What COVID-19 Does To The Body (Sixth Edition, December 2024)

Your Regular COVID-19 Research Update

Well, here we are. Two years since this project first started, and we’re looking at a new President that is considering the abolishment of the National Institute of Health - or at the very least, slashing funding to COVID-19 research. People are still dying of COVID-19 and still being disabled by “mild” infections of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and are being abandoned by their governments to poverty, homelessness, and deaths of despair as part of a “post-pandemic” fantasy.

As the research keeps rolling in, it becomes more and more clear that the history books will not look back kindly upon us and how we were so willing to kick one another in a ditch for delusions of “normal.” Hopefully, compiling these studies on a regular basis will help doctors and healthcare providers better care for the needs of patients as they develop new complications as a result of repeated COVID-19 infections. Unfortunately, one fears that America will fall behind in understanding and treating these complications under the next Presidential administration and their gaggle of pestilence sycophants being appointed to public health roles.

We here at the Pandemic Accountability Index will continue staying on top of the emerging science and compiling it for you. On our Sixth Edition, the largest sections are in brain injury, Long COVID, and thankfully in COVID-19 prevention. With your financial support through subscriptions and donations, you make this work possible. Above all else, please share this article widely.

Previous edition can be found here:

What COVID-19 Does To The Body (Fifth Edition, August 2024)

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Children & COVID-19

• Long COVID syndrome in children: neutrophilic granulocyte dysfunction and its correlation with disease severity (Nature Pediatric Research)

• Long COVID Is Harming Too Many Kids (Scientific American)

• SARS-CoV-2 Infection and New-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Among Pediatric Patients, 2020 to 2022 (JAMA Network Open)

• “a notable subset of children and adolescents experience prolonged and diverse symptoms following COVID-19 infection” (American Journal of Medicine Open)

• Characterizing Long COVID in Children and Adolescents (JAMA Network)

Cognitive & Neurological Impairment (Brain)

• “Posthospitalization COVID-19 cognitive deficits at 1 year are global and associated with elevated brain injury markers and gray matter volume reduction” (Nature Medicine)

• Case Report of a 47-Year-Old Long COVID Patient Diagnosed With Alzheimer's Disease (Research Square)

• Persistence of spike protein at the skull-meninges-brain axis may contribute to the neurological sequelae of COVID-19 (Cell Host & Microbe)

• Brain abnormalities in survivors of COVID-19 after 2-year recovery (The Lancet Regional Health)

• Structural MRI correlates of cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms in Long COVID: a pilot study (Frontiers Psychiatry)

• “Long COVID symptoms, including cognitive impairments, could potentially impact activities requiring high cognitive function, such as driving.” (Neurology Journals)

• “The risk of neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular…disorders was increased among COVID-19 positive outpatients” (Frontiers Neuroepidemiology)

• COVID survivors may develop dementia (Nature India)

• Changes in memory and cognition during the SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study (The Lancet eClinicalMedicine)

• “…in COVID-19 survivors, multiple regions of the medulla oblongata, pons and midbrain show magnetic resonance susceptibility abnormalities” (Oxford BRAIN)

• “One out of four mild COVID-19 subjects reported persistent deficits in higher cognitive functions like concentration, memory, visuospatial and visuoconstructive abilities” (Nature Translational Psychiatry)

• A Gene Cluster of Mitochondrial Complexes Contributes to the Cognitive Decline of COVID-19 Infection (Molecular Neurobiology)

• Chronic post-COVID neuropsychiatric symptoms (PCNPS) persisting beyond one year from being infected during the ‘Omicron wave’ (medRxiv)

• Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in the murine central nervous system drives viral diversification (Nature Microbiology)

Eyes & Ears

• Detection of SARS-CoV-2 binding receptors and miscellaneous targets as well as mucosal surface area of the human lacrimal drainage system (The Ocular Surface)

• Incidence of hearing loss following COVID-19 among young adults in South Korea (eClinicalMedicine)

Heart, Lungs, and Cardiovascular Health

• Remodeling of intracellular architecture during SARS-CoV-2 infection of human endothelium (Nature Scientific Reports)

• Mitochondrial dysfunction in acute and post-acute phases of COVID-19 and risk of non-communicable diseases (NPJ Metabolic Health & Disease)

• COVID-19 Is a Coronary Artery Disease Risk Equivalent (Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology)

• “…COVID-19 vaccination reduces the risk of arterial thrombotic, venous thrombotic and other cardiovascular events.” (Nature Communications)

• “[Possible COVID-19 related myocardial injury] was a frequent finding in young, asymptomatic, physically-fit patients sans comorbidities relatively late after recovery” (Annals of Agricultural & Environmental Medicine)

• Vascular Pathogenesis in Acute and LongCOVID: Current Insights and Therapeutic Outlook (Thieme Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis)

Immune System & Cancer

• SARS-CoV-2 infection of salivary glands Compromises the production of a secreted antifungal peptide with potential implications for Development of oral candidiasis (PLOS Pathogens)

• The risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma following SARS-CoV family infection (Nature Scientific Reports)

• Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 cardiovascular symptoms are associated with trace-level cytokines that affect cardiomyocyte function (Nature Microbiology)

• Long-Term Risk of Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Connective Tissue Disorders Following COVID-19 (JAMA Dermatology)

• Chronic Viral Reactivation and Associated Host Immune Response and Clinical Outcomes in Acute COVID-19 and Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (bioRxiv)

• Prevalent and persistent new-onset autoantibodies in mild to severe COVID-19 (Nature Communications)

• SARS-CoV-2 infections have a long-term impact on the immune system (Medical University of Vienna)

• Missing immune cells may explain why COVID-19 vaccine protection quickly wanes (Science)

• Immune response in vaccinated healthcare workers with frequent COVID-19 infections is characterised by blunted IFNγ and IL-2 responses to SARS-CoV-2 variants (Clinical Immunology)

• Rapid progression of CD8 and CD4 T cells to cellular exhaustion and senescence during SARS-CoV2 infection (Oxford Journal of Leukocyte Biology)

Livers, Kidney, and the Gut

• How Covid Can Change Your Gut (New York Times)

• Lasting liver injury following COVID-19 infection characterized by ultrasound shear wave elastography (WFUMB Ultrasound Open)

• Assessing acute kidney injury risk after COVID vaccination and infection in a large cohort study (Nature NPJ Vaccines)

Long COVID & Disability

• Long COVID-19 is costing Americans money (University of Georgia)

• Vaccination prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection does not affect the neurologic manifestations of long COVID (Oxford Brain Communications)

• Clinical and functional assessment of SARS-CoV-2 sequelae among young marines (The Lancet Regional Health)

• “Reinfection was associated with milder symptoms but led to a higher incidence and severity of long COVID” (The Lancet Regional Health)

• Refinement of post-COVID condition core symptoms, subtypes, determinants, and health impacts (eBioMedicine)

• Key Points For Recovery From Fatigue And Supports From Those Around You (Japanese CDC)

• Rapid Response To: Interventions for the management of long covid (post-covid condition): living systematic review (BMJ)

• Long-term Health Implications of Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Prospective Study on Post-coronavirus Disease 2019 Symptoms (Annals of African Medicine)

• Examining the long-term impact of acute COVID-19 disease (HSE)

• Understanding Cumulative Risk (Peer to Public)

• A 24-month National Cohort Study examining long-term effects of COVID-19 in children and young people (Nature Communications Medicine)

• Environmental Exposures and Long COVID in a Prospective Population-Based Study in Catalonia (Environmental Health Perspectives)

• Neurologic Manifestations of Long COVID Disproportionately Affect Young and Middle-Age Adults (Annals of Neurology)

• “The prevalence of ME/CFS in the long COVID patients was 8.4% (62 of 739 cases; female: 51.6%) and factors related to ME/CFS were severe illness, smoking and alcohol drinking habits, and fewer vaccinations.” (PLOS ONE)

• “A blood-based mRNA signature distinguishes people with Long COVID from recovered individuals” (Frontiers Immunology)

• Association of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination & Reductions in Post-COVID Conditions Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Cohort of Essential Workers (Infectious Diseases Society of America)

• Beyond acute infection: mechanisms underlying post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (Medical Journal of Australia)

• Long COVID and recovery from Long COVID: quality of life impairments and subjective cognitive decline at a median of 2 years after initial infection (BMC Infectious Diseases)

• Psychosocial Aspects of the Lived Experience of Long COVID (Health Expectations)

• A systematic analysis of neurologic manifestations of Long COVID in Nigeria (Journal of NeuroVirology)

• “Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) has been linked to microvascular endothelial dysfunction as a potential underlying pathomechanism and can manifest even following a mild course of the initial infection.” (American Journal of Medicine)

• Elevated Liver Damage Biomarkers in Long COVID: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (medRxiv)

• “…most frequent long COVID symptoms include fatigue (30.53%), memory decline (27.93%), decreased exercise ability (18.29%), and brain fog (16.87%)” (The Lancet Regional Health)

• Dealing with the fallout: Post-COVID Condition and its continued impact on individuals and society (Government of Canada)

• “…a third of HCWs reported prolonged COVID-19 symptoms consistent with [Post-COVID Syndrome]” (BMJ Occupational & Environmental Medicine)

• Mechanisms of long COVID and the path toward therapeutics (Cell)

• Long COVID and hypermobility spectrum disorders have shared pathophysiology (Frontiers Neurology)

• “Abnormal intrinsic electrophysiological brain activity, such as slowing of EEG, reduced alpha wave, and epileptiform are characteristic findings in COVID-19 patients” (Alzheimer’s & Dementia)

Overall Mortality

• “Lethal COVID-19 associates with RAAS-induced inflammation for multiple organ damage” (PNAS)

• “SARS-CoV-2-human protein interactions may lead to the development of delirium, psychosis, seizures, encephalitis, stroke, sensory impairments, peripheral nerve diseases, and autoimmune disorders.” (Frontiers Neuroscience)

• Covid-19 may lead to longest period of peacetime excess mortality (Swiss Re)

• A spike in COVID deaths has driven a decline in Australian life expectancy for the second year running (ABC News)

• “…a significantly higher risk of adverse outcomes following COVID-19 infection among people living with [Multiple Long-Term Conditions]” (Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine)

• “…more than 8 out of 10 individuals experienced problems with body function 18 months after being on sick leave due to Covid-19” (Scandinavian Journal of Public Health)

Pregnancy

• Maternal COVID-19 infection associated with offspring neurodevelopmental disorders (Nature Molecular Psychiatry)

• The association of increased incidence of congenital heart disease in newborns with maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy (Nature Scientific Reports)

• “…SARS-CoV-2 in utero exposure in offspring born to symptomatic mothers may be associated with generally lower ASQ-3 scores, with significant differences in fine motor and personal-social domains” (Springer European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)

Reinfections of COVID-19

• “…COVID reinfections are associated with greater chances of reporting Long COVID, severe fatigue, symptoms in multiple body systems and limitation in physical function” (ResearchSquare)

Reproductive Health

• “We found that the prevalence of ED was higher in the past history of COVID-19 cohort (55.9% vs. 44.1%)” Journal of Clinical Medicine

• The impact of COVID-19 on the male reproductive system (JBRA Assisted Reproduction)

• Female reproductive health impacts of Long COVID and associated illnesses including ME/CFS, POTS, and connective tissue disorders: a literature review (Frontiers Rehabilitation)

• COVID-19 and persistent symptoms: implications for polycystic ovary syndrome and its management (Frontiers Endocrinology)

Viral Persistence

• Multi-Organ Spread and Intra-Host Diversity of SARS-CoV-2 Support Viral Persistence, Adaptation, and a Mechanism That Increases Evolvability (Journal of Medical Virology)

• Towards a cure for long COVID: the strengthening case for persistently replicating SARS-CoV-2 as a driver of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (Medical Journal of Australia)

• The consequences of SARS-CoV-2 within-host persistence (Nature Reviews Microbiology)

• Viral Persistence & Long COVID: Lessons Learned from the First Clinical Trials (Academic Medical Education)

• Duration of viral persistence in human semen after acute viral infection: a systematic review (The Lancet Microbe)

• Blood transcriptomic analyses reveal persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA and candidate biomarkers in post-COVID-19 condition (The Lancet Microbe)

COVID-19 Prevention & Transmission

• “When all students are wearing N95 respirators, the infection risk could be reduced by 96%” (Science of The Total Environment)

• Independent SAGE as an example of effective public dialogue on scientific research (Nature Protocols)

• “…usage of FFP2 masks, reduced the incidence of viral respiratory infections during allo-HSCT significantly from 22.1 to 2.0%” (Nature Scientific Reports)

• CDC infection control body rejects the science on airborne transmission (The Gauntlet)

• Antiviral humoral immunity induced by JN.1 monovalent mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants including JN.1, KP.3.1.1, and XEC (The Lancet Infectious Diseases)

• Air filter significantly reduces presence of airborne SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 wards (University of Cambridge)

• Testing and Masking Policies and Hospital-Onset Respiratory Viral Infections (JAMA Network Open)

• SARS-CoV-2 Transmission From People Without COVID-19 Symptoms (JAMA Network)

• Response: Ethics of college vaccine mandates, using reasonable comparison (BMJ Medical Ethics)

• Air Purifiers and Acute Respiratory Infections in Residential Aged Care - RCT (JAMA Network Open)

• “COVID-19 vaccination can reduce the incidence and risk of post-COVID-19 conditions if administered within 5 months before infection” (Elsevier Vaccine)

• “…low cost of goods…stability at room temperature; and very low toxicity make NZ-804 an ideal drug candidate to treat emerging CoV infections” (Cell Reports)

• “…prompt, rigorous lockdown policies, supported by strategies to maintain public adherence, are most efficient in controlling epidemics.” (medRxiv)

• High protection and transmission-blocking immunity elicited by single-cycle SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in hamsters (Nature NPJ Vaccines)

• Repeated COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccination contributes to SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody responses in the mucosa (Science Translational Medicine)

• “…COVID-19 vaccination programmes across 34 CAT of the WHO European Region reduced COVID-19 mortality by an estimated 59%, saving approximately 1·6 million lives.” (The Lancet Respiratory Medicine)

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