Coronavirus Update March 2022

[missy]

My husband and I are practically the only people wearing masks here still. Unreal. But since we can only control our behavior that is what we will do and continue to wear masks. And yes, physically distance when possible.


We once again skipped our annual St Patty’s Day pub crawl. A pub crawl we’ve gone on for three decades. But IMO we are not out of the proverbial woods yet by a long shot. So optional social activities are not critical enough to risk our safety. IMO.

 

[missy]

“

A rushed exit, and a resurgence in Europe​

Europe sure was in a rush to abandon Covid-19 restrictions. Now, the continent faces a revival of virus risks, showing it can’t leave the pandemic behind just yet. Accelerated by the emergence of BA.2 — a more-transmissible strain of the omicron variant — the virus has spread rapidly. Germany is now setting fresh records for infection rates almost daily. Austria has also reached new highs, while cases in the Netherlands have doubled since lifting curbs on Feb. 25. Most authorities have shrugged off the surge, showing little appetite to re-impose curbs after easing measures just a few weeks ago. But the virus threatens to cause problems anyway, with businesses and schools disrupted as people call in sick. A commuter wearing a protective mask in Hamburg. Photographer: Imke Lass/Bloomberg “The messaging from politicians is encouraging many people who were taking precautions to mix with others,” says Martin McKee, professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “It does seem very courageous, and indeed risky, to assume that the pandemic is over.” The timing could hardly be worse. Europe can ill afford further strain as the region grapples with a cost-of-living crisis, which the war in Ukraine threatens to intensify as the conflict sends food and gas prices soaring. Despite soaring infections, Germany has stuck with plans to let most nationwide restrictions expire. Austria last week suspended a law that made coronavirus vaccinations mandatory, stepping back from one of Europe’s strictest measures. In France, millions of high school students and teachers ditched masks for the first time in almost two years last week. England will end free mass testing come April. The renewed outbreak is prompting an ad-hoc revival of measures to contain the spread. Across Europe, a large number of people attending cultural events or shopping for groceries still opt to stay masked up even though they’re no longer mandatory. It’s a sign many realize the pandemic isn’t behind us yet, even if governments act like it is. — Tim Loh ”

 

[MamaBee]

We’ll..I’ve had something since last Monday morning after staying with my DIL and sick grandchildren the weekend before last. It hit us on Monday morning with scratchy throats. Mine has progressed to be absolutely miserable..while my husband has just had a slight cough/clearing of the throat occasionally. It’s exactly a week later and I have a bad cough with a full blown runny nose. I did have a low grade fever and headache early on too. This just seems different so I’m going to a drive through to get a PCR test. I’ve been doing the Binax antigen tests daily until the day before yesterday..so six total..all negative. I just need to know so I can rule out Covid.

 

[peachster]

What I find annoying now is going into a facility, today it was a hospital, and every door has a huge sign saying masks are required to be worn at all times in the facility. It is unambiguous. So I enter with my mask, and the woman behind me doesn’t. We both sit down in the blood draw area. A worker comes out, and tells her to put on her mask. She gets it out, says loudly, “oh yeah..“ the worker goes back into her office and the woman just leaves it flapped on the chair. When she is called, the worker tells her again to put it on and she then does, but it is clear she wasn’t going to do it until made to do so. if It is mandatory, then she should follow the rules. This is common lately, where rules are not followed, nor enforced. If not enforced, then maybe the posted rules should state that masks are suggested. Pet peeve I know.

 

[missy]

What I find annoying now is going into a facility, today it was a hospital, and every door has a huge sign saying masks are required to be worn at all times in the facility. It is unambiguous. So I enter with my mask, and the woman behind me doesn’t. We both sit down in the blood draw area. A worker comes out, and tells her to put on her mask. She gets it out, says loudly, “oh yeah..“ the worker goes back into her office and the woman just leaves it flapped on the chair. When she is called, the worker tells her again to put it on and she then does, but it is clear she wasn’t going to do it until made to do so. if It is mandatory, then she should follow the rules. This is common lately, where rules are not followed, nor enforced. If not enforced, then maybe the posted rules should state that masks are suggested. Pet peeve I know.

This annoys the heck out of me too. But it is even worse, IMO, when the healthcare workers ignore the rules. I saw my hand surgeon last week. And his staff were not wearing masks and the nurse had it under her nose. WTH!!! Signs everywhere and yet there they were in plain sight in front of patients not wearing them or not wearing them properly. Shame on them. I was pissed TBH but I had my medical mask on and was protecting myself the best way I could. But some people shouldn't be in healthcare IMO if they have zero common sense and zero regard for the welfare of others.

And yes when patients refuse to follow the rules it is maddening as well.
The masses are a**e**.

OK off my soapbox for now.

 

[CMN]

I am lying in bed with Covid and Covid brain fog

 

[missy]

I am lying in bed with Covid and Covid brain fog

Ugh, I am so sorry. Feel better and sending you lots of healing vibes.

 

[missy]

BA.2 Is Behind More Than 1 in 3 COVID Cases in US​

Carolyn Crist
March 23, 2022

"
More than a third of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are now caused by the Omicron subvariant BA.2.

Although the proportion of BA.2 cases is increasing, overall infections are still declining from the record highs seen in January, according to Reuters.

For the week ending March 19, BA.2 accounted for 35% of U.S. infections, according to the latest data from the CDC. That compares with 22% a week before, which was revised down from 23%.


The subvariant is more widespread in some parts of the country. In New England, BA.2 now makes up about 55% of new infections, compared with 39% the week before. Around New York and New Jersey, BA.2 accounts for 48% of new cases.


BA.2 cases are surging in parts of Asia and Europe, and public health officials are tracking how the trend may affect the U.S. Cases will likely go up, given previous patterns during the pandemic, Reuters reported, but another wave isn't expected right now.

"Unless something changes dramatically," a major surge isn't on the horizon, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The Washington Post on Tuesday.

At the same time, the U.S. will likely see "somewhat of an uptick," Fauci said, as the U.S. generally lags the U.K. by about 3 weeks.


"So if we are going to see an uptick, we should start seeing it within the next week or so," he said.

So far, there doesn't appear to be evidence that the rise of BA.2 is leading to an increase in COVID-19 cases, Daniel Kuritzkes, MD, chief of the Infectious Diseases Division at Brigham and Women's Hospital, told Reuters.

"I think the one concern and where people need to remain vigilant is that, as we have relaxed many restrictions around masking and gathering, there is a potential opportunity for BA.2 or any variant to gain a foothold," he said.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which has provided COVID-19 projections during the pandemic, also said it doesn't expect a major surge in the U.S. in the coming weeks. The institute released a new projection on Monday, which shows a steady decline in infections through the spring.


"However, it is possible that the rapid return to pre-COVID-19 behavior and the spread of BA.2 could see a short period of increasing case numbers," Ali Mokdad, PhD, an epidemiologist at the institute, wrote in a post on Twitter.


More attention should focus on ensuring that people who have symptoms, especially those in high-risk groups, have access to antiviral treatments, he said.


"Even if the transmission does increase for a period due to reduced mask use and social distancing combined with BA.2, we do not think that implementation of mask or social distancing mandates would be warranted," Mokdad said.

Sources​

Reuters: "A third of U.S. COVID now caused by Omicron BA.2 as overall cases fall."


CDC: "COVID Data Tracker: Variant Proportions."


The Washington Post: "Transcript: Coronavirus: New Variants with Anthony S. Fauci, MD."


Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation: "COVID-19 Projections," March 21, 2022."

 

[dk168]

Multiple peeps in my social circle got Covid lately, however, their symptoms had been mild as they have been triple vaccinated.

Can't get free LFTs in England anymore, therefore, I am going to keep what I have left in case I get Covid again and need testing to confirm.

>>>living with Covid I go, and fingers firmly crossed that I shan't get it again!

DK

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

“

​

A rushed exit, and a resurgence in Europe​

Europe sure was in a rush to abandon Covid-19 restrictions. Now, the continent faces a revival of virus risks, showing it can’t leave the pandemic behind just yet. Accelerated by the emergence of BA.2 — a more-transmissible strain of the omicron variant — the virus has spread rapidly. Germany is now setting fresh records for infection rates almost daily. Austria has also reached new highs, while cases in the Netherlands have doubled since lifting curbs on Feb. 25. Most authorities have shrugged off the surge, showing little appetite to re-impose curbs after easing measures just a few weeks ago. But the virus threatens to cause problems anyway, with businesses and schools disrupted as people call in sick. A commuter wearing a protective mask in Hamburg. Photographer: Imke Lass/Bloomberg “The messaging from politicians is encouraging many people who were taking precautions to mix with others,” says Martin McKee, professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “It does seem very courageous, and indeed risky, to assume that the pandemic is over.” The timing could hardly be worse. Europe can ill afford further strain as the region grapples with a cost-of-living crisis, which the war in Ukraine threatens to intensify as the conflict sends food and gas prices soaring. Despite soaring infections, Germany has stuck with plans to let most nationwide restrictions expire. Austria last week suspended a law that made coronavirus vaccinations mandatory, stepping back from one of Europe’s strictest measures. In France, millions of high school students and teachers ditched masks for the first time in almost two years last week. England will end free mass testing come April. The renewed outbreak is prompting an ad-hoc revival of measures to contain the spread. Across Europe, a large number of people attending cultural events or shopping for groceries still opt to stay masked up even though they’re no longer mandatory. It’s a sign many realize the pandemic isn’t behind us yet, even if governments act like it is. — Tim Loh ”

For France , just one word: election

I'm so annoyed when people make stupid comments about me wearing mask in supermarkets now. It's not mandatory anymore. But yeah, it's not forbidden either... And frankly I don't think I'll ever board public transportation again without a mask

 

[seaurchin]

For France , just one word: election

I'm so annoyed when people make stupid comments about me wearing mask in supermarkets now. It's not mandatory anymore. But yeah, it's not forbidden either... And frankly I don't think I'll ever board public transportation again without a mask

Oh, I know. I heard some dinkus actually claim that wearing a mask was "virtue signaling."

If anyone says anything to me about wearing a mask, I plan to tell them in a loud hurt voice that I have cancer/leprosy/severe heart disease etc. then burst into tears to make them look like a real pile.

 

[Austina]

All mandates have been lifted here in Tx, (not that a lot of people wore masks anyway), but we’ll continue to wear masks whilst in shops, and if anyone says anything to me, they’ll be met with my laser death glare

 

[missy]

For France , just one word: election

I'm so annoyed when people make stupid comments about me wearing mask in supermarkets now. It's not mandatory anymore. But yeah, it's not forbidden either... And frankly I don't think I'll ever board public transportation again without a mask

Oh, I know. I heard some dinkus actually claim that wearing a mask was "virtue signaling."

If anyone says anything to me about wearing a mask, I plan to tell them in a loud hurt voice that I have cancer/leprosy/severe heart disease etc. then burst into tears to make them look like a real pile.

All mandates have been lifted here in Tx, (not that a lot of people wore masks anyway), but we’ll continue to wear masks whilst in shops, and if anyone says anything to me, they’ll be met with my laser death glare

100 percent yes. We are wearing our masks indoors (when we are not at home). 90% of other people are not. We are. And I’ll continue to do so for as long as I feel necessary. And if someone dares say anything they’ll get an earful believe me. Idio*s.

And I’ll probably never use public transportation again in nyc but that’s another story for another day.

 

[Calliecake]

The FDA may approve a second booster shot for people over 50 next week.

 

[GemmaBella]

I continue to wear a mask and plan to do so indefinitely. My mother works remotely with two long-covid survivors and one is in only her early 40s and wearing a heart monitor. She gets palpitations and her blood pressure randomly drops for no apparent reason, making her feel like she's about to pass out. She was healthy before the infection. The other woman in her 60s has diabetes and has chronic fatigue after infection. She cannot get out of bed since contracting Covid to perform her work. It just tells me that: A.) This is Not over. B.) This is still serious enough to impact the rest of my life if I were to become infected and C.) It impacts the life of the vulnerable - A group I have NOT left behind. I will still don a mask, no matter how annoying, sweaty and itchy they are or how much they break out my skin. I won't be selfish and think only of me. If only we could all put ourselves in another's shoes and put ourselves out of our comfort zone (i.e. wearing a mask because it is uncomfortable) for the sake of our fellow human.

I haven't gone to a restaurant, social engagement or anything outside of routine medical visits for over 2 years.

 

[missy]

"

Unraveling the Covid-diabetes link​

Diabetes was identified as a risk factor for developing a more severe illness from Covid-19 soon after it emerged. What’s still baffling doctors two years on is the unexpected appearance of the metabolic condition in Covid patients weeks-to-months after catching the coronavirus. The causal link between Covid and type 2 diabetes was reiterated in research from the U.S. and Germany this month. One study of more than 180,000 users of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health system who survived the first month of a bout of Covid found they were 40% more likely to get a new diagnosis of diabetes over the following year than a “control” group who avoided the pandemic virus. That works out to about 13.5 extra cases of diabetes per 1,000 Covid patients, according to the study, published Monday in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal. “The risks were evident even in people who had a low risk of diabetes before Covid,” said study co-author Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the VA St. Louis Health Care System and a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in Missouri, in an email. The likelihood of diabetes increased with the level of care patients received for Covid, with those admitted to the ICU being most likely to get a new diagnosis of diabetes, the condition in which the body fails to produce enough, or properly use, insulin. The study from Germany found Covid patients, most of whom had a mild form of the illness, were 28% more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than a comparator group of patients who had an upper respiratory tract infection caused by a different bug. That study, published March 16 in the journal Diabetologia, was based on an analysis of electronic records from a nationwide primary care database that followed patients, including almost 36,000 Covid cases, for three to five months. Health workers conduct tests to measure the risk level of Diabetes and Hypertension. Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg Type 2 is the more common form of diabetes and is tied to obesity and typically develops gradually. Follow-up studies are needed to understand whether the condition that ensues after mild Covid is just temporary and can be reversed after patients fully recover, or whether it leads to a chronic disease, the researchers said. If confirmed, their results indicate that patients should be screened for the condition even after a mild case of Covid, they said. Covid may both trigger diabetes in previously healthy people and amplify known risk factors for people already predisposed to developing the disease, said Al-Aly at the VA St. Louis Health Care System. His data are based on older white males, which limits how generalizable the findings are across the wider population. Still, other studies besides the one from Germany have shown similar patterns. “We are seeing the same thing in other papers,” said Cliff Rosen, a professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and the director of clinical and translational research at Maine Medical Center’s Research Institute in Scarborough, who reviews manuscript submissions to the New England Journal of Medicine. A lingering question, Rosen said, is whether the virus directly affects the insulin-secreting beta cells in the islets of the pancreas, or whether diabetes is being caused by metabolic changes due to the virus’s impact on fat cells. Another hypothesis is that insulin production is perturbed by viral damage to the cells that line vessels supplying blood to the pancreas, said Gaetano Santulli, an associate professor of medicine and molecular pharmacology at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Jason Block, an associate professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School, said at least two other factors might also be at play. Significant illness caused by Covid could unmask the condition that had already been brewing, he said. “It might not have been diagnosed before because people had been away from the health-care system,” Block said. It’s also possible steroid medications prescribed to tame an inflammatory response to the coronavirus could elevate glucose levels in the blood, leading to a diabetes diagnosis. Whatever the biological mechanisms involved, experts warn that the coronavirus-diabetes link could be extremely expensive — and deadly. Some 7 million people die every year because of diabetes. That’s about one person every 5 seconds. Health expenditure for diabetes among people 20 to 79 years ballooned to $966 billion last year from $232 billion in 2007, and now accounts for about 11.5% of global health spending thanks to life-shortening complications spanning stroke and kidney failure to foot ulcers and blindness. — Jason Gale "

 

[missy]

Small victory, yay!

Judge Sides With 12 Disabled Kids Seeking Masks in Schools​

Sarah Rankin
March 24, 2022


"
RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that an executive order and new Virginia law allowing parents to opt their children out of classroom COVID-19 mask mandates cannot prevent 12 vulnerable students from seeking a "reasonable modification" that could include a requirement that their classmates wear masks.

These students' health conditions, which include cancer, cystic fibrosis, asthma, Down syndrome, lung conditions, and weakened immune systems, make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, their parents say. They sued Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other state officials in February, arguing that the mask-optional policy effectively excludes some disabled children from public schools, in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

US District Court Judge Norman Moon granted in part an injunction sought by the parents. But he emphasized that the executive order and state law remain in effect, and said families of any other vulnerable children will have to make their own cases.


"This is not a class action, and the 12 plaintiffs in this case have no legal right to ask the court to deviate from that state law in any schools in Virginia (much less school districts) their children do not attend, or indeed even those areas of their schools in which Plaintiffs' children do not frequent," he wrote.


Youngkin campaigned against mask and vaccine mandates, and one of his first acts after being sworn in as governor in January was signing an executive order that sought to make masks optional in schools.

Confusion, pushback from school districts, and litigation quickly followed. In February, the divided General Assembly took action, with a few Democrats joining Republicans in passing legislation banning local school systems from imposing mask mandates on students beginning March 1.

The plaintiffs were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, the Disability Law Center of Virginia, the Washington Lawyers' Committee, and two private law firms.


Moon found that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the executive order and new state law "are preempted by federal law, to the extent that they prevent or limit Plaintiffs' schools or school districts from considering Plaintiffs' individualized requests that some amount of masking is necessary as a 'reasonable modification' to that otherwise applicable Virginia law."

He wrote that the public interest is served by permitting their school districts to consider their individualized requests.

The injunction will remain in effect until a final decision in the litigation is issued, the judge wrote.

Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a brief statement that the ruling affirms that "parents have the right to make choices for their children."


Eden Heilman, legal director for the ACLU of Virginia, said the group sees the ruling as a victory and is thrilled for its clients.


Although the ruling is limited to the 12 plaintiffs, it could serve as a "blueprint" for other students with disabilities across Virginia who could point to it and ask their school district for accommodations, she said.


Heilman also said she couldn't rule out the possibility of a class-action suit down the road.


The schools directly impacted by the judge's decision are: Brownsville Elementary in Albemarle County; Stanton River Middle in Bedford County; Grassfield Elementary and Southeastern Elementary in Chesapeake; Enon Elementary in Chesterfield County; Cumberland Elementary in Cumberland County; Stenwood Elementary in Fairfax County; Quioccasin Middle in Henrico County; Trailside Middle and Loudoun County High in Loudoun County; Jennie Dean Elementary in Manassas City; and Tabb Middle in York County.
"

 

[missy]

"

Why this week showed it ain’t over​

There was good news this week on Covid immunizations for very young children. It’s not like preschoolers have been clamoring for another shot, but the vast majority of parents see vaccines as the key to preventing potentially deadly diseases such as measles, whooping cough and streptococcus. It’s likely they’ll soon be adding Covid-19 to the list, as Moderna released data this week showing its vaccine raised children’s immune response as much as one that was shown to be effective in teens and adults. The findings added to widespread feelings of Covid relief, as U.S. states dropped their mask requirements and other pandemic restrictions amid falling case numbers and hospitalizations. So sanguine was the mood that congressional Republicans saw fit to demand spending concessions in exchange for President Joe Biden’s request for $22.5 billion in funds for additional shots, drugs and tests; the emergency is behind us, they said. Republicans want spending concessions in exchange for President Joe Biden’s request for $22.5 billion in funds for additional shots, drugs and tests. Photographer: Oliver Contreras/Bloomberg But the pandemic is far from over. The omicron BA.2 subvariant is spreading widely in Europe, adding some 300,000 cases daily in Germany and 1 million a week in the U.K. While numbers are still low, BA.2 is now the dominant strain in the U.S. Northeast, and cases are inching up in New York City, which has often been a harbinger for nationwide infections. Whether this will lead to another surge in deaths and overburdened hospitals remains to be seen. But as long as the virus spreads widely, the threat of mutations and more dangerous variants is still with us. — John Lauerman "

 

[Calliecake]

I continue to wear a mask and plan to do so indefinitely. My mother works remotely with two long-covid survivors and one is in only her early 40s and wearing a heart monitor. She gets palpitations and her blood pressure randomly drops for no apparent reason, making her feel like she's about to pass out. She was healthy before the infection. The other woman in her 60s has diabetes and has chronic fatigue after infection. She cannot get out of bed since contracting Covid to perform her work. It just tells me that: A.) This is Not over. B.) This is still serious enough to impact the rest of my life if I were to become infected and C.) It impacts the life of the vulnerable - A group I have NOT left behind. I will still don a mask, no matter how annoying, sweaty and itchy they are or how much they break out my skin. I won't be selfish and think only of me. If only we could all put ourselves in another's shoes and put ourselves out of our comfort zone (i.e. wearing a mask because it is uncomfortable) for the sake of our fellow human.

I haven't gone to a restaurant, social engagement or anything outside of routine medical visits for over 2 years.

If everyone had taken this seriously and just continued to wear the mask this probably would be over by now. If someone had told me after 9/11 that in the future the country would be comprised of 1/2 the people being selfish self centered people who only cared about themselves, I would have never believed it. The truly amazing thing is it’s almost a badge of honor for them.

 

[missy]

"

Do I need a fourth shot?​

In this week's edition of the Covid Q&A, we look at boosters. In hopes of making this very confusing time just a little less so, each week Bloomberg Prognosis picks one reader question and puts it to experts in the field. This week’s question comes to us from Anne in Pittsburgh. She asks: I'm an 80-year-old who received a Pfizer booster in September. Am I ready for another booster? And will it protect me from omicron? The threat of another wave of the virus in the U.S. looms just as the effects of boosters may be waning for many Americans. So it makes sense to question whether it might be time to roll up our sleeves for yet another jab. Just this past week, Moderna sought emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a second booster shot — that’s four shots in total — for all adults. Pfizer and partner BioNTech have also asked the agency to grant authorization for another dose of their shot for people age 65 and up. (A second booster is already cleared for Americans with compromised immune systems.) But scientists and physicians have been more divided than vaccine-makers on whether it’s time for another shot. “It makes sense that people 65 and up could benefit from an additional booster dose,” says Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at University of Illinois at Chicago. “The co-morbid conditions that lead to severe Covid-19 disease such as diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease are also most prevalent in the older age groups, putting them at higher risk for bad outcomes.” As for healthy people, she says, studies of a fourth dose's impact on immune response haven’t really demonstrated all that much added immunogenicity. It’s not yet clear whether most Americans should expect a fourth shot. Photographer: Vanessa Leroy/Bloomberg “It was found in studies that maximal immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines is achieved after three doses and can be restored with a fourth dose as immunogenicity wanes over time,” she says. “That additional booster gave a modest boost in vaccine efficacy against infection and severe disease.” We know that even as efficacy wanes, the shots still appear to provide good protection against severe infection, hospitalization and death for most people — the most critical goal of vaccines. Many experts agree with Wallace's view that three shots are likely enough for healthy people, and a fourth might not be worth the effort. The FDA is expected to soon convene an advisory committee to investigate the issue. But Wallace also points out that at least in the U.S., only about half of those eligible for a first booster shot have so far gotten one. So for now, it might make the most sense to focus efforts on getting first boosters to Americans who have yet to have one — and of course, getting unvaccinated Americans to roll up their sleeves, too. "

 

[dk168]

A second booster has been approved and being rolled out for over 70s (I think) and extremely vulnerables in England.

DK

 

[missy]

"

A myriad of symptoms​

More than 200 symptoms have been attributed, directly and indirectly, to long Covid. Unraveling the causes keeps getting harder. One reason is that different coronavirus variants affect the body in various ways, leading to different Covid symptoms and likely resulting in different patterns of persistent conditions — from hair loss and fatigue to heart palpitations and smell and taste distortions. Much information has been gathered about long Covid — also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, or PASC — since the pandemic's first wave in 2020, yet less is known about whether its symptoms are attenuated by various treatments, vaccination, pre-existing immunity and newer virus strains, including delta and omicron. Results of a small study from Italy suggest that the alpha variant that emerged in late 2020 was associated with a greater risk of muscle aches and pain, insomnia, brain fog, anxiety and depression than the original strain from China, which tended to be associated with comparatively more smell and hearing impairment. The findings, slated for release in April at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in Lisbon, are based on the health records of 428 Covid patients. Although many of the symptoms of long Covid observed in the study had been previously measured, it’s the first time they’ve been linked to different SARS-CoV-2 variants, says Michele Spinicci from the University of Florence and Careggi University Hospital. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg The finding is interesting but was observed in only a small group of patients, which means it may not be seen in the wider population, said Ziyad Al-Aly, a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis who has been researching the long-term impacts of Covid for more than a year. “There are a lot of variations that may explain differences in long Covid features over time — the variant that caused the infection is only one of them,” he said in an email. It’s one of the reasons that the U.S. National Institutes of Health is studying the effects of Covid across a diverse cross-section of the population to better understand the drivers of persistent symptoms. “The complexity lies in the myriad of symptomatology — and it’s immense,” says Cliff Rosen, a professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and the director of clinical and translational research at Maine Medical Center’s Research Institute in Scarborough, who is involved in the NIH research, known as the Recover initiative. “It was easy when we had one viral strain at the beginning and then people got symptoms afterwards. Now we’ve had three more strains and people are vaccinated.” While research teams are working around the clock to answer critical questions, the process is frustratingly slow for those looking for answers. Rosen isn’t optimistic that meaningful results will come anytime soon. “It’s going to be a while before we figure this out,” he said. — Jason Gale

​ ​ ​ ​ Track the recovery​

What It’s Like to Visit Sydney Now​ Travelers are back in Sydney Harbour, queuing for boats and the bridge climb and jostling for prime selfie position in front of the Opera House. For a formerly bustling neighborhood that’s resembled a ghost town for much of the past two years, it was a welcome sight for many in the city’s main tourism district—made possible by Australia’s decision, in late February, to throw off the shackles of “Fortress Australia” and reopen international tourism. Read the story from Sybilla Gross and Peter Vercoe. "