#but the virus really does impact cognitive function in some very particular ways that get worse with every exposure

[yourgamemasterthewhiterabbit]

I do understand the temptation of the conspiracy theory that corona virus was designed in a lab for maximum damage. It really does seem like it doesn't it?

All the things in your body it takes advantage of, all the long term impacts, the way it triggers and reactivates other diseases, disabilities and viruses, the mechanisms it uses to evade and manipulate the immune system, it having mechanisms of action similar to other known greats [other deadly infections like Ebola and HIV], and even down to the fact that it spreads so easily, is so air-born, the way it mutates so quickly, has such a low infectious dose and quacks like nothing worse than the common cold during initial infection...

Like I do not buy into conspiracy theory thinking at all, but I see why it's tempting in this case. If I was playing a video-game and trying to design a virus to cause the most damage possible, and spread and infect as many as possible before anyone bothered getting too upset about it, and have as many unforeseen and devastating impacts as possible... If I wanted to wipe out or weaken a whole planet [or a set population provided I also developed a secret cure]... I would design this virus exactly.

And now we are seeing that it can go latent in the body and reactivate, so once you have it, you have it, much like herpes or chicken pox, and unlike other viruses and colds which are gone once your body clears the infection and can't reactivate.

Like we know that viruses like chicken pox can reactivate later and become shingles, we know what HIV does, and we know some of the initial symptoms and early long term symptoms can be disabling and even fatal to many as it is, but for all we know this virus causes everyone's hearts or brains to stop outright ten years or so after infection, or completely clogs your arteries, or outright shuts down your body's ability to make a vital protein, or just triggers mass cell death [during even my initial infection the body-wide tissue damage was so bad it nearly shut down my liver and kidneys like I had crush syndrome, I very much almost died]. It's already having impacts like this in the short term for some people.

We are not going to know the true impact of this and the longer term symptoms until it is already too late.

Please get vaccinated, wear fucking masks, and try to reduce spreading.