Trump policies at odds with emerging understanding of COVID’s long-term harm

The Trump administration's COVID-19 policies have been widely criticized for their lack of foresight and caution in addressing the long-term health effects of the virus, which continues to pose a significant risk even after initial infections resolve.

A growing body of research suggests that COVID vaccines offer protective benefits against longer-term health effects, but the Department of Health and Human Services has drastically limited recommendations about who should get the shot. The administration also halted Biden-era contracts aimed at developing more protective COVID vaccines, which has left many experts calling for increased funding and monitoring of people previously infected.

The Trump administration's stance on COVID-19 has been marked by a lack of transparency and scientific rigor, with officials downplaying the risks of the virus and questioning the safety of mRNA-based vaccines. The agency halted almost $500 million in funding for these vaccines, despite clinical trials performed before their release to the public.

Despite this, numerous studies have found that COVID-19 can cause unexpected and potentially chronic health issues, including increased risk of autism, delayed speech and motor development, accelerated weight gain, metabolic issues, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive deficits. Researchers estimate that the annual average burden of these long-term effects is estimated at $1 trillion globally and $9,000 per patient in the US.

The politicization around COVID-19 has obscured what science is increasingly confirming: the virus's potential to cause longer-term health problems. The growing awareness of this issue warrants more examination, as studies have found that people with neurocognitive issues such as changes in smell or headaches after infection had significant levels of a protein linked to Alzheimer’s in their blood plasma.

Inflammation caused by COVID-19 has also been linked to blood clots, arrhythmias, and higher risk of cardiovascular issues. A University of Southern California study found the risk for a major cardiac event remains elevated nearly three years after COVID infection, even among people who were not hospitalized.

The potential of COVID-19 to affect future generations is also yielding new findings, including changes to sperm that alter offspring's behavior in male mice. Many people are now living and struggling with the virus's after-effects, such as Dee Farrand, who experienced severe cognitive decline and cardiovascular issues after contracting COVID-19.

Overall, the Trump administration's COVID-19 policies have been marked by a lack of caution and scientific rigor, which has left many experts calling for increased funding and monitoring to address the long-term health effects of the virus.
 
I'm still getting chills thinking about how we handled this pandemic back in 2020 🤕 it's like, where did all that money go?! $1 trillion is a crazy number, imagine what could've been done with that if we'd acted sooner and more wisely 💸 my friend's cousin was one of those people who suffered from long-term effects, and it's still heartbreaking to see her struggle 🤯 I remember when COVID-19 first broke out, everyone was so divided - some were super concerned, while others thought it was just a minor flu season 😒 now that we're seeing the real long-term effects, it's like, what did we do wrong?! 🤔
 
🤕 its so sad to think that people who got covid are still struggling with long term effects 🤒 like cognitive decline and cardiovascular issues 🚑 and its even more heartbreaking when they're suffering in silence 💔 because of a lack of transparency and funding from the government 🤑 and it's not just about them, its also about their families and loved ones who have to deal with the emotional toll 😩 and we need to keep pushing for change so that those affected can get the help and support they deserve 💪
 
🤔 The COVID thingy is still going on? Like, what did we expect? A vaccine that's 100% effective and no side effects? 🙄 Give me a break! But seriously, I'm all for getting shot up with some meds to protect ourselves from the virus. However, this admin thing was totally clueless about it. $1 trillion?! That's like, a whole lotta cash! What did they spend that on, exactly? 🤑 And what's with the politicization around COVID-19? Can't we all just get along and figure out how to deal with the virus without making it into a big ol' party of hate and fear? 🤷‍♂️ It's like, I'm not saying they were wrong, but come on! 🙃
 
I'm really worried about this 🤕. It seems like the Trump admin was way too caught up in politics and didn't listen to science when it came to COVID-19. I mean, $1 trillion is a huge number for just the long-term health effects, and people are still struggling with chronic issues after contracting the virus. We need more research and funding to understand how to prevent these problems and help those who've already been affected 🤝. It's not just about COVID-19 anymore, it's about what we can learn from this pandemic and how we can move forward to make sure something like this never happens again 💡
 
omg this is so worrisome 🤕 I mean i knew vaccines could have side effects but not like this 🚨. it's crazy how trump's admin just halted funding for those covid vaccines without any proof that they didn't work 💸. and the whole thing with autism being a risk is just heartbreaking 😭 my cousin has autism and she's so smart 💡.

i feel so bad for people like dee farrand who are still struggling with after effects 🤕. we need more research and funding to figure out how to help them 🎯. and can we talk about the $1 trillion estimate for long term health effects? that's insane 🤑. i wish they'd just be honest and transparent about it instead of trying to politicize it 🗳️.

anyway, i'm so glad there are still scientists out there who care 💖. let's keep pushing for more answers and better solutions 💪
 
I mean, can you believe the Trump admin's approach to COVID? 🤯 They were like "oh no, what's going on?" when it hit, but then they just kinda... stopped looking into the long-term effects. I get that there are a lot of unknowns, but come on, $500 million for mRNA vaccines just got HALTED without even finishing the trial? That's just crazy talk! 🤑 And what about people who've already been infected? They're still dealing with health issues and nobody's really paying attention... it's like, yeah, we know you had COVID 2 years ago, let's make sure you're okay, dude. 💸 We need more funding for research on the long-term effects of COVID, that's for sure. And what about all these people who are living with the after-effects? Like Dee Farrand, poor guy... his story is just heartbreaking 🤕
 
Back
Top