vaccines have been administered globally over the past three years, saving over 1 million lives in Europe alone. Still, a small proportion of people immunized were injured by the shots, stoking debate about their benefits versus harms.

The new research, by the Global Vaccine Data Network, was published in the journal Vaccine last week, with the data made available via interactive dashboards to show methodology and specific findings.

The research looked for 13 medical conditions that the group considered “adverse events of special interest” among 99 million vaccinated individuals in eight countries, aiming to identify higher-than-expected cases after a Covid shot. The use of aggregated data increased the possibility of identifying rare safety signals that might have been missed when looking only at smaller populations.

Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, was consistently identified following a first, second and third dose of mRNA vaccines, the study found. The highest increase in the observed-to-expected ratio was seen after a second jab with the Moderna shot. A first and fourth dose of the same vaccine was also tied to an increase in pericarditis, or inflammation of the thin sac covering the heart.

Safety Signals

Researchers found a statistically significant increase in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome within 42 days of an initial Oxford-developed ChAdOx1 or “Vaxzevria” shot that wasn’t observed with mRNA vaccines. Based on the background incidence of the condition, 66 cases were expected — but 190 events were observed.

ChAdOx1 was linked to a threefold increase in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a type of blood clot in the brain, identified in 69 events, compared with an expected 21. The small risk led to the vaccine’s withdrawal or restriction in Denmark and multiple other countries. Myocarditis was also linked to a third dose of ChAdOx1 in some, but not all, populations studied.

Possible safety signals for transverse myelitis — spinal cord inflammation — after viral-vector vaccines were identified in the study. So was acute disseminated encephalomyelitis — inflammation and swelling in the brain and spinal cord — after both viral-vector and mRNA vaccines.

Seven cases of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis after vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were observed, versus an expectation of two.

The adverse events of special interest were selected based on pre-established associations with immunization, what was already known about immune-related conditions and pre-clinical research. The study didn’t monitor for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, that some research has linked with Covid vaccines.

Exercise intolerance, excessive fatigue, numbness and “brain fog” were among common symptoms identified in more than 240 adults experiencing chronic post-vaccination syndrome in a separate study conducted by the Yale School of Medicine. The cause of the syndrome isn’t yet known, and it has no diagnostic tests or proven remedies.

The Yale research aims to understand the condition to relieve the suffering of those affected and improve the safety of vaccines, said Harlan Krumholz, a principal investigator of the study, and director of the Yale New Haven Hospital Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation.

“Both things can be true,” Krumholz said in an interview. “They can save millions of lives, and there can be a small number of people who’ve been adversely affected.”

[WildFit]

Link removed.

[kassy]

Wildfit the rumble stuff can go here:
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,4006.0.html

[morganism]

 Iron dysregulation identified as potential trigger for long COVID

Problems with iron levels in the blood and the body's ability to regulate this important nutrient as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection could be a key trigger for long COVID, new research has discovered.

(...)

"Having recruited a group of people with SARS-CoV-2 early in the pandemic, analysis of several blood samples and clinical information collected over a 12 month period after infection has proved invaluable in giving us important and unexpected insights into why, for some unlucky individuals, initial SARS-CoV-2 infection is followed by months of persistent symptoms."

The team discovered that ongoing inflammation - a natural part of the immune response to infection - and low iron levels in blood, contributing to anemia and disrupting healthy red blood cell production, could be seen as early as two weeks post COVID-19 in those individuals reporting long COVID many months later.

Early iron dysregulation was detectable in the long COVID group independent of age, sex, or initial COVID-19 severity, suggesting a possible impact on recovery even in those who were at low risk for severe COVID-19, or who did not require hospitalization or oxygen therapy when sick.

Dr Aimee Hanson, who worked on the study while at the University of Cambridge, and is now at the University of Bristol, said: "Iron levels, and the way the body regulates iron, were disrupted early on during SARS-CoV-2 infection, and took a very long time to recover, particularly in those people who went on to report long COVID months later.

"Although we saw evidence that the body was trying to rectify low iron availability and the resulting anemia by producing more red blood cells, it was not doing a particularly good job of it in the face of ongoing inflammation."

Interestingly, although iron dysregulation was more profound during and following severe COVID-19, those who went on to develop long COVID after a milder course of acute COVID-19 showed similar patterns in the blood. The most pronounced association with long COVID was how quickly inflammation, iron levels and regulation returned to normal following SARS-CoV-2 infection - though symptoms tended to continue long after iron levels had recovered.

Co-author Professor Hal Drakesmith, from the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford, said iron dysregulation is a common consequence of inflammation and is a natural response to infection.

"When the body has an infection, it responds by removing iron from the bloodstream. This protects us from potentially lethal bacteria that capture the iron in the bloodstream and grow rapidly. It's an evolutionary response that redistributes iron in the body, and the blood plasma becomes an iron desert.

"However, if this goes on for a long time, there is less iron for red blood cells, so oxygen is transported less efficiently affecting metabolism and energy production, and for white blood cells, which need iron to work properly. The protective mechanism ends up becoming a problem."

The findings may help explain why symptoms such as fatigue and exercise intolerance are common in long COVID, as well as in several other post-viral syndromes with lasting symptoms.

The researchers say the study points to potential ways of preventing or reducing the impact of long COVID by rectifying iron dysregulation in early COVID-19 to prevent adverse long-term health outcomes.

One approach might be controlling the extreme inflammation as early as possible, before it impacts on iron regulation. Another approach might involve iron supplementation; however as Dr Hanson pointed out, this may not be straightforward.

    It isn't necessarily the case that individuals don't have enough iron in their body, it's just that it's trapped in the wrong place. What we need is a way to remobilize the iron and pull it back into the bloodstream, where it becomes more useful to the red blood cells."

The research also supports 'accidental' findings from other studies, including the IRONMAN study, which was looking at whether iron supplements benefited patients with heart failure - the study was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but preliminary findings suggest that trial participants were less likely to develop severe adverse effects from COVID-19. Similar effects have been observed among people living with the blood disorder beta-thalassemia, which can cause individuals to produce too much iron in their blood.

The research was funded by Wellcome, the Medical Research Council, NIHR and European Union Horizon 2020 Programme.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240304/Iron-dysregulation-identified-as-potential-trigger-for-long-COVID.aspx

Hanson, A. L., et al. (2024). Iron dysregulation and inflammatory stress erythropoiesis associates with long-term outcome of COVID-19. Nature Immunology. doi.org/10.1038/s41590-024-01754-8.

[morganism]

a man who has received more than 200 vaccinations against Covid-19. They learned of his case via newspaper reports. Until now, it has been unclear what effects hypervaccination such as this would have on the immune system. Some scientists were of the opinion that immune cells would become less effective after becoming used to the antigens. This proved not to be the case in the individual in question: his immune system is fully functional. Certain immune cells and antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are even present in considerably higher concentrations than is the case with people who have only received three vaccinations. The results have been published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

More than 60 million people in Germany have been vaccinated against SARS-Coronavirus 2, the majority of them several times. The man who has now been examined by researchers at FAU claims to have received 217 vaccinations for private reasons. There is official confirmation for 134 of these vaccinations.

“We learned about his case via newspaper articles,” explains Privatdozent Dr. Kilian Schober from the Institute of Microbiology – Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene (director Prof. Dr. Christian Bogdan). “We then contacted him and invited him to undergo various tests in Erlangen. He was very interested in doing so.” Schober and his colleagues wanted to know what consequences hypervaccination such as this would have. How does it alter the immune response?

As a rule, vaccinations contain parts of the pathogen or a type of construction plan that the vaccinated person’s cells can use to produce these pathogenic components themselves. Thanks to these antigens, the immune system learns to recognize the real pathogen in the event of a later infection. It can then react more rapidly and forcibly. But what happens if the body’s immune system is exposed extremely often to a specific antigen?

“That may be the case in a chronic infection such as HIV or Hepatitis B, that has regular flare-ups,” explains Schober. “There is an indication that certain types of immune cells, known as T-cells, then become fatigued, leading to them releasing fewer pro-inflammatory messenger substances.” This and other effects triggered by the cells becoming used to the antigens can weaken the immune system. The immune system is then no longer able to combat the pathogen so effectively.
Blood samples from several years investigated

The current study, which also involved researchers from Munich and Vienna, does not deliver any indication that this is the case, however. “The individual has undergone various blood tests over recent years;” explains Schober. “He gave us his permission to assess the results of these analyses. In some cases, samples had been frozen, and we were able to investigate these ourselves. We were also able to take blood samples ourselves when the man received a further vaccination during the study at his own insistence. We were able to use these samples to determine exactly how the immune system reacts to the vaccination.”

The results showed that the individual has large numbers of T-effector cells against SARS-CoV-2. These act as the body’s own soldiers that fight against the virus. The test person even had more of these compared to the control group of people who have received three vaccinations. The researchers did not perceive any fatigue in these effector cells, they were similarly effective as those in the control group who had received the normal number of vaccinations.

Memory T cells are another aspect the researchers explored. These are cells at a preliminary stage, before effector cells. Similar to stem cells, these cells can replenish numbers of suitable effector cells. “The number of memory cells was just as high in our test case as in the control group,” explains Katharina Kocher, one of the leading authors of the study. “Over all, we did not find any indication for a weaker immune response, rather the contrary.”  In addition, even the 217th vaccination that the man received during the study still had an effect: the number of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 increased significantly as a result.
Immune system remains active against other pathogens

Further tests indicated that there was no change to the immune system’s effectiveness against other pathogens. It therefore appears to be the case that the hypervaccination has not damaged the immune system as such. “Our test case was vaccinated with a total of eight different vaccines, including different available mRNA vaccines,” stated Dr. Kilian Schober. “The observation that no noticeable side effects were triggered in spite of this extraordinary hypervaccination indicates that the drugs have a good degree of tolerability.”

However, this is one individual case. The results are not sufficient for making far-reaching conclusions let alone recommendations for the general public. “Current research indicates that a three dose vaccination, coupled with regular top-up vaccines for vulnerable groups, remains the favored approach. There is no indication that more vaccines are required.”

https://www.fau.eu/2024/03/05/news/research/researchers-investigate-immune-response-of-a-man-who-received-217-covid-vaccinations/

[Richard Rathbone]

One way to try to avoid COVID. Get yourself vaccinated twice per week!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68477735

A 62-year-old man from Germany has, against medical advice, been vaccinated 217 times against Covid, doctors report.

The bizarre case is documented in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

The shots were bought and given privately within the space of 29 months.

Dr Schober worried hyper-stimulating the immune system with repeated doses might have fatigued certain cells.

But the researchers found no evidence of this in the 62-year-old.

And there was no sign that he had ever been infected with Covid.

and from the paper itself

In summary, our case report shows that SARS-CoV-2 hypervaccination did not lead to adverse events and increased the quantity of spike-specific antibodies and T cells without having a strong positive or negative effect on the intrinsic quality of adaptive immune responses. While we found no signs of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections in HIM to date, it cannot be clarified whether this is causally related to the hypervaccination regimen. Importantly, we do not endorse hypervaccination as a strategy to enhance adaptive immunity.

[SteveMDFP]

One way to try to avoid COVID. Get yourself vaccinated twice per week!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68477735

A 62-year-old man from Germany has, against medical advice, been vaccinated 217 times against Covid, doctors report.

The bizarre case is documented in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

The shots were bought and given privately within the space of 29 months.

Dr Schober worried hyper-stimulating the immune system with repeated doses might have fatigued certain cells.

But the researchers found no evidence of this in the 62-year-old.

And there was no sign that he had ever been infected with Covid.

and from the paper itself

In summary, our case report shows that SARS-CoV-2 hypervaccination did not lead to adverse events and increased the quantity of spike-specific antibodies and T cells without having a strong positive or negative effect on the intrinsic quality of adaptive immune responses. While we found no signs of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections in HIM to date, it cannot be clarified whether this is causally related to the hypervaccination regimen. Importantly, we do not endorse hypervaccination as a strategy to enhance adaptive immunity.

Interesting case report.  But his healthy immune function suggests that that vaccination does not  lead to T-cell exhaustion.  Spike protein clearly has a range of adverse effects on different tissues.  My interpretation here would be that he's achieved a sufficiently high titer of anti-spike antibodies to immediately neutralize the spike protein generated by mRNA-affected cells. 

[kiwichick16]

"we are going to have to have another pandemic "

research increasing understanding of Covid virus .....more needed.....

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/health/other/scientists-say-there-s-been-a-revolution-in-understanding-long-covid-but-sufferers-are-still-feeling-left-behind/ar-BB1jYt2U?ocid=m

[Richard Rathbone]

Large-scale phenotyping of patients with long COVID post-hospitalization reveals mechanistic subtypes of disease

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-024-01778-0

Abstract

One in ten severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections result in prolonged symptoms termed long coronavirus disease (COVID), yet disease phenotypes and mechanisms are poorly understood1. Here we profiled 368 plasma proteins in 657 participants ≥3 months following hospitalization. Of these, 426 had at least one long COVID symptom and 233 had fully recovered. Elevated markers of myeloid inflammation and complement activation were associated with long COVID. IL-1R2, MATN2 and COLEC12 were associated with cardiorespiratory symptoms, fatigue and anxiety/depression; MATN2, CSF3 and C1QA were elevated in gastrointestinal symptoms and C1QA was elevated in cognitive impairment. Additional markers of alterations in nerve tissue repair (SPON-1 and NFASC) were elevated in those with cognitive impairment and SCG3, suggestive of brain–gut axis disturbance, was elevated in gastrointestinal symptoms. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) was persistently elevated in some individuals with long COVID, but virus was not detected in sputum. Analysis of inflammatory markers in nasal fluids showed no association with symptoms. Our study aimed to understand inflammatory processes that underlie long COVID and was not designed for biomarker discovery. Our findings suggest that specific inflammatory pathways related to tissue damage are implicated in subtypes of long COVID, which might be targeted in future therapeutic trials.

The paper is open access but pretty technical.

There's a write up at the BBC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68762171

It looks like useful data for understanding mechanisms and designing treatment trials, but isn't of  immediate use for those afflicted by Long COVID.

[neal]

Monica Bertagnolli, MD, current NIH director
Jeremy Faust, MD, interviewing

Faust: And in terms of long COVID, everyone always asks about this, there's a lot of funding. Where do you see this headed in the next few years?

Bertagnolli: It's a terrible, terrible condition. Post-infectious, chronic post-infectious syndromes have been around as long as there've been viruses in humans and it is a really, really terrible affliction when someone develops one of these conditions. COVID has introduced a whole new level of this in our society. The fundamental biology that's been conducted by the long COVID research team is really fascinating but also sobering. The agent can live for a long time in tissues. It can surround nerve cells, probably likely one of the ways that it produces some of its terrible symptoms such as the dysautonomia. And we have no effective way of eradicating it. Not yet.

One thing that's important though that's come out of several meta-analyses is there is a way to prevent it. And the way to prevent it is vaccination, and multiple vaccination is better than single to prevent long COVID.

Faust: I just want to follow up on something you said a moment ago about where this virus can be found in tissues. Are you suggesting that long COVID is actually, the mechanism of that, is persistent live virus in humans?

Bertagnolli: We see evidence of persistent live virus in humans in various tissue reservoirs, including surrounding nerves, the brain, the GI [gastrointestinal] tract, to the lung.

Faust: OK. And you're saying this goes beyond the PCR's [polymerase chain reaction test] ability to get it in a regular swab so that we are missing chronic cases of SARS‑CoV‑2?

Bertagnolli: Correct. The virus can persist in tissues for months, perhaps even years.

Faust: OK. I think that's certainly one theory, but I'm not sure that that's settled. Is that fair? I mean, there's one thing between people who are autopsy, they died of viral sepsis, as opposed to people walking around. Is there a distinction there?

Bertagnolli: Our emerging data shows that the virus can persist into tissues in the long term, and I think that's really critical because it does help us think about possible ways to combat it, one being better antivirals. I think there's a lot of focus on developing new antivirals as a possible way of preventing long COVID, and the other might be more aggressive treatment with antiviral therapy upon initial diagnosis.

Faust: If that's the case, then it could be reactivated just like herpes is and shingles. Are we going to start seeing people get COVID not from infection, but from themselves in reactivation?

Bertagnolli: I don't believe I've seen or heard of any instance of that, and I don't think you can ever assume that one virus is going to act like another. Certainly every virus that we know of seems to have a different effect in the body long term.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/faustfiles/109672

[morganism]

Spectrum of COVID-19: From Asymptomatic Organ Damage to Long COVID Syndrome

Abstract

Long COVID, as currently defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other authorities, is a symptomatic condition that has been shown to affect an estimated 10-30% of non-hospitalized patients after one infection. However, COVID-19 can also cause organ damage in individuals without symptoms, who would not fall under the current definition of Long COVID. This organ damage, whether symptomatic or not, can lead to various health impacts such as heart attacks and strokes. Given these observations, it is necessary to either expand the definition of Long COVID to include organ damage or recognize COVID-19-induced organ damage as a distinct condition affecting many symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals after COVID-19 infections.

It is important to consider that many known adverse health outcomes, including heart conditions and cancers, can be asymptomatic until harm thresholds are reached. Many more medical conditions can be identified by testing than those that are recognized through reported symptoms. It is therefore important to similarly recognize that while Long COVID symptoms are associated with organ damage, there are many individuals that have organ damage without displaying recognized symptoms and to include this harm in the characterization of COVID-19 and in the monitoring of individuals after COVID-19 infections.

https://whn.global/scientific/spectrum-of-covid-19-from-asymptomatic-organ-damage-to-long-covid-syndrome/

[longwalks1]

I see that Sidd posted the Reuters piece on usOfa pentagon misinformation about vaccines in "War War War".   I never go to that thread. 

Thanks Sidd. 

“I don’t think it’s defensible,” said Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease specialist at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. “I’m extremely dismayed, disappointed and disillusioned to hear that the U.S. government would do that,” said Lucey, a former military physician who assisted in the response to the 2001 anthrax attacks.

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-covid-propaganda/

Myself, if anyone knows about availability of attenuated virus vaccines in usOfa, I would appreciate.   I had 3 mRNA, but would prefer going old school.   

[Richard Rathbone]

Myself, if anyone knows about availability of attenuated virus vaccines in usOfa, I would appreciate.   I had 3 mRNA, but would prefer going old school.

Novavax is the only alternative to mRNA. Its not old school though. Rather than using a deactivated virus, it uses an artificial imitation virus. Nanoparticles with the COVID spikes sticking out of them.

It has been updated with more recent spikes, but the old school ones haven't and aren't  approved   any more.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novavax_COVID-19_vaccine

Technology
NVX-CoV2373 has been described as both a protein subunit vaccine[45][46] and a virus-like particle vaccine,[47][48] though the producers call it a "recombinant nanoparticle vaccine".[49] By engineering the nanoparticle to contain the virus spike protein as the antigen, it allows the immune cells to easily recognize the antigen as the target protein. [50]

The vaccine is produced by creating an engineered baculovirus containing a gene for a modified SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.[51] The spike protein was modified by incorporating two proline amino acids in order to stabilize the pre-fusion form of the protein; this same 2P modification is being used in several other COVID‑19 vaccines.[52] The baculovirus is made to infect a culture of Sf9 moth cells, which then create the spike protein and display it on their cell membranes. The spike proteins are harvested and assembled onto a synthetic lipid nanoparticle about 50 nanometers across, each displaying up to 14 spike proteins.[45][46][49]

The formulation includes a saponin-based adjuvant[45][46][49] named Matrix-M.

Matrix-M adjuvant source is purified from Quillaja Saponaria Molina Tree. Matrix-M adjuvant is combined with the spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 antigen to induce immune response in body upon vaccination. The adjuvant primarily enhances local antibodies and immunity at the local site of injection and draining lymph nodes. The adjuvant demonstrates its protection against the virus by inducing innate immune system rapidly. At the local site of injection, the adjuvant recruits antigen presenting cells and attracts more T cells, such as CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.[38] After entry of the vaccine nanoparticle containing the recombinant spike protein of the virus, it binds to ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor to allow endocytosis and viral replication. However, upon endocytosis these viral particles are digested by lysosome and presented to MHC class molecules. This will lead to attracting T cells (CD4+ and CD8+).[53] This chemokine activity is further enhanced by the presence of the adjuvant component to enhance immune response from the viral particle. The cascade of immune activation leads to immediate immune response to target the virus as well as creating memory B cells specific to the antigen that the virus have.[38] These memory B cells enhances our immune response by faster immune cell recognition of these subsequent viral exposure to the same antigen compared to the initial exposure.[53]

[Human Habitat Index]

"In conclusion, excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns. During the pandemic, it was emphasised by politicians and the media on a daily basis that every COVID-19 death mattered and every life deserved protection through containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the same morale should apply. Every death needs to be acknowledged and accounted for, irrespective of its origin. Transparency towards potential lethal drivers is warranted. Cause-specific mortality data therefore need to be made available to allow more detailed, direct and robust analyses to determine the underlying contributors. Postmortem examinations need to be facilitated to allot the exact reason for death. Government leaders and policymakers need to thoroughly investigate underlying causes of persistent excess mortality and evaluate their health crisis policies."

https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000282?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1AADDAiM0v9SJRxeqV2-7FfqSTNcZLR5Akwm2ASEJajZ42BZk7DqYB8Cc_aem_mHAB4zR74_NxH4aa4iyg0g

[morganism]

COVID-19 making worrying comeback WHO warns, amid summertime surge

COVID-19 infections are surging worldwide - including at the Olympics - and are unlikely to decline anytime soon, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

The UN health agency is also concerned that more severe variants of the coronavirus may soon be on the horizon.

“COVID-19 is still very much with us,” and circulating in all countries, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of WHO told journalists in Geneva.

Testing positive

“Data from our sentinel-based surveillance system across 84 countries reports that the percent of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been rising over several weeks,” she said. “Overall, test positivity is above 10 per cent, but this fluctuates per region. In Europe, percent positivity is above 20 per cent,” she added.

New waves of infection have been registered in the Americas, Europe and the western Pacific.

Wastewater surveillance suggests the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 is from two to 20 times higher than current figures suggest.

Such high infection circulation rates in the northern hemisphere’s summer months are atypical for respiratory viruses, which tend to spread mostly in cold temperatures. 

“In recent months, regardless of the season, many countries have experienced surges of COVID-19, including at the Olympics where at least 40 athletes have tested positive,” Dr. Van Kerkhove said.

As the virus continues to evolve and spread, there is a growing risk of a more severe strain of the virus that could potentially evade detection systems and be unresponsive to medical intervention.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1152866

[Rodius]

"In conclusion, excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns.

It happened during the Flu Pandemic last century.
After the pandemic ended death rates remained above average for years.

Your allusion to the excess deaths being from vaccines isn't strong at all, especially if you don't produce information from non Western countries.

[Human Habitat Index]

"In conclusion, excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns.

It happened during the Flu Pandemic last century.
After the pandemic ended death rates remained above average for years.

Your allusion to the excess deaths being from vaccines isn't strong at all, especially if you don't produce information from non Western countries.

I think we have a big enough sample size to make the stats robust. A strong correlation does imply causation and the stronger the correlation the stronger the implication.The burden of proof then shifts to those saying the vaccines did not cause the extra deaths, including my brother.

[The Walrus]

"In conclusion, excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns.

It happened during the Flu Pandemic last century.
After the pandemic ended death rates remained above average for years.

Your allusion to the excess deaths being from vaccines isn't strong at all, especially if you don't produce information from non Western countries.

I think we have a big enough sample size to make the stats robust. A strong correlation does imply causation and the stronger the correlation the stronger the implication.The burden of proof then shifts to those saying the vaccines did not cause the extra deaths, including my brother.

In Europe, higher vaccination rates correlates with higher excess mortality.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374018682_Excess_Mortality_and_the_Effect_of_the_COVID-19_Vaccines_Part_1_European_Data

Recent news articles seem to be going to extensive length to counter these claims.  Possible political agenda?

[Rodius]

"In conclusion, excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns.

It happened during the Flu Pandemic last century.
After the pandemic ended death rates remained above average for years.

Your allusion to the excess deaths being from vaccines isn't strong at all, especially if you don't produce information from non Western countries.

I think we have a big enough sample size to make the stats robust. A strong correlation does imply causation and the stronger the correlation the stronger the implication.The burden of proof then shifts to those saying the vaccines did not cause the extra deaths, including my brother.

In Europe, higher vaccination rates correlates with higher excess mortality.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374018682_Excess_Mortality_and_the_Effect_of_the_COVID-19_Vaccines_Part_1_European_Data

Recent news articles seem to be going to extensive length to counter these claims.  Possible political agenda?

Or just good science.... I will leave the politicisation to people like you and Human Habitat.

Let the research be done, then see what it says from there. One article does not make for a good argument either way.

[SteveMDFP]

"In conclusion, excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns.

It happened during the Flu Pandemic last century.
After the pandemic ended death rates remained above average for years.

Your allusion to the excess deaths being from vaccines isn't strong at all, especially if you don't produce information from non Western countries.

I think we have a big enough sample size to make the stats robust. A strong correlation does imply causation and the stronger the correlation the stronger the implication.The burden of proof then shifts to those saying the vaccines did not cause the extra deaths, including my brother.

In Europe, higher vaccination rates correlates with higher excess mortality.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374018682_Excess_Mortality_and_the_Effect_of_the_COVID-19_Vaccines_Part_1_European_Data

Recent news articles seem to be going to extensive length to counter these claims.  Possible political agenda?

There's a reason why that paper hasn't been accepted into a peer-reviewed journal.  Nothing in it excludes the interpretation that countries with more severe Covid waves also had higher vaccination rates.  Thus, vaccination can positively correlate with excess mortality.

Places with more firefighters present are the places with more fires.  Perhaps firefighters are actually lighting fires?

[The Walrus]

"In conclusion, excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns.

It happened during the Flu Pandemic last century.
After the pandemic ended death rates remained above average for years.

Your allusion to the excess deaths being from vaccines isn't strong at all, especially if you don't produce information from non Western countries.

I think we have a big enough sample size to make the stats robust. A strong correlation does imply causation and the stronger the correlation the stronger the implication.The burden of proof then shifts to those saying the vaccines did not cause the extra deaths, including my brother.

In Europe, higher vaccination rates correlates with higher excess mortality.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374018682_Excess_Mortality_and_the_Effect_of_the_COVID-19_Vaccines_Part_1_European_Data

Recent news articles seem to be going to extensive length to counter these claims.  Possible political agenda?

Or just good science.... I will leave the politicisation to people like you and Human Habitat.

Let the research be done, then see what it says from there. One article does not make for a good argument either way.

Definitely, and let the results speak for themselves.  Too many editorials have already gone to extreme lengths to call into question results that they do not like.

[Rodius]

"In conclusion, excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns.

It happened during the Flu Pandemic last century.
After the pandemic ended death rates remained above average for years.

Your allusion to the excess deaths being from vaccines isn't strong at all, especially if you don't produce information from non Western countries.

I think we have a big enough sample size to make the stats robust. A strong correlation does imply causation and the stronger the correlation the stronger the implication.The burden of proof then shifts to those saying the vaccines did not cause the extra deaths, including my brother.

In Europe, higher vaccination rates correlates with higher excess mortality.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374018682_Excess_Mortality_and_the_Effect_of_the_COVID-19_Vaccines_Part_1_European_Data

Recent news articles seem to be going to extensive length to counter these claims.  Possible political agenda?

Or just good science.... I will leave the politicisation to people like you and Human Habitat.

Let the research be done, then see what it says from there. One article does not make for a good argument either way.

Definitely, and let the results speak for themselves.  Too many editorials have already gone to extreme lengths to call into question results that they do not like.

And yet the vast majority still say that approved vaccines save lives and are better than catching Covid without the vaccine.

Minority science has a place and they may be correct, but right now, vaccines have the most evidence to say the vaccines (for most of them) are good and have side effects that are better than Covid and Long Covid.

[The Walrus]

"In conclusion, excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This is unprecedented and raises serious concerns.

It happened during the Flu Pandemic last century.
After the pandemic ended death rates remained above average for years.

Your allusion to the excess deaths being from vaccines isn't strong at all, especially if you don't produce information from non Western countries.

I think we have a big enough sample size to make the stats robust. A strong correlation does imply causation and the stronger the correlation the stronger the implication.The burden of proof then shifts to those saying the vaccines did not cause the extra deaths, including my brother.

In Europe, higher vaccination rates correlates with higher excess mortality.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374018682_Excess_Mortality_and_the_Effect_of_the_COVID-19_Vaccines_Part_1_European_Data

Recent news articles seem to be going to extensive length to counter these claims.  Possible political agenda?

Or just good science.... I will leave the politicisation to people like you and Human Habitat.

Let the research be done, then see what it says from there. One article does not make for a good argument either way.

Definitely, and let the results speak for themselves.  Too many editorials have already gone to extreme lengths to call into question results that they do not like.

And yet the vast majority still say that approved vaccines save lives and are better than catching Covid without the vaccine.

Minority science has a place and they may be correct, but right now, vaccines have the most evidence to say the vaccines (for most of them) are good and have side effects that are better than Covid and Long Covid.

Not arguing that.  I have no doubt that the vaccines were extremely effective at preventing Covid and reducing Covid-related deaths.  The question now is whether they are still necessary.

[Rodius]

Not arguing that.  I have no doubt that the vaccines were extremely effective at preventing Covid and reducing Covid-related deaths.  The question now is whether they are still necessary.

Yes, they are.

<snip, could you guys stop quoting each other's comments endlessly? N.>

[The Walrus]

Not arguing that.  I have no doubt that the vaccines were extremely effective at preventing Covid and reducing Covid-related deaths.  The question now is whether they are still necessary.

Yes, they are.

<snip, could you guys stop quoting each other's comments endlessly? N.>

I meant for the general population, not just the elderly and vulnerable.

[SteveMDFP]

I meant for the general population, not just the elderly and vulnerable.

Whether the vaccine is of benefit to the low-risk population is a very reasonable question.
Examination of excess mortality is quite unlikely to illuminate the matter.

At this point, almost everyone has some level of immunity, whether from infection or vaccination, or both.  A very few have had neither.  Quite a few have had multiple rounds of infection, quite a few have had multiple doses of vaccine.  Any large population sample is going to be *very* heterogeneous in current level of immunity and amount and type of prior exposure.

For studies going forward, it remains possible to determine if an individual has had infection.  Antibodies to nucleocapsid protein develop after infection, but not after vaccination.  Immunity can be *roughly* estimated from antibody levels to either nucleocapsid or spike.  Cellular immunity can't really be estimated from blood samples.

A prospective population-based study could be illuminating.  Take a large population where doses of vaccine are known (some nations can supply this information, most cannot).  Since infection can be asymptomatic (while still conferring some immunity), level of antibodies should be measured.  Blood samples of the sample population would be needed for such a study.

Then look at those who perhaps get a fall vaccine (here, combined flu and Covid vaccines are available for exactly this purpose).  Follow the population for a year, trying to capture known infections, severity thereof, and complications--including "long Covid."  And, of course, capturing known complications of the vaccine.

I'm confident that such annual booster shots would be shown to be of benefit to high-risk individuals.  My *guess* is that benefit would also be conferred to low-risk individuals.  For these low-risk individuals, my guess would be that reduced incidence of long Covid would be the main benefit.

Has such a study been done already?  Maybe, I've not followed the research carefully in the past year.

It's clear already that long Covid is more common than similar post-viral complications after infection with other respiratory viruses, and also more severe (on average).  It's also clear that vaccination reduces risk of long Covid, by roughly 50%.

Anecdotes are fairly useless for scientific understanding of anything, but can be illuminating for understanding what a given complication can be like.  The case of YouTuber "Physics Girl" Diana Cowern is both illuminating and heartbreaking.  Current and prior clips make this clear:

and


The second one is her in the arctic sea ice, on a nuclear sub.  Her other pre-Covid videos are outstanding science education, and captivating.  Highly recommended.

[Richard Rathbone]

https://independentsage.substack.com/p/long-covid-a-dystopian-game-of-pinball

Write up of a review paper on Long Covid in the  Lancet  by one of  the authors. The Lancet now seems to be paywalled, I used to have access to it from registration but no longer do, so  I haven't read the  paper this is based on.

I haven't seen this distinction drawn before but I think its an important one, and that persistent  long COVID was massively more likely from an infection of a naive immune system rather than on reinfections or first infections of vaccinated people. I was hoping to find more detail in the paper,  but found a paywall in the way.

If you’ve ever had COVID-19 and got back to normal within a week or two, you’re lucky. Some people take months to recover (they have ‘Post-COVID-19 syndrome’, defined as symptoms lasting beyond 3 months) and an unfortunate few remain unwell for years (they have ‘Persistent Long COVID’, defined as symptoms remaining beyond 2 years).

I'm quoting this description at length because I haven't  seen anyone bring the constellation of Long Covid symptoms together into a coherent whole before.

The sequence of events that makes COVID-19 into a protracted (and quite possibly, lifelong) illness in some but not all people is a bit like a dystopian game of pinball. An unlucky ball hits a series of key buffers, buzzers and bells, triggering a cascade of further events. Broadly speaking, and acknowledging that there are still many unanswered questions, that sequence unfolds as follows:

First, a combination of three things (‘primary pathological mechanisms’) start the COVID-19 ball on its trajectory. SARS-CoV-2—or, perhaps, some of its components—find a way to hang around in the body long-term (perhaps they hide somewhere). The immune system, in trying to put up a fight, over-reacts and then gets tired (‘immune exhaustion’). And, given the excess of various immune trigger chemicals circulating in the blood, the lining of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) gets inflamed, increasing the tendency for the blood to clot in those vessels.

Second, these changes flip off additional cascades of biochemical messengers (‘supplementary pathological mechanisms’), which, in health, contribute to keeping the body in balance. Different pathways fire in different people, causing (for example) release of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, neurones sending signals when they shouldn’t, antibodies attacking one’s own cells, mitochondria (the energy powerhouses of cells) losing their oomph, proteins that come out wonky because they’re not folded right, deposition of some of those proteins in the muscles and other tissues, and awakening of other dormant viruses (notably Epstein-Barr, which causes glandular fever). In addition, the balance between ‘friendly’ and ‘unfriendly’ bacteria in the gut can change, with the latter getting the upper hand.

Third, these microscopic changes in genes, molecules, proteins, cells and micro-organisms produce various kinds of organ damage. The heart muscle, or its protective cover, may become inflamed (myocarditis and pericarditis respectively). The delicate filtering system of the kidney can clog up, leading to partial or complete kidney failure. Clots can occur in the blood vessels supplying the lungs (pulmonary embolus). The nerves controlling involuntary functions such as heart rate and blood pressure can malfunction (dysautonomia). The body becomes more susceptible to infections, and sometimes one infection becomes overwhelming (sepsis).  And so on.

Finally, these organ-level changes lead to the well-known symptoms of Long COVID. Different people will experience different combinations of symptoms just as the various lights, buzzers and bells on a pinball machine react differently depending on the precise trajectory and force of the initial ball. But the process is always a whole-body phenomenon which begins with specific virological and immunological triggers and then cascades to affect multiple organs.

What we need, in addition to a focus on rehabilitation therapy, is a pinball wizard for Long COVID—ways of bringing the lights, buzzers and bells of this multi-system disease under control by attending to the underlying biological mechanisms of disease. If there is viral persistence, for example, anti-viral drugs given in a key time window should help. If inflammation is a mechanism, anti-inflammatory drugs could dampen it down. If there are micro-clots, anticoagulants may have a role (though their benefits need to be balanced against side effects). If the immune system is over-reacting in particular ways, immunosuppressants should be selected to target key immune pathways. If unfriendly bacteria are overwhelming the gut, perhaps we should recommend a balanced square diet or give a top-up of some friendly bacteria in a ‘poo transplant’. Vaccines against COVID-19 and Epstein-Barr might send those viruses back to sleep.   

All these suggested treatments for Long COVID are currently being tested; none is yet proven. Watch this space for the results of ongoing trials.

Meanwhile, three things can help prevent you from joining the miserable 1.9 million people in UK who are currently suffering from Long COVID:

1.      Get vaccinated against COVID-19, and make sure your boosters are up to date.

2.      Try not to catch COVID-19. Avoid crowded indoor spaces (wear a well-fitting mask if you can’t avoid them), especially when local rates of COVID-19 are high.

3.      If you catch COVID-19, rest up until you feel better and take anti-virals if you’re eligible.

You  can shift your odds a bit, but the big effect was getting fully vaccinated before your first infection.

[SteveMDFP]

https://independentsage.substack.com/p/long-covid-a-dystopian-game-of-pinball

Write up of a review paper on Long Covid in the  Lancet  by one of  the authors. The Lancet now seems to be paywalled, I used to have access to it from registration but no longer do, so  I haven't read the  paper this is based on.

I haven't seen this distinction drawn before but I think its an important one, and that persistent  long COVID was massively more likely from an infection of a naïve immune system rather than on reinfections or first infections of vaccinated people. I was hoping to find more detail in the paper,  but found a paywall in the way. ...
Meanwhile, three things can help prevent you from joining the miserable 1.9 million people in UK who are currently suffering from Long COVID:

1.      Get vaccinated against COVID-19, and make sure your boosters are up to date.

2.      Try not to catch COVID-19. Avoid crowded indoor spaces (wear a well-fitting mask if you can’t avoid them), especially when local rates of COVID-19 are high.

3.      If you catch COVID-19, rest up until you feel better and take anti-virals if you’re eligible.

You  can shift your odds a bit, but the big effect was getting fully vaccinated before your first infection.

Quite right.  It's a fair summary.  One aspect of post-Covid not sufficiently emphasized is that the infection clearly can precipitate and re-activate autoimmune syndromes, and do so far more readily than other viral infections.  I'm not convinced that "immune exhaustion" plays a role, either in post-covid or with repeated vaccination.  Clearly, there's more than one avenue for producing long-lasting symptoms.  In many cases, serious tissue damage (including brain) does not fully return to normal function. 

In my own case, the acute infection fully resolved, then post-Covid symptoms built over 6 months.  The only tidy way to explain my own case is an induced auto-immune syndrome, directed primarily at the autonomic nervous syndrome.  Damn peculiar.  Seems to be a common syndrome post-Covid, but I'm not aware of auto-immune autonomic dysfunction as a common problem before Covid.  Now, it seems "POTS" has become a common new diagnosis.  I suspect a causal relation between Covid and increasing POTS prevalence, but this connection is not solidly recognized in clinical practice.

Regardless, the situation in 2024 is significantly different than early in the pandemic.  Almost every human on the planet has some degree of baseline immunity to Covid, either from repeated immunization or repeated infection, or a combination.  It's now also an endemic infection, world-wide.

As a consequence, health care systems are no longer widely stressed to the point of collapse.  It's less common for the infected to end up in the ICU or dead (though this definitely is still happens).

Post-Covid syndromes also seem to be less common than with infection of the immunologically naïve.  However, as public health problems go, post-Covid syndromes may be a bigger problem going forward than acute infections.

We should all be aware that vaccination clearly reduces risk of post-Covid syndrome, by over 50%.  See:

Assessing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against long COVID
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20231019/Assessing-COVID-19-vaccine-effectiveness-against-long-COVID.aspx

This study does not permit guidance on how many doses, or dosing with what frequency, best reduces post-Covid syndrome.  Personally, I've settled into an annual combined flu+Covid shot. 

[Richard Rathbone]

We should all be aware that vaccination clearly reduces risk of post-Covid syndrome, by over 50%.  See:

Assessing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against long COVID
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20231019/Assessing-COVID-19-vaccine-effectiveness-against-long-COVID.aspx

This study does not permit guidance on how many doses, or dosing with what frequency, best reduces post-Covid syndrome.  Personally, I've settled into an annual combined flu+Covid shot.

I think there's a strong case that if someone shouldn't get COVID at all, they should have a spring  jab as well as an autumn one. Annual for flu is fine, because flu only has a winter wave, but COVID still has multiple waves per year, and this summer's wave might well be the biggest wave of the year. UK practice remains, some the same frequency as flu, but a spring jab as well for a more  vulnerable group. I'm in the annual jab group, but if I was 10 years older or otherwise qualified for the spring jab, I'd take that too.  Last summer I had a bout of COVID that was up there with the worst 2 or 3 flus I've ever had, and it took 3 weeks for the lingering fatigue to fully dissipate. I think it extremely likely that if it had been 3 months rather than 9 since my last jab, that infection would have been significantly less severe.

I am also somewhat disappointed and frustrated that the research is still directed at the consequence of first infections and there doesn't  seem to be any real effort to understand what the ongoing risks are and how best to control them in a population that has had 5-10 exposures rather than 0-3. The UK seems to be stable at about 2M with long COVID. Thats a lot of people and the pool is being continually replenished by new cases as recoveries happen. [edit: comment  on Alzheimer's drug deleted,  its terrible value but the comparison with long COVID was off due to a much lower proportion of people with Alzheimers qualifying than I thought]

[Richard Rathbone]

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00901-2

Genetic tracing of market wildlife and viruses at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic

Ideally this work should have been done years ago, but the Chinese didn't release the data in a timely fashion.

Its long been known that there were two seedings of the epidemic, and this study ties the initial spread of both to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. Everyone that's ever had COVID caught it off someone who caught it off someone, ..., who caught it off someone, who caught it at the market. (Except possibly a trader that caught it off an animal before they brought it to the market)

There are a few other species in the market besides raccoon dogs that might have been infected, might have been able to transmit, and might have been trafficked from the bat region, but the raccoon dogs clearly had the capability to have been the zoonotic source. Possibly the chinese have done the work the paper recommends to rule the others out, but they've kept quiet about it so far.

They found a whole bunch of other human and animal viruses too, including some others with zoonotic potential, it wasn't just COVID that could have started there.

I think its a well written paper, and though it gets extremely specialised, it can be followed by a well read generalist. Write ups I've seen in the press give far too much credence to the conspiracy theories, this is really damning for the plausibility of anything other than zoonotic infections in the market or in the supply chain immediately prior to the market. If you've got the background, read the paper.

[Jim Hunt]

Kasia and I are currently sat in A&E at Wonford Hospital in Exeter. We are wearing masks. Only one other person in the waiting room is wearing one.

Allegedly the wait for triage is 30 mins.

[vox_mundi]

Hope you both are OK. Stay safe.

[Paddy]

Likewise, hope you get the all clear soon