The Boston Globe: Boston researchers may have found biomarker for Long COVID Researchers say they found the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein circulating in the blood of long-term COVID-19 patients up to 12 months after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital said the findings suggest the spike protein is a potential biomarker that could be useful in diagnosing and treating patients with COVID-19. (Finucane, 7/7)
The Wall Street Journal: Long Covid is an elusive target for Big Pharma The pharmaceutical industry developed vaccines and treatments for Covid-19 at breakneck speed, saving millions of lives in the process. However, treatments for the post-viral disease known as long Covid, which afflicts millions, are nowhere close to being developed. The lack of urgency to develop treatments is both a missed opportunity for the health care industry and a burden on the economy, as a range of ailments like dizziness and chest pain force many Americans to at least temporarily stop working. (Wainer, 7/11)
In other news on the spread of covid — AP: New York health officials urge return to indoor mask New York City public health officials on Friday urged residents to return to wearing masks indoors, noting how they are seeing high levels of COVID-19 infection . To help slow the spread, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recommended in a tweet that “all New Yorkers should wear a high-quality mask such as an N95, KN95 or KF94 in all public indoor spaces and around crowds outside.” . (7/8) Bloomberg: New York cuts Covid testing amid surge in US infections New York City cuts Covid-19 testing sites despite omicron sub-variants leading to national surge in new cases and hospitalizations. The city’s public health system has closed hundreds of testing sites as public attention to the virus wanes, according to its website. Meanwhile, the rate of positive results across all tests, an indicator of the speed of spread, rose to 15.4 percent this week, about four times what it was in April. (Taylor, 7/9) CIDRAP: Survey Shows Americans Are Worsening Response to COVID-19 Americans are not happy with the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. The survey of more than 10,000 U.S. adults, conducted in early May, found that 62% believe the nation’s response to COVID-19 has given too little priority to the needs of K-12 students, while significant shares say too much low priority has been given to support the overall quality of life (48%), business and economic activity (46%) and respect for people’s choices (46%). (7/8) CBS News: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Tests Positive for COVID-19 Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has tested positive for COVID-19, his spokesman confirmed Sunday night. Schumer, who is fully vaccinated and double-boosted, has only “very mild” symptoms, the spokesman said in a statement. According to the announcement, the 71-year-old’s positive test came as part of his regular treatment regimen. Per CDC guidance, she will self-quarantine and work remotely this week. (Albert, 7/10) In vaccine release news — San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area infant, toddler COVID vaccine uptake surpasses state and U.S. In late June, when pediatrician Dr. Nelson Branco opened vaccine appointments for his youngest patients — babies and toddlers under 5 — parents scrambled to fill some 250 slots in the first 48 hours. By the end of last week, nearly 20% of Branco’s roughly 1,500 patients in that age group had taken their first shot. The doctor, who practices in Larkspur and Novato, predicts that will double to 40 percent in the coming weeks. (Ho, 7/10) The Texas Tribune: Texas kids getting vaccines at slightly faster rate than national average Caitlin Chmiel was furious and worried when her 2-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 the week the federal government approved vaccines for her youngest children country in mid-June — when faster action meant her daughter might have been vaccinated and had more protection against the virus. (Harper, 7/11) AP: Court: Health care workers in lawsuit must reveal identities Nine health care workers suing Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills over state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate have until on Monday to reveal their identities. (7/10) Newsweek: Trump avoids ‘vaccine’ at Alaska rally after boos in Alabama Former President Donald Trump appeared to avoid saying the word ‘vaccine’ during his rally in Alaska on Saturday after he was criticized for encouraging supporters of getting vaccinated in the past rallies. (Stanton, 7/10) Fortune: Could a global coronavirus vaccine be the silver bullet that ends this pandemic—and the next? First-generation vaccines were not the panacea we hoped for in the early days of COVID-19. Herd immunity didn’t spring up and save the day either. Could a so-called “pan-coronavirus” vaccine be the long-awaited silver bullet that ends the COVID pandemic—and the next one, too? Answer: It’s complicated. (Prater, 7/10) This is part of KHN’s Morning Update, a roundup of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
