❦ ‘Al-Aly’s study undertook a comparative analysis of 94 pre-specified health outcomes and found that over 18 months of follow-up, COVID was associated with a “significantly increased risk” for 64 of them, or nearly 70%.

The disease’s enhanced risk list includes everything from cardiac arrest, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and cognitive impairment to mental health and fatigue, characteristics often associated with long COVID.

By comparison, the seasonal flu was associated with increased risk in only 6 of the 94 conditions specified.

Further, while COVID increased the risks for almost all the organ systems studied, the flu heightened risk primarily for the pulmonary (lung) system.

Those findings, Al-Aly says, suggest that “COVID is really a multi-systemic disease, and flu is more a respiratory virus”.’

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📖 (14 Dec 2023 ~ Fortune) COVID-19 v. Flu: A ‘much more serious threat,’ new study into long-term risks concludes ➤

📖 (14 Dec 2023 ~ The Lancet) Long-term outcomes following hospital admission for COVID-19 versus seasonal influenza: a cohort study ➤

© 2023 Carolyn Barber / Fortune.

📖 (5 Apr 2023 ~ bioRxiv pre-print) SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Accumulation in the Skull-Meninges Brain Axis: Potential Implications for Long-Term Neurological Complications in post-COVID-19 ➤

❦ On SARS-CoV-2 vs. seasonal influenza

by Outbreak Updates: 15 Dec 2023.

❦ Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 face a daunting 51% increased mortality risk.

It’s translating into an excess death rate of 8.62 per 100 individuals: high contrast to those affected by seasonal influenza.

In a comprehensive review of 94 diverse health outcomes, SARS-CoV-2 shows a far-reaching and detrimental effect, significantly elevating risk in 68.1% of these conditions.

This highlights its extensive systemic disruption beyond primary infection.

This expansive range of affected health outcomes starkly surpasses the impact associated with seasonal flu, indicating a broader systemic assault by SARS-CoV-2.

Unlike influenza, which primarily perturbs the pulmonary system, SARS-CoV-2 exhibits a menacing versatility, inflicting damage across almost all organ systems.

This extensive organ system involvement underlines the virus’s capacity for widespread physiological disruption.

The cumulative burden of COVID-19, measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), reveals a significant and enduring impact on patients’ health and quality of life.

This metric underscores the lasting health deficits and life-quality deterioration in COVID-19 survivors.

Beyond the acute phase, SARS-CoV-2 survivors are burdened with heightened risks of hospital re-admission and the need for intensive care.

These findings reveal the on-going and complex medical needs of COVID-19 patients, challenging healthcare systems worldwide.

The findings from this study highlight a critical and often overlooked aspect: the post-acute phase of COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2’s path extends well beyond the initial infection.

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© 2023 Outbreak Updates ➲