Mastodawn

Toby Jan 22, 2023

An enormous study of data on 3,814,479 participants (888,463 cases and 2,926,016 controls) found that #COVID19 increases the risk of:
Rheumatoid arthritis 198%
Ankylosing spondylitis 221%
Mixed connective tissue disease 214%
Systemic lupus erythematosus 199%
Inflammatory bowel disease 78%
Celiac disease 168%
Type 1 diabetes 168%
Mortality 20%

This isn't just "the flu." Please stay up to date on recommended boosters and #WearAMask.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9830133/

Risk of autoimmune diseases in patients with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study

There are a growing number of case reports of various autoimmune diseases occurring after COVID-19, yet there is no large-scale population-based evidence to support this potential association. This study provides a closer insight into the association ...

PubMed Central (PMC)

Martin Vermeer FCD Jan 22, 2023

@augieray And if you own a building, effective air conditioning with #HEPA filters. Or bring your own.

TJ109 Jan 22, 2023

@augieray and by the way I do wear a mask,but does it help that I am the only one out the 50 or so others in the store that I am at don't. I live in Florida, and our governor and lawmakers are trying to outlaw everything that goes with prevention. Makes it hard.

Mayee, MD (INACTIVE)Jan 23, 2023

@augieray Oh wow.. *gasps in fear*

Steve Vlad Jan 23, 2023

This is not a good study. The way that controls were defined makes it pretty much certain that there is immortal-time bias. And that will pretty much guarantee that there is an 'effect' even though there may not be.

Don’t get me wrong; vaccinate, wear masks, all that good stuff. But don’t worry about getting an autoimmune disease.

Steve Vlad Jan 23, 2023

There is a very good reason that this was not published in a major journal. The reviewers would have spotted the problem.

JanPV Jan 23, 2023

@augieray The trouble in the UK is that vaccines being administered are a mix of updated and non-updated. Whilst this may not be dangerous, the mindless assumption that the public need not be kept reasonably informed about vaccines is not right. I am not anti-vaccination; quite the opposite.

Augie Ray Jan 23, 2023

@JanPV I don't disagree, but as general advice, "stay up to date on recommended boosters" is still sound guidance. It's up to public health agencies to 1) make smart, informed decisions about vaccinations, and 2) educate people on the risks and benefits. Few governments are doing that well.

JanPV Jan 23, 2023

@augieray Yes, of course. Thankfully, on Mastodon, we can have discussions, not arguments! Recipients are not given the choice nor told about whether their shot is to be an updated or non-updated version. When the people are not informed, a failure of trust is inevitable, which is exactly what we don't need.

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 24, 2023

@augieray I wonder what the impact of these different factors are by different kinds of the flu?

Augie Ray Jan 24, 2023

@thorstenbiegner If you do some searching, you'll find this info. For exactly, one study found the risk of diabetes is 30% higher following a flu diagnosis (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8504904/#:~:text=Table%202%20shows%20that%20individuals,season%20and%20year%20of%20observation.). So, not only is COVID much more dangerous, but with flu, people get it once a decade whereas with COVID people are being infected multiple times a year. Hardly the same.

Association between influenza and the incidence rate of new‐onset type 1 diabetes in Japan

This study aimed to determine whether there is an association between influenza and new‐onset type 1 diabetes.This population‐based retrospective cohort study used data from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific ...

PubMed Central (PMC)

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 24, 2023

@augieray multiple times per year? Isn’t that a number hat will drop once the virus becomes endemic?

Augie Ray Jan 24, 2023

@thorstenbiegner Hopefully, but it hasn't dropped yet, so what's your point? And, immune-evasive variants are rising, so reinfections seem to be getting more common, not less.

Besides, I'm not here telling people to be careful forever--I try to share info that indicates the risks are greater than people know so they should be careful now.

You're like a driver driving drunk, and I tell you that's risky, and you say, "Sure, but won't the risk drop once I sober up?"

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 25, 2023

@augieray you do not have to become aggressive because I don’t understand something I am just trying to learn. I appreciate your information. I am surprised you are saying it has not dropped? Afaik infections have dropped everywhere except China?

Augie Ray Jan 25, 2023

@thorstenbiegner Your don't seem to be making an honest attempt to understand, however. The number of reinfections is rising. Here is some data from NY (since reinfections are not a stat that is tracked everywhere.) Note the trend in 2022. But my larger point still stands--with immune-evasive variants rising and risk of chronic disabling symptoms well established, we can't wait for some future point to protect health today. https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-reinfection-data

COVID-19 Reinfection Data

Reinfections over time, by region

Department of Health

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 25, 2023

@augieray I am surprised you are thinking that I am not making on honest attempt? I am just asking questions? Why do you think this of me? What gave you the impression?

Augie Ray Jan 25, 2023

@thorstenbiegner As someone who posts about COVID risks & caution, I get pushback, some direct & rude, and other times as reasonable-sounding questions. Perhaps I need to work on not assuming anything. But, the questions by those not really engaging honestly are often like “Isn't this just the flu?” and “Won't risks drop in the future?” Neither strikes me as a great question--even if it was like the flu, we don't get flu 2-3x a year, and what good does it do NOW if risks will decline in 2024?

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 25, 2023

@augieray I guess this is where I thought we live in a totally different world now. New infections in most countries are far below 100 per 100,000 and continue to drop. So it is my understanding that risk is already far reduced? Or why do you see this as not being the case?

Augie Ray Jan 25, 2023

@thorstenbiegner I'm out. This is why I find you unserious. You replied to a post that list a scientific study demonstrating the considerable risks of COVID. I share another link demonstrating the rising risks of reinfections. While I share links and data, you do nothing but ask simple questions you could answer yourself if you searched. So, do what you want. Ignore the immune-evasive variants. Ignore that testing is so low that case counts are meaningless. Ignore Long COVID. Entirely up to you.

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray if case counts are meaningless isn’t reinfection data meaningless too? I don’t think case count is meaningless, it does show that the amount people seriously getting sick is becoming less and less.

I do agree that studies seem to indicate that COVID is not the flu (yet, as as an amateur I would expect this to change over time?).

So we do not disagree that COVID is dangerous or that it is more dangerous than the flu. We agree on this. /1

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray What I think we do not agree on is what this means for ourselves. And I do not have a final opinion on this that is why I am asking these stupid questions because I am stupid and want to learn.

My current understanding and feeling is that you are far too concerned about how dangerous COVID is. Because yes it is more dangerous than the flu. But how much more dangerous? I am unclear if it’s something to worry about. /2

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray And my observation of the world is not in line what you are saying. You are saying “people are being infected multiple times a year”. Is this really true? And is it more true than for other diseases?

The study data is from 2021. We now have 2023. The case count if far lower how can people become regularly be reinfected and if they are how is it a danger if they are not going to the doctor and showing up in statistics? /3

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray And yes, COVID might be 30% more dangers for this and that as the other study you linked says. But how dangerous is this if the numbers are already low for the flu? So small numbers become a bit bigger small numbers with COVID but it’s still small numbers so is COIVD really so much to worry about? Aren’t there other things to worry about more? /4

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray Especially is COVID so dangers now with vaccinations? The study itself says this should be studied. And possible is COVID now quite similar as the flu with vaccinations and with most of the population having had COVID at least once and the case numbers dropping? I don’t have answers to these questions but I am interested in the answers. /5

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray I am also no sure if wearing a mask is the right thing to do as it stops people especially children getting other diseases which they can cope well with as children but not so well when they are adults. /6

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray To summarise

We both agree that COVID is more dangers that the flu.
My feeling is that you are taking some study results as “the final truth” without asking further questions and understanding that science is a fluid process of continuously asking questions and enhancing knowledge. /7

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray Also from some studies you are deriving points which afaik are not true afaik i.e. “people getting affected several times per year” (might have been true 2021 and even then not true in a general manner but probably not now.)
And you are advising to wear masks which might be good for some like elder people but not for everyone like children. /8

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray My wish to you

My wish to you would be to be more critical of studies i.e. to look at what was studied and what can be concluded from it and what not. /9

Augie Ray Jan 26, 2023

@thorstenbiegner Many of your assumptions are simply factually incorrect, but I won't respond further. As I said, you do what you want. I'll keep doing my best to educate people so they can decide for themselves.

Thorsten Biegner 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇵🇸Jan 26, 2023

@augieray Too bad you don’t mention which ones of my assumptions are incorrect so there is no way for me to learn and educate others. I wish you all the best, keep healthy 💚🍀🌺