Francesco Vecchiè @discens

Multiple independent observations now suggest that BA.3.2 circulation can be associated with an increased COVID-19 burden among young children. Here is the evidence and its implications.

Our latest preprint is out, where we investigated a profound SARS-CoV-2 epidemiological anomaly: BA.3.2.2 is selectively infecting children. Here, we show that the lack of ancestral-strain immune imprinting is promoting BA.3.2.2 pediatric infections. 1/9 biorxiv.org/content/10.648…

I don’t think “prolonged close contact” is what people think it is. In epidemiology it’s being within 6 ft for cumulative 15 minutes in a 24 hour period.

HHS through @ASPRgov and @CDCgov is supporting @StateDept in the repatriation of 17 American citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship affected by the Andes variant of hantavirus. All 17 are currently en route via @StateDept airlift to the United States, with two of the passengers travelling in the plane's biocontainment units out of an abundance of caution. One passenger currently has mild symptoms and another passenger tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus. As of now, the airlift will transport passengers to the ASPR Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska before taking the passenger with mild symptoms to a second RESPTC at its final destination. Upon arrival at each facility, each individual will undergo clinical assessment and receive appropriate care and support based on their condition.

If you are in crowded places with poor ventilation, #WearAMask. Because it helps keep you and your community safe from #COVID19, flu and other respiratory illnesses. And remember these other measures to help protect yourself and others from COVID-19, flu, measles and other respiratory illnesses: -Practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette (cover your mouth and nose with a bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze) -Keep a distance when possible -Keep rooms well-ventilated -Stay home if you feel unwell -Get vaccinated and stay up to date with booster doses

This is weird. In the last week of US wastewater sampling BA.3.2 was in half of the samples. But in the same period it was only in 1% of patient sequences. Maybe this is good; maybe it's so mild they aren't testing. Or maybe they aren't testing kids.

This is the OECD report on Long COVID which is getting widespread coverage in the financial press. I'll do a high-level summary below 👇🧵 oecd.org/content/dam/oe…

I had a hypothesis, and decided to test it. Here's the hypothesis. Kids just a few years old have probably been exposed to COVID, but the only lineage circulating has been JN.1-derivatives, so they are going to be more resistant to JN.1 than anything else. 1/

Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence

3 months ago

I’m amazed. It’s really true: the BA.3.2 COVID lineage is infecting children at a much higher rate than previous lineages. I’m late to this party, but I couldn’t really believe it was true until I did the analysis for myself. 1/

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I’m amazed. It’s really true: the BA.3.2 COVID lineage is infecting children at a much higher rate than previous lineages. I’m late to this party, but I couldn’t really believe it was true until I did the analysis for myself. 1/

There's no proof that Long Covid lasts any longer than six years and a few months.

In Sweden, 10% of healthy life years have been lost since the pandemic began. That’s one out of every ten years gone. 1/x

Prevalence and Symptoms of Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Active-Duty Military Personnel 🚨The ALARMING USA army news today: Over 42% of active-duty military personnel who contracted COVID-19 developed long-lasting post-COVID syndrome—dominated by pulmonary, neurological, and fatigue issues—threatening their fitness, readiness, and the military’s ability to respond to threats. ➡️A large retrospective study analysed electronic health records from the U.S. Military Health System (2019–2024), identifying post-COVID-19 syndrome in 42.8% of 650,173 COVID-19 cases among active-duty personnel. The cohort was predominantly male (74.1%), young (mean age 31.3 years), and enlisted (83.3%). ➡️Findings: 1. Prevalence: - Post-COVID-19 syndrome identified in 42.8% of 650,173 COVID-19 cases, - “In our sample of 650,173 COVID cases among active-duty military personnel, a total of 278,278 were identified as having post-COVID-19 syndrome (42.8%).” 2. Demographics: - Predominantly male (74.1%), - Young population (mean age 31.3 years), - Mostly enlisted ranks (83.3%), 3. Most common persistent symptoms: - Pulmonary issues: 22.4% (median duration 670 days), - Neurological problems: 14.6% (median 576 days), - Fatigue: 13.5% (median 667 days), - Digestive issues: 12.5%, - Fever: 11.5%, - Cognitive symptoms: only 3.7% but longest persistence (median 710 days), 4. Sex differences: - Females → higher odds of neurological (OR 1.645) and digestive symptoms, - Females → lower odds of pulmonary (OR 0.851) and cognitive symptoms, 5. Comorbidity impact: - Obesity → triples odds of pulmonary symptoms, - Anxiety → quadruples odds of cognitive symptoms, - Other comorbidities significantly amplify risk across domains, 6. Military-specific patterns: - Rank differences: warrant officers showed higher fatigue and pulmonary odds, - Service branch differences: Air Force personnel had elevated pulmonary symptoms (possible environmental exposure link), 7. Comparison to civilians: - Military pattern differs: pulmonary and neurological issues more prominent than the fatigue-dominant profile typical in civilian populations, ➡️‼️So, post-COVID-19 syndrome affects over 40% of young, fit active-duty service members post-C19, and poses a serious long-term threat to military medical readiness and operational capability. #REINFECTIONS ➡️‼️And AGAIN: Long COVID strikes millions worldwide, often with persistent pulmonary, neurological, and fatigue symptoms lasting months to years, severely impairing daily function, work productivity, and overall quality of life in a substantial portion of those infected. #LONGCOVIDAWARENESSMONTH #AVOIDREINFECTIONS #AVOIDSARS2 amjmedsci.org/article/S0002-…

During their lives, centenarians rarely get sick. New paper with 1,400 subjects finds a history of infections (pneumonia, herpes, UTIs) associates with earlier frailty. The authors speculate that obesity makes people more susceptible & that viral infections may accelerate aging

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Finland's epidemic 22 Feb 2026: the amount of virus detected in wastewater is now 60% higher than during the first Omicron wave in 2022. The post-Omicron baseline appears permanently higher compared with the pre-Omicron period; repeated waves show no sign of diminishing. 1/x

A three-year follow-up study shows that some people continue to have immune system changes long after recovering from COVID-19. ➡️ Researchers found ongoing low-grade inflammation and reduced recovery of certain T cells that are important for fighting new infections. ➡️ A specific group of immune cells (Th17 cells) appeared to drive persistent inflammation and was linked to #LongCOVID symptoms. ➡️ These findings suggest that #LongCOVID may involve long-lasting immune imbalance rather than complete immune recovery. link.springer.com/article/10.100…

Covid-19 is not just a respiratory infection. Cardiovascular symptoms are seen in acute and long covid. Katharine Lang reports on what we’ve learnt since the onset of the pandemic bmj.com/content/392/bm…

Reviewing a few emergency medical procedures with CSA Flight Surgeons today, hopefully this will ensure I don’t need these skills on the mission.

Australian Winter Olympic athletes wearing an N95 mask as they boarded the bus to head to the Opening Ceremony 👏👏👍👍

Encouraging to see some members of the US Olympic team wearing masks to protect their health ahead of competition.

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This incredible video received an honourable mention in the 2021 Nikon Small World Motion competition. It shows Covid cells (in red) invading the brain of a bat. After being infected, the brain cells begin to fuse with nearby cells until the entire mass bursts and dies.

The New York Times @nytimes

5 years ago

Watch how the coronavirus nefariously infiltrates the cells of a bat brain in this video, taken by Sophie-Marie Aicher and Delphine Planas, which received an honorable mention in the 2021 Nikon Small World in Motion Competition. nyti.ms/3j6yh0g

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