Covid - Playing ‘Russian Roulette’with what we’ve already had!

Quote: 'Dad had the Covid injection, because of Crohns, he caught endocarditis - parasite in a heart valve - spending 3 months in hospital. He wishes he never had it'.

A NEW study found that even mild cases of Covid can lead to changes in your arteries - causing an increased chance of heart attacks and strokes.

Ray Adderley,who suffers from Long Covid,said hasn't been the same,getting tired and suffering sense of smell and taste.

Manchester born Ray has a resting heart rate,going from 59,before Covid,to 71 after Covid.

"It doesn't fluctuate much from 71,in spite of me doing two,10km a week on the treadmill,and 4 miles walking the dogs everyday,up hill and down dale," said Ray.

Speaking in Part 2 of a Leader Exclusive,Ray added: "I'm pretty lucky though,my pal Tony had a year off work,his hair turned from brown to grey in that time,and he's in and out of hospital with chest problems."

In a study,published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine,said in the months after a Covid infection, the patient’s arteries increasingly stiffen and can be more 'dysfunctional'.

"This is a problem,because stiffer artery walls force the heart to work harder to get blood round the body, which can lead to an increase in blood pressure and a higher chance of heart attacks and strokes," said Co-author of the international study,Dr Maria Perissiou from the University of Portsmouth.

“We were surprised to observe such a decline in vascular health,which deteriorated even further with time since COVID-19 infection.

"Usually,you’d expect inflammation to decrease with time after infection,and for all the physiological functions to go back to normal or a healthy level.

“We can only speculate on what causes this phenomenon without further investigation,but emerging evidence suggests that it stems from COVID-19 triggering the auto-immune process that leads to vasculature deterioration," she said.

It isn’t known if the effects are permanent,or just long-lasting,as the study covered the months after an infection.

Professor Ana Jeroncic from the University of Split, who also led the study,said: “Given the number of people infected with COVID-19 worldwide,the fact that infection can have harmful effects on cardiovascular health in young people who had a mild form of the disease warrants close monitoring.

"The question remains as to whether this harmful effect is irreversible or permanent,and if not,for how long it lasts," he said.

Covid has already been shown to be associated with a type of acute heart failure and vascular dysfunction,but this study examined the long-term consequences on vascular health.

In this international study,the group of researchers brought together 32 volunteers who had all had their arterial stiffness measured - before they had Covid. They tested their arteries,following the infection,to allow comparison,and made the shocking discovery. This comes as a new Covid subvariant,XBB.1.16, known as Arcturus,has been spreading across the world,amid concerns it could be more transmissible than past variants.

Covid/Crohns us.

Ray said his father was also affected: "My dad had the Covid injection,because of his crohns,and off the back of the injection he caught endocarditis (parasite in a heart valve) and spent three months in hospital.

"The rub is this - the cases of endocarditis rocketed after the injection.Something he now wishes he never had.He's 73,but he's lost nearly all his strength and is constantly tired."

Arcturus is believed to have been behind the spike in cases in India,that led to mask laws being reintroduced in places.

In the UK,health chiefs have said that British patients have died with the virus subvariant. Ray said: "It is absolutely ridiculous how this nonsense can still be affecting us,after all this time.

"It is really frustrating,the continuing studies of it will get next to nothing in funding,so there will be no conclusive Data.

"We will all just be playing 'Russian Roulette' with what we've already had!".

A PLACE IN THE SUN!

Line up – line up at the gate, and when the whistle blows our six sunbeds laid out beside the pool basking in the sun, all with cushions, will be available to fight over. Not quite the same as Benidorm or the Costa del Sol, but the views across the valley are stunning. Have you heard the story of Mr and Mrs Ida Queue and family, it really is an everyday story of how to get to a beach to fight over sun beds. To achieve that, this mythical family representing those who wish to go to a seaside on holiday, need to spend previous times of the year waiting in line at the supermarket and the petrol pumps, and even chatting to neighbours while waiting for the school to release the young one.

Off they go on the holiday of their choice somewhere in the sun – ah, but first line up to park the car, get in the queue for the flight desk, there is another group of people waiting for coffee – and then a long line that needs to be joined for security, before linking to the end of a line who are anxious to find a tiny cramped seat on the aircraft.

On arrival at their destination, it’s queueing again to get off the plane and then another column for security, before waiting in line to rescue the luggage, and then join a string of people to get on the coach for the hotel where another line of people is waiting to book into their room.

It puzzles me, and while I agree everyone has their own way of living, why, after all that, would you want to get up early to get in a queue for a sun bed. But as I say everyone to his own.

Cancelled Operation

I have written stories concerning transgender before, this is different and frightening. First, I understand trying to follow the trans world is complicated as I am told there are currently 109 trendy groups including furry animals.

Day to day in the UK we see the National Health Service crumbling as doctors and then nurses, or is it the other way round, are going on strike leaving patients, all seven and half million of them, needing care.

I don’t think lack of money is the problem, as the organisation consumes a large chunk of the UK’s income, the change came when there were no Matrons running their own departments, instead businessmen/women treating health care as a conglomerate.

I think there is more to it than that and as I have said before in this column – ‘morale’ is important among the staff – certainly, in my