Covid ICYMI

People may get more protection against COVID-19 if they get their vaccinations and boosters in the same arm, a new study says.

Scientists in Germany looked at health data for 303 people who got the mRNA vaccine and then a booster shot. Their antibody levels were measured two weeks after the second shot. None of the people had had COVID before the vaccinations.

Scientists found that the number of protective “killer T cells” was higher in the 147 study participants who got both shots in the same arm, said the study published in EBioMedicine.

The killer cells were found in 67% of cases in which both shots went into the same arm, compared with 43% of cases with different arms.

“That may suggest that that ipsilateral vaccination (in the same arm) is more likely to provide better protection should the vaccinated person become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Laura Ziegler, a doctoral student at Saarland University, Germany, said in a news release.

William Schaffner, MD, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., told CBS News that same-arm vaccinations may work better because the cells that provide the immune response are in local lymph nodes.

There’s greater immunological response if the immune cells in the lymph nodes are restimulated in the same place, said Dr. Schaffner, who was not involved in the German study.

The scientists from Saarland University said more research is needed before they can be certain that having vaccinations in the same arm is actually more effective for COVID shots and sequential vaccinations against diseases such as the flu.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

People may get more protection against COVID-19 if they get their vaccinations and boosters in the same arm, a new study says.

Scientists in Germany looked at health data for 303 people who got the mRNA vaccine and then a booster shot. Their antibody levels were measured two weeks after the second shot. None of the people had had COVID before the vaccinations.

Scientists found that the number of protective “killer T cells” was higher in the 147 study participants who got both shots in the same arm, said the study published in EBioMedicine.

The killer cells were found in 67% of cases in which both shots went into the same arm, compared with 43% of cases with different arms.

“That may suggest that that ipsilateral vaccination (in the same arm) is more likely to provide better protection should the vaccinated person become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Laura Ziegler, a doctoral student at Saarland University, Germany, said in a news release.

William Schaffner, MD, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., told CBS News that same-arm vaccinations may work better because the cells that provide the immune response are in local lymph nodes.

There’s greater immunological response if the immune cells in the lymph nodes are restimulated in the same place, said Dr. Schaffner, who was not involved in the German study.

The scientists from Saarland University said more research is needed before they can be certain that having vaccinations in the same arm is actually more effective for COVID shots and sequential vaccinations against diseases such as the flu.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

People may get more protection against COVID-19 if they get their vaccinations and boosters in the same arm, a new study says.

Scientists in Germany looked at health data for 303 people who got the mRNA vaccine and then a booster shot. Their antibody levels were measured two weeks after the second shot. None of the people had had COVID before the vaccinations.

Scientists found that the number of protective “killer T cells” was higher in the 147 study participants who got both shots in the same arm, said the study published in EBioMedicine.

The killer cells were found in 67% of cases in which both shots went into the same arm, compared with 43% of cases with different arms.

“That may suggest that that ipsilateral vaccination (in the same arm) is more likely to provide better protection should the vaccinated person become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Laura Ziegler, a doctoral student at Saarland University, Germany, said in a news release.

William Schaffner, MD, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., told CBS News that same-arm vaccinations may work better because the cells that provide the immune response are in local lymph nodes.

There’s greater immunological response if the immune cells in the lymph nodes are restimulated in the same place, said Dr. Schaffner, who was not involved in the German study.

The scientists from Saarland University said more research is needed before they can be certain that having vaccinations in the same arm is actually more effective for COVID shots and sequential vaccinations against diseases such as the flu.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

By now, concerns about COVID-related lawsuits have faded into the rear view mirror for most physicians.

But just when COVID lawsuits appear to be dwindling out, legal experts see a new lawsuit risk on the horizon – long COVID claims. While some say it’s doubtful the claims will succeed, the lawsuits could still create legal headaches for doctors in the form of time and money.

Long COVID claims are defined as complaints that allege that a diagnosis of long COVID was missed or delayed and that caused harm or injury. Lawsuits may also include claims in which patients allege that they were misdiagnosed as having long COVID when they were really suffering from another condition.

So far, a handful of long COVID claims have come down the pipeline, said Peter A. Kolbert, JD, senior vice president of claims and litigation services for Healthcare Risk Advisors, part of TDC Group.

“This is an area that is emerging as we speak,” Mr. Kolbert said. “We are starting to see these claims trickle in.”

In a recent case, for example, a patient sued her primary care physician for negligence, alleging her original SARS-CoV-2 infection was mismanaged and that this led to permanent neuropathy from long COVID. Had the patient been treated appropriately, the patient contends, she would not have developed long COVID or the resulting neuropathy, said Mr. Kolbert. An outcome in the case has not yet been reached, added Mr. Kolbert, who heard about the claim from a colleague.

The increase in the number of lawsuits raises concerns about how courts and juries might decide long COVID claims when so much about the condition is still unknown and best treatment practices are still developing. Research shows that long COVID occurs in at least 10% of cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and more than 200 symptoms have been identified. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that 15% of the U.S. population believe they have experienced the symptoms of long COVID at some point, and 6% of people believe they currently have long COVID.

The risk of long COVID lawsuits underscores the importance of physicians taking proactive steps to protect themselves from liability when treating patients who might have the condition, say legal experts.

“There are legal standards that say new, unestablished scientific principles shouldn’t be first tested by a jury, they should be recognized and established within their [professional] area,” Mr. Kolbert said. “While we are seeing lawsuits related to long COVID, I think it is truly putting the cart before the horse, because there needs to be societal recognition that we’re still learning how to define and treat long COVID.”
 

What are patients alleging?

In the few long COVID claims that have arisen, some complaints have alleged delay in the recognition and treatment of long COVID, according to Mr. Kolbert. There have also been claims that physicians failed to refer a patient with long COVID to a specialist in a timely way and that this results in the patient’s experiencing chronic fatigue or a neuropathy.

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms associated with long COVID, according to recent studies. Other symptoms include postexertional malaise, brain fog, and gastrointestinal problems.

Another rising legal theme is failure to adequately communicate with patients about what long COVID is and what it entails.

Whether plaintiffs who bring long COVID claims will be successful in court remains a question.

Andrew D. DeSimone, JD, a Lexington, Ky.–based medical malpractice defense attorney, said he has not seen any claims involving long COVID. He added that a long COVID claim would be challenging to prove, considering the standard of care for treating the condition is still evolving. Plaintiffs in a medical malpractice action must prove that physicians owed a duty of care to the patient, that the doctor breached that duty by failing to conform to the standard of care, and that the breach caused an injury that harmed the patient.

Mr. DeSimone also doubts whether juries would be very sympathetic to such plaintiffs.

“There’s a lot of fatigue around COVID still,” he said. “I don’t know if a jury would buy into someone claiming long COVID. I think the claim would have a hard time gaining traction. Not that it’s impossible.”

Another unanswered question is whether legal protections enacted by states during the pandemic might apply to long COVID claims.

Shortly after the pandemic started, most states enacted laws or executive orders that shielded physicians from liability claims relating to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, unless gross negligence or willful misconduct is proved. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) that provided liability immunity to health care professionals for any activity related to medical countermeasures against COVID-19.

Some of these state immunities have since expired. Other states have extended their legal protections for short periods. In Indiana, for example, physicians and businesses are protected until Dec. 31, 2024, from civil tort actions that allege damages arising from COVID-19.

It’s possible that in long COVID lawsuits, physicians would be protected by the immunities unless the cases come after the protections expire, said J. Richard Moore, a medical liability defense attorney based in Indianapolis.

“I could foresee long COVID claims that don’t accrue until after December 2024, meaning it only becomes clear that a patient is struggling with long COVID–related symptoms after that date,” he said. “That could result in COVID claims that do not fall under the immunities.”

Mr. Moore said that if long COVID claims become truly problematic, the legislature could extend the immunities.

Other states, such as Washington, have statutes in place that increase the burden of proof for plaintiffs in cases in which care is affected by COVID and/or the treating of COVID. Elizabeth A. Leedom, a Seattle-based medical liability defense attorney, said the law would likely encompass long COVID claims if the care and treatment at issue occurred during the COVID state of emergency.

Compliance with current treatment guidelines is likely to be a good defense against any claim of delay/failure to diagnose COVID, including long COVID, she said.

Mr. Kolbert, however, doubts that the state immunities would protect against the claims.

“Courts are enforcing qualified immunities as to [traditional] COVID claims. However, I suspect that long COVID claims will fall into a category of traditional medical malpractice claim, such as delay in or failure to diagnose,” he said. In such cases, physicians “may not be able to take advantage of state-qualified immunities. Of course, this will depend upon the language of each state’s qualified immunity provisions.”

As for the statute of limitations, the clock generally starts running either when the alleged negligent conduct occurred or when the patient knew or, in the exercise of ordinary diligence, should have known, that they had been harmed by the alleged negligence, Mr. Moore said. Statutes of limitations are state specific, but the majority of states mandate a 2- to 3-year limit between the injury and the filing of a claim.

So, while the statute of limitations may be soon expiring for alleged harm that occurred during the pandemic, for patients newly diagnosed with long COVID or who have just discovered associated injuries, the clock may have just started ticking.
 

How to protect yourself against suits

Avoiding liability associated with long COVID involves the traditional legal guidance physicians are used to hearing, but with an added factor, Mr. Kolbert said.

There always needs to be communication with patients regarding the disease process, but in this area, there needs to be strong communication as to whether patients have had COVID in the past and what symptoms they are experiencing, he said. Physicians should ensure that patients know that long COVID may present in a variety of ways and that there is no definitive test for long COVID.

Physicians should document when the patient has been instructed to follow up and should take necessary steps to ensure the patient returns for follow-up care, he added.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is making sure not to assume a condition or symptom is the result of long COVID, he said. Care should be taken not to diagnose long COVID without excluding traditional causes.

“Ensure that patients know that COVID is not over, per se, and that science supports vaccination,” Mr. Kolbert said. “The best defense here is a strong communicative offense, engaging with the patient and thoughtfully charting about this.”

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

By now, concerns about COVID-related lawsuits have faded into the rear view mirror for most physicians.

But just when COVID lawsuits appear to be dwindling out, legal experts see a new lawsuit risk on the horizon – long COVID claims. While some say it’s doubtful the claims will succeed, the lawsuits could still create legal headaches for doctors in the form of time and money.

Long COVID claims are defined as complaints that allege that a diagnosis of long COVID was missed or delayed and that caused harm or injury. Lawsuits may also include claims in which patients allege that they were misdiagnosed as having long COVID when they were really suffering from another condition.

So far, a handful of long COVID claims have come down the pipeline, said Peter A. Kolbert, JD, senior vice president of claims and litigation services for Healthcare Risk Advisors, part of TDC Group.

“This is an area that is emerging as we speak,” Mr. Kolbert said. “We are starting to see these claims trickle in.”

In a recent case, for example, a patient sued her primary care physician for negligence, alleging her original SARS-CoV-2 infection was mismanaged and that this led to permanent neuropathy from long COVID. Had the patient been treated appropriately, the patient contends, she would not have developed long COVID or the resulting neuropathy, said Mr. Kolbert. An outcome in the case has not yet been reached, added Mr. Kolbert, who heard about the claim from a colleague.

The increase in the number of lawsuits raises concerns about how courts and juries might decide long COVID claims when so much about the condition is still unknown and best treatment practices are still developing. Research shows that long COVID occurs in at least 10% of cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and more than 200 symptoms have been identified. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that 15% of the U.S. population believe they have experienced the symptoms of long COVID at some point, and 6% of people believe they currently have long COVID.

The risk of long COVID lawsuits underscores the importance of physicians taking proactive steps to protect themselves from liability when treating patients who might have the condition, say legal experts.

“There are legal standards that say new, unestablished scientific principles shouldn’t be first tested by a jury, they should be recognized and established within their [professional] area,” Mr. Kolbert said. “While we are seeing lawsuits related to long COVID, I think it is truly putting the cart before the horse, because there needs to be societal recognition that we’re still learning how to define and treat long COVID.”
 

What are patients alleging?

In the few long COVID claims that have arisen, some complaints have alleged delay in the recognition and treatment of long COVID, according to Mr. Kolbert. There have also been claims that physicians failed to refer a patient with long COVID to a specialist in a timely way and that this results in the patient’s experiencing chronic fatigue or a neuropathy.

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms associated with long COVID, according to recent studies. Other symptoms include postexertional malaise, brain fog, and gastrointestinal problems.

Another rising legal theme is failure to adequately communicate with patients about what long COVID is and what it entails.

Whether plaintiffs who bring long COVID claims will be successful in court remains a question.

Andrew D. DeSimone, JD, a Lexington, Ky.–based medical malpractice defense attorney, said he has not seen any claims involving long COVID. He added that a long COVID claim would be challenging to prove, considering the standard of care for treating the condition is still evolving. Plaintiffs in a medical malpractice action must prove that physicians owed a duty of care to the patient, that the doctor breached that duty by failing to conform to the standard of care, and that the breach caused an injury that harmed the patient.

Mr. DeSimone also doubts whether juries would be very sympathetic to such plaintiffs.

“There’s a lot of fatigue around COVID still,” he said. “I don’t know if a jury would buy into someone claiming long COVID. I think the claim would have a hard time gaining traction. Not that it’s impossible.”

Another unanswered question is whether legal protections enacted by states during the pandemic might apply to long COVID claims.

Shortly after the pandemic started, most states enacted laws or executive orders that shielded physicians from liability claims relating to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, unless gross negligence or willful misconduct is proved. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) that provided liability immunity to health care professionals for any activity related to medical countermeasures against COVID-19.

Some of these state immunities have since expired. Other states have extended their legal protections for short periods. In Indiana, for example, physicians and businesses are protected until Dec. 31, 2024, from civil tort actions that allege damages arising from COVID-19.

It’s possible that in long COVID lawsuits, physicians would be protected by the immunities unless the cases come after the protections expire, said J. Richard Moore, a medical liability defense attorney based in Indianapolis.

“I could foresee long COVID claims that don’t accrue until after December 2024, meaning it only becomes clear that a patient is struggling with long COVID–related symptoms after that date,” he said. “That could result in COVID claims that do not fall under the immunities.”

Mr. Moore said that if long COVID claims become truly problematic, the legislature could extend the immunities.

Other states, such as Washington, have statutes in place that increase the burden of proof for plaintiffs in cases in which care is affected by COVID and/or the treating of COVID. Elizabeth A. Leedom, a Seattle-based medical liability defense attorney, said the law would likely encompass long COVID claims if the care and treatment at issue occurred during the COVID state of emergency.

Compliance with current treatment guidelines is likely to be a good defense against any claim of delay/failure to diagnose COVID, including long COVID, she said.

Mr. Kolbert, however, doubts that the state immunities would protect against the claims.

“Courts are enforcing qualified immunities as to [traditional] COVID claims. However, I suspect that long COVID claims will fall into a category of traditional medical malpractice claim, such as delay in or failure to diagnose,” he said. In such cases, physicians “may not be able to take advantage of state-qualified immunities. Of course, this will depend upon the language of each state’s qualified immunity provisions.”

As for the statute of limitations, the clock generally starts running either when the alleged negligent conduct occurred or when the patient knew or, in the exercise of ordinary diligence, should have known, that they had been harmed by the alleged negligence, Mr. Moore said. Statutes of limitations are state specific, but the majority of states mandate a 2- to 3-year limit between the injury and the filing of a claim.

So, while the statute of limitations may be soon expiring for alleged harm that occurred during the pandemic, for patients newly diagnosed with long COVID or who have just discovered associated injuries, the clock may have just started ticking.
 

How to protect yourself against suits

Avoiding liability associated with long COVID involves the traditional legal guidance physicians are used to hearing, but with an added factor, Mr. Kolbert said.

There always needs to be communication with patients regarding the disease process, but in this area, there needs to be strong communication as to whether patients have had COVID in the past and what symptoms they are experiencing, he said. Physicians should ensure that patients know that long COVID may present in a variety of ways and that there is no definitive test for long COVID.

Physicians should document when the patient has been instructed to follow up and should take necessary steps to ensure the patient returns for follow-up care, he added.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is making sure not to assume a condition or symptom is the result of long COVID, he said. Care should be taken not to diagnose long COVID without excluding traditional causes.

“Ensure that patients know that COVID is not over, per se, and that science supports vaccination,” Mr. Kolbert said. “The best defense here is a strong communicative offense, engaging with the patient and thoughtfully charting about this.”

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

By now, concerns about COVID-related lawsuits have faded into the rear view mirror for most physicians.

But just when COVID lawsuits appear to be dwindling out, legal experts see a new lawsuit risk on the horizon – long COVID claims. While some say it’s doubtful the claims will succeed, the lawsuits could still create legal headaches for doctors in the form of time and money.

Long COVID claims are defined as complaints that allege that a diagnosis of long COVID was missed or delayed and that caused harm or injury. Lawsuits may also include claims in which patients allege that they were misdiagnosed as having long COVID when they were really suffering from another condition.

So far, a handful of long COVID claims have come down the pipeline, said Peter A. Kolbert, JD, senior vice president of claims and litigation services for Healthcare Risk Advisors, part of TDC Group.

“This is an area that is emerging as we speak,” Mr. Kolbert said. “We are starting to see these claims trickle in.”

In a recent case, for example, a patient sued her primary care physician for negligence, alleging her original SARS-CoV-2 infection was mismanaged and that this led to permanent neuropathy from long COVID. Had the patient been treated appropriately, the patient contends, she would not have developed long COVID or the resulting neuropathy, said Mr. Kolbert. An outcome in the case has not yet been reached, added Mr. Kolbert, who heard about the claim from a colleague.

The increase in the number of lawsuits raises concerns about how courts and juries might decide long COVID claims when so much about the condition is still unknown and best treatment practices are still developing. Research shows that long COVID occurs in at least 10% of cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and more than 200 symptoms have been identified. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that 15% of the U.S. population believe they have experienced the symptoms of long COVID at some point, and 6% of people believe they currently have long COVID.

The risk of long COVID lawsuits underscores the importance of physicians taking proactive steps to protect themselves from liability when treating patients who might have the condition, say legal experts.

“There are legal standards that say new, unestablished scientific principles shouldn’t be first tested by a jury, they should be recognized and established within their [professional] area,” Mr. Kolbert said. “While we are seeing lawsuits related to long COVID, I think it is truly putting the cart before the horse, because there needs to be societal recognition that we’re still learning how to define and treat long COVID.”
 

What are patients alleging?

In the few long COVID claims that have arisen, some complaints have alleged delay in the recognition and treatment of long COVID, according to Mr. Kolbert. There have also been claims that physicians failed to refer a patient with long COVID to a specialist in a timely way and that this results in the patient’s experiencing chronic fatigue or a neuropathy.

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms associated with long COVID, according to recent studies. Other symptoms include postexertional malaise, brain fog, and gastrointestinal problems.

Another rising legal theme is failure to adequately communicate with patients about what long COVID is and what it entails.

Whether plaintiffs who bring long COVID claims will be successful in court remains a question.

Andrew D. DeSimone, JD, a Lexington, Ky.–based medical malpractice defense attorney, said he has not seen any claims involving long COVID. He added that a long COVID claim would be challenging to prove, considering the standard of care for treating the condition is still evolving. Plaintiffs in a medical malpractice action must prove that physicians owed a duty of care to the patient, that the doctor breached that duty by failing to conform to the standard of care, and that the breach caused an injury that harmed the patient.

Mr. DeSimone also doubts whether juries would be very sympathetic to such plaintiffs.

“There’s a lot of fatigue around COVID still,” he said. “I don’t know if a jury would buy into someone claiming long COVID. I think the claim would have a hard time gaining traction. Not that it’s impossible.”

Another unanswered question is whether legal protections enacted by states during the pandemic might apply to long COVID claims.

Shortly after the pandemic started, most states enacted laws or executive orders that shielded physicians from liability claims relating to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, unless gross negligence or willful misconduct is proved. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) that provided liability immunity to health care professionals for any activity related to medical countermeasures against COVID-19.

Some of these state immunities have since expired. Other states have extended their legal protections for short periods. In Indiana, for example, physicians and businesses are protected until Dec. 31, 2024, from civil tort actions that allege damages arising from COVID-19.

It’s possible that in long COVID lawsuits, physicians would be protected by the immunities unless the cases come after the protections expire, said J. Richard Moore, a medical liability defense attorney based in Indianapolis.

“I could foresee long COVID claims that don’t accrue until after December 2024, meaning it only becomes clear that a patient is struggling with long COVID–related symptoms after that date,” he said. “That could result in COVID claims that do not fall under the immunities.”

Mr. Moore said that if long COVID claims become truly problematic, the legislature could extend the immunities.

Other states, such as Washington, have statutes in place that increase the burden of proof for plaintiffs in cases in which care is affected by COVID and/or the treating of COVID. Elizabeth A. Leedom, a Seattle-based medical liability defense attorney, said the law would likely encompass long COVID claims if the care and treatment at issue occurred during the COVID state of emergency.

Compliance with current treatment guidelines is likely to be a good defense against any claim of delay/failure to diagnose COVID, including long COVID, she said.

Mr. Kolbert, however, doubts that the state immunities would protect against the claims.

“Courts are enforcing qualified immunities as to [traditional] COVID claims. However, I suspect that long COVID claims will fall into a category of traditional medical malpractice claim, such as delay in or failure to diagnose,” he said. In such cases, physicians “may not be able to take advantage of state-qualified immunities. Of course, this will depend upon the language of each state’s qualified immunity provisions.”

As for the statute of limitations, the clock generally starts running either when the alleged negligent conduct occurred or when the patient knew or, in the exercise of ordinary diligence, should have known, that they had been harmed by the alleged negligence, Mr. Moore said. Statutes of limitations are state specific, but the majority of states mandate a 2- to 3-year limit between the injury and the filing of a claim.

So, while the statute of limitations may be soon expiring for alleged harm that occurred during the pandemic, for patients newly diagnosed with long COVID or who have just discovered associated injuries, the clock may have just started ticking.
 

How to protect yourself against suits

Avoiding liability associated with long COVID involves the traditional legal guidance physicians are used to hearing, but with an added factor, Mr. Kolbert said.

There always needs to be communication with patients regarding the disease process, but in this area, there needs to be strong communication as to whether patients have had COVID in the past and what symptoms they are experiencing, he said. Physicians should ensure that patients know that long COVID may present in a variety of ways and that there is no definitive test for long COVID.

Physicians should document when the patient has been instructed to follow up and should take necessary steps to ensure the patient returns for follow-up care, he added.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is making sure not to assume a condition or symptom is the result of long COVID, he said. Care should be taken not to diagnose long COVID without excluding traditional causes.

“Ensure that patients know that COVID is not over, per se, and that science supports vaccination,” Mr. Kolbert said. “The best defense here is a strong communicative offense, engaging with the patient and thoughtfully charting about this.”

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking a newly discovered strain of COVID-19 called BA.2.86.

On Aug. 17, the agency posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the lineage has been detected in the United States, Denmark, and Israel. 

“As we learn more about BA.2.86, CDC’s advice on protecting yourself from COVID-19 remains the same,” the CDC said on X. 

A case of BA.2.86 was detected at a laboratory at the University of Michigan, CBS News reported. It’s not clear how the university obtained the sample that was sequenced. A case was also detected in the United Kingdom, the news outlet said. 

The World Health Organization is also tracking BA.2.86 and has classified it as a “variant under monitoring.” 

“More data are needed to understand this COVID-19 variant and the extent of its spread, but the number of mutations warrants attention. WHO will update countries and the public as we learn more,” the WHO said on X.

The strain is so new that scientists don’t know if BA.2.86 is more easily spread, causes more severe symptoms than existing strains, or will be more resistant to vaccines and natural immunity developed over the last few years. 

Early research indicates BA.2.86 “will have equal or greater escape than XBB.1.5 from antibodies elicited by pre-Omicron and first-generation Omicron variants,” Jesse Bloom, PhD, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, said in a slide deck published Aug. 17. (XBB.1.5 is the Omicron subvariant that is targeted in the updated COVID booster shot to be released soon.)

Still, Dr. Bloom noted that “even if a highly mutated new variant like BA.2.86 starts to spread, we will be in a far better place than we were in 2020 and 2021, since most people have some immunity to SARS-CoV-2 now.”

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking a newly discovered strain of COVID-19 called BA.2.86.

On Aug. 17, the agency posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the lineage has been detected in the United States, Denmark, and Israel. 

“As we learn more about BA.2.86, CDC’s advice on protecting yourself from COVID-19 remains the same,” the CDC said on X. 

A case of BA.2.86 was detected at a laboratory at the University of Michigan, CBS News reported. It’s not clear how the university obtained the sample that was sequenced. A case was also detected in the United Kingdom, the news outlet said. 

The World Health Organization is also tracking BA.2.86 and has classified it as a “variant under monitoring.” 

“More data are needed to understand this COVID-19 variant and the extent of its spread, but the number of mutations warrants attention. WHO will update countries and the public as we learn more,” the WHO said on X.

The strain is so new that scientists don’t know if BA.2.86 is more easily spread, causes more severe symptoms than existing strains, or will be more resistant to vaccines and natural immunity developed over the last few years. 

Early research indicates BA.2.86 “will have equal or greater escape than XBB.1.5 from antibodies elicited by pre-Omicron and first-generation Omicron variants,” Jesse Bloom, PhD, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, said in a slide deck published Aug. 17. (XBB.1.5 is the Omicron subvariant that is targeted in the updated COVID booster shot to be released soon.)

Still, Dr. Bloom noted that “even if a highly mutated new variant like BA.2.86 starts to spread, we will be in a far better place than we were in 2020 and 2021, since most people have some immunity to SARS-CoV-2 now.”

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking a newly discovered strain of COVID-19 called BA.2.86.

On Aug. 17, the agency posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the lineage has been detected in the United States, Denmark, and Israel. 

“As we learn more about BA.2.86, CDC’s advice on protecting yourself from COVID-19 remains the same,” the CDC said on X. 

A case of BA.2.86 was detected at a laboratory at the University of Michigan, CBS News reported. It’s not clear how the university obtained the sample that was sequenced. A case was also detected in the United Kingdom, the news outlet said. 

The World Health Organization is also tracking BA.2.86 and has classified it as a “variant under monitoring.” 

“More data are needed to understand this COVID-19 variant and the extent of its spread, but the number of mutations warrants attention. WHO will update countries and the public as we learn more,” the WHO said on X.

The strain is so new that scientists don’t know if BA.2.86 is more easily spread, causes more severe symptoms than existing strains, or will be more resistant to vaccines and natural immunity developed over the last few years. 

Early research indicates BA.2.86 “will have equal or greater escape than XBB.1.5 from antibodies elicited by pre-Omicron and first-generation Omicron variants,” Jesse Bloom, PhD, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, said in a slide deck published Aug. 17. (XBB.1.5 is the Omicron subvariant that is targeted in the updated COVID booster shot to be released soon.)

Still, Dr. Bloom noted that “even if a highly mutated new variant like BA.2.86 starts to spread, we will be in a far better place than we were in 2020 and 2021, since most people have some immunity to SARS-CoV-2 now.”

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

Weekly new hospitalizations for COVID-19 have climbed for the fourth straight week. 

Nationwide, 10,320 people were hospitalized during the week ending Aug. 5, up from 9,026 the week prior, which is about a 14% week-over-week increase, according to newly updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures. Hospitalizations reached an all-time low of about 6,300 per week in July.

The CDC stopped tracking the number of people infected by the virus earlier in 2023, and now relies on hospitalization data to gauge the current impact of COVID-19. 

“We have to remember that we’re still dealing with numbers that are far less than what we’ve seen for the pandemic,” John Brownstein, PhD, a professor of biomedical informatics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, told ABC News. “We have to zoom out to look at our experience for the entire pandemic, to understand that what we’re dealing with now is far from any crisis that we’ve experienced with previous waves.”

The current predominant strain remains EG.5, and experts believe it is not more severe or more contagious than other recent variants.  

Dr. Brownstein told ABC News that one reason for the concern about rising COVID metrics, despite their overall low levels, is that a surge occurred in the summer of 2021 with the dangerous Delta variant.

“But each new variant so far that has come through has subsequently had less of a population impact,” he said. “Now, is it possible we may see one in the future that is worthy, a real concern? Absolutely. But overall, we’ve seen a dampening of effect over the last several variants that have come through.”

A version of this article appeared on WebMD.com.

Weekly new hospitalizations for COVID-19 have climbed for the fourth straight week. 

Nationwide, 10,320 people were hospitalized during the week ending Aug. 5, up from 9,026 the week prior, which is about a 14% week-over-week increase, according to newly updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures. Hospitalizations reached an all-time low of about 6,300 per week in July.

The CDC stopped tracking the number of people infected by the virus earlier in 2023, and now relies on hospitalization data to gauge the current impact of COVID-19. 

“We have to remember that we’re still dealing with numbers that are far less than what we’ve seen for the pandemic,” John Brownstein, PhD, a professor of biomedical informatics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, told ABC News. “We have to zoom out to look at our experience for the entire pandemic, to understand that what we’re dealing with now is far from any crisis that we’ve experienced with previous waves.”

The current predominant strain remains EG.5, and experts believe it is not more severe or more contagious than other recent variants.  

Dr. Brownstein told ABC News that one reason for the concern about rising COVID metrics, despite their overall low levels, is that a surge occurred in the summer of 2021 with the dangerous Delta variant.

“But each new variant so far that has come through has subsequently had less of a population impact,” he said. “Now, is it possible we may see one in the future that is worthy, a real concern? Absolutely. But overall, we’ve seen a dampening of effect over the last several variants that have come through.”

A version of this article appeared on WebMD.com.

Weekly new hospitalizations for COVID-19 have climbed for the fourth straight week. 

Nationwide, 10,320 people were hospitalized during the week ending Aug. 5, up from 9,026 the week prior, which is about a 14% week-over-week increase, according to newly updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures. Hospitalizations reached an all-time low of about 6,300 per week in July.

The CDC stopped tracking the number of people infected by the virus earlier in 2023, and now relies on hospitalization data to gauge the current impact of COVID-19. 

“We have to remember that we’re still dealing with numbers that are far less than what we’ve seen for the pandemic,” John Brownstein, PhD, a professor of biomedical informatics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, told ABC News. “We have to zoom out to look at our experience for the entire pandemic, to understand that what we’re dealing with now is far from any crisis that we’ve experienced with previous waves.”

The current predominant strain remains EG.5, and experts believe it is not more severe or more contagious than other recent variants.  

Dr. Brownstein told ABC News that one reason for the concern about rising COVID metrics, despite their overall low levels, is that a surge occurred in the summer of 2021 with the dangerous Delta variant.

“But each new variant so far that has come through has subsequently had less of a population impact,” he said. “Now, is it possible we may see one in the future that is worthy, a real concern? Absolutely. But overall, we’ve seen a dampening of effect over the last several variants that have come through.”

A version of this article appeared on WebMD.com.

The newest version of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available by the end of September, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The updated vaccine still needs final sign-offs from the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC.

“We anticipate that they are going to be available for most folks by the third or fourth week of September,” Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, said on a podcast hosted by former White House COVID adviser Andy Slavitt. “We are likely to see this as a recommendation as an annual COVID shot, just as we have an annual flu shot. I think that will give folks more clarity on whether they should get one or not.”

For people who are considering now whether they should get the currently available COVID vaccine or wait until the new one comes out, Dr. Cohen said that depends on a person’s individual risk. People who are 65 or older or who have multiple health conditions should go ahead and get the currently available shot if it’s been more than 6-8 months since their last dose. For all other people, it’s OK to wait for the new version.

Analysts expect low demand for the updated vaccine. About 240 million people in the United States got at least one dose when vaccines first became available in 2021, Reuters reported, but that number dropped to less than 50 million getting the most updated shot in the fall of 2022.

“Take a look at what happened last winter. It was 50 million in the U.S., and it seems likely to be lower than that, given that there’s less concern about COVID this year than last year,” Michael Yee, a health care industry analyst for the firm Jefferies, told Reuters.

Dr. Cohen noted during the podcast that the recent uptick in virus activity should be taken in context. 

“What we’re seeing right now in August of 2023 are small increases of folks getting COVID. We are still at some of the lowest hospitalizations that we’ve been at in the past 3 years,” she said. “Even a 10% increase on a very, very small number is still very small. My level of concern continues to be low.”

A version of this article was first published on WebMD.com .

The newest version of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available by the end of September, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The updated vaccine still needs final sign-offs from the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC.

“We anticipate that they are going to be available for most folks by the third or fourth week of September,” Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, said on a podcast hosted by former White House COVID adviser Andy Slavitt. “We are likely to see this as a recommendation as an annual COVID shot, just as we have an annual flu shot. I think that will give folks more clarity on whether they should get one or not.”

For people who are considering now whether they should get the currently available COVID vaccine or wait until the new one comes out, Dr. Cohen said that depends on a person’s individual risk. People who are 65 or older or who have multiple health conditions should go ahead and get the currently available shot if it’s been more than 6-8 months since their last dose. For all other people, it’s OK to wait for the new version.

Analysts expect low demand for the updated vaccine. About 240 million people in the United States got at least one dose when vaccines first became available in 2021, Reuters reported, but that number dropped to less than 50 million getting the most updated shot in the fall of 2022.

“Take a look at what happened last winter. It was 50 million in the U.S., and it seems likely to be lower than that, given that there’s less concern about COVID this year than last year,” Michael Yee, a health care industry analyst for the firm Jefferies, told Reuters.

Dr. Cohen noted during the podcast that the recent uptick in virus activity should be taken in context. 

“What we’re seeing right now in August of 2023 are small increases of folks getting COVID. We are still at some of the lowest hospitalizations that we’ve been at in the past 3 years,” she said. “Even a 10% increase on a very, very small number is still very small. My level of concern continues to be low.”

A version of this article was first published on WebMD.com .

The newest version of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available by the end of September, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The updated vaccine still needs final sign-offs from the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC.

“We anticipate that they are going to be available for most folks by the third or fourth week of September,” Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, said on a podcast hosted by former White House COVID adviser Andy Slavitt. “We are likely to see this as a recommendation as an annual COVID shot, just as we have an annual flu shot. I think that will give folks more clarity on whether they should get one or not.”

For people who are considering now whether they should get the currently available COVID vaccine or wait until the new one comes out, Dr. Cohen said that depends on a person’s individual risk. People who are 65 or older or who have multiple health conditions should go ahead and get the currently available shot if it’s been more than 6-8 months since their last dose. For all other people, it’s OK to wait for the new version.

Analysts expect low demand for the updated vaccine. About 240 million people in the United States got at least one dose when vaccines first became available in 2021, Reuters reported, but that number dropped to less than 50 million getting the most updated shot in the fall of 2022.

“Take a look at what happened last winter. It was 50 million in the U.S., and it seems likely to be lower than that, given that there’s less concern about COVID this year than last year,” Michael Yee, a health care industry analyst for the firm Jefferies, told Reuters.

Dr. Cohen noted during the podcast that the recent uptick in virus activity should be taken in context. 

“What we’re seeing right now in August of 2023 are small increases of folks getting COVID. We are still at some of the lowest hospitalizations that we’ve been at in the past 3 years,” she said. “Even a 10% increase on a very, very small number is still very small. My level of concern continues to be low.”

A version of this article was first published on WebMD.com .

Long COVID most often strikes seniors and adults, but children are also affected, even though they get less attention, new research shows.

Experts noted that the disease poses particular challenges for children and the doctors who treat them.

Parents and doctors need to be on the lookout for symptoms of long COVID in children and teens that might be easily missed or misdiagnosed, according to physicians and family groups.

Children are at lower risk for contracting COVID and often experience milder symptoms. But the virus is now widespread, and a recent study found that around 16% of pediatric patients with COVID go on to develop symptoms that last more than 3 months – the working definition of long COVID.

Parents and doctors are calling for more studies and more awareness.

Diane Sheehan, who lives outside Charlotte, N.C., says she was an active person and is now permanently disabled from long COVID. Her teenage son has it too and is still recovering.

He contracted COVID after a school event, she said. He had a mild case, but then he started experiencing dizziness and would even experience loss of consciousness when he stood up suddenly. After he contracted the virus a second time, he was bedridden for 8 months.

The staff at Hackensack Meridian Health, a pediatric long COVID clinic in New Jersey, has been working with area schools to help teachers and school nurses recognize possible long COVID in children and young people. The clinic is one of about a dozen in the United States that specializes in pediatric cases.

Katherine Clouser, MD, a pediatric hospital medicine specialist, has been with the clinic since it opened in 2021, and she’s seen a steady flow of patients. Some get better, but she sees a few new cases each week.

“We are seeing children who are having a difficult time returning to school and sports,” she said.

The clinic is having success with a mix of approaches, including intensive rehabilitation, talk therapy, and some off-label use of nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid), an antiviral now being studied as a treatment for long COVID through a National Institutes of Health clinical trials initiative that was announced last month.

Treatment depends on symptoms and is determined on a case-by-case basis, Dr. Clouser said.

Families of her patients are grateful, she added.

“We hear a lot of parents who were desperate for someone to believe them – or someone who knows about it,” she said.

A recent review of more than 30 studies with about 15,000 participants concluded that 16.2% (95% confidence interval, 8.5%-28.6%) of the pediatric participants experienced one or more persistent symptoms of long COVID at least 3 months after acute infection.

Estimates of the number of children and youth with long COVID have varied widely. A 2022 study put the number at more than 25% of cases, but the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that estimates of the percentage of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 who go on to have long COVID range from 2% to 66%.

The federal Recover Initiative has enrolled more than 10,000 children and youth – a number it plans to double – and studies of electronic health records are underway. The Recover pediatric team is also setting up a cohort that they plan to follow into 2025.

Some clinics are having luck treating young people with approaches ranging from special diets to off-label medication.

David W. Miller, MD, who runs the long COVID clinic at the UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, said he’s seen about 250 patients.

A warning sign of long COVID in children is profound fatigue, he said.

“It’s the most common symptom,” Dr. Miller said. “They feel like they have the flu all the time.”

Many also experience orthostatic hypotension on standing, triggering dizziness.

He said his team targets symptom groups. Initial management consists of a diet without sugar or refined carbohydrates. Skipping pasta and sweets can be hard for young people, but Dr. Miller said sometimes the diet alone helps.

Many have vitamin D and iron deficiencies. Others need help getting a good night’s sleep. He’s treated 50 with off-label low-dose naltrexone.

Some people with long COVID – both young and old – complain about being misdiagnosed as having depression. Dr. Miller says he see a lot of anxiety – some situational and some biochemical – in pediatric patients. But he cautions doctors not to treat their illness solely as a mental health problem.

His advice: If a young person or child experiences a major change in his or her regular level of functioning or has multiple COVID symptoms that don’t go away after several months, parents and doctors should consider long COVID as a possible cause.

Dr. Miller said most of his patients get better over time with some treatments: “We see improvement in the majority of kids who can stick to the regimen,” such as a sugar-free diet, supplements, and adequate sleep. Recovery has been slow and incomplete for Diane Sheehan and her son. She was training as a permanent make-up artist, she said, but now has hand tremors that make work impossible.

She has found doctors who treat some of her symptoms with antihistamines, and her son has benefited from physical therapy.

But for now, her son is passing on a scholarship he was awarded to attend North Carolina State University this year. Instead, he’s living at home and going to a local college.

Ms. Sheehan urges parents to be on the alert for signs that their children might have long COVID, which can be confused with many other conditions.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Long COVID most often strikes seniors and adults, but children are also affected, even though they get less attention, new research shows.

Experts noted that the disease poses particular challenges for children and the doctors who treat them.

Parents and doctors need to be on the lookout for symptoms of long COVID in children and teens that might be easily missed or misdiagnosed, according to physicians and family groups.

Children are at lower risk for contracting COVID and often experience milder symptoms. But the virus is now widespread, and a recent study found that around 16% of pediatric patients with COVID go on to develop symptoms that last more than 3 months – the working definition of long COVID.

Parents and doctors are calling for more studies and more awareness.

Diane Sheehan, who lives outside Charlotte, N.C., says she was an active person and is now permanently disabled from long COVID. Her teenage son has it too and is still recovering.

He contracted COVID after a school event, she said. He had a mild case, but then he started experiencing dizziness and would even experience loss of consciousness when he stood up suddenly. After he contracted the virus a second time, he was bedridden for 8 months.

The staff at Hackensack Meridian Health, a pediatric long COVID clinic in New Jersey, has been working with area schools to help teachers and school nurses recognize possible long COVID in children and young people. The clinic is one of about a dozen in the United States that specializes in pediatric cases.

Katherine Clouser, MD, a pediatric hospital medicine specialist, has been with the clinic since it opened in 2021, and she’s seen a steady flow of patients. Some get better, but she sees a few new cases each week.

“We are seeing children who are having a difficult time returning to school and sports,” she said.

The clinic is having success with a mix of approaches, including intensive rehabilitation, talk therapy, and some off-label use of nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid), an antiviral now being studied as a treatment for long COVID through a National Institutes of Health clinical trials initiative that was announced last month.

Treatment depends on symptoms and is determined on a case-by-case basis, Dr. Clouser said.

Families of her patients are grateful, she added.

“We hear a lot of parents who were desperate for someone to believe them – or someone who knows about it,” she said.

A recent review of more than 30 studies with about 15,000 participants concluded that 16.2% (95% confidence interval, 8.5%-28.6%) of the pediatric participants experienced one or more persistent symptoms of long COVID at least 3 months after acute infection.

Estimates of the number of children and youth with long COVID have varied widely. A 2022 study put the number at more than 25% of cases, but the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that estimates of the percentage of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 who go on to have long COVID range from 2% to 66%.

The federal Recover Initiative has enrolled more than 10,000 children and youth – a number it plans to double – and studies of electronic health records are underway. The Recover pediatric team is also setting up a cohort that they plan to follow into 2025.

Some clinics are having luck treating young people with approaches ranging from special diets to off-label medication.

David W. Miller, MD, who runs the long COVID clinic at the UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, said he’s seen about 250 patients.

A warning sign of long COVID in children is profound fatigue, he said.

“It’s the most common symptom,” Dr. Miller said. “They feel like they have the flu all the time.”

Many also experience orthostatic hypotension on standing, triggering dizziness.

He said his team targets symptom groups. Initial management consists of a diet without sugar or refined carbohydrates. Skipping pasta and sweets can be hard for young people, but Dr. Miller said sometimes the diet alone helps.

Many have vitamin D and iron deficiencies. Others need help getting a good night’s sleep. He’s treated 50 with off-label low-dose naltrexone.

Some people with long COVID – both young and old – complain about being misdiagnosed as having depression. Dr. Miller says he see a lot of anxiety – some situational and some biochemical – in pediatric patients. But he cautions doctors not to treat their illness solely as a mental health problem.

His advice: If a young person or child experiences a major change in his or her regular level of functioning or has multiple COVID symptoms that don’t go away after several months, parents and doctors should consider long COVID as a possible cause.

Dr. Miller said most of his patients get better over time with some treatments: “We see improvement in the majority of kids who can stick to the regimen,” such as a sugar-free diet, supplements, and adequate sleep. Recovery has been slow and incomplete for Diane Sheehan and her son. She was training as a permanent make-up artist, she said, but now has hand tremors that make work impossible.

She has found doctors who treat some of her symptoms with antihistamines, and her son has benefited from physical therapy.

But for now, her son is passing on a scholarship he was awarded to attend North Carolina State University this year. Instead, he’s living at home and going to a local college.

Ms. Sheehan urges parents to be on the alert for signs that their children might have long COVID, which can be confused with many other conditions.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Long COVID most often strikes seniors and adults, but children are also affected, even though they get less attention, new research shows.

Experts noted that the disease poses particular challenges for children and the doctors who treat them.

Parents and doctors need to be on the lookout for symptoms of long COVID in children and teens that might be easily missed or misdiagnosed, according to physicians and family groups.

Children are at lower risk for contracting COVID and often experience milder symptoms. But the virus is now widespread, and a recent study found that around 16% of pediatric patients with COVID go on to develop symptoms that last more than 3 months – the working definition of long COVID.

Parents and doctors are calling for more studies and more awareness.

Diane Sheehan, who lives outside Charlotte, N.C., says she was an active person and is now permanently disabled from long COVID. Her teenage son has it too and is still recovering.

He contracted COVID after a school event, she said. He had a mild case, but then he started experiencing dizziness and would even experience loss of consciousness when he stood up suddenly. After he contracted the virus a second time, he was bedridden for 8 months.

The staff at Hackensack Meridian Health, a pediatric long COVID clinic in New Jersey, has been working with area schools to help teachers and school nurses recognize possible long COVID in children and young people. The clinic is one of about a dozen in the United States that specializes in pediatric cases.

Katherine Clouser, MD, a pediatric hospital medicine specialist, has been with the clinic since it opened in 2021, and she’s seen a steady flow of patients. Some get better, but she sees a few new cases each week.

“We are seeing children who are having a difficult time returning to school and sports,” she said.

The clinic is having success with a mix of approaches, including intensive rehabilitation, talk therapy, and some off-label use of nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid), an antiviral now being studied as a treatment for long COVID through a National Institutes of Health clinical trials initiative that was announced last month.

Treatment depends on symptoms and is determined on a case-by-case basis, Dr. Clouser said.

Families of her patients are grateful, she added.

“We hear a lot of parents who were desperate for someone to believe them – or someone who knows about it,” she said.

A recent review of more than 30 studies with about 15,000 participants concluded that 16.2% (95% confidence interval, 8.5%-28.6%) of the pediatric participants experienced one or more persistent symptoms of long COVID at least 3 months after acute infection.

Estimates of the number of children and youth with long COVID have varied widely. A 2022 study put the number at more than 25% of cases, but the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that estimates of the percentage of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 who go on to have long COVID range from 2% to 66%.

The federal Recover Initiative has enrolled more than 10,000 children and youth – a number it plans to double – and studies of electronic health records are underway. The Recover pediatric team is also setting up a cohort that they plan to follow into 2025.

Some clinics are having luck treating young people with approaches ranging from special diets to off-label medication.

David W. Miller, MD, who runs the long COVID clinic at the UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, said he’s seen about 250 patients.

A warning sign of long COVID in children is profound fatigue, he said.

“It’s the most common symptom,” Dr. Miller said. “They feel like they have the flu all the time.”

Many also experience orthostatic hypotension on standing, triggering dizziness.

He said his team targets symptom groups. Initial management consists of a diet without sugar or refined carbohydrates. Skipping pasta and sweets can be hard for young people, but Dr. Miller said sometimes the diet alone helps.

Many have vitamin D and iron deficiencies. Others need help getting a good night’s sleep. He’s treated 50 with off-label low-dose naltrexone.

Some people with long COVID – both young and old – complain about being misdiagnosed as having depression. Dr. Miller says he see a lot of anxiety – some situational and some biochemical – in pediatric patients. But he cautions doctors not to treat their illness solely as a mental health problem.

His advice: If a young person or child experiences a major change in his or her regular level of functioning or has multiple COVID symptoms that don’t go away after several months, parents and doctors should consider long COVID as a possible cause.

Dr. Miller said most of his patients get better over time with some treatments: “We see improvement in the majority of kids who can stick to the regimen,” such as a sugar-free diet, supplements, and adequate sleep. Recovery has been slow and incomplete for Diane Sheehan and her son. She was training as a permanent make-up artist, she said, but now has hand tremors that make work impossible.

She has found doctors who treat some of her symptoms with antihistamines, and her son has benefited from physical therapy.

But for now, her son is passing on a scholarship he was awarded to attend North Carolina State University this year. Instead, he’s living at home and going to a local college.

Ms. Sheehan urges parents to be on the alert for signs that their children might have long COVID, which can be confused with many other conditions.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Approximately one-quarter of adults who experience long COVID report activity limitations that do not change over time, based on data from national sample of nonhospitalized individuals.

Symptoms of long COVID, an ongoing medical condition that occurs in the wake of COVID-19 infection, include respiratory, neurologic, cardiovascular, or other complications that may last for weeks, months, or years after infection.

Current estimates of the incidence of long COVID in the United States range from 7.5% to 41%, according to Nicole D. Ford, PhD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues. Long COVID has shown a significant effect on patients’ quality of life, functional status, and ability to work, but the impact on activity limitation in particular has not been examined, the researchers said.

In a study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the researchers reviewed data from surveys conducted between June 1 and 13, 2022, and June 7 and 19, 2023. The data came from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (HPS), a cross-sectional national survey designed to measure the social and economic effects of COVID-19 on U.S. households. Surveys were conducted in 2-week cycles (2 weeks on, 2 weeks off). Questions about long COVID were added to the survey beginning on June 1, 2022, and questions about activity limitations from long COVID were added on Sept. 14, 2022, including questions about participants’ abilities to perform daily activities before and after COVID-19 infection.

Overall, the prevalence of long COVID decreased from 7.5% to 6.0% in U.S. adults aged 18 years and older during the study period. However, when stratified by age group, the decline was significant only in adults older than 60 years, and 1 in 10 adults with a history of COVID-19 reported long COVID at the end of the study period.

Among respondents with long COVID, 26.4% of respondents for time period of June 7-19, 2023, reported significant activity limitations, which remained unchanged over time, with no clear pattern in activity limitations across age groups, the researchers said.

Prevalence of long COVID was highest for individuals in middle adulthood (aged 30-39 years, 40-49 years, and 50-59 years) and lowest for younger adults (18-29 years) and older adults (aged 60 years and older). The prevalence of long COVID decreased by 1.16% per survey cycle between the June 1-13 and Jan. 4-16 cycles, but then remained stable, with a decrease of 0.01% per cycle between June 1-13, 2022, and Jan. 4-16, 2023.

Previous studies have shown that activity limitations resulting from long COVID can significantly affect quality of life and functional status, as well as the ability to work or care for others. A recent study in the United Kingdom showed that quality of life scores among long COVID patients were similar to those of individuals with advanced cancer, and more than half of the long COVID patients reported moderately severe functional impairment. “The larger economic and societal impact of long COVID could be far-reaching if working-age adults are unable to maintain employment or care for children or aging parents,” the researchers said.

The current study findings were limited by several factors including potential coverage bias in the survey sample, the relatively low survey response rate, and the inability to collect data on duration of symptoms, COVID-19 vaccination status, treatment during acute infection, and time since COVID-19 illness; any of these factors could affect the reported prevalence of long COVID, the researchers noted.

However, the results suggest the need for continued attention to COVID-19 prevention efforts, including not only staying current with recommended COVID-19 vaccination, but also planning for symptom management and health care service needs of long COVID patients, they concluded.
 

More data are needed to tease out patterns

“Physicians and patients are still trying to understand long COVID and its implications for the health of affected individuals,” said Noel Deep, MD, in an interview.

The current study shows a prevalence of long COVID in approximately 11% of COVID patients, which is a significant number, said Dr. Deep, a general internist in private practice in Antigo, Wisc., who was not involved in the study. Dr. Deep also serves as chief medical officer and a staff physician at Aspirus Langlade Hospital in Antigo.

The study also was useful to illustrate a decline in the incidence of people affected by long COVID symptoms in the United States and in other countries, he said.

Dr. Deep noted that despite the persistent prevalence of long COVID symptoms overall, he was encouraged by the findings that older adults “who tend to have other underlying health conditions that could put them at a higher risk for adverse health outcomes” reported fewer long COVID symptoms than younger adults.

However, he noted that the high incidence of long COVID symptoms in able-bodied individuals in their 30s and 40s may affect their the economic situations as well as their ability to care for elderly relatives and children who might be dependent on them.

“Physicians and other clinicians should be aware of the symptoms and impacts caused by long COVID,” Dr. Deep said in an interview. “These individuals usually present with a myriad of vague and varying symptoms. Physicians should be cognizant of this situation, ask about previous infection with COVID-19, and utilize the resources of long COVID clinics where available,” he said.

Several factors can affect the assessment and management of patients with long COVID symptoms in primary care practices, said Dr. Deep. First and foremost are the time constraints of detailed evaluation and testing, he said.

Second, primary care clinicians need to be aware of the different symptoms that may be indicative of long COVID including fatigue, neurocognitive symptoms such as brain fog or memory disturbance, respiratory symptoms, and cardiovascular symptoms, as well as olfactory and gustatory symptoms. “These symptoms can be confounded by underlying health conditions, especially in elderly individuals,” he noted.

“Recommendations and guidelines are evolving regarding the evaluation and management of patients with long COVID that should help physicians and other clinicians in the future,” said Dr. Deep.

In the meantime, having a high index of suspicion, paying attention to the symptoms described by the patient, and taking a proper history with regard to previous COVID-19 infection should help overcome some of these challenges, he said.

The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose. Dr. Deep had no financial conflicts to disclose and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Internal Medicine News.

Approximately one-quarter of adults who experience long COVID report activity limitations that do not change over time, based on data from national sample of nonhospitalized individuals.

Symptoms of long COVID, an ongoing medical condition that occurs in the wake of COVID-19 infection, include respiratory, neurologic, cardiovascular, or other complications that may last for weeks, months, or years after infection.

Current estimates of the incidence of long COVID in the United States range from 7.5% to 41%, according to Nicole D. Ford, PhD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues. Long COVID has shown a significant effect on patients’ quality of life, functional status, and ability to work, but the impact on activity limitation in particular has not been examined, the researchers said.

In a study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the researchers reviewed data from surveys conducted between June 1 and 13, 2022, and June 7 and 19, 2023. The data came from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (HPS), a cross-sectional national survey designed to measure the social and economic effects of COVID-19 on U.S. households. Surveys were conducted in 2-week cycles (2 weeks on, 2 weeks off). Questions about long COVID were added to the survey beginning on June 1, 2022, and questions about activity limitations from long COVID were added on Sept. 14, 2022, including questions about participants’ abilities to perform daily activities before and after COVID-19 infection.

Overall, the prevalence of long COVID decreased from 7.5% to 6.0% in U.S. adults aged 18 years and older during the study period. However, when stratified by age group, the decline was significant only in adults older than 60 years, and 1 in 10 adults with a history of COVID-19 reported long COVID at the end of the study period.

Among respondents with long COVID, 26.4% of respondents for time period of June 7-19, 2023, reported significant activity limitations, which remained unchanged over time, with no clear pattern in activity limitations across age groups, the researchers said.

Prevalence of long COVID was highest for individuals in middle adulthood (aged 30-39 years, 40-49 years, and 50-59 years) and lowest for younger adults (18-29 years) and older adults (aged 60 years and older). The prevalence of long COVID decreased by 1.16% per survey cycle between the June 1-13 and Jan. 4-16 cycles, but then remained stable, with a decrease of 0.01% per cycle between June 1-13, 2022, and Jan. 4-16, 2023.

Previous studies have shown that activity limitations resulting from long COVID can significantly affect quality of life and functional status, as well as the ability to work or care for others. A recent study in the United Kingdom showed that quality of life scores among long COVID patients were similar to those of individuals with advanced cancer, and more than half of the long COVID patients reported moderately severe functional impairment. “The larger economic and societal impact of long COVID could be far-reaching if working-age adults are unable to maintain employment or care for children or aging parents,” the researchers said.

The current study findings were limited by several factors including potential coverage bias in the survey sample, the relatively low survey response rate, and the inability to collect data on duration of symptoms, COVID-19 vaccination status, treatment during acute infection, and time since COVID-19 illness; any of these factors could affect the reported prevalence of long COVID, the researchers noted.

However, the results suggest the need for continued attention to COVID-19 prevention efforts, including not only staying current with recommended COVID-19 vaccination, but also planning for symptom management and health care service needs of long COVID patients, they concluded.
 

More data are needed to tease out patterns

“Physicians and patients are still trying to understand long COVID and its implications for the health of affected individuals,” said Noel Deep, MD, in an interview.

The current study shows a prevalence of long COVID in approximately 11% of COVID patients, which is a significant number, said Dr. Deep, a general internist in private practice in Antigo, Wisc., who was not involved in the study. Dr. Deep also serves as chief medical officer and a staff physician at Aspirus Langlade Hospital in Antigo.

The study also was useful to illustrate a decline in the incidence of people affected by long COVID symptoms in the United States and in other countries, he said.

Dr. Deep noted that despite the persistent prevalence of long COVID symptoms overall, he was encouraged by the findings that older adults “who tend to have other underlying health conditions that could put them at a higher risk for adverse health outcomes” reported fewer long COVID symptoms than younger adults.

However, he noted that the high incidence of long COVID symptoms in able-bodied individuals in their 30s and 40s may affect their the economic situations as well as their ability to care for elderly relatives and children who might be dependent on them.

“Physicians and other clinicians should be aware of the symptoms and impacts caused by long COVID,” Dr. Deep said in an interview. “These individuals usually present with a myriad of vague and varying symptoms. Physicians should be cognizant of this situation, ask about previous infection with COVID-19, and utilize the resources of long COVID clinics where available,” he said.

Several factors can affect the assessment and management of patients with long COVID symptoms in primary care practices, said Dr. Deep. First and foremost are the time constraints of detailed evaluation and testing, he said.

Second, primary care clinicians need to be aware of the different symptoms that may be indicative of long COVID including fatigue, neurocognitive symptoms such as brain fog or memory disturbance, respiratory symptoms, and cardiovascular symptoms, as well as olfactory and gustatory symptoms. “These symptoms can be confounded by underlying health conditions, especially in elderly individuals,” he noted.

“Recommendations and guidelines are evolving regarding the evaluation and management of patients with long COVID that should help physicians and other clinicians in the future,” said Dr. Deep.

In the meantime, having a high index of suspicion, paying attention to the symptoms described by the patient, and taking a proper history with regard to previous COVID-19 infection should help overcome some of these challenges, he said.

The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose. Dr. Deep had no financial conflicts to disclose and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Internal Medicine News.

Approximately one-quarter of adults who experience long COVID report activity limitations that do not change over time, based on data from national sample of nonhospitalized individuals.

Symptoms of long COVID, an ongoing medical condition that occurs in the wake of COVID-19 infection, include respiratory, neurologic, cardiovascular, or other complications that may last for weeks, months, or years after infection.

Current estimates of the incidence of long COVID in the United States range from 7.5% to 41%, according to Nicole D. Ford, PhD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues. Long COVID has shown a significant effect on patients’ quality of life, functional status, and ability to work, but the impact on activity limitation in particular has not been examined, the researchers said.

In a study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the researchers reviewed data from surveys conducted between June 1 and 13, 2022, and June 7 and 19, 2023. The data came from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (HPS), a cross-sectional national survey designed to measure the social and economic effects of COVID-19 on U.S. households. Surveys were conducted in 2-week cycles (2 weeks on, 2 weeks off). Questions about long COVID were added to the survey beginning on June 1, 2022, and questions about activity limitations from long COVID were added on Sept. 14, 2022, including questions about participants’ abilities to perform daily activities before and after COVID-19 infection.

Overall, the prevalence of long COVID decreased from 7.5% to 6.0% in U.S. adults aged 18 years and older during the study period. However, when stratified by age group, the decline was significant only in adults older than 60 years, and 1 in 10 adults with a history of COVID-19 reported long COVID at the end of the study period.

Among respondents with long COVID, 26.4% of respondents for time period of June 7-19, 2023, reported significant activity limitations, which remained unchanged over time, with no clear pattern in activity limitations across age groups, the researchers said.

Prevalence of long COVID was highest for individuals in middle adulthood (aged 30-39 years, 40-49 years, and 50-59 years) and lowest for younger adults (18-29 years) and older adults (aged 60 years and older). The prevalence of long COVID decreased by 1.16% per survey cycle between the June 1-13 and Jan. 4-16 cycles, but then remained stable, with a decrease of 0.01% per cycle between June 1-13, 2022, and Jan. 4-16, 2023.

Previous studies have shown that activity limitations resulting from long COVID can significantly affect quality of life and functional status, as well as the ability to work or care for others. A recent study in the United Kingdom showed that quality of life scores among long COVID patients were similar to those of individuals with advanced cancer, and more than half of the long COVID patients reported moderately severe functional impairment. “The larger economic and societal impact of long COVID could be far-reaching if working-age adults are unable to maintain employment or care for children or aging parents,” the researchers said.

The current study findings were limited by several factors including potential coverage bias in the survey sample, the relatively low survey response rate, and the inability to collect data on duration of symptoms, COVID-19 vaccination status, treatment during acute infection, and time since COVID-19 illness; any of these factors could affect the reported prevalence of long COVID, the researchers noted.

However, the results suggest the need for continued attention to COVID-19 prevention efforts, including not only staying current with recommended COVID-19 vaccination, but also planning for symptom management and health care service needs of long COVID patients, they concluded.
 

More data are needed to tease out patterns

“Physicians and patients are still trying to understand long COVID and its implications for the health of affected individuals,” said Noel Deep, MD, in an interview.

The current study shows a prevalence of long COVID in approximately 11% of COVID patients, which is a significant number, said Dr. Deep, a general internist in private practice in Antigo, Wisc., who was not involved in the study. Dr. Deep also serves as chief medical officer and a staff physician at Aspirus Langlade Hospital in Antigo.

The study also was useful to illustrate a decline in the incidence of people affected by long COVID symptoms in the United States and in other countries, he said.

Dr. Deep noted that despite the persistent prevalence of long COVID symptoms overall, he was encouraged by the findings that older adults “who tend to have other underlying health conditions that could put them at a higher risk for adverse health outcomes” reported fewer long COVID symptoms than younger adults.

However, he noted that the high incidence of long COVID symptoms in able-bodied individuals in their 30s and 40s may affect their the economic situations as well as their ability to care for elderly relatives and children who might be dependent on them.

“Physicians and other clinicians should be aware of the symptoms and impacts caused by long COVID,” Dr. Deep said in an interview. “These individuals usually present with a myriad of vague and varying symptoms. Physicians should be cognizant of this situation, ask about previous infection with COVID-19, and utilize the resources of long COVID clinics where available,” he said.

Several factors can affect the assessment and management of patients with long COVID symptoms in primary care practices, said Dr. Deep. First and foremost are the time constraints of detailed evaluation and testing, he said.

Second, primary care clinicians need to be aware of the different symptoms that may be indicative of long COVID including fatigue, neurocognitive symptoms such as brain fog or memory disturbance, respiratory symptoms, and cardiovascular symptoms, as well as olfactory and gustatory symptoms. “These symptoms can be confounded by underlying health conditions, especially in elderly individuals,” he noted.

“Recommendations and guidelines are evolving regarding the evaluation and management of patients with long COVID that should help physicians and other clinicians in the future,” said Dr. Deep.

In the meantime, having a high index of suspicion, paying attention to the symptoms described by the patient, and taking a proper history with regard to previous COVID-19 infection should help overcome some of these challenges, he said.

The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose. Dr. Deep had no financial conflicts to disclose and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Internal Medicine News.

More than 3 years into the COVID-19 era, most Americans have settled back into their prepandemic lifestyles. But a new dominant variant and rising hospitalization numbers may give way to another summer surge.

Since April, a new COVID variant has cropped up. According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, EG.5 – from the Omicron family – now makes up 17% of all cases in the United States, up from 7.5% in the first week of July. 

A summary from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota says that EG.5, nicknamed “Eris” by health trackers, is nearly the same as its parent strain, XBB.1.9.2, but has one extra spike mutation. 

Along with the news of EG.5’s growing prevalence, COVID-related hospitalization rates have increased by 12.5% during the week ending on July 29 – the most significant uptick since December. Still, no connection has been made between the new variant and rising hospital admissions. And so far, experts have found no difference in the severity of illness or symptoms between Eris and the strains that came before it.
 

Cause for concern?

The COVID virus has a great tendency to mutate, said William Schaffner, MD, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. 

“Fortunately, these are relatively minor mutations.” Even so, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to be highly contagious. “There isn’t any doubt that it’s spreading – but it’s not more serious.”

So, Dr. Schaffner doesn’t think it’s time to panic. He prefers calling it an “uptick” in cases instead of a “surge,” because a surge “sounds too big.”

While the numbers are still low, compared with 2022’s summer surge, experts still urge people to stay aware of changes in the virus. “I do not think that there is any cause for alarm,” agreed Bernard Camins, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York.

So why the higher number of cases? “There has been an increase in COVID cases this summer, probably related to travel, socializing, and dwindling masking,” said Anne Liu, MD, an allergy, immunology, and infectious disease specialist at Stanford (Calif.) University. Even so, “because of an existing level of immunity from vaccination and prior infections, it has been limited and case severity has been lower than in prior surges.”
 

What the official numbers say

The CDC no longer updates its COVID Data Tracker Weekly Review. They stopped in May 2023 when the federal public health emergency ended.

But the agency continues to track COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, ED visits, and deaths in different ways. The key takeaways include 9,056 new hospitalizations reported for the week ending July 29, 2023. That is relatively low, compared with July 30, 2022, when the weekly new hospitalization numbers topped 44,000. 

“Last year, we saw a summer wave with cases peaking around mid-July. In that sense, our summer wave is coming a bit later than last year,” said Pavitra Roychoudhury, PhD, an assistant professor and researcher in the vaccine and infectious disease division at the University of Washington, Seattle. 

“It’s unclear how high the peak will be during this current wave. Levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, as well as the number of hospitalizations, are currently lower than this time last year.” 

For part of the pandemic, the CDC recommended people monitor COVID numbers in their own communities. But the agency’s local guidance on COVID is tied to hospital admission levels, which are currently low for more than 99% of the country, even if they are increasing. 

So, while it’s good news that hospitalization numbers are smaller, it means the agency’s ability to identify local outbreaks or hot spots of SARS-CoV-2 is now more limited. 

It’s not just an uptick in hospitalizations nationwide, as other COVID-19 indicators, including ED visits, positive tests, and wastewater levels, are increasing across the United States. 

In terms of other metrics: 

• On June 19, 0.47% of ED visits resulted in a positive COVID diagnosis. On Aug. 4, that rate had more than doubled to 1.1%. 
• On July 29, 8.9% of people who took a COVID test reported a positive result. The positivity rate has been increasing since June 10, when 4.1% of tests came back positive. This figure only includes test results reported to the CDC. Results of home testing remain largely unknown. 
• The weekly percentage of deaths related to COVID-19 was 1% as of July 29. That’s low, compared with previous rates. For example, for the week ending July 30, 2022, it was 5.8%.

What about new COVID vaccines?

As long as the general public continue to make informed decisions and get the new Omicron vaccine or booster once it’s available, experts predict lower hospitalization rates this winter. 

“Everyone should get the Omicron booster when it becomes available,” recommended Dean Winslow, MD, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. 

In the meantime, “it is important to emphasize that COVID-19 is going to be with us for the foreseeable future,” he said. Since the symptoms linked to these newer Omicron subvariants are generally milder than with earlier variants, “if one has even mild cold symptoms, it is a good idea to test yourself for COVID-19 and start treatment early if one is elderly or otherwise at high risk for severe disease.”

Dr. Schaffner remains optimistic for now. “We anticipate that the vaccines we currently have available, and certainly the vaccine that is being developed for this fall, will continue to prevent severe disease associated with this virus.”

Although it’s difficult to predict an exact time line, Dr. Schaffner said they could be available by the end of September. 

His predictions assume “that we don’t have a new nasty variant that crops up somewhere in the world,” he said. “[If] things continue to move the way they have been, we anticipate that this vaccine ... will be really effective and help us keep out of the hospital during this winter, when we expect more of an increase of COVID once again.” 

Asked for his outlook on vaccine recommendations, Dr. Camins was less certain. “It is too soon to tell.” Guidance on COVID shots will be based on results of ongoing studies. “It would be prudent, however, for everyone to plan on getting the flu shot in September.”

Stay alert and stay realistic

Cautious optimism and a call to remain vigilant seem like the consensus at the moment. While the numbers remain low so far and the uptick in new cases and hospitalizations are relatively small, compared with past scenarios, “it makes sense to boost our anti-Omicron antibody levels with immunizations before fall and winter,” Dr. Liu said. 

“It’s just advisable for everyone – especially those who are at higher risk for hospitalization or death – to be aware,” Dr. Camins said, “so they can form their own decisions to participate in activities that may put them at risk for contracting COVID-19.”

While respiratory virus work best at keeping people with the flu, COVID, or RSV out of the hospital, they’re not as good at preventing milder infections. Dr. Schaffner said: “If we don’t expect perfection, we won’t be so disappointed.”

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

More than 3 years into the COVID-19 era, most Americans have settled back into their prepandemic lifestyles. But a new dominant variant and rising hospitalization numbers may give way to another summer surge.

Since April, a new COVID variant has cropped up. According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, EG.5 – from the Omicron family – now makes up 17% of all cases in the United States, up from 7.5% in the first week of July. 

A summary from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota says that EG.5, nicknamed “Eris” by health trackers, is nearly the same as its parent strain, XBB.1.9.2, but has one extra spike mutation. 

Along with the news of EG.5’s growing prevalence, COVID-related hospitalization rates have increased by 12.5% during the week ending on July 29 – the most significant uptick since December. Still, no connection has been made between the new variant and rising hospital admissions. And so far, experts have found no difference in the severity of illness or symptoms between Eris and the strains that came before it.
 

Cause for concern?

The COVID virus has a great tendency to mutate, said William Schaffner, MD, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. 

“Fortunately, these are relatively minor mutations.” Even so, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to be highly contagious. “There isn’t any doubt that it’s spreading – but it’s not more serious.”

So, Dr. Schaffner doesn’t think it’s time to panic. He prefers calling it an “uptick” in cases instead of a “surge,” because a surge “sounds too big.”

While the numbers are still low, compared with 2022’s summer surge, experts still urge people to stay aware of changes in the virus. “I do not think that there is any cause for alarm,” agreed Bernard Camins, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York.

So why the higher number of cases? “There has been an increase in COVID cases this summer, probably related to travel, socializing, and dwindling masking,” said Anne Liu, MD, an allergy, immunology, and infectious disease specialist at Stanford (Calif.) University. Even so, “because of an existing level of immunity from vaccination and prior infections, it has been limited and case severity has been lower than in prior surges.”
 

What the official numbers say

The CDC no longer updates its COVID Data Tracker Weekly Review. They stopped in May 2023 when the federal public health emergency ended.

But the agency continues to track COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, ED visits, and deaths in different ways. The key takeaways include 9,056 new hospitalizations reported for the week ending July 29, 2023. That is relatively low, compared with July 30, 2022, when the weekly new hospitalization numbers topped 44,000. 

“Last year, we saw a summer wave with cases peaking around mid-July. In that sense, our summer wave is coming a bit later than last year,” said Pavitra Roychoudhury, PhD, an assistant professor and researcher in the vaccine and infectious disease division at the University of Washington, Seattle. 

“It’s unclear how high the peak will be during this current wave. Levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, as well as the number of hospitalizations, are currently lower than this time last year.” 

For part of the pandemic, the CDC recommended people monitor COVID numbers in their own communities. But the agency’s local guidance on COVID is tied to hospital admission levels, which are currently low for more than 99% of the country, even if they are increasing. 

So, while it’s good news that hospitalization numbers are smaller, it means the agency’s ability to identify local outbreaks or hot spots of SARS-CoV-2 is now more limited. 

It’s not just an uptick in hospitalizations nationwide, as other COVID-19 indicators, including ED visits, positive tests, and wastewater levels, are increasing across the United States. 

In terms of other metrics: 

• On June 19, 0.47% of ED visits resulted in a positive COVID diagnosis. On Aug. 4, that rate had more than doubled to 1.1%. 
• On July 29, 8.9% of people who took a COVID test reported a positive result. The positivity rate has been increasing since June 10, when 4.1% of tests came back positive. This figure only includes test results reported to the CDC. Results of home testing remain largely unknown. 
• The weekly percentage of deaths related to COVID-19 was 1% as of July 29. That’s low, compared with previous rates. For example, for the week ending July 30, 2022, it was 5.8%.

What about new COVID vaccines?

As long as the general public continue to make informed decisions and get the new Omicron vaccine or booster once it’s available, experts predict lower hospitalization rates this winter. 

“Everyone should get the Omicron booster when it becomes available,” recommended Dean Winslow, MD, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. 

In the meantime, “it is important to emphasize that COVID-19 is going to be with us for the foreseeable future,” he said. Since the symptoms linked to these newer Omicron subvariants are generally milder than with earlier variants, “if one has even mild cold symptoms, it is a good idea to test yourself for COVID-19 and start treatment early if one is elderly or otherwise at high risk for severe disease.”

Dr. Schaffner remains optimistic for now. “We anticipate that the vaccines we currently have available, and certainly the vaccine that is being developed for this fall, will continue to prevent severe disease associated with this virus.”

Although it’s difficult to predict an exact time line, Dr. Schaffner said they could be available by the end of September. 

His predictions assume “that we don’t have a new nasty variant that crops up somewhere in the world,” he said. “[If] things continue to move the way they have been, we anticipate that this vaccine ... will be really effective and help us keep out of the hospital during this winter, when we expect more of an increase of COVID once again.” 

Asked for his outlook on vaccine recommendations, Dr. Camins was less certain. “It is too soon to tell.” Guidance on COVID shots will be based on results of ongoing studies. “It would be prudent, however, for everyone to plan on getting the flu shot in September.”

Stay alert and stay realistic

Cautious optimism and a call to remain vigilant seem like the consensus at the moment. While the numbers remain low so far and the uptick in new cases and hospitalizations are relatively small, compared with past scenarios, “it makes sense to boost our anti-Omicron antibody levels with immunizations before fall and winter,” Dr. Liu said. 

“It’s just advisable for everyone – especially those who are at higher risk for hospitalization or death – to be aware,” Dr. Camins said, “so they can form their own decisions to participate in activities that may put them at risk for contracting COVID-19.”

While respiratory virus work best at keeping people with the flu, COVID, or RSV out of the hospital, they’re not as good at preventing milder infections. Dr. Schaffner said: “If we don’t expect perfection, we won’t be so disappointed.”

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

More than 3 years into the COVID-19 era, most Americans have settled back into their prepandemic lifestyles. But a new dominant variant and rising hospitalization numbers may give way to another summer surge.

Since April, a new COVID variant has cropped up. According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, EG.5 – from the Omicron family – now makes up 17% of all cases in the United States, up from 7.5% in the first week of July. 

A summary from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota says that EG.5, nicknamed “Eris” by health trackers, is nearly the same as its parent strain, XBB.1.9.2, but has one extra spike mutation. 

Along with the news of EG.5’s growing prevalence, COVID-related hospitalization rates have increased by 12.5% during the week ending on July 29 – the most significant uptick since December. Still, no connection has been made between the new variant and rising hospital admissions. And so far, experts have found no difference in the severity of illness or symptoms between Eris and the strains that came before it.
 

Cause for concern?

The COVID virus has a great tendency to mutate, said William Schaffner, MD, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. 

“Fortunately, these are relatively minor mutations.” Even so, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to be highly contagious. “There isn’t any doubt that it’s spreading – but it’s not more serious.”

So, Dr. Schaffner doesn’t think it’s time to panic. He prefers calling it an “uptick” in cases instead of a “surge,” because a surge “sounds too big.”

While the numbers are still low, compared with 2022’s summer surge, experts still urge people to stay aware of changes in the virus. “I do not think that there is any cause for alarm,” agreed Bernard Camins, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York.

So why the higher number of cases? “There has been an increase in COVID cases this summer, probably related to travel, socializing, and dwindling masking,” said Anne Liu, MD, an allergy, immunology, and infectious disease specialist at Stanford (Calif.) University. Even so, “because of an existing level of immunity from vaccination and prior infections, it has been limited and case severity has been lower than in prior surges.”
 

What the official numbers say

The CDC no longer updates its COVID Data Tracker Weekly Review. They stopped in May 2023 when the federal public health emergency ended.

But the agency continues to track COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, ED visits, and deaths in different ways. The key takeaways include 9,056 new hospitalizations reported for the week ending July 29, 2023. That is relatively low, compared with July 30, 2022, when the weekly new hospitalization numbers topped 44,000. 

“Last year, we saw a summer wave with cases peaking around mid-July. In that sense, our summer wave is coming a bit later than last year,” said Pavitra Roychoudhury, PhD, an assistant professor and researcher in the vaccine and infectious disease division at the University of Washington, Seattle. 

“It’s unclear how high the peak will be during this current wave. Levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, as well as the number of hospitalizations, are currently lower than this time last year.” 

For part of the pandemic, the CDC recommended people monitor COVID numbers in their own communities. But the agency’s local guidance on COVID is tied to hospital admission levels, which are currently low for more than 99% of the country, even if they are increasing. 

So, while it’s good news that hospitalization numbers are smaller, it means the agency’s ability to identify local outbreaks or hot spots of SARS-CoV-2 is now more limited. 

It’s not just an uptick in hospitalizations nationwide, as other COVID-19 indicators, including ED visits, positive tests, and wastewater levels, are increasing across the United States. 

In terms of other metrics: 

• On June 19, 0.47% of ED visits resulted in a positive COVID diagnosis. On Aug. 4, that rate had more than doubled to 1.1%. 
• On July 29, 8.9% of people who took a COVID test reported a positive result. The positivity rate has been increasing since June 10, when 4.1% of tests came back positive. This figure only includes test results reported to the CDC. Results of home testing remain largely unknown. 
• The weekly percentage of deaths related to COVID-19 was 1% as of July 29. That’s low, compared with previous rates. For example, for the week ending July 30, 2022, it was 5.8%.

What about new COVID vaccines?

As long as the general public continue to make informed decisions and get the new Omicron vaccine or booster once it’s available, experts predict lower hospitalization rates this winter. 

“Everyone should get the Omicron booster when it becomes available,” recommended Dean Winslow, MD, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. 

In the meantime, “it is important to emphasize that COVID-19 is going to be with us for the foreseeable future,” he said. Since the symptoms linked to these newer Omicron subvariants are generally milder than with earlier variants, “if one has even mild cold symptoms, it is a good idea to test yourself for COVID-19 and start treatment early if one is elderly or otherwise at high risk for severe disease.”

Dr. Schaffner remains optimistic for now. “We anticipate that the vaccines we currently have available, and certainly the vaccine that is being developed for this fall, will continue to prevent severe disease associated with this virus.”

Although it’s difficult to predict an exact time line, Dr. Schaffner said they could be available by the end of September. 

His predictions assume “that we don’t have a new nasty variant that crops up somewhere in the world,” he said. “[If] things continue to move the way they have been, we anticipate that this vaccine ... will be really effective and help us keep out of the hospital during this winter, when we expect more of an increase of COVID once again.” 

Asked for his outlook on vaccine recommendations, Dr. Camins was less certain. “It is too soon to tell.” Guidance on COVID shots will be based on results of ongoing studies. “It would be prudent, however, for everyone to plan on getting the flu shot in September.”

Stay alert and stay realistic

Cautious optimism and a call to remain vigilant seem like the consensus at the moment. While the numbers remain low so far and the uptick in new cases and hospitalizations are relatively small, compared with past scenarios, “it makes sense to boost our anti-Omicron antibody levels with immunizations before fall and winter,” Dr. Liu said. 

“It’s just advisable for everyone – especially those who are at higher risk for hospitalization or death – to be aware,” Dr. Camins said, “so they can form their own decisions to participate in activities that may put them at risk for contracting COVID-19.”

While respiratory virus work best at keeping people with the flu, COVID, or RSV out of the hospital, they’re not as good at preventing milder infections. Dr. Schaffner said: “If we don’t expect perfection, we won’t be so disappointed.”

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

COVID-19 hospitalizations continue their steady summer march upward, and now a new variant has perched atop the list of the most prevalent forms of the virus.

Called “Eris” among avid COVID trackers, the strain EG.5 now accounts for 17% of all U.S. COVID infections, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. That’s up from 12% the week prior. 

EG.5 has been rising worldwide, just weeks after the World Health Organization added the strain to its official monitoring list. In the United Kingdom, it now accounts for 1 in 10 COVID cases, The Independent reported.

EG.5 is a descendant of the XBB strains that have dominated tracking lists in recent months. It has the same makeup as XBB.1.9.2 but carries an extra spike mutation, according to a summary published by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. The spike protein is the part of the virus that allows it to enter human cells. But there’s no indication so far that EG.5 is more contagious or severe than other recent variants, according to the CIDRAP summary and a recent podcast from the American Medical Association. The CDC said that current vaccines protect against the variant.

U.S. hospitals saw a 12% increase in COVID admissions during the week ending on July 22, with 8,047 people being admitted because of the virus, up from an all-time low of 6,306 the week of June 24. In 17 states, the past-week increase in hospitalizations was 20% or greater. In Minnesota, the rate jumped by 50%, and in West Virginia, it jumped by 63%. Meanwhile, deaths reached their lowest weekly rate ever for the week of data ending July 29, with just 176 deaths reported by the CDC.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

COVID-19 hospitalizations continue their steady summer march upward, and now a new variant has perched atop the list of the most prevalent forms of the virus.

Called “Eris” among avid COVID trackers, the strain EG.5 now accounts for 17% of all U.S. COVID infections, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. That’s up from 12% the week prior. 

EG.5 has been rising worldwide, just weeks after the World Health Organization added the strain to its official monitoring list. In the United Kingdom, it now accounts for 1 in 10 COVID cases, The Independent reported.

EG.5 is a descendant of the XBB strains that have dominated tracking lists in recent months. It has the same makeup as XBB.1.9.2 but carries an extra spike mutation, according to a summary published by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. The spike protein is the part of the virus that allows it to enter human cells. But there’s no indication so far that EG.5 is more contagious or severe than other recent variants, according to the CIDRAP summary and a recent podcast from the American Medical Association. The CDC said that current vaccines protect against the variant.

U.S. hospitals saw a 12% increase in COVID admissions during the week ending on July 22, with 8,047 people being admitted because of the virus, up from an all-time low of 6,306 the week of June 24. In 17 states, the past-week increase in hospitalizations was 20% or greater. In Minnesota, the rate jumped by 50%, and in West Virginia, it jumped by 63%. Meanwhile, deaths reached their lowest weekly rate ever for the week of data ending July 29, with just 176 deaths reported by the CDC.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

COVID-19 hospitalizations continue their steady summer march upward, and now a new variant has perched atop the list of the most prevalent forms of the virus.

Called “Eris” among avid COVID trackers, the strain EG.5 now accounts for 17% of all U.S. COVID infections, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. That’s up from 12% the week prior. 

EG.5 has been rising worldwide, just weeks after the World Health Organization added the strain to its official monitoring list. In the United Kingdom, it now accounts for 1 in 10 COVID cases, The Independent reported.

EG.5 is a descendant of the XBB strains that have dominated tracking lists in recent months. It has the same makeup as XBB.1.9.2 but carries an extra spike mutation, according to a summary published by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. The spike protein is the part of the virus that allows it to enter human cells. But there’s no indication so far that EG.5 is more contagious or severe than other recent variants, according to the CIDRAP summary and a recent podcast from the American Medical Association. The CDC said that current vaccines protect against the variant.

U.S. hospitals saw a 12% increase in COVID admissions during the week ending on July 22, with 8,047 people being admitted because of the virus, up from an all-time low of 6,306 the week of June 24. In 17 states, the past-week increase in hospitalizations was 20% or greater. In Minnesota, the rate jumped by 50%, and in West Virginia, it jumped by 63%. Meanwhile, deaths reached their lowest weekly rate ever for the week of data ending July 29, with just 176 deaths reported by the CDC.

A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.

Enrollment is opening for four clinical trials that will evaluate new treatments for long COVID, the National Institutes of Health announced at a media briefing today. Additional clinical trials to test at least seven more treatments are expected to launch in the coming months, officials said.

The trials are part of the NIH’s research effort known as the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative. In December 2020, Congress approved $1.15 billion for the NIH to research and test treatments for long COVID. The new clinical trials are in phase 2 and will test safety and effectiveness.

“The condition affects nearly all body systems and presents with more than 200 symptoms,” said Walter J. Koroshetz, MD, director of the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and colead of the RECOVER Initiative. How many people have long COVID is uncertain, he told attendees at the briefing. “The answer kind of depends on how you define the problem and also what variant caused it. The incidence was higher in Delta.” Some estimates suggest that 5%-10% of those infected develop long COVID. “I don’t think we have solid numbers, as it’s a moving target,” Dr. Koroshetz said.

Patients with long COVID have grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of effective treatments. Some doctors have turned to off-label use of some drugs to treat them.

The four trials include the following:

• RECOVER-VITAL will focus on a treatment for viral persistence, which can occur if the virus lingers and causes the immune system to not work properly. One treatment will test a longer dose regimen of the antiviral Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), which is currently used to treat mild to moderate COVID to halt progression to severe COVID.
• RECOVER-NEURO will target treatments for symptoms such as brain fog, memory problems, and attention challenges. Among the potential treatments are a program called BrainHQ, which provides Web-based training, and PASC-Cognitive Recovery (post-acute sequelae of COVID), a Web-based program developed by Mount Sinai Health System in New York. Also being tested is a direct current stimulation program to improve brain activity.
• RECOVER-SLEEP will evaluate treatments for sleep problems, which can include daytime sleepiness and other problems. According to Dr. Koroshetz, melatonin, light therapy, and an educational coaching system are among the treatments that will be studied.
• RECOVER-AUTONOMIC will evaluate treatments to address symptoms linked with problems of the autonomic nervous system. The first trial will target postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which can include irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and dizziness. A treatment for immune disease and a drug currently used to treat chronic heart failure will be tested.

Timelines

The first trial, on viral persistence, has launched, said Kanecia Zimmerman, MD, a principal investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the clinical trials data coordinating center for the trials. “We are actively working to launch the second on cognitive dysfunction.” The sleep and autonomic trials will launch in the coming months, she said. Also planned is a trial to study exercise intolerance, which is reported by many with long COVID.

Information on how to join long COVID trials is available here.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Enrollment is opening for four clinical trials that will evaluate new treatments for long COVID, the National Institutes of Health announced at a media briefing today. Additional clinical trials to test at least seven more treatments are expected to launch in the coming months, officials said.

The trials are part of the NIH’s research effort known as the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative. In December 2020, Congress approved $1.15 billion for the NIH to research and test treatments for long COVID. The new clinical trials are in phase 2 and will test safety and effectiveness.

“The condition affects nearly all body systems and presents with more than 200 symptoms,” said Walter J. Koroshetz, MD, director of the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and colead of the RECOVER Initiative. How many people have long COVID is uncertain, he told attendees at the briefing. “The answer kind of depends on how you define the problem and also what variant caused it. The incidence was higher in Delta.” Some estimates suggest that 5%-10% of those infected develop long COVID. “I don’t think we have solid numbers, as it’s a moving target,” Dr. Koroshetz said.

Patients with long COVID have grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of effective treatments. Some doctors have turned to off-label use of some drugs to treat them.

The four trials include the following:

• RECOVER-VITAL will focus on a treatment for viral persistence, which can occur if the virus lingers and causes the immune system to not work properly. One treatment will test a longer dose regimen of the antiviral Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), which is currently used to treat mild to moderate COVID to halt progression to severe COVID.
• RECOVER-NEURO will target treatments for symptoms such as brain fog, memory problems, and attention challenges. Among the potential treatments are a program called BrainHQ, which provides Web-based training, and PASC-Cognitive Recovery (post-acute sequelae of COVID), a Web-based program developed by Mount Sinai Health System in New York. Also being tested is a direct current stimulation program to improve brain activity.
• RECOVER-SLEEP will evaluate treatments for sleep problems, which can include daytime sleepiness and other problems. According to Dr. Koroshetz, melatonin, light therapy, and an educational coaching system are among the treatments that will be studied.
• RECOVER-AUTONOMIC will evaluate treatments to address symptoms linked with problems of the autonomic nervous system. The first trial will target postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which can include irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and dizziness. A treatment for immune disease and a drug currently used to treat chronic heart failure will be tested.

Timelines

The first trial, on viral persistence, has launched, said Kanecia Zimmerman, MD, a principal investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the clinical trials data coordinating center for the trials. “We are actively working to launch the second on cognitive dysfunction.” The sleep and autonomic trials will launch in the coming months, she said. Also planned is a trial to study exercise intolerance, which is reported by many with long COVID.

Information on how to join long COVID trials is available here.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Enrollment is opening for four clinical trials that will evaluate new treatments for long COVID, the National Institutes of Health announced at a media briefing today. Additional clinical trials to test at least seven more treatments are expected to launch in the coming months, officials said.

The trials are part of the NIH’s research effort known as the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative. In December 2020, Congress approved $1.15 billion for the NIH to research and test treatments for long COVID. The new clinical trials are in phase 2 and will test safety and effectiveness.

“The condition affects nearly all body systems and presents with more than 200 symptoms,” said Walter J. Koroshetz, MD, director of the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and colead of the RECOVER Initiative. How many people have long COVID is uncertain, he told attendees at the briefing. “The answer kind of depends on how you define the problem and also what variant caused it. The incidence was higher in Delta.” Some estimates suggest that 5%-10% of those infected develop long COVID. “I don’t think we have solid numbers, as it’s a moving target,” Dr. Koroshetz said.

Patients with long COVID have grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of effective treatments. Some doctors have turned to off-label use of some drugs to treat them.

The four trials include the following:

• RECOVER-VITAL will focus on a treatment for viral persistence, which can occur if the virus lingers and causes the immune system to not work properly. One treatment will test a longer dose regimen of the antiviral Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), which is currently used to treat mild to moderate COVID to halt progression to severe COVID.
• RECOVER-NEURO will target treatments for symptoms such as brain fog, memory problems, and attention challenges. Among the potential treatments are a program called BrainHQ, which provides Web-based training, and PASC-Cognitive Recovery (post-acute sequelae of COVID), a Web-based program developed by Mount Sinai Health System in New York. Also being tested is a direct current stimulation program to improve brain activity.
• RECOVER-SLEEP will evaluate treatments for sleep problems, which can include daytime sleepiness and other problems. According to Dr. Koroshetz, melatonin, light therapy, and an educational coaching system are among the treatments that will be studied.
• RECOVER-AUTONOMIC will evaluate treatments to address symptoms linked with problems of the autonomic nervous system. The first trial will target postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which can include irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and dizziness. A treatment for immune disease and a drug currently used to treat chronic heart failure will be tested.

Timelines

The first trial, on viral persistence, has launched, said Kanecia Zimmerman, MD, a principal investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the clinical trials data coordinating center for the trials. “We are actively working to launch the second on cognitive dysfunction.” The sleep and autonomic trials will launch in the coming months, she said. Also planned is a trial to study exercise intolerance, which is reported by many with long COVID.

Information on how to join long COVID trials is available here.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.