LB: the success of the HPV vaccine is a great demonstration of the public health impact of viruses that don't immediately disable or kill. We have been underestimating the disease burden for years.
ME/CFS and Long COVID research are highlighting the impact of long-ignored illnesses like EBV, HHV-6, CMV, etc. But we need to actually fund and support it!
I get a little annoyed at the people trying to paint COVID-19 as a uniquely harmful virus when there is a plethora of evidence that it's not that special when it comes to long-term effects. People know about the negative effects of COVID but ignore that other respiratory viruses have similar effects because they've spent most of their lives trivializing them.
COVID is special—in that its transmissibility and prevalence are much greater than other viruses. Small % of a bigger number matters.
e. hashman 🇵🇸