covid19

COVID-19 vaccination slashed the risk of experiencing prolonged symptoms by about 27% in fully vaccinated adults who were later infected, estimates a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) systematic review of 12 studies.

The researchers identified 11 studies on whether COVID-19 vaccination lowers the risk of long COVID, or post-COVID condition (PCC) and 1 study designed to determine whether vaccination reduces both the risk and duration of persistent symptoms. Published after October 2021, the studies used the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of long COVID and were conducted in Europe and similar regions.

The WHO defines long COVID as symptoms 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection that last for at least 2 months.

No conclusions about kids, immune-compromised adults. Six studies of adults overall found that full vaccination before infection significantly reduced the odds of developing long COVID compared with no vaccination.

"These studies represented a range of recruitment settings (including both community and hospital settings), time period of infection (and consequently SARS-CoV-2 variant), as well as acute COVID-19 disease severity," the study authors wrote. "In addition, two of the three studies which did not find that vaccination reduced PCC had small sample sizes, particularly where symptoms were assessed in sub-group analyses."

A clinical survey of 85 pediatric long-COVID patients in Bavaria, Germany, reveals high levels of fatigue, loss of motivation, difficulty concentrating and maintaining attention, worsened mood, and greater anxiety. A

To holistically describe long-COVID symptoms and identify risk factors for post-infection neurocognitive and emotional problems, University of Regensburg researchers analyzed clinical data from COVID-19 survivors aged 12 to 17 years who had symptoms for at least 4 weeks. The average patient age was 12.5 years, 61.2% were girls, and the average interval from infection to examination was 5.7 months.

From December 2021 to June 2023, the children were given a neuropsychological evaluation made up of infection-specific interviews, psychopathologic exams, questionnaires on emotional well-being and behavioral problems, and computerized tests measuring concentration, attention, and memory. Participants also underwent neurologic, pneumological, gastrointestinal, and cardiac testing.

84% had abnormal psychological results. Most children had elevated levels of fatigue (82.4%), loss of motivation (72.9%), impaired concentration and attention (71.8%), and worsened mood (53%), and 31.8% reported more anxiety. The most common diagnoses were post-COVID adjustment disorder (38.8%) and post-COVID attention-deficit disorder (23.5%). Disturbances in attention and memory, drive and psychomotor activity, affect, circadian disturbances, and worries and compulsions were common.

However, because the vast majority of COVID-19 cases do not require hospitalization, many more cases of long COVID have arisen from these milder cases despite their lower risk.

Basically until it's visible soiled.

When wet doesn't work as well, but fine again when dries

N95: american

Approved by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH). So, if an N95 mask is given the stamp of approval from NIOSH, it offers that certified level of protection.

Kn95: chinese

However, KN95s (and the similar KF94 masks) are mostly made—and vetted—in China or South Korea. If they are stamped as “NIOSH-approved,” they are actually fakes.

typos on packages

Mask will be stamped with “GB 2626-2006” or “GB 2626-2019"

The packaging must indicate the manufacturing date. Two- to three-year expiration date

Both:

If a mask or box has the FDA logo, then fake. "The FDA logo is for the official use of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and not for use on private sector materials," the FDA website says.

Should be in a 'marked packaging' (brand name?)

Should include manufacturer's name and address

kf94: korean