connection between covid and PMR?

[humlies]

I was interested to see that Long Covid could be an autoimmune disease. I am almost certain I caught covid early in 2020 (people in Plymouth near where we live were developing covid symptoms in December 2019), and I have wondered whether this triggered PMR. Is there any evidence that PMR cases have increased in the last 15 months or so?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It will take years to collect and analyse that sort of data.

Autoimmune disorders are almost always the result of a final insult to the immune system, accumulated over a lifetime, that tips it over the edge and it becomes unable to recognise the body as self and turns on it and attacks it. The previous insults may be environmental, chemical, emotional, illnesses, surgery - or even vaccines. It could happen with any vaccine - or the illness the vaccine was designed to protect from, flu or shingles amongst them. Or Covid.

It was pretty clear to many doctors/scientists quite early on that Covid caused autoimmune-type responses and, amongst other things, versions of vasculitis which were what caused certain symptoms. Long Covid is also very similar to ME/CFS - and it has been known for years that that is a post-viral effect. There is nothing new under the sun.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Except this strain of covid

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Well yes - but there will be a load more to come ...

And actually - it isn't REALLY new, there was the other SARS that hadn't got its act together like this one.

[humlies in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you so much PMRpro; your information is amazingly detailed and clearly described. You should be in a top-ranking government position..................

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to humlies]

What have I done to make you wish such a thing on me??????

[humlies in reply to PMRpro]

Just think of the company you would keep... I will not go further since I am diverting from PMR concerns

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to humlies]

That's what dismays me ...

[humlies in reply to PMRpro]

..and me!

[Hidden]

But this one was made in a laboratory, so they say, yet to be proven of course. But I know what my money is on.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

No, that theory has been ditched - it was just conspiracy theorists I suspect - but there is something about the gene sequencing that means the lab theory is very very unlikely. Scientists and probably David Attenborough have been warning it is only a matter of time for the last at least 10 years.

[pmr_nikola in reply to PMRpro]

I don't think that lab theory was completely ruled out. Apparently "gain of function" studies are commonly done in level 4 labs like the one in Wuhan, or couple in US that were closed due to some leaks, or one in Winnipeg- Canada, just to name few. IF it was lab made, it certainly would be an accident most likely related to waste management from the lab. This wa the reason labs in US were temporary closed.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to pmr_nikola]

As it happens I did say that in another answer somewhere - never say never, but there is a lot of conjecture that really hasn't been particularly helpful ...

[Hidden]

At this rate it looks as though mankind will eventually be wiped out when something comes along that the scientists can't resolve. I still think it came from gain of function research and escaped. They are just trying to cover it up in my opinion.

[Constance13 in reply to Hidden]

That's it I fear - chemical warfare.😕

[Hidden in reply to Constance13]

The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) has been studying coronaviruses in bats for over a decade. It is indeed a strange coincidence that the Covid-19 outbreak started in the city of Wuhan which is stated to originally come from bats.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Except the evidence emerging is that it was present long before December 2019. There are proven cases in northern Italy in late November/early December 2019 and circumstantial evidence of cases in California where the source case in the particular trail woud have been mid-November.

This presents a discussion fairly well:

theguardian.com/world/2021/...

It is possible - but a lot of things are possible.

[jinasc in reply to Hidden]

Whilst you are entitled to your opinion I would rather we did not get into a discussion on here. PMR & GCA are enough to cope with. So can we please not go down this road.

[Hidden in reply to jinasc]

Ok I will keep it to myself. Point taken.

[jinasc in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for such a nice prompt response.