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First published: 02 May 2023
https://doi.org/10.1096/fba.2023-00032
Peter Hotez
1 INTRODUCTION
As America enters its fourth pandemic year, the full toll of COVID-19 on the public health of the country is coming into view. Even beyond our staggering 1.1 million deaths are the many millions of hospitalizations and the ensuing prolonged rehabilitations expected for long COVID cases. Newer data indicate that long COVID is more likely to occur after a severe bout of the infection.1
The University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics employs a metric known as disability-adjusted life years or DALYs2 which roughly refers to the years of life lost either from premature death or disability. On both fronts we will soon have numbers assigned to the DALYs lost from COVID-19, and they will be eye-wateringly high.
2 AN UNFORCED ERROR OF CATASTROPHIC PROPORTIONS
Tragically, many of these COVID-19 deaths and DALYs in America could have been averted with better acceptance of vaccines, especially during the deadly delta variant wave in the last half of 2021, and omicron BA.1 wave in the first quarter of 2022. ...
https://doi.org/10.1096/fba.2023-00032
Peter Hotez
1 INTRODUCTION
As America enters its fourth pandemic year, the full toll of COVID-19 on the public health of the country is coming into view. Even beyond our staggering 1.1 million deaths are the many millions of hospitalizations and the ensuing prolonged rehabilitations expected for long COVID cases. Newer data indicate that long COVID is more likely to occur after a severe bout of the infection.1
The University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics employs a metric known as disability-adjusted life years or DALYs2 which roughly refers to the years of life lost either from premature death or disability. On both fronts we will soon have numbers assigned to the DALYs lost from COVID-19, and they will be eye-wateringly high.
2 AN UNFORCED ERROR OF CATASTROPHIC PROPORTIONS
Tragically, many of these COVID-19 deaths and DALYs in America could have been averted with better acceptance of vaccines, especially during the deadly delta variant wave in the last half of 2021, and omicron BA.1 wave in the first quarter of 2022. ...
