Long-Term Complications and Excess Deaths
A COVID-19 infection often leads to persistent complications that significantly diminish both the quality of life and life expectancy. Shockingly, 10% of excess deaths can be directly attributed to COVID itself, while the remaining 90% are attributed to what can be considered COVID's silent killers. Individuals who have experienced COVID may face a diminished quality of life and an increased risk of premature death. Dr. Rob Wust underscores this by stating, "There is something inside the body going wrong with the disease."

Long-COVID: A Looming Reality
For those who have contracted COVID, the probability of developing chronic conditions, known as Long-COVID, is a staggering 99%. This alarming statistic underscores the pervasive and lasting impact of the virus on an individual's health.

Key Insights into COVID-19's Long-Term Effects

1. Direct Impact on Organs:
   • COVID-19 has been responsible for millions of deaths and has caused long-term damage to vital organs, leaving many survivors permanently disabled.
2. Persistent Viral Presence:
   • SARS-CoV-2 can persist in the body for months or even years, causing chronic infections and leaving behind viral proteins associated with Long-COVID. This persistence is comparable to other viruses like Chicken Pox leading to Shingles or Epstein-Barr virus contributing to Mononucleosis and Multiple Sclerosis.
   • The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can persist in the brain's protective layers (the meninges) and the skull's bone marrow indefinitely, potentially triggering chronic inflammation and increasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
3. Compromised Immune System and Autoimmune Risks:
   • Post-COVID individuals often experience a compromised immune system and an increased risk of autoimmune diseases. Local immune responses may be disturbed by both mental and physical exertion in long-COVID patients.
   • Long-COVID is linked to low iron levels and prolonged elevation of cytokines. Defects in iron homeostasis, dysregulated erythropoiesis, and immune dysfunction resulting from COVID-19 may contribute to inefficient oxygen transport, inflammatory imbalances, and persistent symptoms. The information on autoimmune diseases emphasizes that an excessive release of cytokines, which are signaling molecules involved in immune responses, can lead to an exaggerated inflammatory response. This heightened inflammation has the potential to damage tissues and contribute to autoimmune diseases, where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells.
4. Genetic and Epigenetic Changes:
   • SARS-CoV-2 induces genetic and epigenetic alterations to DNA, resulting in a compromised immune system, elevated risks of diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and damage to neurological, circulatory, and cardiovascular systems. Predisposed conditions are likely to escalate to more advanced stages.
5. Complexity of Long-COVID:
   • Long-COVID is likely a multifaceted condition involving persistent virus presence, residual viral proteins, and lasting epigenetic and genetic changes, potentially lasting indefinitely.
6. Increased Risks with Reinfection:
   • Reinfection with COVID amplifies the risks of death, hospitalization, and multi-organ damage, exacerbating underlying conditions across various bodily systems.

Understanding the epigenetic changes induced by COVID, including the downregulation of NAD+ and the impact on tryptophan, sheds light on the physical and mental health challenges faced by individuals. The deficiency in niacin, zinc, and vitamin D is a common consequence. It is crucial to recognize that COVID's epigenetic changes may vary widely based on an individual's genetic makeup, requiring tailored treatments for optimal outcomes.

COVID CHRONIC CONDITIONS

"'It is important to note that the severity of disease in humans is not determined only by virus replication but also by the host immune response to the infection, which may lead to dysregulation of the innate immune system, i.e. "cytokine storm"' (Omicron SARS-CoV-2 can infect faster and better)

These are some of the causes of long-COVID symptoms that have been identified. There are likely many more.

Everybody's response to COVID is unique; however, most people are likely to develop several of these disorders. For instance, the genetic abnormalities were found in 1-3% of the prepandemic population. In the population of COVID survivors, 50-75% of individuals exhibit these genetic abnormalities. Currently, there is no cure for any of these ailments.

Vaccination is the best method for preventing all of these conditions. Unvaccinated people are 8x's more likely to contract COVID. Vaccinated people that contract COVID are 50% less likely to develop long-COVID. Get vaccinated.

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Summary
A COVID-19 infection usually results in long-term complications including a decreased quality of life and life expectancy. 10% of excess deaths are attributed to COVID. The other 90% are from COVID's silent killers. Everyone that has had COVID is likely to have a diminished quality of life and a premature death. As Dr. Rob Wust says, "There is something inside the body going wrong with the disease."

Long-COVID: If you had COVID, there is a 99% chance that you, too, have chronic conditions.

1) The virus itself can cause death and long term organ damage. Millions and millions of people have died from COVID. Many millions more have become permanently disabled.
2) SARS-CoV-2 can be a persistent virus (chronic infection) that continues to live and destroy your organs for months or years after the initial infection. COVID may also leave residual SARS-CoV-2 protein that is associated with long-COVID. A persistent virus behaves in various ways. With Chicken Pox, it leads to Shingles. With Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), it leads to Mononucleosis and Multiple Sclerosis. Epstein-Barr is a member of the herpesvirus family. Many people are already familiar with the persistent nature of herpes viruses, such as, cold sores and genital herpes. HIV is another example of a persistent virus. COVID acts like an accelerant to aging and has been found to impact the function of multiple organs including the kidneys, heart, and brain.
3) Post-COVID individuals have a compromised immune system (immunocompromised), as well as, increased risk of autoimmune diseases. There are locally disturbed immune responses caused by mental and/or physical exertion in patients with long-COVID.
4) SARS-CoV-2 causes genetic and epigenetic changes to your DNA. These changes include long term compromising of the immune system, increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, as well as, damaging the neurological, circulatory, and cardiovascular systems. Any ailments for which you are predisposed will likely be elevated to the next stage (eg prediabetic –> diabetic).
5) Long-COVID is likely a combination of persistent virus, residual SARS-CoV-2 protein, epigenetic and genetic changes that may last indefinitely.
6) COVID reinfection further increases risks of death, hospitalization and damage to multiple organ systems and exacerbates underlying conditions including pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematological, diabetes, gastrointestinal, kidney, mental health, musculoskeletal and neurological disorders.