Review Multiorgan sequelae following non-COVID-19 respiratory infections: a review, 2025, Weckler et al.

[SNT Gatchaman]

Multiorgan sequelae following non-COVID-19 respiratory infections: a review
Weckler, Barbara Christine; Kutzinski, Max; Vogelmeier, Claus Franz; Schmeck, Bernd

BACKGROUND
While numerous studies have documented severe and long-term health impacts of COVID-19 infections on various organs, the prolonged multisystemic implications of other acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are poorly understood. This review therefore analyzed currently available studies about these sequelae of ARIs excluding COVID-19.

MAIN BODY
Multiple pathogens causing ARIs are associated with significant long-lasting impairments across various organ systems. Cardiovascular events occur in 10–35% of patients following ARIs, with an elevated risk persisting for 10 years. The stroke incidence ratio increases significantly after ARIs up to 12.3. Pulmonary sequelae are common, including abnormal lung function in 54%, parenchymal opacification in 51%, lung fibrosis in 33–62%, asthma in 30%, and bronchiectasis in 24% of patients. The risk of developing dementia is increased 2.2-fold. Posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue occur in 15–43%, 15–36%, 14–62%, and 27–75% of patients, respectively. 28-day mortality from CAP with (versus no) additional cardiovascular event is increased to 36% (versus 10%). Long-term mortality from CAP (versus no CAP) remains elevated for years post-infection, with a 1-year, 5-year, and 7-year mortality rate of 17% (versus 4%), 43% (versus 19%), and 53% (versus 24%), respectively. Patients´ quality of life is significantly reduced, with 17% receiving invalidity pensions and 22% retiring within 4 years of severe ARIs.

CONCLUSION
Non-COVID-19 ARIs are associated with clinically relevant, frequent, and long-term sequelae involving multiple organ systems. Further prospective studies are needed.

Link | PDF (Infection) [Open Access]

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Under "Psychiatric, cognitive, and fatigue-related complications" —

SARS-CoV-1

Within 3.5 years post-infection, 42.5% of patients experience active psychiatric illness including PTSD in 54.5%, depression in 39.0%, somatoform pain disorder in 36.4%, panic disorder in 32.5%, chronic fatigue syndrome in 27%, and obsessive compulsive disorder in 15.6% of cases. A meta-analysis including twenty original studies about the psychological impact of SARS in survivors confirms high rates of PTSD, anxiety, and depression for years post-infection.

MERS-CoV

A substantial proportion of survivors exhibits psychiatric symptoms for an extended period following their initial infection. 12 months after infection with MERS, 42.9% and 27.0% of survivors reported PTSD and depression, respectively. Further research revealed persistent mental health issues at both 12 and 18 months: At 12 months, 48.1% of patients experience chronic fatigue, 26.9% depression, and 42.3% PTSD, respectively. By 18 months, these figures decreased to 32.7% for chronic fatigue, 17.31% for depression, and 26.9% for PTSD.

Legionella pneumophila

17 months after disease onset, PTSD and fatigue were present in 15% and 75% of patients, each.

Concluding —

Non-COVID-19 ARIs are associated with post-acute infection sequelae and the development of multiple complications, including cardiovascular, neurological, secondary pulmonary, psychiatric, and cognitive disorders, and chronic fatigue. These long-term sequelae of respiratory tract infections are of critical importance for patients as they significantly impact both the life span and quality of life of affected individuals, while also placing a burden on society.

 

[rvallee]

Thing is, it's actually likely that almost all disease-causing pathogens do that, with some to a small degree, others more significant. If that were the case, there is simply no way we could actually validate this, for technical, economic, cultural, and basic human reasons. Especially since medicine has a huge blind spot where it very badly does not want this to be true, will desperately look for any reason, including inventing weird nonsensical pseudoscience to explain it away.

Especially when you know how the process works, what pathogens do when they invade, and how the immune system deals with it: with extreme prejudice. It always leave damage behind, it basically can't not leave a mark. It's like a shootout between armies who also have grenade launchers and flame-throwing tanks, at the best of times.

It's possible that most of that damage is eventually repaired, but it's not realistic to think that it's repaired perfectly. It's very likely that this is the norm, that it always happens, but that most of it is small enough that we barely notice each injury, but that the sum of it all is actually the cause of most health problems that aren't related to aging, physical injury or other disease-causing things like pollution and chemicals we are exposed to, some of which is natural (toxins, venoms, and so on).

But we truly have no way to know. Not with our current level of science and technology, anyway. Not with such an extreme level of motivated unreasoning leading the medical profession to twist itself into multidimensional knots about how it's the psychological reaction that has caused almost all of this. This is simply not normal or rational. And science just doesn't work in those conditions.