#Microblog Monday 353: PCOS and COVID-19
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On the “this doesn’t sound good” front: there seems to be a connection between PCOS and COVID-19. Namely, women with PCOS are at higher risk if they contract COVID-19. This quote says it all:
“‘PCOS is completely underestimated in its impact. It’s sort of seen as some reproductive issue that is not clinically relevant. But this is completely wrong … Patients need to be seen as a high-risk population,’ said Dr. Wiebke Arlt.”
In other words, women’s health is being swept under the rug yet again: “Despite how common PCOS is, as well as the serious complications it can come with, health experts say the condition has long been overlooked, misunderstood and under-researched, leaving patients to advocate for themselves or even educate practitioners to get treatment.”
If you have PCOS, read the CNN article. Cristy sent me the link, and I’ve now seen the news in a few places this week.
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5 comments
There was an article about this that I read sometime in mid-April. I think it was from the UK. I came across it because I was using Dr Google to see if I would be at higher risk of the blood clots from the Astra Zeneca given my various health factors. Instead I found a very brief discussion suggesting that women with PCOS were more likely to contract Covid and more likely to have serious side effects. But it was clear it was very new science and the conclusions were still tentative.
There’s also all sorts of chatter online about the vaccines affecting women’s menstrual cycles (periods coming early, being heavier, etc) which makes sense since the endometrium is part of the immune system. But there’s so little attention paid to these kinds of things – always dismissed as “lady stuff” and only relevant for fertility/pregnancy issues. It’s infuriating.
Given all the fear about vaccines impacting fertility, I am amazed there’s so little concern about contracting this virus and impacting not only on fertility, but general health.
We know know that about the link between immunity and cognitive health (COVID brain fog is real and we’re just beginning to understand what is happening there), but now the link with metabolic disorders and immunity is on the radar due to COVID. How anyone would think that getting infected is safer than getting vaccinated is beyond me. But then again, I’m not on Facebook and seeing misinformation being spread.
Thanks to Cristy for the article. It is fascinating the new information that is being brought to light due to studying COVID. So that’s encouraging. But so frustrating that women’s health issues (given that our reproductive systems are highly tuned Ferraris – according to my fertility guy) have been dismissed for so long. At least this is being highlighted in a way that all (I hope) can understand now. Though post-COVID (if there is a “post-COVID) I fear it will all be ignored again. Grrrr.
My mom sent that article to me and I am glad I was able to remind her that I’m vaccinated!
I also wonder if the vit D thing is related to the Covid/PCOS thing and if so, which direction it goes. (PCOS is linked to Vit D deficiency and vit D deficiency is linked to bad Covid. I have both PCOS and low Vit D.)
Well that’s terrifying. I agree with the article where it said PCOS is a lifelong metabolic disease, but it’s rarely seen that way. I worry that I’ll have problems lifelong but doctors only cared about it even I was trying to get pregnant. This makes me so mad! I hope because the article exists that research will happen more widely. Jeezum that scared me that these women had mild cases of COVID but now have debilitating long haul effects. Argh.