Anecdata is not data, but: I had COVID in 2022, and again in mid-2024, and was diagnosed with anaemia in early 2025 (with no cause identified).

[cstross@wandering.shop]

@oldcoder Frankly, without the vaccines I'd be dead. (I have a couple of long-term chronic health conditions that put me at far-above-baseline risk of death.)

[graydon@canada.masto.host]

@OldCoder I think there's an unhelpful construction of narrative around long covid risk.
First off, "long covid" is not one thing, clinically; it's a bunch of stuff that amounts to "you can't ignore this/it has economic impact" levels of damage.
Secondly, every SARS-CoV-2 infection comes with lasting damage. Is that "long"? Most people don't talk about it that way, but "indefinite" is at least like "long".
Thirdly, "you can't ignore this" is inevitable with enough infections.

@cstross

[mwl@io.mwl.io]

@cstross

Interesting. I had anemia before I caught covid, and my iron plunged after. (Again, anecdata.)

Viruses mess folks up. Novel viruses mess us up in novel ways.

[oldcoder@dansu.org]

I've "liked" your response but, to be clear, it's about the fact that the point is of interest and not the fact of the health conditions.

I'm of an age myself and am familiar with such conditions and the issue of above-baseline risk.

I point out to myself and others with issues that our factory warranty is limited to 30 to 35 years -- see "The Selfish Gene" -- and that we should be appreciative of each year subsequent to the expiration of the warranty. However, lately, I find it difficult to muster much enthusiasm for the point.

[oldcoder@dansu.org]

@gradon:
Yes, I understand that long covid is a syndrome. Also that covid can be damaging up front. I don't know much about the subject from personal experience. I seem to have dodged both up-front damage and long-term issues.

To put it another way, then, it sounded, based on the article, as though Mr. Stross might be at 30% risk of additional issues.

[androcat@toot.cat]

@cstross Anecdotes are often made of data, though, and can be broken down into data points for collation.

[davecb@hachyderm.io]

@androcat @cstross Anecdotes are excellent, though, for proving universals wrong: "everyone likes milk" "I'm lactose intolerant"

[androcat@toot.cat]

@davecb

It's real funny how people are so hung on on deduction, despite it keeling over from a single counterexample.

Meanwhile, induction just eats contradiction for dinner.

@cstross

[nini@oldbytes.space]

@cstross While I don't think I've ever got it, I know there's a real difference between 2019 me and 2026 me that can't be attributed to seven years of aging.

[cstross@wandering.shop]

@nini As about 30% of cases are asymptomatic (but *still* cause diffuse microvascular inflammation and immune system damage) you'd never know unless you ran a covid test every week (and never got a false negative).

[netraven@hear-me.social]

@cstross 2022, same, and same.

[greatbigtable@mastodon.social]

@cstross It might explain why the people that I know who have had Covid say they are tired all the time now.

[palin@mastodon.social]

@cstross
I recently read that people on Metformin did not have long Covid cases in their studies so far.
I was on metformin when I caught Covid almost a year ago... luckily I have had no lingering issues.
A 35 year old neighbor on the other hand caught it 3 times and now needs a heart transplant. I am betting the anemia is a direct result.

[fatsam@mstdn.social]

@GreatBigTable @cstross After two bouts of COVID I had to start taking a smart drug to be myself again. I don't know if it's long COVID or repeated hospitalizations (or both) ... but with modafinil I'm me all day long, and without I'm an old man.

[darwinwoodka@mastodon.social]

@GreatBigTable @cstross

The sleep issues alone from Covid are devastating, hubs got it once and still can't sleep well at night. It really messes him up.

[cstross@wandering.shop]

@darwinwoodka @GreatBigTable i have had random hiccups for nearly four years

[cazabon@mindly.social]

@cstross

I know you've mentioned brain fog post-COVID. Did you notice any changes when you started taking iron?