(Updated at 10:15 a.m.) Though coronavirus cases in Arlington are up over the past couple of weeks, there’s hope that progress is being made against the virus as vaccinations quicken.
Nationally, cases are up in some places and down in others — a stalemate as vaccinations are countered by increasing prevalence of more infectious variants. Still, some experts believe continued vaccinations will ultimately prevail, muting the impacts of new variants and leading to a relatively quiet summer in terms of infections.
INFECTION SPRING? “I don’t think it’s going to be a true fourth wave,” @ScottGottliebMD tells @margbrennan, pointing to prior immunity and a ramp up in vaccinations.
He says there will be pockets of infection, but nothing widespread like last spring. pic.twitter.com/02bppgMxSR
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) April 4, 2021
Despite the optimism, there’s also new cause for concern about the longer-term health impacts of COVID-19.
It’s becoming more apparent that so-called “long Covid” — physical and neurological symptoms that linger even after the infection is over — is a significant public health problem. By one estimate, about 10% of COVID-19 cases result in long-term symptoms. In the UK, more than 100,000 of the country’s National Health Service personnel have varying degrees of debilitating, long-term symptoms, causing staffing problems.
Long Covid sufferers, also known as long-haulers, have been undergoing both physical rehabilitation, in an effort to increase endurance, and brain rehabilitation, to combat persistent “brain fog” and other cognitive problems. There’s also new evidence that vaccinations may help clear up lingering symptoms.
Still, the research into Long Covid is in the early stages, and the extent of it remains not fully known.
This morning, we’re hoping to take a local sample with a poll: have you had Covid, and if so, did your symptoms linger?