Lessons from the pandemic, part III
January 25th, 2023
Started in February 2020, the SAJO blog is providing a thread through the pandemic with up-to-date information to present pandemics and infectious diseases.
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Dear readers,
Currently, there are lower numbers of new infections, although a new variant (XBB.1.5) is circulating, which is very efficient in transmission.
Germany now is placed 6th in the official numbers of infection (https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html). The pandemic is continuing quietly. Numbers of COVID-19 patients in ICUs are in decline. Nevertheless, more than 140 people die of this disease each day in Germany alone. One positive piece of news is the number of vaccinations. On average, in Germany everyone has received two to three shots.
However, the reporting of infections is becoming sloppier. We don’t have any new therapeutic options. This we think is careless. The virus is mutating constantly. In Germany there is almost no sequencing of samples. There is no comprehensive screening of wastewater. This is where new variants with a potential for faster spread may be detected early. Even more important: This would also allow for the detection of many other pathogens. This could be an early warning signal.
Please recall:
COVID-19 is a disease affecting the whole system, not just the respiratory tract. It affects the cardiovascular system as well as the immune and nerve systems, including the brain. The virus was found in every organ, where it may cause harm. Even more important is the finding that in many cases virus may be detected in the body months after the acute phase. Long Covid and Post Covid now are commonly known, but there is even more to come.
Long Covid? This may take even longer:
About 10 % of infected people globally are fighting with sequelae. For their veterans, the US have a special section of their health care system, called the Department of Veterans Affairs. It holds millions of health data that have been collected over many decades. Hence these data provide a comprehensive picture of diseases and their long-term consequences. Last year, a research group used these data sets to explore possible consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infections. They compared these to health data obtained before 2019, i.e. before the pandemic broke out. The results of this retrospective study are as clear as they are dire. The journal Science reported: https://www.science.org/content/article/covid-19-takes-serious-toll-heart-health-full-year-after-recovery
According to this, people who had had a bout with COVID-19, in the following years were at greater risk of severe cardiovascular disease. This includes heart failure, stroke, dysrhythmia, myocarditis and several more. After a COVID-19 experience the risk of all 20 tested cardiovascular ailments increased by 63 % on average.
With 38,000,000 registered infections in Germany this is quite a number.
A further study showed similar results for neurological diseases.
This will have consequences for health care systems worldwide. Over years, the burden on the health care sector will be heavy. This will affect economy as well, since many employees in companies and the public sector will repeatedly fall ill. The ensuing costs for health insurances should not be underestimated, since cardiovascular and neurological diseases cause a lot of damage. Treatment is notoriously lengthy and expensive. A lot of people will not be able to return to work and will become disabled.
Now, since all protective measures are falling, we come to our question to you: Does this mean the pandemic is over? Now you may decide for yourself. The coming years will show.
To us the long-term consequences of one or more COVID-infections are one more reason to protect people from infection, especially with the still high numbers of new infections. It does not make sense to drop all measures. Unfortunately, German politics does not follow facts, but emotions. How can we face these problems? We are advocating for the development of new drugs, and thus advertise for additional financing to SAJO.
Finally, we are wishing for a straight position of our government regarding the war against Ukraine. Should there be a tactic, it is hard to see, if not damaging. For years we had worked in the US research sector, we came to know different cultures and we have friends and colleagues around the world. This distinguishes us from our federal politicians, who have never worked abroad. Maybe this is the reason why our government is causing disappointment and dismay with our neighbors and allies. Who is profiting from German dithering? Putin’s war of aggression, only.
Take care and protect yourself from the virus and its long-term consequences. The best protection from Long Covid is to avoid an infection from the beginning. This may work with individual protective measures. We are protecting ourselves, in closed spaces we wear N95 masks. Our health and our physical and mental capacity are our main capital, which we cannot and do not want to dare to lose.
We wish you a wonderful and healthy new year 2023. Our blog is being read globally. Hence, this week especially we wish a wonderful and healthy new year to our Asian friends, colleagues and readers. Let’s see what it shall bring. Hopefully just good news.
Yours, Sabine and Joerg
Dr. Sabine Breun and Dr. Joerg Baumann, both PhDs, virologists, immunologists, molecular biologists and founders of SAJO. Both are specialized in infectious diseases. Since the 90s, Dr. Baumann has been working on zoonoses and how pathogens overcome the species barrier. Since 2000, Dr. Breun works on the interaction of viruses with the immune system. Both work as team. SAJO enables new antivirals – antivirals of the next generation to fight pandemics.
During their scientific carreers, both performed scientific work for 5 years at the National Cancer Institute in a US elite program on competitive US scholarships.
SAJO – for a healthy and better future!
SAJO is consulting all around infectious diseases. We are applying our know-how, that we have acquired in more than 20 years. We do what we can to fight this pandemic.
This is post No. 242. To our delight our blog is receiving a lot of acceptance, we love to share our know-how and expertise. Please feel free to share the link – it is an informative tool to fight this pandemic.
(Note: We are no members of political parties, religious congregations, or societies. We value independence, sovereignty, and freedom. With our blog we are providing purely scientific advice, without conflict of interest, altruistic. We are not being paid for it.)
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