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Long Covid Impact “Exaggerated With Major Flaws in Claims”, BMJ Study Finds

by Will Jones
26 September 2023 2:00 PM

The risks of developing Long Covid appear to have been exaggerated by flawed research, academics have suggested in a new paper published in the BMJ. The Telegraph has more.

Most people who contract coronavirus feel better within days or weeks, but for some people symptoms can last longer than 12 weeks.

Those who have Long Covid, also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), report fatigue, brain fog, chest pain and shortness of breath.

However, analysis from researchers in the U.K., Denmark and the U.S. suggests “major flaws” in the body of literature on the condition have probably exaggerated the true threat of developing it.

The analysis, published today, says “many scientific publications” overestimate the prevalence of long Covid due to “overly broad definitions, lack of control groups, inappropriate control groups, and other methodological flaws”.

Researchers said weaknesses in such studies may have fuelled public anxiety as well as causing misdiagnoses and diversion of funds from other long-term conditions.

The paper, published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, looked at the definition of Long Covid by a number of global health organisations, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Researchers said “none of them requires a causal link” with coronavirus infection meaning any new symptoms after a confirmed or suspected infection can end up being assumed to be Long Covid.

“In general, in the scientific literature, imprecise definitions have resulted in more than 200 symptoms being associated with the condition termed long Covid,” they said.

The team also points out that studies in the early stages of the pandemic are likely to have included fewer patients with mild or no symptoms.

They highlighted a recent review which found that 54% of studies of long Covid interventions included lab-confirmed infections.

This could lead to sampling bias, they said, which occurs when certain groups are more likely to be included in a study than others, limiting the findings.

Many symptoms assumed to be those of Long Covid are shared with other upper respiratory viruses.

They added: “Our analysis indicates that, in addition to including appropriately matched controls, there is a need for better case definitions and more stringent (Long Covid) criteria.”

It  should include continuous symptoms after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and take into consideration baseline characteristics, including “physical and mental health, which may contribute to an individual’s post Covid experience.”

Worth reading in full.

Stop Press: The Mail in its coverage highlights research from Harvard and Yale looking at ‘Long Vaccine‘ – the “debilitating suite of symptoms linked to Covid shot that last months and resemble Long Covid”.

Stop Press 2: Dr. Robert Dingwall writes in the Telegraph that “‘Long Covid’ is a failure of science” as it “offers opportunities to a medical-industrial complex to gain access to public funding for research, while the real victims get lost”.

Tags: COVID-19Long CovidLong VaccineThe BMJThe Science

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16 Comments
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Marcus Aurelius knew
Marcus Aurelius knew
1 year ago

Clearly the word “whitewash” has now been replaced by “flawed research”.

Come off it. The BMJ know damn well these bits of research are not flawed. They are a concerted campaign of WHITEWASHING.

Last edited 1 year ago by Marcus Aurelius knew
75
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago

https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/a-new-front-in-the-attack-on-free-speech/

“Prentis’s intervention is a shocking overreach. It is not her job to tell reporters to stop reporting on issues where there is merely the “potential” for criminal proceedings.”

Victoria Prentis (who ate all the pies) Attorney General failing to understand the basics of English law. There is NO contempt of court if charges have not been made.

Last edited 1 year ago by huxleypiggles
53
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transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

They really are rattled aren’t they? All this interest for a celebrity.

39
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  transmissionofflame

Exactly.

If Russell Brand is taken to court I believe a fair trial is now impossible. Perhaps, as I commented yesterday the aim will be to put him through the grinder for months all the way up to the point where a decision on taking him through the courts has to be made and then weaselling out of it. By then he will possibly have lost a lot of money and perhaps much physical and mental health.

20
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transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Yes, that may well be the vague plan. I don’t know the man well but I think they may well have picked the wrong person to mess with – rather like Jordan Peterson he may be too big, too rich and too strong mentally to cancel. I hope so.

10
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For a fist full of roubles
For a fist full of roubles
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

The process is the punishment

11
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The old bat
The old bat
1 year ago

It may be unkind of me, but the incidence of ‘long covid’ seems to increase in line with the generosity of employer’s sick pay packages.(Very popular in the NHS apparently).

59
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RW
RW
1 year ago
Reply to  The old bat

I spent all of summer 2020 with varying degrees of cold/ flu symptoms, mostly, a permanently runny nose and diarrhea. I’d also frequently run out of breath which would usually manifest itself as sharp flashes of pain in the teeth. This gradually subsided over autumn/ winter and never got bad that I had needed to stop working because of it. Nevertheless, it was (to me) a new phenomenon and certainly a hell of a nuisance.

Last edited 1 year ago by RW
4
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DevonBlueBoy
DevonBlueBoy
1 year ago
Reply to  The old bat

Long before the Rona hysteria there was a medical condition colloquially known as “Sticky Back Syndrome”. It was most noticeable among the ranks of local and central government ’employees’.

5
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WyrdWoman
WyrdWoman
1 year ago

Dr Pierre Kory has done a 2-parter substack on this, based on treating 900+ patients – an interesting read. First part linked.

https://pierrekorymedicalmusings.com/p/the-suffering-of-covid-19-vaccine?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2

Scott and I have now seen well over 900 patients who are chronically ill after receiving the Covid-19 mRNA injections or suffering with Long Haul Covid (a.k.a. PASC – post-acute sequelae of Covid). I would estimate the breakout of our patient population at this point is approximately 70% Post-vaccine syndrome (“Long Vax”) vs. 30% Long Covid syndrome…

10
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago

Here is another worrying report:

https://www.cato.org/blog/nearly-third-gen-z-favors-home-government-surveillance-cameras-1

Now who wouldn’t want the government to put cameras in your home? Very “safe and effective.”

10
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Jabby Mcstiff
Jabby Mcstiff
1 year ago

There is definitely a malaise or a syndrome and the causes are various but you won’t hear mention of any of the major rises in toxicity that we have been exposed to since 1989. RFK Jr and a few other people have talked about them as a concerted attack. The dual use bioweapon is just one of them. Probably the most evil act in the sense of introducing a pathogen into our existence forever. Once you start tampering with the fabric like that you pretty soon invite catastrophe upon yourself.

5
0
Jabby Mcstiff
Jabby Mcstiff
1 year ago

There is no herbal or supplement remedy to our times. It sounds limp but the only remedy is sitting down and doing nothing and concentraing or meditating on the moment. I don’t usually say this sort of thing but in our consciousness there is a moment where things have to happen The powers that be are trying to capitalise on the flux situation. We have lost the vitality of our sons it has been pointed in the direction of gloom. It is up to us to lift that. We could easily lift the young men up.

1
0
Paramaniac
Paramaniac
1 year ago

If Covid doesn’t exist then long Covid can’t exist.

4
0
Pilla
Pilla
1 year ago

Isn’t it possible that the symptoms of ‘Long Covid’ could be caused by the Covid jabs? Why isn’t every single person supposedly suffering from Long Covid asked if they’ve had the jabs (and how many). My husband and I, having had none of the jabs, don’t appear to have had Covid at all and certainly not Long Covid! The possibility of a relationship between Long Covid and the mRNA Covid jabs should definitely be investigated.

10
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A. Contrarian
A. Contrarian
1 year ago

As has been asked many times before now, why did it ever need its own name? It’s post-viral illness, which has always existed. Although most people seemed to have no idea until the dreadful covid came along.

5
0

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