Kate Murray

Yeah, that's a great question, Stan. And actually, this is not a new phenomenon. There is long flu. There is.

Yeah, that's a great question, Stan. And actually, this is not a new phenomenon. There is long flu. There is.

OK. Yeah. So post-infectious acute infection, chronic disease is not is not unique to COVID. In fact, a lot of the communities of folks who are disabled after things like influenza or other SARS viruses are MERS, a lot of viruses and some bacterial infections can result in these chronic diseases.

OK. Yeah. So post-infectious acute infection, chronic disease is not is not unique to COVID. In fact, a lot of the communities of folks who are disabled after things like influenza or other SARS viruses are MERS, a lot of viruses and some bacterial infections can result in these chronic diseases.

So these advocacy groups, when the pandemic started, were the first to say, hey, you need to keep an eye out for these long-term impacts of this virus, especially as kind of a novel virus new to our bodies. And indeed, it looks like some of the earliest waves of COVID resulted in some of the biggest waves of long COVID as well.

So these advocacy groups, when the pandemic started, were the first to say, hey, you need to keep an eye out for these long-term impacts of this virus, especially as kind of a novel virus new to our bodies. And indeed, it looks like some of the earliest waves of COVID resulted in some of the biggest waves of long COVID as well.

We are still seeing it with the more quote unquote milder variants like Omicron. But again, it's not a new phenomenon. But because of just the magnitude of infections and the number of people who have been impacted and even disabled by this, it's getting more attention than it has ever before.

We are still seeing it with the more quote unquote milder variants like Omicron. But again, it's not a new phenomenon. But because of just the magnitude of infections and the number of people who have been impacted and even disabled by this, it's getting more attention than it has ever before.

Go ahead, Kate. Certainly some people we know had co-infections with influenza and COVID. We also know there were probably a lot of people who did have COVID and maybe didn't get it confirmed by a test either because testing wasn't available. They didn't have access to testing. Maybe they tested once with a rapid antigen test, but it was too early for their viral load to actually be detected.

Go ahead, Kate. Certainly some people we know had co-infections with influenza and COVID. We also know there were probably a lot of people who did have COVID and maybe didn't get it confirmed by a test either because testing wasn't available. They didn't have access to testing. Maybe they tested once with a rapid antigen test, but it was too early for their viral load to actually be detected.

So we do hear of a lot of people who are saying, well, I've got these complications, these issues that are happening, but I haven't had COVID, but I did have this really bad cough and respiratory infection and it just went on for weeks, you know?

So we do hear of a lot of people who are saying, well, I've got these complications, these issues that are happening, but I haven't had COVID, but I did have this really bad cough and respiratory infection and it just went on for weeks, you know?

So that is one of the trickiest pieces, as Jay said, you know, one of the only things we know for sure about long COVID is that you had to have had a COVID infection first, and it can be really hard to actually confirm and measure who has had COVID at this point. Plus reinfections, you know, people are getting COVID two, three more times at this point.

So that is one of the trickiest pieces, as Jay said, you know, one of the only things we know for sure about long COVID is that you had to have had a COVID infection first, and it can be really hard to actually confirm and measure who has had COVID at this point. Plus reinfections, you know, people are getting COVID two, three more times at this point.

That's a good question. And there are still questions around sort of persistent positive tests because we know that for some folks, there's a window where it seems like it's resolved, but they're testing positive still. That said, we are seeing one of the going theories for long COVID is viral persistence.

That's a good question. And there are still questions around sort of persistent positive tests because we know that for some folks, there's a window where it seems like it's resolved, but they're testing positive still. That said, we are seeing one of the going theories for long COVID is viral persistence.

Now, particularly in the gut and in some other tissues where it might not even necessarily be replicating, but those proteins are still causing an immune response. And this inflammation and kind of over-response may be what's causing some of these subtypes of long COVID. So in terms of testing, I mean, you may not be still able to spread the infection if

Now, particularly in the gut and in some other tissues where it might not even necessarily be replicating, but those proteins are still causing an immune response. And this inflammation and kind of over-response may be what's causing some of these subtypes of long COVID. So in terms of testing, I mean, you may not be still able to spread the infection if

you know, it's gotten better, but I know that some of the guidelines for when to test and when to stop testing have shifted.

you know, it's gotten better, but I know that some of the guidelines for when to test and when to stop testing have shifted.