Covid Pledge

As a neurologist specializing in #Dysautonomia, I see patients with #LongCovid every day. Most of these patients were vaccinated and had either no or minimal health problems prior to #Covid. I am going to be honest: even those Long Covid patients that have improved are at risk of getting worse with recurrent Covid infections. Additionally, every healthy person is at risk of getting Long Covid and numerous other post-Covid neurologic, cardiovascular, metabolic and immune complications. Of course we don't want to scare the public, of course things are definitely better now than in 2020, of course treatment of acute Covid is a lot better now, of course hospitalization rates are down now compared to 2020, but... what is NOT better is us dropping all of the mitigation strategies that we had for Covid starting in 2020, what is NOT better is our lack of FDA-approved therapies for Long Covid, what is NOT better is the general health of Americans because of the ongoing Covid #pandemic and the ongoing shadow pandemic of #LongCovid. #LongCovid and all post-Covid complications are a major threat to public health in the United States and worldwide. We can pretend that things are fine and that we are "back to normal" pre-pandemic state of affairs, but it's not our reality, it's wishful thinking. Our "new normal" should not include at last 7-10% of population falling chronically ill with Long Covid and post-Covid complications. Our "new normal" should not include billions of dollars in economic loss and disability payments to previously employed people who are too sick to work. Our "new normal" should not include children having Covid every year and long-term neurologic and cognitive dysfunction as a result of the repeated Covid. Our "new normal" should not include adults with brains 20 years older than their age because of Covid. Our "new normal" should not include a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, blood clots and stroke for every person, young and old, who has had Covid once and a higher risk with every repeated Covid infection. So... it's not a good time to deny and dismiss the gravity of #Covid pandemic. What we need: ✔️ Bring indoor masking back during the months with high Covid rates ✔️ Improve ventilation at schools and all crowded buildings ✔️ Require at least 7-days of quarantine for students and employees with Covid before returning to school/work. ✔️ Provide free Covid testing everywhere and to everyone ✔️ Require all healthcare facilities and clinics to have indoor masking for heatlhcare providers and patients ✔️ Invest in developing better Covid vaccines ✔️ Make Paxlovid free and available to most Americans ✔️ INVEST IN REAL LONG COVID THERAPEUTICS (not exercise or psychotherapy trials) ✔️ INVEST IN REAL LONG COVID CLINICS (not the ones that gather data and have nothing to offer to patients) #MedTwitter #MaskUp #CovidIsNotOver