Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: school, restaurants, law)

[msRB311]

Well I mean really..how is covid bad for the brain but something like the common cold, flu, pneumonia, norovirus are not? What exactly about Covid has a negative affect on the brain but these other illnesses do not? It feels like this is just adding to the fear mongering.

[Amontillado]

Covid is a new disease that 2 years ago, we'd never heard of. The facts about it are still being worked out. At least the most important issue, "There's no prevention or cure, except staying away from other people" has been somewhat solved.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Well I mean really..how is covid bad for the brain but something like the common cold, flu, pneumonia, norovirus are not? What exactly about Covid has a negative affect on the brain but these other illnesses do not? It feels like this is just adding to the fear mongering.

People are primarily referencing a single UK study which observed grey matter size post-COVID (with good controls). I wouldn’t say it fear-mongering, rather, it’s an interesting observation which deserves further research. There’s additional research which is starting to explore the ‘how’, but it’s still early.

[msRB311]

The unfortunate thing about covid causing brain issues is that you can't necessarily choose whether you get covid or not.

[mdovell]

Science evolves. A few generations ago leaded gas and asbestos might be been something to ignore, not today. Heck 100+ years ago Christmas lights might have been actual candles lit inside trees. This doesn't mean science is "wrong" but you have to have some sense that things can change.

[msRB311]

I get that but my point is that we can't and haven't gotten rid of covid.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by msRB311

The unfortunate thing about covid causing brain issues is that you can't necessarily choose whether you get covid or not.

Sure, but one can significantly lower their risk of near and possibly long term health impacts by leveraging the available mRNA vaccines. There is no shortage of 20-somethings in my own social sphere who are not yet vaccinated as they assume their health risks are low, and while they might be right, I still believe that selecting immunity via viral infection over an artificially derived immunity is about as dumb as it gets given the rolling data on both … as well as the explosion in Delta cases.

Meanwhile there’s an overwhelming amount of noise around vaccine dangers, real or not, which can easily deter individuals from pursuing the rational path.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

Sure, but one can significantly lower their risk of near and possibly long term health impacts by leveraging the available mRNA vaccines. There is no shortage of 20-somethings in my own social sphere who are not yet vaccinated as they assume their health risks are low, and while they might be right, I still believe that selecting immunity via viral infection over an artificially derived immunity is about as dumb as it gets given the rolling data on both … as well as the explosion in Delta cases.

Meanwhile there’s an overwhelming amount of noise around vaccine dangers, real or not, which can easily deter individuals from pursuing the rational path.

Totally agree with that! It may sound good to say, well, the odds are, if you are younger and you get Covid-19, you'll have a mild course of disease, so don't worry about it... except, you may not. And if you turn out to be one of those in the hospital, having serious "long covid" issues lasting some indefinite time, or even on a ventilator or making peace with end of life, it's too late to change your mind about getting vaccinated. You've got to get the vaccine *before* you're in that predicament. Kind of like skipping car insurance because it's expensive and then after a massive accident with total loss to multiple vehicles and many seriously hurt, you decide it'd be a good idea to get a good car insurance policy.

[msRB311]

https://www.wcvb.com/article/provinc...-2021/37147783

numbers rose to over 700.

Guess all these folks are going to need a brain MRI.

[brightdoglover]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Well I mean really..how is covid bad for the brain but something like the common cold, flu, pneumonia, norovirus are not? What exactly about Covid has a negative affect on the brain but these other illnesses do not? It feels like this is just adding to the fear mongering.

COVID is a vascular disease, not a respiratory disease. Spread by respirations but nothing like other illnesses spread by respirations. Norovirus is a contact-with-fecal-matter intestinal disease. No relation to respiratory disease.