NPR: How Readers Feel about the End of the Covid Emergency - Long Covid, The Immune Compromised

Last edited Sun May 28, 2023, 12:19 PM - Edit history (2)

- 'We asked, you answered: How do you feel about the end of the COVID-19 'emergency,' NPR, May 26, 2023. Ed.

The COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency is over, lifted by both the World Health Organization and the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet we find ourselves in an odd moment: The coronavirus is both an ever present danger and, in some sense, old news. We asked readers what was on their minds at this inflection point in the world's pandemic response. They shared reflections that run the gamut – from relief to anxiety to disappointment – but also reveal some clear themes, 3 years into the pandemic.

- Lingering fear "Long COVID," the stubborn, persistent symptoms that last well after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, remains one of the least understood challenges of the post-emergency.

10-20% of COVID-19 patients experience these long-term problems, depending on how researchers define the condition. A majority of long COVID sufferers recover but just how long and widespread a problem post-COVID illness will be has plenty of people concerned. "The emergency isn't gone, it just looks different!" writes Lea Bossler, of Missoula, MT. "I wish it could mean that we now focus all the same energy on people with long COVID, like myself. "Millions of people lost their health, their abilities, their careers, their hobbies, their housing, and sometimes, their close relationships and support systems."

Robbie Moreland of Fort Collins, CO - the uncertainty around long COVID means it's worth continuing to take precautions, even if they come at a cost. "Considering the fact that scientists do not understand how to prevent or treat long COVID, and they don't yet know the long-term effects of having COVID multiple times, my husband and I can't completely move on, " she writes. "We continue to wear masks, avoid crowds & indoor venues. It has caused us to lose friends who have long ago moved on and cycle through COVID every few months with a shoulder shrug." - A time for renewal. For some, ending the pandemic emergency measures is like lifting a burden. Readers such as Debra Saylor of Huntsville, AL say they are looking forward to renewing social connections.

"I feel absolute joy and relief that this prison sentence is finally over!" I have not missed one church service since we opened again in May 2020. I just needed to be around people. I didn't care..

.. Who's counting cases? With the emergency ending, responsibility for staying healthy will fall less on governments & institutions, and more on individuals. However, many of the data points people have been using to calculate their own risk tolerance and make informed decisions will be harder to come by. COVID case reporting has become less & less reliable, given the reduced reporting & widespread use of at-home tests.. For some immune-compromised people, the end of the emergency brings worries that the population-level measures they have depended on, such as widespread masking & social distancing, will also fall by the wayside. "Governmental support for weathering this pandemic — health insurance, free tests, free immunizations — is no longer guaranteed," writes Melissa Rohs of Portland, OR...

More, https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/05/26/1178219092/we-asked-you-answered-how-do-you-feel-about-the-end-of-the-covid-19-emergency
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- Iimmunocompromised: Having a weakened immune system. People who are immunocompromised have a reduced ability to fight infections & other diseases. This may be caused by certain diseases or conditions, such as AIDS, cancer, diabetes, malnutrition, & certain genetic disorders. It may also be caused by certain medicines or treatments, such as anticancer drugs, radiation therapy, & stem cell or organ transplant. Also called immunosuppressed...https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/immunocompromised