After reading the blog on the terrifying brain effects of COVID-19 Brad asked if those same conditions occurred in younger people.
As far as I know there is not enough data to answer that question, but because almost all young people get over the acute phase of COVID-19 quickly I doubt that young people will have any residual brain effects. Most residual effects seem to be directly related to the seriousness of the acute phase, but that is not true in all cases–there always are outliers in any study.
Here are some other questions with no satisfactory answers:
Do family members who remain healthy while continuing to live with a COVID-19 infected relative have immunity to the virus?
Why do some people become infected and others don’t? I ask this because my 99-year-old mother lives in a retirement community. Two residents in that community tested positive, and developed COVID-19. The other 118 residents, including my mother, remained free of the disease. Why? You may answer that the 118 residents practiced strenuous guidelines. In this particular case that answer is wrong. My OCD inclined mother would earn a blue ribbon from infectious disease guru, Dr. Anthony Fauci, but many of the other residents commingle without masks. ALL OF US MUST WEAR MASKS FOR OUR HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF OTHERS, but evidently (based on a noncontrolled study of 120 retirees) some who don’t wear masks don’t get sick, and they may not get others sick.
Why do some flu vaccinated people acquire influenza while others who have not been vaccinated remain healthy? ALL OF US WOULD DO BEST TO GET THE FLU VACCINE EVERY YEAR, but annual mutations weaken the effects of the vaccine. And some people are just darn lucky, and don’t become infected no matter what.
Does a healthy lifestyle and a stress-free environment protect against COVID-19?
Will a greater understanding of treatment modalities supersede vaccination in controlling the virus?
What are the long term effects of a COVID-19 vaccine that alters messenger RNA?
There are many more questions, and I am certain you have thought of some. The more we learn, the more questions we will have.
There are more horrors in our lives than a worldwide pandemic. We live in a grisly, ghastly, and gruesome world—terrorist attacks, mass murders, school shootings, senseless wars, natural disasters, accidents, pestilence, famine, homicides, suicide, rape, physical and sexual abuse, drug and alcohol addictions—-all can breed spine-chilling nights. The horror! The horror! (Remember The Heart of Darkness from English Literature 101—although Joseph Conrad was Polish, not English).
It’s lucky—–or a gift of God—–that any of us are alive. Let’s celebrate life!
In Ecclesiastes 8:15 Solomon wrote, I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.
We must savor a healthy and abundant life when we have it, and avoid worrying about those things over which we have no control.
I know a few kindhearted, considerate, and unselfish people who can live a life of contentment in this troubled world without Christ, but how they endure the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune remains an inscrutable mystery to me.
The cardinal principle in my life remains to love the LORD my God with all my heart, mind and soul and love my neighbor as myself. Although those who have been around me anytime at all will tell you that I fall dreadfully short of my goal, I aim to act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with my LORD. This creed allows me to sleep unfettered by fear.
Both in blissful days, and times of trouble, Christ brings love, joy, and peace to my soul. Others may seek a different path. I am OK with that. For me Christ is the answer.