Paul writes:
Hello Daniel and Vincent,
Question on long covid…. there has been a lot of discussion how with multiple infections of SARS-CoV2 your chances of developing long covid either increase with each subsequent infection or that each infection is a roll of the dice where you might not get long covid symptoms on infection 1, 2, 3 but on the 4th infection boom you have long covid.
Is there any evidence that backs up this claim?
Thanks for all you do,
Paul
High School Chemistry and Biology Teacher
Illinois
Rachel writes:
Hi Daniel and Vincent,
My friend (54, male) never had Chicken Pox. Should he get Shingrix, or is he safe from Shingles without the shots?
Thanks so much!
Rachel
Katherine writes:
Dear Dr. Griffin,
A young adult who is close to me was recently hospitalized for a week with acute psychosis coincident with COVID. He has no history of mental illness. His symptoms included fever, headache, severe paranoia, dangerous agitation alternating with catatonia, some hallucination, and refusal of food, drink, oral medication or IV (related to paranoid fear of poisoning). I believe he was vaccinated, but this was his first encounter with the virus itself.
The hospital physicians suggested that COVID may have caused the psychosis. His friends and family are actually hopeful that is the case, rather than a life-changing diagnosis of schizophrenia.
What can you tell me about COVID-induced psychosis, or viral-induced psychosis in general? I have not found many papers online. What I have found is a little on viral encephalitis and bald statements that COVID can be associated with symptoms of psychosis in rare cases.
I have been a fan of TWiV and all the other microbe TV podcasts for almost two years now. I thank you, Dr Racaniello and the other hosts for keeping listeners up-to-date on the latest scientific endeavors in the world of microbiology.
Sincerely,
Katherine
Maryland
Claire writes:
Hi Dr Griffin,
My husband is a family physician and asked me about the vaccine site reaction to the monkey pox/smallpox vaccine. He says he knows it’s common to have a mild reaction at the site that looks like a pox lesion but that he couldn’t find clear guidance from the CDC or any other body indicating whether that reaction involves active virus/ had any chance of being contagious. He was asked by one of his patients who had recently gotten the vaccine, had a pox lesion-like reaction, and was invited to visit his 3-day-old nephew. My husband didn’t think that there was cause for concern but also didn’t want to take any chances with respect to a newborn infant, so he told the patient to just keep the site well-covered to be safe. It doesn’t seem like a common enough issue that he is likely to be asked again but he would still like to know what the actual answer is!
Thanks for all your great work on the podcast, I was a researcher at the New York State department of health through its involvement in the COVID-19 response (though I’m a cell biologist NOT a virologist) and really appreciated having actual subject matter expertise to back up my answers to the inevitable plague questions from all the non-scientists in my life.
Best,
Claire
Suzanne writes:
Firstly I want to say how I look forward to your weekly podcasts on covid. Thank you!
After watching #951 and listening to you on how masks work, why do I see doctors such as yourself and many other pictures and videos not wearing a mask? Most of the recent medical conventions are showing doctors with no masks. It is confusing to us wondering how you can go back and see patients who are immunocompromised. As well it doesn’t relay a good rapport with anti maskers . It is so confusing.
Suzanne
Niagara
Living with Covid responsibly