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Paxlovid does not cause rebound infections, study shows
Results from a small federal study funded by the National Institutes of Health show that Paxlovid does not cause rebound infections. The study aimed to define the clinical course and the immunologic and virologic characteristics of COVID-19 rebound in patients who have taken antiviral manufactured by Pfizer. The study included six participants who took Paxlovid within four days of initial symptom onset and then experienced recurrent symptoms; two participants who experienced recurrent symptoms who did not take Paxlovid; and a control group of six people who had COVID-19 but did not experience symptom rebound. All participants were previously vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, and none developed severe disease requiring hospitalization during acute infection or rebound. Investigators found no evidence of genetic mutations that would suggest participants who experienced COVID-19 rebound were infected with a strain of SARS-CoV-2 that was resistant to Paxlovid, the researchers said. They also found no evidence of delayed development of antibodies in participants experiencing rebound after taking Paxlovid.
Fauci gets booster shot on The Late Show
Dr. Anthony Fauci is up to date on his COVID-19 vaccination after getting a shot of the new bivalent booster during an appearance on CBSs The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a taped sketch, the host walked the nations leading infectious disease expert to a nearby drug store after he mentioned he was now eligible for the shot. They tried on sunglasses and surveyed the candy aisle before working their way over to the pharmacy counter. Are you nervous to give this man a shot? the host asked the pharmacist administering Faucis booster. Hes actually only the third most famous Ive vaccinated, the pharmacist said. Colbert rewarded Fauci, 81, with a rainbow-colored lollipop, declaring him: Fully inoculated and boosted! Earlier in the interview, Colbert said the pandemic didnt feel over, referencing President Bidens comment last month. Fauci said, Itll feel over in a real sense when it gets to such a low level in society that it doesnt disrupt the social order.
End of pandemic aid sends homelessness surging, report finds
Results from city-by-city surveys conducted earlier this year found the number of people without homes is up overall compared with 2020 in areas reporting results so far, according to a report published Oct. 6 by the Associated Press. Some of the biggest increases are in West Coast cities such as Oakland and Sacramento, where homelessness jumped 20% and 68%, respectively, from 2020 to 2022. The data comes from the Point in Time counts the federal government requires communities to conduct to reflect how many people are without homes on a given winter night. The counts usually rely on volunteer census takers and are always imprecise. But fueled by a long-running housing shortage, rising rent prices, and the economic hangover from the pandemic, the overall number of homeless in a federal government report to be released in coming months is expected to be higher than the 580,000 unhoused before the pandemic , the National Alliance to End Homelessness said.
Moderna releases safety data for bivalent booster
The bivalent booster vaccine produced by Moderna targeting BA.4 and BA.5 elicited neutralizing antibody responses against omicron that were superior to those with the original vaccine against COVID-19, without evident safety concerns, according to data from an ongoing study published on Oct 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine. For the phase 2-3 study funded by the pharmaceutical company, researchers compared the bivalent vaccine with the previously authorized mRNA booster. The primary objectives were to assess the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of (the updated formula) at 28 days after the booster dose, the researchers wrote. No hospitalizations for COVID-19 were reported among the participants in the trials. These results are consistent with the evaluation of our bivalent beta-containing vaccine, which induced enhanced and durable antibody responses, they added. Together, these findings indicate that bivalent vaccines may be a new tool in the response to emerging variants.
Four out of five adults with long COVID struggle with daily tasks, data show
According to thelatest survey datafrom the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Census Bureau, 14.2% of American adults say they experienced long COVID, with symptoms that lasted three months or longer after an initial coronavirus infection. The ongoing survey showed that by age, the highest proportion of respondents who said they had long COVID were between 40 and 49 years old (17.6%) and that individuals who identified as female (17.3%) were disproportionately affected compared to men (10.9% ). Of all adults who said they had long COVID, more than 81% about four out of five said they suffered limitations performing day-to-day activities, with more than a quarter saying those limitations were significant.
More than 86% of US children infected to date, CDC reports
Approximately 86.3% of children in the US have antibodies from surviving a prior COVID-19 infection as of Aug. 20, according to updated seroprevalence estimates by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.That marks a substantial increase from the previous report, which showed 79.7% infections among the pediatric population through June. The agency estimates that 61,696,000 children nationwide have been infected by the coronavirus at least once. The data does not include reinfections or measure antibodies produced by vaccination.
Boosters could save 90,000 lives this winter if people get them, report finds
Theupdated bivalent boosters, which provide protection against both the original virus strain as well as the omicron variant and its subvariants like BA.4 and BA.5, could save up to 90,000 lives this fall and winter, according to anew paperfrom The Commonwealth Fund and Yale School of Public Health. But thats only if the 80% of Americans eligible for the new shots get them. Robust booster uptake could also prevent more than 936,000 hospitalizations by the end of the year. So far, less than 4% of those eligible for the updated boosters have received them. Only 36% of adults older than 50 have even gotten second boosters. If vaccination continued at its current pace through the end of March 2023, a potential winter surge in COVID-19 infections could result in a peak of around 16,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths per day by March 2023, the report said.
Marin County shortens isolation period for schools
Students and staff members in Marin County who test positive for the coronavirus can return to school after five days of isolation without submitting a negative test, health officials announced during anonline forumMonday. The idea of shortening the recommended isolation time from 10 days to five days was proposed last month and approved by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. Individuals infected with COVID-19 will be required to wear a high-quality mask for five days after exiting the abbreviated isolation period. Isolation can end on day 6 if fever-free and symptoms are resolving, Dr. Lisa Santora, the countys deputy public health officer, said during the forum hosted by the Marin County Office of Education. You dont need to test again. Students unable to mask will not be allowed to attend classes in person. It depends on trust, Santora added. School leadership needs to talk to families so that staff and other students dont have to be worried. The new guidance is in effect as of Tuesday. The county is averaging 10 new cases per 100,000 residents per day.
Most Americans not concerned about new variants, survey finds
About 69% of Americans say they are not concerned aboutnew coronavirus subvariantsthat many health experts believe could fuel a winter COVID-19 surge, based on a Pew Research Centersurveypublished on Oct. 5. That marks a substantialchange from February 2021, when 48% of respondents were unconcerned and 51% considered emerging variants of the virus as a threat. Out of the nearly 11,000 adults polled from Sept. 13 to 18, less than one-third thought a new variant could set back progress against the virus in America. Personal concern about getting a serious case of the coronavirus has also dipped, with 30% of adults saying they are at least somewhat concerned they will get COVID-19 and require hospitalization, down 10 points from the start of the year. A majority of the public say they are not too or not at all concerned about this, the report said.
These are the new COVID variants that experts say could fuel a winter surge
With the arrival of the fall and winter seasons, experts are keeping a close eye on emerging coronavirus variants and their potential tocause a new COVID-19 surge. TheBA.5 omicronsubvariant is still the dominant strain in the US after appearing in late spring and quickly crowding out its rivals, accounting for nearly 90% of cases in late August. However, its share has since fallen to 81%, while the omicron offshoot BA.4.6 is slowly growing, responsible for 13% of cases for the week ending Oct. 1. Read more here about thelatest coronavirus variants.
We can’t let our guard down, Fauci says
COVID-19 trends are moving in the right direction but its too early to dismiss the ongoing threat of thecoronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday during a forum hosted by the University of Southern CaliforniasCenter for Health Journalism. I think it would be a bit cavalier to all of a sudden say were completely through with it, because remember, we were going in the right direction in the summer of 2021, and along came delta, said the White Houses top pandemic advisor. Then in the winter … along came omicron. Since then, we have had multiple sub-lineages of omicron.
Fauci added that while virus-related deaths have fallen much lower than highs of 3,000 to 4,000 deaths per day recorded during the worst surges, they have leveled off at an unacceptable rate. I have been very public about saying that Im not comfortable with having 300 to 400 deaths per day, he said. Fauci advised that to defang a potential winter surge, people should stay up to date on their vaccinations, including getting the updated bivalent booster shots and continuing to follow pandemic best practices. Although we can feel good that were going in the right direction, we cant let our guard down, he said.
Doctors who question vaccines sue over state medical misinformation law
California will soon become the first state with a law aimed at punishing doctors who give patients false information about COVID-19 and, as expected, the law was challenged in court Tuesday by two physicians who question the effectiveness of vaccines for the virus, advocate unproven treatments and oppose mask mandates. The goal of AB2098 is to chill speech in particular the speech of doctors who make a different assessment of the available evidence than the state of California, attorneys from two conservative nonprofit organizations saidin a lawsuitfiled in federal court in Los Angeles on behalf of doctors seeking to declares the law unconstitutional. Read more about AB2098, thepeople who object to itandtheir unsurprising legal move.
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