Based on research in the UK, it turns out that long COViD cases, which disproportionately show up in immunocompromised individuals, are better handled with genomic sequencing of the disease.
Many “reinfections” turn out to be flareups of the same underlying COVID strain that was never beaten in the first place. And some long COVID cases actually are subsequent reinfections by new strains.
In an environment where we do have some treatment options for various COVID strains, this has important implications for the recommended treatment course.
While there’s limits to what depth of science you are going to get from the Washington Post, I found it interesting.
EDIT: Forgot about the Post’s paywall, plus, it’s one step above the Weekly World News. So I dug up the source link from Kings’ College here:
Thanks. The case studies of immunocompromised patients with Covid are SCARY. Positive for more than 400 days, wow!
But worse was the case of the 60 yo blood cancer patient who (dx last April) nearly died because he didn't get Remdesivir or Paxlovid until after he had become ill enough to be hospitalised. An object lesson to those medics in the UK telling CLL patients with COVID that they don't qualify for early treatment because their symptoms are too mild. Duh.
I think that doctors distinguish between chronic COVID and Long COVID.
Chronic COVID is a continuous infection demonstrated through sequencing. It can include simultaneous infections by more than one variant.
Long COVID is symptoms of COVID that persist for months even though antigen and PCR tests are repeatedly negative. Incidence estimates are greatly complicated by lack of testing. It's been noticed in several other viral illnesses.
I think the preferred term is now Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID.
I think there's a lot of overlap in symptoms between CLL and Post-acute Sequelae of COVID such that our symotoms get brushed off by both types of doctors.
In either case there's no sure fire treatment for Post-acute Sequellae of any viral infection.
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