Category: COVID
What To Know About Rapidly Spreading ‘Pirola’ Covid Variant BA.2.86—And If Vaccines Offer Protection
Forbes Pirola, or BA.2.86, is the third most prevalent Covid strain in the U.S., and although there may be concerns the new monovalent vaccines—which protect against the XBB lineage that Pirola isn’t a part of—don’t offer protection against Pirola and its subvariants, drugmakers and the CDC are sure the vaccines offer defense. Pirola made up 8.8% of […]
Nov 29, 2023
COVID variant BA.2.86 triples in new CDC estimates
CBS News Nearly 1 in 10 new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are from the BA.2.86 variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Monday, nearly triple what the agency estimated the highly mutated variant’s prevalence was two weeks ago. Among the handful of regions with enough specimens reported from testing laboratories, BA.2.86’s prevalence is largest […]
Nov 28, 2023
Long COVID Immune Profiles Appear Largely Normal
MedPageToday Brain inflammation may not be a cause of long COVID cognitive problems. Spinal fluid immune profiles were largely normal in people with neurologic long COVID symptoms in a case-control study, suggesting brain inflammation was not a cause of long COVID cognitive symptoms. In 37 people with post-COVID neuropsychiatric conditions — most commonly, brain fog […]
Nov 14, 2023
Scientists are beginning to understand how long COVID symptoms affect the brain
NPR (Audio 7-minute listen) Many symptoms of long COVID are related to the brain. Now scientists are beginning to understand why brain fog, fatigue, and pain can linger for years after a person was infected.
Nov 14, 2023
New feline coronavirus blamed for thousands of cat deaths in Cyprus
Science The previously undescribed strain appears to have borrowed genetic information from a highly virulent canine coronavirus. When thousands of cats started to die this year on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, nicknamed the “island of cats” for its 1-million-strong feline population, the crisis made international news. The animals had fevers, swollen bellies, and lethargy—symptoms […]
Nov 14, 2023
What Is JN.1, the Latest COVID Variant?
Prevention Infectious disease experts on what it is, signs, symptoms, and if you should be worried. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is mutating yet again. The latest variant getting buzz is JN.1, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) flagged in a report issued late last week. In the report, CDC officials say that they’re […]
Nov 8, 2023
I Just Got Over Covid but Still Feel Awful
New York Times Symptoms can linger for days or weeks after testing negative, even for those who don’t develop long Covid. Q: It’s been a week since I tested negative for Covid, but I don’t feel totally better. Why am I still sick? The rapid test is finally, blissfully, negative after a week of dark […]
Nov 7, 2023
It’s Covid Season. What Are the New Rules for Staying Safe?
NYT A primer on how to minimize your risk and know when you’re in the clear after an exposure. We want to be done with Covid. But the virus isn’t done with us. While cases are not as high as they were at the end of this summer, newer variants are spreading, and experts predict that the patterns often […]
Oct 31, 2023
What to Know About the New Covid Variants
New York Times HV.1 has overtaken EG.5 as the leading variant in the U.S. Two closely related variants, EG.5 and HV.1, now comprise roughly half of the Covid-19 cases in the United States. EG.5 became the dominant variant nationwide in August. At that time, the World Health Organization classified it as a “variant of interest,” meaning it […]
Oct 31, 2023
COVID Viral Load Peaks Later Now Than Early in Pandemic
MedPageToday Peak on day 4 of symptoms, rather than day 1, has implications for rapid tests, experts say. Viral load in COVID-19 infection peaks later now than in the early days of the pandemic, driving implications for rapid testing, researchers say. A paper published in Clinical Infectious Diseases has been generating discussion among experts, who say high […]
Oct 24, 2023
