'How long are you going to keep wearing that thing?' (Given most ppl's embrace of the Pandemicene, likely forever)

'I can't hear you through that mask' (Funny that everyone else can)

'I understand you feel very anxious and it makes you feel safe' (No, it actually PROTECTS me from ppl like you!🦠)

Finally, here’s the lay summary of our #LongCovid paper on
@independentsage.bsky.social
Substack! open.substack.com/pub/independ...
/20

I had a go at summarising the whole paper in a single graphic. I’m not the world’s best artist so if someone wants to play with this and improve it, feel free! 17/

In the paper, we have a huge table listing various symptoms along with current recommended management. Here’s the first two rows of that table. 16/

Generalist primary care clinicians (e.g. GPs) have a vital role to play in the management of this miserable condition. The opposite of gaslighting is engagement, active listening, acknowledging the story, witnessing suffering and getting your head round what’s at stake for the patient. 15/

Long COVID results from bad stuff occurring at the micro level. The literature on this is vast and confusing. Coauthor Janko Nikolitch cut through it nicely in this panel. Three PRIMARY pathological mechanisms (viral persistence, immune dysregulation, endothelial inflammation/thrombosis). 11/

The longer you’ve had Long COVID, the lower your chances of full recovery. This is why everyone with significant symptoms of this disease should be seen *promptly* for assessment and treatment. 10/

Long COVID is a multi-system disease. Can cause almost every symptom in the book. But (and I learnt this from sitting in on Long COVID clinic hearing patient stories) there is often a *distinctive narrative* of how these symptoms fit together and fluctuate/persist/progress/resolve over time. 7/