Health Matters

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Long COVID isn't the only post-viral illness

By Jamie Ducharme

Health Correspondent

When talking about COVID-19, I often hear people say, “Wow, this virus can do anything!” From weird acute symptoms (remember COVID toes?) to devastating cases of Long COVID and serious organ damage, the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are scarily diverse.

But it’s a mistake to think that SARS-CoV-2 is unique in this respect. Lots of viruses—even common ones like influenza and Epstein-Barr (which triggers mono)—can cause serious, sometimes life-long complications, including chronic pain, crushing fatigue, and cognitive decline. And due to decades of neglect from the medical and scientific communities, we still don’t have a great understanding of why that is or what can be done to reverse these issues.

Long COVID has, at least, spurred new interest in post-viral illnesses and prompted the federal government to supply more than $1 billion for research. But in the meantime, we’d all be smart to do what we can to avoid getting infected by any virus. By providing partial protection against infections, tools like masks, ventilation, and vaccines also shield against potentially lifelong complications.

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One Last Read

Welcome to virus hell

If viruses keep ping-ponging around your household, you're not alone. "The onslaught of viruses this fall has been so monstrous and relentless that it seems like every parent I know—friends, colleagues, neighbors, everyone—has a story to tell," writes Caitlin Gibson, features writer at the Washington Post.

It's indeed an unprecedented season, clinicians told Gibson: the worst flu season in more than a decade, plus shortages of fever-reducing drugs and antibiotics.

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Today's newsletter was written by Jamie Ducharme and edited by Mandy Oaklander.