ve ever written, and I¶

It's been a year since I published LTEP. I think this is the most important thing I've ever written, and I'm glad it resonated with so many people.

Unfortunately, the only thing that's changed since then is that we've learned that COVID is even WORSE.

https://t.co/7cUBHzApCc A lot of the claims made in the article were narrative-crafting: a picture drawn from incomplete data. In the past year, far more data has come out, making claims like viral persistence, immune dysfunction, and the infection of every organ system, no longer "likely," but certain. My only regret about this article is that the picture it paints isn't terrifying ENOUGH. I've been decried for "fear mongering," but I actually feel like I equivocated too much in Let Them Eat Plague, out of fear of making predictions that didn't pan out. Others, more courageous than me, have made much stronger predictions. @fitterhappierAJ recently predicted that you NEVER truly clear the virus.

I don't dispute that. That's certainly where the evidence is pointing, even if it hasn't been conclusively demonstrated. That's why I've been consistent in referring to "the acute stage of COVID." The disease is not that initial bout of feeling crappy: it's chronic. If you don't have long COVID, you didn't necessarily dodge a bullet: you might just not have reached that stage of the disease. Yet. I don't care if people call me a fear monger. Be afraid. Wear a mask. Avoid large gatherings. Test regularly. If we do nothing, this will only get worse.