People with long Covid should avoid intense exercise, say researchers
GuardianJan 12
Study: Long COVID Makes Exercise Debilitating
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The Facts
A new study published on Thursday in the journal Nature Communications found that people with long COVID who exercise can experience changes to the body, including severe muscle damage, mitochondrial problems, and microclots. This, researchers believe, is the reason these patients feel fatigued and in pain for long periods after working out.
According to the study, specific bodily effects from long COVID include exercise intolerance, metabolic issues, exercise-induced muscle defects, and the development of amyloid-containing deposits in skeletal muscles. Researchers analyzed the blood and skeletal muscle biopsies of 25 long COVID patients and 21 healthy individuals before and after a maximal exercise test.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
For years now, the world has known about both the dangers of long COVID and the potential benefits of the vaccine for combatting it. More recently, the British Medical Association published a study showing one pre-infection dose of an original vaccine can reduce the risk of long COVID by 21%, two doses by 59%, and three or more doses by 73%. If you want to protect yourself against this debilitating disease, getting vaccinated is the solution.
Establishment-critical narrative
When dealing with complex phenomena like this, no professional should make absolute claims. Everyone, especially doctors, should acknowledge that other studies have found vaccinations to be one of the primary predictors of long COVID. If blanket prescriptions for all of society are made without analyzing opposing data, there should be no surprise when there's public backlash to vaccine injuries.