https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2024/08/21/innovationrx-covid-may-be-causing-mental-illness-and-rewiring-our-brains/

But as two new studies published in the past week show, severe COVID isn’t the only risk faced by those with the disease. New findings in JAMA Psychiatry find that levels of mental illness such as depression, anxiety and self-harm are elevated after a COVID-19 diagnosis. Additionally, a new study published in Scientific Reports found that patients who lost their sense of smell after a COVID infection saw long-term structural changes to their brains as well as a tendency to more impulsive behaviors.

What! Wow. I didn't know that, you're telling me now for the first time.

  • Frank [he/him, he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    25 days ago

    Oh hey it's the exact reason that I, someone already suffering severe ADHD and bipolar, did not want to contract covid ever no matter what, which few if any people have ever taken seriously or acknowledged as a rational and well founded extrapolation of potential consquences from known circumstances.

    Seriously since the long covid symptoms and brain damage became clear I've been saying "I am taking serious precautions because covid causes symptoms similar to the ones that are already wrecking my quality of life and I do not want to compound those symptoms with further damage" and people just absolutely do not understand this and think I'm overreacting and it's like what the entire fuck what the fuck what the fuck everyone knows how fucked my life is due to bipolar i never shut up about it why don't they understand that even a "mild infection" from "it's just a flu" is a huge fucking threat to my wellbeing why don't they understand why don't they care AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    Either way, on my last day of paxlovid, last dose is tomorrow morning. Gonna start testing and see if I test clear so I can get the three days iwth no positives started.

    If you can get Paxlovid do it. Medicaid still covers it. As soon as you get a positive test call your doctor or a clinic or your pharmacist, tell them you have thirty comorbidities, and get it. It shut down my symptoms within 18 hours. It stops viral replication, and idk for sure but in my amateur opinion less replication means less damage means better outcomes long term.

    • nat_turner_overdrive [he/him]
      ·
      25 days ago

      Man, I just started testing negative yesterday after having it for almost two weeks. Thought I was in the clear so I tried to do some downed tree cutting and moving, I was gassed immediately. Even after I quit and went inside it took me at least an hour to fully catch my breath, hands were tingly, felt light headed.

      First COVID infection, thought it was pretty mild.

      • Frank [he/him, he/him]
        ·
        24 days ago

        That is "mild" i'm afraid. Everything about how covid is normalized in our culture now is fucked. If you told someone in 2018 "oh i had a mild cold, it was fine, btw i can't walk up a flight of stairs without being winded and i can't taste or smell anything" they'd freak out and tell you to go to a specialist and berate you for not taking your health seriously. Now it's like "oh yeah no big deal mild case i just have pre-heart-attack symptoms five times a weak lol"

        • Frank [he/him, he/him]
          ·
          24 days ago

          Yeh. Get one of those pulse oximeter things, it can give you actual hard numbers about how your cardiovascular system is doing and how much oxygen you're getting.

          • JoeByeThen [he/him, they/them]
            hexagon
            ·
            24 days ago

            I'm wary about those nowadays. They're good indicators of blood oxygen levels, but you can still have post-covid cerebral hypoxia that the oximeter isn't gonna tell you about. doomer

            Rest really is best.

    • UlyssesT [he/him]
      ·
      24 days ago

      I send as much energy as I can for your endurance and recovery spirit-bomb

      I can't help but wonder how the rest of your Disco Elysium play went.

      In my first "blind" play where I tried to enter world knowing almost nothing about it, I wound up being a Sorry Cop. dubois-depressed

    • Gucci_Minh [he/him]
      ·
      24 days ago

      Seconding paxlovid, I had awful side effects worse than the disease but it got me better in a week.

      Get well soon.

      • bigboopballs [he/him]
        ·
        24 days ago

        Seconding paxlovid, I had awful side effects worse than the disease but it got me better in a week.

        what side-effects did you get?

        • Gucci_Minh [he/him]
          ·
          edit-2
          23 days ago

          Everything tasted like iron/copper, heavy nausea, and a seemingly random alternation between diarrhea and constipation. Would not recommend the experience, but it did get rid of the COVID so it's worth

          • JoeByeThen [he/him, they/them]
            hexagon
            ·
            23 days ago

            Any chance you're lactose intolerant? I've heard that's been a thing.

            An alternative to paxlovid I've heard is metformin, but you gotta find a doc willing to prescribe it.