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Comment by _yb2s | Hacker News Reader

This is not true at all. Long covid, chronic fatigue, etc. are currently not understood, and have no known mechanisms or tests. There is nothing for doctors to identify as 'wrong' besides the subjective feeling of fatigue. This is not a matter of doctors making mistakes or not, this simply is beyond the limits of our current medical understanding. It definately sounds like the parent is suffering from long covid.

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There are a lot of known disease mechanisms and tests. Just not known to most doctors who don’t keep up with the latest research, or even research in the last few decades. Also as it’s cross disciplinary it often gets placed in the too hard basket and passed on to some other specialty.

Or people could just be depressed/were not working out. All this talk in the news of long covid probably causes psychosomatic symptoms.

I agreed with that. Social connections were significantly destroyed last year's. Overall fear agenda in news will not helps with mental helth either. Also vaccines harm with uknown effects.

As a society, those who are able bodied are often so quick to dismiss illness that others are experiencing. A bit more humility would be a kinder way to approach the world. Just because there may be a few that abuse charity, does not negate the many more that are deserving.

> There is nothing for doctors to identify as 'wrong' besides the subjective feeling of fatigue.

Wrong [0]. Yes, it's complex, but doctors also know how to read, and they're honestly better at it (when it comes to medical texts) than you are.

Honestly it's just stupid how many people insist on self diagnosing long COVID. "Beyond the limits of our current medical understanding" is, unfortunately, idiocy. It's the exact same logic anti-vaxxers would use to refuse the vaccine. You're making the exact same mistake.

In general, you do not know more than your doctor. Stop pretending like you do. EVERYONE, both sides, just fucking stop.

[0] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/...

If you are researching your chronic illness and contacting many docs you are going to know more from many docs who are experts in the topic then a random doctor who is only following orders and is going to have minimal information 2 years later when knowledge pushed itself through all bureaucracy. Why? Because more doctors who are focusing on the topic weigh more than a random doctor who has no clue.

I don't think you're really appreciating how similar your argument is to that of an anti-vaxxer.

Not knowing more than your doctor is not the same as your doctor knowing everything.

There are so many examples of diseases which are not currently completely understood, after decades of study. It's surprising that you think that's not true.

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