Astrid Meyer-Knutsen

People urged to wear masks when they are ill as UK faces ‘tidal wave’ of flu NHS Providers boss says those who are ‘coughing and sneezing’ should wear face coverings on public transport

Good on NHS leader, Daniel Elkeles, calling for a revival of mask-wearing during the current “tidal wave of flu.”

That trying to save lives is going to be highly controversial - and No. 10 are already sitting on the fence - is deeply depressing. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

One in four UK HCW's have LC 🤬

Not a readily replaceable resource!

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

To be used with masks as part of a complete strategy. Safer Indoor Air for Kids Mechanically OR Naturally Ventilated? • schools • out of hours care • day-care • youth groups • clubs • anywhere kids get together Mechanically Ventilated Call a mechanical engineer to review the HVAC system. C02 Monitors LOW RELATIVE RISK • Below 800ppm/ MODERATE RELATIVE RISK • 800-1500 ppm • work to improve indoor air quality to low relative risk range HIGH RELATIVE RISK • Above 1500 ppm • moderate risk reading not improving • Leave room until air quality improved, • Increase ventilation bringing outdoor air indoors. • Use HEPA filters with ventilation to assist if occurs repeatedly. • Reduce occupancy or cease activity causing high risk air quality. Naturally Ventilated Open windows and doors where it is safe to do so. Complete the recommended work to increase outdoor air intake. Once the building is in use, monitor the ventilation with CO2 monitors. Work to create a cross breeze of fresh air. On still days may use a child safe fan." Use Portable HEPA filters if ventilation is not enough. Portable HEPA filters • Use filtration to clean the air, do not add anything to the air. • Use the right size and avoid low flow settings. • CADR = clean air delivery rate • Aim for an equivalent of minimum 6 air changes per hour (ACHe) • ACHe X Room volume = CADR needed • Use of more filters may allow for less noise. • HEPA filters will not lower the CO2 reading on the monitor. *Fans, if used, must be ploced to direct indoor air outside & encouroge cross ventilation. Take core not to recirculate, including avoiding the use of split system air-conditioning For more detailed odvice & warnings please see OzAGE document for Safe Indoor Air. While the building is in use monitor the ventilation with CO2 monitors. Use Portable HEPA filters if ventilation is not enough, outdoor air is polluted or bad weather OZSAGE

Got flu problems?

Try this.

Sask. woman considers MAID because she can't get needed surgery for rare disease | CBC News For the past eight years Jolene Van Alstine has suffered from a rare form of parathyroid disease, normocalcemic primary hyperparathryroidism (nPHPT). It causes extreme bone pain.

A woman in Saskatchewan needs surgery for a parathyroid issue and is being offered MAiD instead.

There’s no one in the province who can perform the procedure and the government won’t pay to send her elsewhere.

This is why disability advocates warn about assisted dying
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- There are still no simple solutions or therapies for ME/CFS and post-viral autoimmune diseases, and previous scientific studies demonstrate the complexity of the disease mechanisms

Our latest News in Brief summary has headlines and links to further reading for #MECFS, #LongCovid, and related news for the week of Dec. 1 - 7.

Topics:
News, advocacy and articles
Coming events
Research news and commentary
& Published research

www.s4me.info/threads/news...

Reminders, as public health officials warn of a very bad flu season:

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* Washing hands is not a strategy for a respiratory virus. N95s, ventilation, air filtration -- especially in hospitals.

* We should have been cleaning indoor air with the same effort we put into cleaning drinking water.

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YouTube video by Action For ME Mark Bonnar supports The Big Give 2025!

🔥 Mark Bonnar asking people to donate to Action For ME and have their donations doubled ♥️

donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

#pwME #pwLC

youtu.be/SIEzEza5O38

BBC article about 170 pupils off sick from school.

Teacher wearing FFP3 mask.

When most people say "during Covid" they mean "when we did infection control in schools".

"Not controlling the spread of disease at all" results in more illness than "doing something to control the spread of disease".

So of course it's "worse than Covid".

#CovidIsNotOver

- Patients often face stigma and psychologization from medical professionals when disease biomarkers are not readily apparent, exemplified by the historic dismissal of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

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- Despite being well described in the literature, PAIS remain understudied relative to their high disease burden.

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- While each PAIS has a unique trigger and pathology, similarities in symptom profiles and immunological findings suggest these conditions may share features or involve overlapping biological mechanisms.

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- A wide variety of pathogens are associated with PAIS, including divergent classes of viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

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- While long COVID is a relatively new clinical entity, post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS) have been well documented for over a century.

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Highlights

- New or persistent symptoms following COVID-19, known as ‘long COVID’, occur in an estimated 4–20% of pediatric and 10–20% of adult patients after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. Long COVID is associated with dysregulation of both innate and adaptive immunity.

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The lingering shadow of epidemics: post-acute sequelae across history The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has drawn global attention to post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS), with millions affected by post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC, or Long COVID). While Long COVID is newly ...

Publication by Miller/Moen/Iwasaki; "The lingering shadow of epidemics: post-acute sequelae across history"

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www.cell.com/trends/immun...

Screenshot from the WHO plan advising on improving indoor ventilation as a measure against coronavirus transmission.

Screenshot from page 15 in the strategic plan:

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- Several regions have recently reported increases in SARS-CoV-2 activity, and uncertainties persist around virus evolution and long-term impacts of COVID-19.

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- Around 6% of those infected develop Post COVID-19 Condition (also known as long COVID), with 15% of these people experiencing symptoms beyond a year.

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- Although the global impact of COVID-19 has reduced since the peak of the pandemic, the virus continues to circulate widely, causing severe disease and death in high-risk groups.

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WHO launches new, unified plan for countries to manage coronaviruses: COVID-19 and beyond The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new strategic plan for the management of coronavirus disease threats, including COVID-19, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), and potential ...

- “Coronaviruses remain one of the most consequential infectious disease threats today,” said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO Acting Director for Epidemic and Pandemic Management.

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www.who.int/news/item/03...

Around 6% of those infected develop Post COVID-19 Condition (also known as long COVID), with 15% of these people experiencing symptoms beyond a year.

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Although the global impact of COVID-19 has reduced since the peak of the pandemic, the virus continues to circulate widely, causing severe disease and death in high-risk groups.

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... and this is why I avoid going to the doctor. It's unfathomable to me that we still don't have any measures in place in healthcare to avoid transmission of such a dangerous infection as Covid-19.

More Health Workers Came in to Work With COVID as the Pandemic Wore On 'Presenteeism' tied to roles with less patient contact

- There are many examples of hospital and long-term care facility outbreaks that were traced back to [healthcare personnel] working with symptomatic COVID-19.

www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdi...

A healthcare worker wearing a blue medical glove holds up a rapid COVID-19 antigen test showing a positive result. The person’s face is partially visible behind a surgical mask and protective gown. Below, a link preview headline reads: “More Health Workers Came in to Work With COVID as the Pandemic Wore On.” A subheading says “‘Presenteeism’ tied to roles with less patient contact.” The website source is medpagetoday.com.

More Health Workers Came in to Work With COVID as the Pandemic Wore On.

Presenteeism (working while sick) increased among healthcare workers with COVID. 7.9% worked while sick from Dec 2020–Apr 2024.

• 2020: 1.4%
• 2021: 6.2%
• 2022: 7.2%
• 2023: 10.5%
• 2024: 15.2%

Source: archive.md/UETph

Absolutt! Her er det bare å bli inspirert av Tyskland og brette opp ermene! Og så må vi lære av historien slik at en satsning ikke fører til at enda mer tid og penger kastes bort på trening og terapi. Dette vet vi nå at ikke fungerer, så da må vi lete videre.

- En ny, stor tysk satsning på post-infektiøse sygdomme viser, hvor langt Danmark halter bagefter

sundhedspolitisktidsskrift.dk/debat/10939-...

Long COVID patients face more than double the healthcare costs after diagnosis People with Long COVID use the health service significantly more than they did before their diagnosis. These patients need to use GP, outpatient, inpatient and emergency department services more than ...

'Long COVID patients face more than double the healthcare costs after diagnosis'

'"Long COVID is a debilitating disease for patients, presenting in a myriad of ways, with far-reaching implications for those affected."

www.news-medical.net/news/2025120...

Work ability trajectories and sick leave in individuals with post COVID-19 condition: 3-year follow-up of a population-based cohort The study highlights the prolonged impact of PCC on work-related functioning and underscores the need for targeted occupational, clinical and social measures for those affected.

- In conclusion, in this population-based study with three years of follow-up, we found that individuals affected by PCC reported consistently lower work ability than those without PCC, with little change over time.

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...