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Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

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Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#161
post #35

The title is misleading, at least on the IQ claim. The underlying study was observational and did not claim causation. Medical journals and their associated media summaries are awash with low-certainty studies that get de-nuanced and overhyped. These studies are relatively easy to do - not to denigrate the work put in by the original study authors (it’s not their fault the press sensationalize their work). But for st…

It's less misleading then you might think. There are cases (enough to not be treated as just some random coincidence; with and without vaccination) where people after Covid had a sever reduction of cognitive abilities that they have problems filling out relatively simple forms. So we can clearly speak of a reduction of IQ. And while there is a lot of research needed and a lot of open questions and already half a year…

I do not think IQ tests are meant or designed to measure effects from illness. We do not say that IQ drops when you are sick with the flu and have high fever that makes it hard to think. IQ does not drop when you wake up groggy in the morning up until you drink coffee. I am not sure why people use IQ here instead of referring specifically to brain fog and other symptoms of post-COVID infection. IQ does not drop when you get sick and does not increase when you get treatment. If that is the case, then it is even worse measure than it is supposed to be, because it does not measure anything remotely stable.

Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If true, this seems quite damning for IQ as a metric. If the kilogram varied across countries, we would be in big trouble.

IQ metrics are continually damned. There is still no real consensus that they are useful at all. But the social sciences is filled with a lot of soft metrics like IQ because studying complex human behavior with hard science is very hard, and probably impossible.

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Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#163
post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems to be the issue - we're trying to study COVID, which affected literally the whole population of earth at this point, and we have no control group of people who have not been affected. People have gotten older, have gone through mass societal change, and any other number of things in between.

Also in every study we need a control group. How do you know for sure that the control group didn't get COVID. For all I know there is no way to know for sure you haven't been infected or sick of Covid in those 4 years, it is not like testing has been very reliable.

I know people who have been in long term covid studies since maybe April 2020, in what was the Seattle Flu study: self testing at least weekly back then and sending in samples regularly. The first people recruited were all the medical researchers at that institution and nearby who worked on things with no connection to covid, but relevant enough lab knowledge that they were trusted to understand how to self test.

Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you working in the cellar at home? Why would you have less vitamin D working from home than say, an office?

Even just 15 mins in the sun helps vitamin D levels so walking from the house to the car into the office and back again is enough to make a difference compared to not going out at all, no?

You mean some people only go out to work?

If true, OK, I was wrong about WFH/hybrid being superior to RTO, I guess different people mean different habits.

Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#165
post #35

The title is misleading, at least on the IQ claim. The underlying study was observational and did not claim causation. Medical journals and their associated media summaries are awash with low-certainty studies that get de-nuanced and overhyped. These studies are relatively easy to do - not to denigrate the work put in by the original study authors (it’s not their fault the press sensationalize their work). But for st…

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I'll bet surgeons wear masks for more time than most people did during COVID, but we don't see surgeon IQs tanking.

Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#166

I thought tiktok caused that.

tiktok was doing this before covid was around.

There was a massive increase in TikTok's user base between 2020 to now, though, so it's worth investigating.

Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#167
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Australia has a population of 26 million, longer life expectancy than the USofA, and comprehensive medical records going back many decades. With ~98% of the population COVID vaccinated multiple times any vaccine effects would stick out like dogs balls. If anyone wants to posit "vaccines cause { stupid | strokes | etc }" Then such correlations should be readily apparent in the before | after records of 26 million test…

Mortality of productive population 15-44 still rising after 2021 in EU. https://euromomo.eu

Thank you for the link.

Currently the pooled deaths 15-44 are reported as below the long term 1,600 baseline ( https://euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps/ ).

Regardless, I'm not sure if you have a point here that connects vaccination to significant numbers adverse after effects.

Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#168
post #35

The title is misleading, at least on the IQ claim. The underlying study was observational and did not claim causation. Medical journals and their associated media summaries are awash with low-certainty studies that get de-nuanced and overhyped. These studies are relatively easy to do - not to denigrate the work put in by the original study authors (it’s not their fault the press sensationalize their work). But for st…

Could it be just a correlation?

Maybe something like people with lower IQ are less likely to do a job where they can work from home so they are more likely to have been exposed to the virus?

Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#169

That's not exlusive to covid, but happens with all acute infections. It has long been known that the number of infections correlate with IQ loss. "People with five or more hospital contacts with infections had an IQ score of 9.44 lower than the average." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150521095016.h...

I've been hospitalised three times with severe infections, and sent to the minor injuries unit once with an infection that would've gotten severe, but caught early with oral antibiotic. Makes me wonder what I'd be like if I never got hit by anything.

Re: Covid infections are causing IQ drops and years of brain aging, studies suggest

#170
post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even just 15 mins in the sun helps vitamin D levels so walking from the house to the car into the office and back again is enough to make a difference compared to not going out at all, no?

You mean some people only go out to work? If true, OK, I was wrong about WFH/hybrid being superior to RTO, I guess different people mean different habits.

I live in the UK, it was only a few weeks ago it stopped being dark when I finish work. Climate is a bitch.
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