- Three in five long COVID patients have organ damage a year after infection: A new study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine has found that people with long COVID can experience organ damage, even if they did not need to be admitted to hospital with the virus. The study suggests that more than 1.2 million people in the UK may be living with long COVID for 12 months or more, and that symptoms can persist for more than a year after infection.
- $200M in City Purchased COVID Gear Auctioned For Just $500000 – THECITY.nyc: In April 2020, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio commissioned 3,000 bridge vents to be used as back-ups for ventilators in New York City hospitals. The bridge vents had never been tested in a NYC hospital setting, but were delivered to the city’s supply warehouse in Queens.
- An ER doc reflects on life, death and uncertainty in the early days of COVID-19 – NPR: Emergency room doctor Farzon Nahvi’s new memoir focuses on his experience during the first year of the pandemic, when he and his colleagues had to improvise means to treat patients and protect themselves. He writes that public health officials and hospital administrators were in over their heads, and some hospitals even banned medical workers from wearing masks.
- Long COVID Symptoms More Common in Those Infected During Pre-Delta Variant Period: A recent study published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal found that up to half of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 may experience prolonged or long-COVID symptoms lasting beyond three months post-infection. The study also found that those infected during the pre-Delta variant period were more likely to experience these symptoms compared to those infected during the Delta and Omicron periods.
- California’s COVID State of Emergency Will Expire Next Week. What’s Next? – NBC Bay Area: California’s COVID state of emergency will expire next week, but some medical experts are warning that this may cause confusion for those without insurance, who may not have access to free or low cost care, COVID testing and vaccinations.
- U.S. Supreme Court dismisses Tyson Foods’ petition in COVID-19 death cases: The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Tyson Foods’ arguments that federal judges should oversee lawsuits related to COVID-19 deaths of workers at its plants, including its Waterloo pork processing plant. The court denied Tyson’s petition to review the decision of lower court judges, who ruled that Tyson employees can sue the company in state-level courts.
- Molnupiravir Misses Endpoint in COVID-19 Prevention Study – MPR – eMPR.com: A phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of molnupiravir for postexposure prophylaxis for prevention of COVID-19 was conducted with over 1500 participants. The results showed that molnupiravir was effective in preventing COVID-19 in those exposed to the virus.
- Number of sources matters for youths’ COVID-19 knowledge | Nebraska Today: Researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln studied how youth are gaining knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic, and if comics can be a valuable way to do so. They found that comics can be an effective way for youth to gain accurate information about the pandemic, and that using multiple sources of information is important for gaining accurate knowledge.
- COVID in California: Even 1 shot can lower heart attack, stroke risks, study says: A study conducted by researchers from the School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that even one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine substantially reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes in nearly 2 million patients. High-risk individuals, such as those with prior cardiovascular issues, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and liver disease, were especially protected.
- COVID Vaccination for Kids a ‘Complex’ Decision for Parents – Medscape: Parents find the decision to vaccinate their children against SARS-CoV-2 complex and challenging. Clinicians need to understand how and why such decisions are made in order to provide tailored recommendations. Four themes influencing parents’ decisions include safety, efficacy, trust, and convenience.
- Study provides roadmap for using convalescent plasma as an effective COVID-19 treatment: A new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases shows that convalescent plasma can be used as an effective and low-cost treatment for COVID-19. The analysis of clinical data showed that high doses of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 given early reduced the risk of hospitalization among outpatients with COVID-19.
- Study shows brain changes after COVID-19 infection, even in mild cases – UPI.com: Brazilian researchers have found that people who had a mild case of COVID-19 may experience anxiety and depression months later, which is linked to changes in the structure and function of their brains. More studies are needed to identify treatments to prevent any long-term effects on people’s quality of life.
- Lightfoot defends police pension board against criticism it unfairly denied cops with COVID …: Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza held dueling news conferences over the city’s benefits for police officers disabled by COVID-19. Mendoza accused the city of setting impossible standards for cops to receive benefits, while Lightfoot defended the board’s decision as having been issued by a board and affirmed by a court.
- Bill to Criminalize mRNA Vax; Jimmy Carter Enters Hospice; TikTok Childbirth Myth: A new bill in Idaho would make administering COVID mRNA vaccines a misdemeanor. A person has been cured of HIV following stem cell transplantation. Former President Jimmy Carter has entered home hospice care. WHO’s incoming chief scientist wants to see vaccines developed for all animal influenza strains, and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called for an increase in the minimum wage.
- Answering your questions about heart issues and the COVID vaccine – WCNC: It is possible to develop heart problems after taking the COVID-19 vaccine, but it is rare and usually occurs within a few weeks or months of receiving the vaccine.
- South Korea to scrap COVID test on arrival rule for travellers from China | Reuters: South Korea will no longer require travelers from China to take COVID-19 tests upon arrival, but they will still need to take pre-departure tests. This is due to the improved COVID situation in China.
- Rep. Jon Hardister files bill prohibiting COVID-19 vaccination requirements – Avery Journal: Rep. Jon Hardister (R-Guilford) recently filed HB 98 – Medical Freedom Act, which prohibits state and local government from issuing COVID vaccine mandates. It also prevents government agencies from requiring proof of vaccination and prohibits public schools from issuing a vaccine mandate on students.
- Idaho bill could criminalize anyone administering mRNA COVID vaccines – USA Today: Two Republican Idaho lawmakers introduced a bill that would criminalize the administration of mRNA vaccines across the state, making it a misdemeanor to provide or administer any vaccine developed using messenger ribonucleic acid technology.
- Merck falls short in PhIII Covid-19 prophylaxis trial, joining Pfizer – Endpoints News: Merck’s Covid-19 antiviral, Lagevrio, failed to show a statistically significant reduction in the risk of COVID-19 following household exposure to another individual with the virus in a Phase III trial.
- Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme | USAO-SDWV: Calvin Butler, 24, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $16,040 in COVID-19 relief loans. He provided his personal information to an individual he met on Instagram who offered to apply for a PPP loan on Butler’s behalf in exchange for $2,000 of the loan proceeds. The individual submitted a false application stating that Butler operated a barbershop and had received $77,000 in gross income in 2020.
- eFFECTOR reports positive data from trial of zotatifin for Covid-19: eFFECTOR Therapeutics has reported positive top-line data from its Phase Ib clinical trial of zotatifin, a potent and sequence-selective small molecule eIF4A inhibitor, to treat Covid-19. The trial showed favorable safety results and positive trends in multiple antiviral activity measures. 27 subjects received the therapy at doses ranging from 0.01 to 0.035 mg/kg, and nine were given a placebo. The subjects enrolled in the trial had mild or moderate Covid-19 and were administered the drug either intravenously or subcutaneously.
- Court requires North Texas dental practice, owners to pay $15K in back wages to workers … – OSHA: Two workers at a North Texas dental practice will receive $15,706 in back wages after being illegally fired for raising concerns about COVID-19 safety measures. The U.S. Department of Labor investigated and found that the dentists who fired them had initially furloughed them when the state of Texas banned specific dental procedures in March and April 2020.
- NM state agencies denying telework as a disability accommodation – Source New Mexico: Sylvia Burton, a financial specialist with 20 years of experience working for the New Mexico Environment Department, had to leave her office in the Harold Runnels Building when the pandemic reached New Mexico in March 2020. She was happy to work from home and found that she no longer got sick every winter. The New Mexico government issued a mandatory telework policy, so Burton was able to continue her job from home. She was surprised when the state announced that all employees would be required to return to their offices in February 2021.
Daily News Pulse for March 13, 2023
Summary: Princeton students have seen an overall improvement in course satisfaction since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, many people are still wearing masks despite the government’s easing of guidelines.
