Sadly, most people are not aware of the reality of Long Covid and ME/CFS. Increasingly though, it is becoming clear that young, active and healthy people can be affected. If you want a live example, see my brother. 1/n
Covid disabled me at 22 years old. For 2.5 years I haven't been able to study, do physical activity or work. Here, before long covid, in kinesiology class demonstrating an exercise. I can barely brush my teeth or shower now.
#LongCovidAwarenessDay
While there is some evidence that vaccination can reduce the risk of Long Covid, many cases exist where people were affected despite being fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, elimination of risk is empirically not true. 2/n
Regardless, even if this was the case, ME/CFS and other similar conditions would still exist (also, people that have already been affected by LC). Both Long Covid and ME/CFS do not resolve in a number of people. My brother, for example, has been sick since 2019. 3/n
In severe cases, people experience brutal post-exertional malaise and various sensory oversensitivities, which leave them unable to work, exercise even lightly (walk) or do simple things like watching a movie with flashing lights. I have seen this first hand with my brother. 4/n
Make no mistake; Long Covid is a life-altering condition. My brother was a perfectly healthy person in his early 20s, in peak physical condition and with no other health issues. Now, after a mild infection, he is unable to talk on the phone with me for long periods of time. 5/n
I am certain that in the future, we are going to look back on the way we treated these conditions as a society in disbelief (insufficient research funding, accusations of malingering and ill-meaning "skepticism", a bizzare focus on behavioral interventions and exercise). 6/n
Additionally, consider following the work of Dr. Ron Davis and @Open Medicine Foundation (you can find a number of interesting talks, presentations and lay explanations on ME/CFS research by Dr. Davis and other scientists on Youtube). Dr. Davis' son @Whitney Dafoe suffers from ME/CFS. 8/n