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More than four years from the onset of the pandemic, a fuller and more nuanced picture of long COVID is emerging. As the puzzle pieces fall into place, researchers are gaining a clearer understanding of how even mild cases of COVID-19 can translate into long-lasting and debilitating health effects in many organs of the body. And these are having a sizable effect on Americans’ ability to participate in the workforce.
A new study by physician and long COVID researcher Ziyad Al-Aly and colleagues puts concrete numbers on how the risks of developing long COVID shifted over the first two years of the pandemic. During the early stage of the pandemic and prior to the availability of vaccines, more than 10% of people infected developed long COVID. But two years in, that number shifted to about 3.5% for vaccinated adults, while among unvaccinated people, more than 7% developed long COVID following an infection.
While public messaging often suggests that the risks have faded into the background, the threat of long-term health effects makes clear that COVID-19 cannot be dismissed, Al-Aly writes. “Trivializing COVID-19 as an inconsequential cold or equating it with flu does not align with reality.”
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Amanda Mascarelli
Senior Health and Medicine Editor
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Researchers are gaining key insights into the ways that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can lead to long COVID symptoms.
Catherine McQueen/Moment via Getty Images
Ziyad Al-Aly, Washington University in St. Louis
A new study finds the risks of developing long COVID declined over the first two years of the pandemic. But unvaccinated adults were more than twice as likely to get long COVID compared with those who were vaccinated.
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Science + Technology
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Danielle Lee Tomson, University of Washington; Melinda McClure Haughey, University of Washington; Stephen Prochaska, University of Washington
Did you experience the rush of people expressing conspiracy theories and rumors on social media in the immediate aftermath of the shooting?
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Alan Woodward, University of Surrey
The problem was traced to a single Microsoft Windows update related to the firm Crowdstrike, but it could take days for companies to recover.
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Ethics + Religion
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Mathew Schmalz, College of the Holy Cross
Catholic Integralists believe that religious values – specifically Christian ones – should guide government policies. They oppose liberalism, which they view as valuing individualism and liberty.
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Nadia A. Mian, Rutgers University
Many houses of worship no longer need as much space as they once did, or struggle to keep up with the bills. For some, redevelopment to include housing provides a new way to live out their mission.
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Politics + Society
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Brian Glyn Williams, UMass Dartmouth
Deploying a series of new tactics and weapons, including the first use of sea drones in combat, Ukrainian forces have created what one military analyst called ‘a turning point in naval strategy.’
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Economy + Business
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Brandon Cline, Mississippi State University
Research shows that companies led by CEOs over 65 tend to underperform in the stock market.
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Andre Martin, University of Notre Dame
Cutting marketing spending helps businesses in the short term but often backfires in the long term. Research could help investors identify those bad decisions.
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Environment + Energy
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Rachel Mallinger, University of Florida
Perhaps 90% of flowering plants require animal pollinators – and most of them are insects. But it’s not just bees doing this important work.
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Samantha Scarneo-Miller, West Virginia University
An athletic trainer explains why bodies need time time to acclimatize, and the risks to watch out for.
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Education
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Tore Olsson, University of Tennessee
A history professor recounts how being indoors during the pandemic led him to rediscover his fondness for video games – and to bring it into the classroom as well.
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The Conversation News Quiz 🧠
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Here’s the first question of this week’s edition:
Which federal judge, appointed by Donald Trump, just blew up the classified documents case against him?
- A. Aileen Cannon
- B. Elizabeth Howitzer
- C. Madison Trebuchet
- D. Emilia Bazooka
Test your knowledge
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