Dr. Fauci introduces new acronym for Long Covid called "PASC"

[Gingergrrl]

I get weekly emails from Medscape (not sure how I got onto this list and I am not a doctor! ) and one of the articles in it today was called, "Fauci Introduces New Acronym for Long COVID at White House Briefing".

Here is the link and main excerpt from it:

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticl...224_MSCPEDIT&uac=235907DN&impID=3211624&faf=1

As officials scramble to get vaccines and protective gear to the public, scientists are working overtime to gain knowledge of the long-term effects of COVID-19, said Anthony Fauci, MD, during a wide-ranging briefing at the White House today.

"Many of you are now aware of what had long been called 'long COVID,' " said Fauci, the White House COVID-19 Response Team's chief medical adviser. "But actually, what that really is is post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which we're now referring to as 'PASC,' or P-A-S-C."

He noted that the National Institutes of Health launched an initiative yesterday to further study the phenomenon, which Fauci called "alarming" and "puzzling."

He stressed that even patients with moderate cases of the infection can develop PASC. Symptoms include fatigue; gastrointestinal problems; "brain fog," or an inability to focus; depression; anxiety; sleep difficulties; and, in extreme cases, impaired lung capacity.

"New symptoms sometimes arise well after the time of infection, or they evolve over time and persist for months," Fauci continued. "They can range from mild or annoying to actually quite incapacitating." He referred to a study from researchers at the University of Washington that was published online February 19 in JAMA Network Open. In that study, more than 30% of the 177 participants reported symptoms that persisted for up to 9 months.

"It's very difficult to treat something when you don't know what the target of that treatment is," Fauci said. "There are a lot of important questions with this series of initiatives that we will ultimately answer."

Now it is me again... I was wondering what everyone thinks of this new acronym "PASC"? I have mixed feelings and from everything that I've read, Long Covid actually seems to have many more similarities to ME/CFS than this article made it sound. But Long Covid definitely has some unique features too, especially the (frequent) long-term lung damage and long-term loss of smell and/or taste. I think I actually prefer "Long Covid" better than a new acronym "PASC" which is more complicated and no one has heard of it. It might end up creating more confusion?

 

[andyguitar]

I think I actually prefer "Long Covid" better than a new acronym "PASC" that is more complicated and no one has heard of it. It might end up created more confusion?

I think they should stick to "Long Covid". As that is what it's called everywhere.

 

[Wishful]

"We, the government, are putting great effort into dealing with this terrible epidemic. Today we have ... created yet another new name for it! (Hmmm, where's the wild applause?)"

 

[ljimbo423]

I was wondering what everyone thinks of this new acronym "PASC"?

It's not bad, as long as I don't have to say the long version. I do prefer long Covid, I'm just use to it.

I have mixed feelings and from everything that I've read, Long Covid actually seems to have many more similarities to ME/CFS than this article made it sound.

But Long Covid definitely has some unique features too, especially the (frequent) long-term lung damage and long-term loss of smell and/or taste.

My sense is a lot of people with Long Covd actually have developed ME/CFS from the infection. There are also some with damage to organs. I see these as separate things though, as ME/CFS is not caused by damage to the lungs, heart etc.

So I look at it like some have ME/CFS and some don't.

EDIT- I do like that they are using the term "sequelae" in the new acronym. Which means "a condition which is the consequence of a previous disease or injury". Saying that Long Covid is not an extension of the prior viral infection.

 

[andyguitar]

. Saying that Long Covid is not an extension of the prior viral infection.

I expect that is going to be subject to great debate @ljimbo423 as many are going to say its a virus that is hiding but still causing symptoms.

 

[geraldt52]

That's just the sort of thing useless government employees excel at...meeting, to schedule more meetings, to come up with a name. I suspect that Fauci will be as useless in helping long covid sufferers as he has been for decades in helping CFS sufferers...

 

[ljimbo423]

I expect that is going to be subject to great debate @ljimbo423 as many are going to say its a virus that is hiding but still causing symptoms.

I think you're right.

 

[andyguitar]

I suspect that Fauci will be as useless in helping long covid sufferers as he has been for decades in helping CFS sufferers...

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Pyrrhus]

I was wondering what everyone thinks of this new acronym "PASC"?

Just a week or two ago, NIH was referring to Long Covid as "Post-acute Coronavirus Syndrome", or PACS.

Today PACS has become PASC, leaving PACS in the past.

And tomorrow?

 

[bensmith]

is this real life?

 

[Gingergrrl]

Just a week or two ago, NIH was referring to Long Covid as "Post-acute Coronavirus Syndrome", or PACS. Today PACS has become PASC, leaving PACS in the past. And tomorrow?

If I had to choose between those two names, I prefer "PACS" over "PASC". But truly, I think they should just stick with "Long COVID". It is easier to say, easier to remember, and immediately clear to everyone who hears it.

 

[bensmith]

Same!

 

[Booble]

Not that we need new acronyms but this is a great thing. It means they are taking it seriously. That's a huge change from where we've been for the last many decades.

 

[Alvin2]

If one of us knows someone who knows someone who can speak to Fauci it might be a good idea to ask him if he thinks ME/CFS and [whatever acronym] are related. And if somehow more funding can be directed to ME/CFS research.
That said i think calling it long covid makes the most sense, clumsy acronyms are unnecessary.

 

[Gemini]

The leader of the 100,000+ COVID patient "Survivor Corps" organization told Fauci recently she preferred "Long Term COVID" because many patients with Long COVID had been asymptomatic, not experiencing an "acute" phase, hence the term Post-Acute excludes them.

Terms like "Sequelae" and "Syndrome" separate the condition from the infection which is premature given the underlying pathophysiology of Long COVID is not yet known (infection could still be playing a role).

Syndromes don't get the research attention or funding that "diseases" do. The ME/CFS IOM Report stated the name matters; advocates have spent three decades trying to change the name Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

@Gingergrrl @ljimbo423 @andyguitar @bensmith @Pyrrhus @geraldt52

 

[bensmith]

Amen.

 

[Booble]

Personally, I think getting hung up on the name is not the best use of anyone's (limited) energy. It's getting REAL attention and a lot of research, etc, going into it. If we come off as complainers over minutiae we might lose that momentum. We should be supporting and cheering every dang bit of what they are doing to fund and research this.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Terms like "Sequelae" and "Syndrome" separate the condition from the infection which is premature given the underlying pathophysiology of Long COVID is not yet known (infection could still be playing a role).

This is one of the reasons that I prefer "Long COVID" because it doesn't attribute a specific cause that may end up being wrong in the long-run. We don't know yet if Long COVID is due to a post-viral/infectious syndrome or if the COVID virus has triggered some kind of inflammatory or autoimmune condition or something else. I also just think everyone knows what "Long COVID" means and no one has heard of "PACS" or "PASC" or other new acronyms.

Syndromes don't get the research attention or funding that "diseases" do. The ME/CFS IOM Report stated the name matters; advocates have spent three decades trying to change the name Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. @Gingergrrl @ljimbo423 @andyguitar @bensmith @Pyrrhus @geraldt52

I think names matter, too (for ME and for Long COVID). If I hadn't been (incorrectly) labeled with "CFS" and dismissed by endless doctors in 2013, I think the entire course of my life might have played out differently.

Edit: I also wanted to add that having different names and acronyms for illnesses in different countries adds to the confusion (like "ME", "CFS", "SEID", etc, depending where you live). Versus worldwide, everyone knows what "COVID-19" means and I hope that it will be the same for "Long COVID".

 

[jaybee00]

After 6 months with symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, PEM, I prefer the term MECFS over Long Covid or PXYZ#%^*—because that what it is—MECFS.

 

[Gemini]

The leader of the 100,000+ COVID patient "Survivor Corps" organization told Fauci recently she preferred [the name] "Long Term COVID"

Here's the 30-minute video between Survivor Corps' leader & Dr. Fauci, name discussed at 11:30 - 13:30 on the video. Fauci's comments on Long COVID treatments at 22:00 are also interesting.

Thanks for posting this topic @Gingergrrl @Janet Dafoe