One of Long COVID's Worst Symptoms May Have a Potential, Readily Available Treatment by Carly Cassella
December 21, 2022
Introduction:
(Science Alert) Eight patients with long COVID had their 'brain fog' lifted after taking a combination of medicines concocted by researchers at Yale University.
The combo includes guanfacine and an antioxidant called N-acetylcysteine (NAC).
Both medicines are already FDA-approved and widely available for the safe treatment of ADHD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Tourette's syndrome, and PTSD. Neither has severe side effects, and they are well-tolerated by almost everyone.
At the moment, guanfacine and NAC have only been tested on a small cohort of long haulers, most of whom were women, but the initial signs are extremely promising. More extensive clinical trials with placebo controls are needed to confirm the drug combo actually improves brain fog.
However, given the severity and widespread nature of long COVID, the researchers think clinicians should consider prescribing guanfacine to patients. In the United States, NAC is available over the counter.
"If patients have a physician who can read our paper, we're hoping that they can access help right now," says neuroscientist Amy Arnsten.
China estimates 37 million infected with COVID in a single day
Source: New York Post
Nearly 37 million people may have contracted COVID-19 in China earlier this week, making the country's viral outbreak the world's largest.
Minutes from an internal meeting of the National Health Commission (NHC) revealed that as many as 248 million people - nearly 18% of China's population - came down with the virus in the first 20 days of December, as a surge that began in Beijing is now spreading to rural regions, Bloomberg News reported.
It is unclear how Chinese health officials arrived at that estimate, as the country's network of PCR testing booths were shut down earlier this month.
Packed ICUs, crowded crematoriums: COVID roils Chinese towns
Source: AP
By DAKE KANG today
BAZHOU, China (AP) — Yao Ruyan paced frantically outside the fever clinic of a county hospital in China’s industrial Hebei province, 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Beijing. Her mother-in-law had COVID-19 and needed urgent medical care, but all hospitals nearby were full.
“They say there’s no beds here,” she barked into her phone.
As China grapples with its first-ever national COVID-19 wave, emergency wards in small cities and towns southwest of Beijing are overwhelmed. Intensive care units are turning away ambulances, relatives of sick people are searching for open beds, and patients are slumped on benches in hospital corridors and lying on floors for a lack of beds.
Yao’s elderly mother-in-law had fallen ill a week ago with the coronavirus. They went first to a local hospital, where lung scans showed signs of pneumonia. But the hospital couldn’t handle COVID-19 cases, Yao was told. She was told to go to larger hospitals in adjacent counties.
China to stop publishing daily Covid figures: NHC
Source: AFP
Cities across China are struggling with surging virus cases, resulting in pharmacy shelves stripped bare and overflowing hospitals and crematoriums, after Beijing suddenly dismantled its zero-Covid regime earlier this month.
The decision to scrap the daily virus count comes amid concerns that the country's blooming wave of infections is not being accurately reflected in official statistics.
Beijing last week admitted the scale of the outbreak has become "impossible" to track following the end of mandatory mass test
Xyls wrote: ↑Wed Dec 28, 2022 3:46 pm
Time to shut down flights to China again. China should be punished for concealing health data. Yet again!
I doubt that "we" will do that. In any case, I don't think it should be a matter of "punishment." It may feel like "punishment" to the Chinese (and people wishing to fly to and from China) but it should be more a matter of health precaution. I would think that it would be hypocritical of the Chinese government to complain given their history of shut-downs and social isolation in dealing with COVID-19. Not to mention the somewhat different path they have chosen regarding vaccines.
Xyls wrote: ↑Wed Dec 28, 2022 3:46 pm
Time to shut down flights to China again. China should be punished for concealing health data. Yet again!
I doubt that "we" will do that. In any case, I don't think it should be a matter of "punishment." It may feel like "punishment" to the Chinese (and people wishing to fly to and from China) but it should be more a matter of health precaution. I would think that it would be hypocritical of the Chinese government to complain given their history of shut-downs and social isolation in dealing with COVID-19. Not to mention the somewhat different path they have chosen regarding vaccines.
Completely disagree with this approach. We already saw the "not being racist, not punishing the Chinese people approach" at the start of COVID and look where that got us. Forever more if there is a new disease being reported in China, should be immediate travel restrictions as the country simply is not honest.
Xyls wrote: ↑Wed Dec 28, 2022 3:46 pm
Time to shut down flights to China again. China should be punished for concealing health data. Yet again!
I doubt that "we" will do that. In any case, I don't think it should be a matter of "punishment." It may feel like "punishment" to the Chinese (and people wishing to fly to and from China) but it should be more a matter of health precaution. I would think that it would be hypocritical of the Chinese government to complain given their history of shut-downs and social isolation in dealing with COVID-19. Not to mention the somewhat different path they have chosen regarding vaccines.
Completely disagree with this approach. We already saw the "not being racist, not punishing the Chinese approach" at the start of COVID and look where that got us. Forever more if there is a new disease being reported in China, should be immediate travel restrictions as the country simply is not honest.
My point is that "immediate travel restrictions" should not be viewed as a matter of punishment. Rather, it should be more a matter of a health precaution.
Why "punish" the Chinese people for the dishonesty of their government?