– If the results of this study are successful, history will judge those who now say that the only thing is to let the virus loose. It won’t be pleasant. As a researcher, I feel the need to notify about this. There are signs that the health authorities do not understand what this means, says Arne Søraas. Infectious medicine specialist and researcher Arne Søraas at Oslo University Hospital. Photo: Torstein Bøe / news The researcher and infectious disease doctor are worried about the consequences of the winter’s predicted wave of infections. The vaccines have been shown to provide poorer protection against the new virus variants, and it is likely that many people will be infected for the second and third time in the coming months. Triples the risk A peer-reviewed study now shows that the risk of dying, ending up in hospital, or getting serious illnesses increases every time you are exposed to the coronavirus. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in the USA have compared health reports from 5.8 million former US soldiers, both vaccinated and unvaccinated. The results show that those who get covid-19 more than once have three times the risk of ending up in hospital, and twice the chance of dying. Most of the participants in the study were men, with an average age of nearly 60 years. The individual risk for each individual in the population will vary with regard to age and state of health. Those who get the infection several times are also far more susceptible to heart problems and blood clots, in addition to a number of other diseases, according to the researchers. The risk was elevated even six months after the acute infection. The health risk also increased regardless of vaccination status. The researchers are now urging everyone to take their precautions. – People should do what they can to avoid getting infected. Use a mask, take necessary vaccines, and stay home if you develop symptoms, says the leader of the study, epidemiologist Ziyad Al-Aly. The study was recently published in the renowned journal Nature Medicine, and has been reproduced in newspapers around the world in recent days. The same researchers have previously shown that covid-19 can cause serious late effects for many. A number of other studies also point to the disease causing a higher risk of blood clots and heart disease. Recently, the British Medical Journal published a study that suggests a connection. The American research stands in contrast to how the Norwegian Institute of Public Health believes we should deal with the virus. The use of a mask is only recommended if you have close contact with someone in the risk groups. If you get symptoms of respiratory infections, you should stay at home. If you only have mild cold symptoms, however, you can live as normal. FHI also does not recommend that people test themselves for corona, and will still not allow vaccination for people in the 12-64 age group, who are outside the risk groups. It is also not opened for the sale of vaccines in pharmacies. Requests more research – If this is true, it is serious, says professor of epidemiology Eiliv Lund at the University of Tromsø. He nevertheless believes that there are aspects of the American study which make it difficult to transfer the results to Norwegian conditions. Professor emeritus in epidemiology, Eiliv Lund. Photo: Jan-morten Bjørnbakk / NTB scanpix – They have used health data from war veterans. This is a very special group of people, with generally poor health. The researchers also did not separate age and gender, which is a weakness, says Lund. He still believes that the findings are disturbing, and calls for more research in the area. – This must be verified through European and Norwegian research, says the professor. FHI: Uncertain about late sequels news has asked FHI to assess the study. Subject director Preben Aavitsland believes it has weaknesses. – It is difficult to decide whether the conditions they mention are due to covid-19 or more careful follow-up of those who have undergone covid-19. For example, it may be the case that patients with second-time covid-19 during the period are diagnosed with a previously hidden illness during a follow-up check. Those who did not have covid-19 the second time do not receive a corresponding follow-up and thus also did not uncover their possible hidden illnesses, says Aavitsland. Subject director and senior physician Preben Aavitsland at the Institute of Public Health. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder – This is just one of many studies that point to the fact that covid-19 can have serious consequences. To what extent does FHI take into account the risk of long-term effects when you prepare recommended infection control measures? – There is still great uncertainty about the extent and severity of any late consequences of covid-19. It is therefore mainly the extent of serious covid-19 cases and the burden on hospitals that influence our advice on handling the epidemic. – The introduction of any measures must also be weighed against disadvantages, both for the economy and public health. Since omikron spreads so well, it will require strong infection control measures or vaccination of large parts of the population several times a year, to prevent many people from becoming infected, says Aavitsland. – Much more dangerous than the flu Researcher in infectious diseases, Arne Søraas, believes there is every reason to avoid getting infected. – Both this study and other research show that covid-19 is not just a cold or flu. It is a much more dangerous disease, especially later in the course, says Søraas. He has led the Corona Study, which has followed 200,000 Norwegians through the pandemic. Among other things, Søraas has investigated the consequences of being infected several times. – Those who were infected again reported greater problems with memory, and had a worse perceived health. They scored worse on almost all of our measurement parameters, says Søraas. He believes the Norwegian health authorities should now take precautions and tighten the infection control rules. – As it is now, people can walk around with mild symptoms and infect others. It is a bad policy, says Søraas. Researcher and specialist in infectious diseases, Arne Søraas, fears that the pandemic could lead to a shorter life expectancy in Norway. Photo: Halldor Asvall / news – Can reduce life expectancy Søraas’ own research also suggests that the vaccine offers little protection against serious after-effects. – We have a study on exactly this, which has just been published. It shows that the vaccine works well to prevent serious disease at the start, but offers little protection against long-term effects, says Søraas. If the results of the new study from ÙSA turn out to be correct, he fears that there will be major consequences. – I think we will have a shorter life expectancy in Norway. The study shows that one has twice the risk of dying 6 months after the infection. It gives the same risk as being 8 years older. Many people do a lot to stay young and live healthy. If you get infected again, there are many indications that that gain will disappear, at least for a period, says Søraas. Hi! Do you have any input or tips after reading this case? Please send me an email.
ttn-69
