Those who dismiss the long-term effects on COVID-19 survivors need to hear about their struggles. As reported by the Star-Advertiser Monday and Tuesday, the debilitating effects include, but aren’t limited to, “brain fog,” difficulty breathing, headaches and fatigue, as well as accompanying depression and stress. An estimated 10% to 30% of people who contract COVID-19 will develop long COVID, noted Dr. Dominic Chow of The Queen’s Medical Center Post COVID Recovery and Care Clinic.

Remember, COVID can be lethal. But also, avoiding hospitalization and long-haul COVID are sober reasons to maintain prevention habits: masking indoors, keeping social distance amid others and good hand hygiene.

Slow down for whales

New guidelines issued Monday seek a speed reduction by watercraft within 400 yards, widening the zone to slow down around the humpback whale, which is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Remains of a whale calf were found offshore at Wailupe Feb. 6; a vessel strike was the likely cause, federal authorities announced.

Whale population has been recovering but is still fluctuating, and experts believe climate change is a factor. Clearly, protection is still needed.