A new article in STAT News is even more optimistic than I am about #COVID19.
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A new article in STAT News is even more optimistic than I am about #COVID19. In interviews with experts, many think COVID is becoming “just another one of the viruses that make people sick with cold or flu-like symptoms.” Long COVID is mentioned late in the article but says "the incidence has declined.”
My concern is the article suggests “annual boosting is probably not doing much for people who aren’t at high risk.”
1/2
What happened to Covid?
Experts analyze why Covid severity has declined, who still benefits from booster shots, and if a once-feared virus is now more like plain old colds or flu.
STAT (www.statnews.com)
I've posted some optimistic thoughts about #COVID19, but I'm not (yet) as hopeful as the experts interviewed.
I think avoiding COVID reinfections is still key, and that means adjusting behaviors during surges. And I feel vaccinations remain critical.
I might reach the same level of optimism as those in this article in a year. If we can keep on the trend of ever-lower surges and if COVID doesn't give us a serious new variant, I'll be more hopeful in 2027. But I'll still be cautious! 2/2
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A new article in STAT News is even more optimistic than I am about #COVID19. In interviews with experts, many think COVID is becoming “just another one of the viruses that make people sick with cold or flu-like symptoms.” Long COVID is mentioned late in the article but says "the incidence has declined.”
My concern is the article suggests “annual boosting is probably not doing much for people who aren’t at high risk.”
1/2
What happened to Covid?
Experts analyze why Covid severity has declined, who still benefits from booster shots, and if a once-feared virus is now more like plain old colds or flu.
STAT (www.statnews.com)
@augieray I just answered on this post about the omission of dangers posed as long Covid. Organ and immune damage is still a major concern.
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@augieray I just answered on this post about the omission of dangers posed as long Covid. Organ and immune damage is still a major concern.
@Gdac I agree with you. That said, given wastewater trends, reinfections are much less common, and that means so is LC. Moreover, I am seeing more studies that suggest some of these dangers are diminishing, either due to COVID's evolution or our collective immunity. Notice I say diminishing, not disappearing.
I think it's possible that by 2027, COVID's dangers may come to match those of flu, which also can leave some with chronic issues. I am hopeful, but still careful.
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@Gdac I agree with you. That said, given wastewater trends, reinfections are much less common, and that means so is LC. Moreover, I am seeing more studies that suggest some of these dangers are diminishing, either due to COVID's evolution or our collective immunity. Notice I say diminishing, not disappearing.
I think it's possible that by 2027, COVID's dangers may come to match those of flu, which also can leave some with chronic issues. I am hopeful, but still careful.
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A new article in STAT News is even more optimistic than I am about #COVID19. In interviews with experts, many think COVID is becoming “just another one of the viruses that make people sick with cold or flu-like symptoms.” Long COVID is mentioned late in the article but says "the incidence has declined.”
My concern is the article suggests “annual boosting is probably not doing much for people who aren’t at high risk.”
1/2
What happened to Covid?
Experts analyze why Covid severity has declined, who still benefits from booster shots, and if a once-feared virus is now more like plain old colds or flu.
STAT (www.statnews.com)
@augieray
The common cold does not kill 64000 us citizens a year. Thats ~2x the 2019 car fatality rate in the US. And it's almost certainly an undercount.The paper stream relentlessly crossing our desks laughs at this typical minimizer characterization of becoming "just a cold" and "nuisance". The underlying mechanisms have not changed. SARS2 did not suddenly change the receptors it binds to.
This "evolution to mild" trope is not new and has been argued extensively before. I have still not seen any actual evidence that shows it's an actual evolutionary pattern. It is always a ID or IPAC minimizer argument from authority.
IMO its just same old survivorship bias, normalcy bias and optimism bias with big heapings of merchant of doubt.
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@Gdac I agree with you. That said, given wastewater trends, reinfections are much less common, and that means so is LC. Moreover, I am seeing more studies that suggest some of these dangers are diminishing, either due to COVID's evolution or our collective immunity. Notice I say diminishing, not disappearing.
I think it's possible that by 2027, COVID's dangers may come to match those of flu, which also can leave some with chronic issues. I am hopeful, but still careful.
-
@Gdac I agree with you. That said, given wastewater trends, reinfections are much less common, and that means so is LC. Moreover, I am seeing more studies that suggest some of these dangers are diminishing, either due to COVID's evolution or our collective immunity. Notice I say diminishing, not disappearing.
I think it's possible that by 2027, COVID's dangers may come to match those of flu, which also can leave some with chronic issues. I am hopeful, but still careful.
@augieray if studies show less LC then I wonder why it’s impacting children so heavily. Still skeptical.
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@augieray if studies show less LC then I wonder why it’s impacting children so heavily. Still skeptical.
@Gdac That's easy to answer--unlike adults with prior infections and vaccinations offering some protection, children have none. COVID is still a "new" virus to them, and with less than 1 in 10 children in the US getting vaccinated with with the 2025/25 vaccine, they are wildly under-protected.
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@Gdac That's easy to answer--unlike adults with prior infections and vaccinations offering some protection, children have none. COVID is still a "new" virus to them, and with less than 1 in 10 children in the US getting vaccinated with with the 2025/25 vaccine, they are wildly under-protected.
@augieray One of the reasons articles such as this one should not downplay the dangers of Covid especially for children.
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@Gdac That's easy to answer--unlike adults with prior infections and vaccinations offering some protection, children have none. COVID is still a "new" virus to them, and with less than 1 in 10 children in the US getting vaccinated with with the 2025/25 vaccine, they are wildly under-protected.
@augieray by the way I’ve been following you for quite some time and I appreciate your amplifying Covid research !
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A new article in STAT News is even more optimistic than I am about #COVID19. In interviews with experts, many think COVID is becoming “just another one of the viruses that make people sick with cold or flu-like symptoms.” Long COVID is mentioned late in the article but says "the incidence has declined.”
My concern is the article suggests “annual boosting is probably not doing much for people who aren’t at high risk.”
1/2
What happened to Covid?
Experts analyze why Covid severity has declined, who still benefits from booster shots, and if a once-feared virus is now more like plain old colds or flu.
STAT (www.statnews.com)
Still killing hundreds a week and putting people at risk of long covid. I just got my booster this last week and think everyone should. I'd rather have it "not doing anything much for me" than be sick.
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Still killing hundreds a week and putting people at risk of long covid. I just got my booster this last week and think everyone should. I'd rather have it "not doing anything much for me" than be sick.
@darwinwoodka True. I still get my booster as well. And I mask when I can.
Still, I'd point out that driving kills hundreds a week, but it doesn't prevent anyone from using their car.
Everyone must make their own decision, but I'm doing more dining out with friends (in less crowded places at off times), given the current viral activity. I will pull back my activities during summer if/when COVID surges, but I'm enjoying the lowest COVID levels in four years!
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@darwinwoodka True. I still get my booster as well. And I mask when I can.
Still, I'd point out that driving kills hundreds a week, but it doesn't prevent anyone from using their car.
Everyone must make their own decision, but I'm doing more dining out with friends (in less crowded places at off times), given the current viral activity. I will pull back my activities during summer if/when COVID surges, but I'm enjoying the lowest COVID levels in four years!
Yup, I mostly follow three Cs now but I always have a mask with me. We do eat out often and try to do so in less crowded places and off times.
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