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The mystery of why Covid-19 seems to be becoming milder (www.bbc.com)

submitted 20 hours ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/health@lemmy.world

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Summary

Despite new variants like XEC, Covid-19 appears milder, with fewer hospitalizations and severe cases, even though infections remain widespread.

Experts attribute this to improved population immunity from repeated infections and vaccinations, which blunt the virus's effects.

XEC's immune evasion has not caused a significant surge, and symptoms now resemble mild colds for most.

However, risks like long Covid and potential severe variants persist, emphasizing the need for continued vaccinations and research on better treatments and vaccines, including mucosal and universal options, to manage the virus's unpredictable evolution.

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[–] bluGill@fedia.io 12 points 18 hours ago

That understanding is common but false.

Rabies has been around for thousands of years, and is always deadly. HIV/AIDS always kills (modern drugs effectively treat it, but all strains are still deadly if you don't get treatment). They both are able to survive despite killing the host because they spread before the host dies. Rabies kills fairly quick and but it makes the hosts violent in ways that make them likely to spread it. You won't even know you have HIV for several years (if you don't test) and thus have plenty of opportunity to spread it by chance. There are many other diseases that are deadly but not until after they spread (most are treatable though) and thus survive. (or are going extinct but only because of modern medicine)