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Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
What long COVID can teach us about future pandemics
Researchers are improving our understanding of the biological causes of long covid and working toward treatments. These advances may help not only people facing chronic illnesses today but also postinfection syndromes of the future. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But experts are worried that despite the hard-won lessons of covid, we are not fully prepared for the next pandemic and its aftermath due to decreases in research funding and support, and polarization of public health measures. Advertisement Climate change and increasing human encroachment into wildlife habitats mean a higher risk of diseases spreading. " I would argue that probably we're less prepared for this now than we were even prepared for the covid-19 pandemic," Al-Aly said. Long covid is new and not new Long covid originally surprised researchers and clinicians, but in retrospect, there were clues that infections could lead to chronic health conditions in some patients, researchers said. Other illnesses and pandemics have caused post-acute infection syndromes that bear striking similarities to those of long covid. Advertisement Therefore, long covid is new and very much not new. Related : We now know that 'we have post-infectious disease syndromes that occur, and that it's not unique to covid, but covid really brought it to the forefront,' said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. During and after the 1918 flu pandemic, people complained of feeling lethargic, memory problems and hazy thinking - which sounds a lot like the 'brain fog' and other neurocognitive effects of long covid. Farmers couldn't tend to their crops or shear their sheep, leading to economic distress. Years after the flu subsided, there was a rise in a Parkinson's-like symptoms tied to the illness. There was also a coinciding epidemic of encephalitis lethargica, or sleeping sickness, that some believe to be related to the flu, though this link is disputed. Similar long-lasting symptoms followed outbreaks of the respiratory viruses SARS-CoV-1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in the decades before covid. Some people also face persistent symptoms following Lyme disease, Ebola and dengue. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a still-mysterious chronic condition marked by persistent fatigue and malaise after exertion, is also suspected of having similar underlying causes as long covid; a 2024 meta-analysis found approximately half of long covid patients have ME/CFS. The difference with covid, of course, is 'just the sheer volume of people who had covid and got long covid,' which made it much easier to study and research compared with the other post-acute syndromes, said Wes Ely, a professor of medicine and co-director of the Center for Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Advertisement The pattern is now more apparent: While many people escape unscathed, 'it's clear that there's a wave of chronic disease and disability after pandemics,' Al-Aly said. A nurse recorded a patient's vitals. Long covid originally surprised researchers and clinicians, but in retrospect, there were clues that infections could lead to chronic health conditions. Kate Dearman/for The Washington Post This should factor into preparing for future pandemics and their aftereffects. 'We need to think about both the short and long term from the get-go when designing antivirals, designing vaccines' and identifying patients early to get them help earlier, Al-Aly said. Preparing for the aftermath of future pandemics In many ways, the United States may be less prepared to deal with the long covids of tomorrow than you would think. Understanding the biological causes of long covid will help. 'Investing in an understanding or unlocking the secrets of long covid' is going to pay dividends not only for long covid, but could be repurposed more broadly for post-viral illnesses of the present and future, Al-Aly said. But now, many of those resources and investments are at risk. Related : The Office of Long COVID Research and Practice, established in 2023 at the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate the sprawling research efforts about the condition, has been shuttered. The HHS Secretary's Advisory Committee on Long Covid - a group of long covid physicians, researchers, patients and their advocates meant to advise on gaps in knowledge and research priorities - was terminated before its first meeting. Though HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated his commitment to finding long covid treatments, citing long covid's impact on his son, there had not been any new structures put in place for long covid research as of June. Meanwhile, clinical trials searching for long covid treatments are continuing, but researchers fear that future funding may be at risk, following cuts to dozens of long covid research grants (some of which were later restored). Advertisement The Trump administration's budget proposal 'I think we have a lot of work to do. And, you know, it's terribly unfortunate so much of this work has been now stopped by this administration,' Osterholm said. However, the multibillion-dollar RECOVER Covid Initiative launched by the NIH allowed researchers to set up clinics and study long covid at a 'much bigger scale than they ever have been before,' said Leora Horwitz, a professor of population health and medicine at the New York University School of Medicine. 'I think they've put us in a good position now to recognize similar sorts of conditions of future as-yet-unknown pandemics.' The infrastructure set up by RECOVER has allowed for the long-term tracking of in-depth health data and could be a model for what to test in future pandemics, said Horwitz, who co-leads the branch of RECOVER studying adult patients, which includes almost 15,000 participants at 83 sites across 33 states. More important, there is now broader recognition that a subset of people can develop prolonged symptoms from infections, Horwitz said. Moen viewed imaging of mice brain sections that have been infected, and then treated, with SARS-CoV-2, at the Iwasaki Lab. Jackie Molloy/For the Washington Post Experts said that many of these developments and understanding were driven by fierce advocacy from the community of long covid patients, who have prompted politicians to act. However, the U.S. health care system remains strained even without contending with another pandemic, said Osterholm, who pointed to a projected shortage of physicians and other health care professionals. Advertisement Fixing the health care system is important, he said. 'If we don't invest right now, the bottom line is we're going to just do a repeat all over again in the next pandemic,' Osterholm said. At the same time, many of the public health tools for mitigating infection spread and severity - and therefore risk of long-term symptoms - have become increasingly politicized. Masking, vaccination, antivirals and improved indoor air quality have all helped combat covid and are valuable tools to implement should another pandemic arise, Al-Aly said. But people are increasingly tuning out these public health conversations and resisting being reminded of the pandemic, 'like almost collective amnesia,' he said. 'We paid a heavy price for this knowledge, and literally more than 1.1 million people died' in the United States, Al-Aly said. Now it's a 'question of whether there will be the political will and also the public sentiment to actually utilize this information for public good,' he said.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Air Liquide to set up new plant and filling station in Gujarat
Air Liquide India will invest in a new Air Separation Unit (ASU) and Cylinder Filling Station (CFS) in Bhagapura , Gujarat , marking its second such facility in the state. The company plans to build, own and operate the new units, with operations expected to begin in 2027. The new plant will double Air Liquide's production capacity in the region, adding to its existing operations in Jhagadia. The Bhagapura ASU will produce 200 tonnes of gases per day, while the associated filling station will handle around 1,000 cylinders daily. The project is intended to serve multiple sectors including automotive, battery, and electronics, as well as hospitals requiring medical gases. Move towards renewable energy In line with its global sustainability targets, Air Liquide plans to decarbonise the Bhagapura site by sourcing renewable energy starting in 2029. This aligns with Gujarat's Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Policy. Air Liquide India has operated in the country since 1996 and runs six production units across northern and western India. These facilities produce a combined 1,500 tonnes per day of oxygen, nitrogen, and argon gases. Commenting on the expansion, Benoit Renard, Managing Director of Air Liquide India, said the company is more than doubling its capacity in Gujarat. 'Being close to our customers, in order to provide a high level of reliability and quality in our services, will always be our priority,' he added.
Business Journals
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Google commits to buy 200MW from forthcoming Chesterfield fusion plant
Fusion energy's promise of clean, limitless energy is becoming even more critical in the era of AI, which requires massive computational power. Google and Commonwealth Fusion Systems are working together to bring secure fusion power to market. Devens, Massachusetts-based CFS said Monday it deepened an ongoing relationship with AI giant Google, the prominent subsidiary of Mountain View, California-based Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), which is set to buy 200 megawatts of clean fusion power from CFS. The power will be produced at the company's forthcoming fusion plant coming to Chesterfield County that was announced late last year.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Google to buy 200MW of fusion energy from MIT spinoff CFS
Google has announced its first commercial commitment to fusion, agreeing to purchase 200MW of power from Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a company spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The electricity will come from CFS's inaugural ARC power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia, which CFS describes as the world's first grid-scale fusion facility. The facility is expected to contribute to the grid in the early 2030s. Google also holds an option to source energy from future ARC plants. ARC aims to generate 400MW of net electricity comparable with utility-scale natural gas plants. Google's investment in CFS since 2021 is set to deepen as it increases its stake in the company. However, financial details remain undisclosed. CFS CEO and co-founder Bob Mumgaard stated: 'Fusion power is within our grasp thanks in part to forward-thinking partners like Google, a recognised technology pioneer across industries. 'Our strategic deal with Google is the first of many as we move to demonstrate fusion energy from SPARC and then bring our first power plant online. We aim to demonstrate fusion's ability to provide reliable, abundant, clean energy at the scale needed to unlock economic growth and improve modern living – and enable what will be the largest market transition in history.' Fusion technology offers transformative potential due to its lack of fuel or natural resource constraints compared to other energy sources. By emulating the sun's energy production process in which smaller atoms such as hydrogen fuse together, it promises a consistent supply of clean energy capable of powering emerging industries, electrifying transport systems, homes and businesses, and supporting advanced computing needs such as AI applications. CFS' marquee fusion project, SPARC, will generate net energy, paving the way for limitless carbon-free energy. The company has raised more than $2bn in capital since its establishment in 2018. Devens, Massachusetts-based CFS is working with policymakers and suppliers to make fusion energy available worldwide. "Google to buy 200MW of fusion energy from MIT spinoff CFS" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Google strikes deal to buy fusion power from MIT spinoff Commonwealth
Alphabet's Google said on Monday it has struck a deal to buy power from a project in Virginia fuelled by fusion, the reaction that powers the sun and the stars but is not yet commercial on Earth. Google signed what it called the technology's first direct corporate power purchase agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a company that spun off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2018. The deal is for 200 megawatts of power from CFS' ARC project, which is planned to have a total capacity of 400 MW. The company is developing the project in Virginia, home to the world's biggest hub of energy-hungry data centres. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Physicists at national laboratories and companies have been trying for decades to use lasers or, in the case of CFS, large magnets to foster fusion reactions, in which light atoms are forced together to release large amounts of energy. In 2022, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California briefly achieved net energy gain in a fusion experiment using lasers. But achieving so-called "engineering break-even," in which more energy comes out of a reaction than the overall energy that goes into a fusion plant to get a reaction going, has been elusive. And for a plant to generate power from fusion, the reactions must be constant, not rare. "Yes, there are some serious physics and engineering challenges that we still have to work through to make it commercially viable and scalable," Michael Terrell, Google's head of advanced energy, told reporters in a call. "But that's something that we want to be investing in now to realize that future." As artificial intelligence and data centres boost power demand around the world, interest in fusion is spiking. Fusion, unlike nuclear fission, in which atoms are split, does not generate large amounts of radioactive waste. In addition, fusion, if successful, could help fight climate change. CFS aims to generate power from the ARC project in the early 2030s but must first clear the scientific hurdles. "Without partnership and without being bold and setting a goal and going for it, you won't ever reach over those challenges," Bob Mumgaard, CFS' CEO and co-founder, told reporters. He said the ARC plant will teach CFS about the "teething phase" of fusion, in which he expects to learn about how often fusion machines break down and how they can run reliably. Google also said on Monday it was increasing its investment in CFS, but did not disclose the amount. Google was one of many investors that invested a total of $1.8 billion into CFS in 2021. Mumgaard said the current fundraising efforts by CFS are comparable to the 2021 round.
