The head of Kentucky’s state public health agency says the long-term effects of coronavirus remain a question mark. The summer of 2023 finds COVID seldom in news headlines.
Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said the vast majority of Kentuckians are going on with their lives along with COVID presence. Stack noted that doesn’t mean the virus isn’t serious. He added many people have long term impairments like memory loss, breathing issues, and chronic fatigue.
“There are a number of things for this long COVID syndrome that we are actively still learning about and will take many, many years for us to better understand,” said Stack.
Unless dealing with an underlying medical condition, Dr. Stack said most people can probably wait until the fall for an expected new COVID vaccination.
“We said at the very beginning of this, part of it was slowing the spread and flattening the curve so that it could spread in a more controlled manner through the population. So, it lowered the overall risk of having a sudden crisis from severe disease…hitting too many people at the same time,” said Stack.
Stack said now it is freely circulating and it’s a wait-and-see time as it equalizes in the human population.
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