This article from an American Heart Association editor, Michael Merschel, gives an easy-to-understand yet comprehensive overview of the lasting impact COVID infections can have on an individual. The article establishes that COVID is likely a vascular or neurological infection which can quickly cause inflammation and damage to several different organ systems. While acknowledging COVID can lead to many different adverse effects on a variety of organs, this article focuses primarily on the brain and nervous system, the heart and circulatory system, the gastrointestinal system, and kidneys. This information is vital given how much folks commonly associate COVID with the flu and often use that comparison to dismiss the risks associated with COVID infection.
This article summarizes the findings of a large-scale, interdisciplinary study led by the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine which analyzed COVID-19’s effects on the brain. Specifically, the study found that the “brain fog” commonly reported with COVID-19 infection seems to be caused by neuroinflammation and other brain changes which occur in patients with Alzheimer’s and similar dementias. The article includes analysis from a few of the study’s leading researchers as well as recommendations for how academics and medical professionals can best respond to the study’s findings. The article is published on the University of Kentucky’s news website UKNow.
This article provides an up-to-date, very accessible explanation of COVID-19 infection, specifically focusing on information about asymptomatic infections. Importantly, it highlights the fact that an estimated 20% of all COVID infections are asymptomatic. As infectious disease specialist Dr. Donald Dumford III explains, the virus that leaves some with no adverse outcomes at all is the exact same virus that can disable or kill others, emphasizing the importance of steps like masking even for those who don’t feel ill. The piece is published on the website for the Cleveland Clinic, one of the largest and most respected academic medical centers in the United States.
This op-ed collects Dr. Tithi Bhattacharya’s personal writings as she navigated returning to work, as someone with severe asthma, under our new normal. Dr. Bhattacharya is an Associate Professor of South Asian History at Purdue University. She has written extensively about the impact of COVID-19 and governments’ responses to it for publications like Spectre Journal and Dissent Magazine. Branching out from her usual writing, this piece builds a narrative arc from her demoralizing experiences in her communities as the pandemic becomes more and more normalized. This op-ed is published by Truthout, a nonprofit news organization which strives to preserve independent journalism and platform progressive commentary.
This opinion piece published in Scientific American responds directly to narratives which quickly gained traction around COVID-19’s risk for children. The article specifically debunks claims that children have naturally high immunity to COVID-19 and that children have little to no risk for developing long COVID, pointing out that these claims were popularized by a flawed study which has since been retracted. Ultimately, the piece builds a well-constructed argument for regular vaccinations, the normalization of mask-wearing, and implementing a higher standard for indoor air quality in public spaces. The article is written by Blake Murdoch, a senior research associate with the Health Law Institute at University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law who specializes in public health, health law, and policy making.