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COVID & Health News, 9/7/25
"On August 15, the CDC “recalibrated” wastewater COVID virus reporting making higher numbers needed to fit into each category. Then Friday, I could no longer find age stratification or state trends for Emergency Department visits for COVID from the CDC. But fortunately, it came back online late Saturday night at a new site here. Nationally, Emergency Department visits for COVID are higher now than they were in the last winter wave and in 5 states (Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) the proportion of ED visits for COVID is higher than at any time in the last year. We are almost to the peak of this COVID wave.
From: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/index.html#ed-visits_all_ages_combined
"Children are being particularly affected by the current COVID wave.
From: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/index.html#ed-visits_separated_by_age_group
"JP Weiland reported on 9/5/25 that there were about 480,000 new COVID infections daily in the United States and about 1 in 70 people was infectious, but I think that those numbers are a bit low because he did not have access to the Emergency Department data then. Mike Hoerger reported there are 1,000,000 new COVID cases per day now and every 1 in 49 Americans are actively infectious. He also estimates that every 1 in 25 Californians are infected with COVID, mostly using CDC data. JP Weiland uses CDC wastewater and Emergency Department data to forecast cases, while Mike Hoerger uses CDC wastewater and Biobot data for modeling case numbers. I think that actual numbers are probably somewhere in between. WastewaterSCAN reports HIGH levels of SARS-CoV-2 nationwide.
From: https://data.wastewaterscan.org/
"Ways to protect yourself against getting COVID include wearing N95 or KN95 masks indoors, COVID vaccination, using HEPA air filters indoors, testing for COVID and staying home if you feel sick. There is a new study below that shows that an over-the-counter nasal spray (azelastine) can also help reduce COVID infections.
"States are fighting back against federal guidance for COVID vaccination from a CDC in turmoil led by anti-vaccine lawyer and HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.
"California, Oregon, Washington state and Hawaii have formed the West Coast Health Alliance to keep vaccine policy and recommendations rooted in science and facts, and not politics. Colorado and other states will give their own recommendations for COVID vaccinations to protect their constituents. Massachusetts Governor Healey announced Friday that "Massachusetts is requiring health insurances to cover vaccines recommended by state health officials, regardless of what the CDC recommends.” New York State Governor Hochul “signed an Executive Order that will allow pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines, providing access for all New Yorkers who wish to be vaccinated.”
"A new study this week shows that in their first year, COVID vaccines return-on-investment was $60 - $475 for every $1 invested, making these vaccines one of the most cost-effective public health measures in history.
"Wednesday, Florida Governor De Santis and Florida Surgeon General Ladapo said that they were planning to stop vaccine mandates for children and others in Florida. However, the Florida state legislature would have to repeal laws for this to happen and that seems unlikely.
"A double blind, placebo controlled randomized trial tested over-the-counter azelastine nasal spray in 450 people as a preventive measure against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The spray showed a 69% reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections, suggesting potential as a low-cost, accessible prophylaxis alongside vaccines and masks. Here in the U.S., Astepro is 50% stronger than what was used in the German trial, so it is recommended to use Astepro two times daily, instead of the three times daily as was used in the trial. An added benefit is that Azelastine significantly reduced rhinovirus infections in the treatment group as well.
"A different nasal spray, interferon-α nasal spray, was found to significantly reduce SARS-CoV-2 infections in a randomized controlled trial of cancer patients. The treatment was well tolerated, offering a potential new tool for immunocompromised populations who may not mount a strong response to vaccines.
"In 38 unvaccinated people with COVID infection, three autoantibodies (SSA/Ro52, Jo-1, and RNP) together were associated with hospitalization, while other autoantibodies (RNP/Sm, PCNA, Scl-70, and PL-12) correlated with neutralization of the virus.
"Children are not spared from Long COVID. A study from Taiwan shows that in children ages 6 to 18 years, COVID infection can lead to changes in the brain that are associated with persistent headaches, memory, and attention problems. MRI scans of the brain showed enlarged gray matter volumes in children with severe symptoms, correlating with visual perception deficits and neuropsychiatric complaints.
"In a new large retrospective cohort study of 624,000 overweight or obese adults, starting metformin within 3 months of COVID infection was linked to a 64% lower risk of developing Long COVID. Findings suggest the drug’s anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects may help prevent post-viral complications.
"In a case series by Putrino and Pridgen, 24 Long COVID patients were treated in an open label study with IMC-2 (valacyclovir 750 mg + celecoxib 200 mg twice daily) for 120 days with or without the addition of Paxlovid for 15 days. The patients in the combination (Valtrex, Celebrex and Paxlovid) therapy group showed greater improvements in fatigue, cognitive issues, and overall symptoms over both short and long follow-up (up to 2 years) compared with IMC-2 alone. The sample size was limited, but the results suggest that Paxlovid plus IMC-2 combinations could be promising for persistent post-viral symptoms.
"A U.S. study of 1,678 healthcare workers found 7.7% reported long COVID, with nearly 25% saying symptoms disrupted their ability to work. Physicians and nurses on the frontlines are now among those most affected by Long COVID, often struggling to remain in practice years after infection.
"Analyzing over 44 million US medical records, University of Virginia researchers found that patients hospitalized with severe COVID infection had a 19% higher risk of developing lung cancer. These findings of SARS-CoV-2’s oncogenic potential adds to recent evidence that SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses can trigger rapid metastatic growth of breast cancer cells in the lungs within two weeks of infection.
"I recently discovered this table of expected timelines for ongoing clinical trials for Long COVID and ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) from ElisabethK:
From: https://elisabethk.github.io/timeline.html
"A new review shows that COVID infection can damage the kidneys, leading to acute injury and raising the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients with existing CKD are especially vulnerable, facing higher risks of severe infection and Long COVID complications. COVID-19 has also been linked to rare conditions like COVID-associated nephropathy and new-onset vasculitis. Vaccination lowers the risk of infection and Long COVID, making it particularly important for CKD patients.
"As of September 2, 2025, there have been a total of 1,431 confirmed measles cases reported in the United States, with 12% of cases hospitalized (178 of 1431) and 3 confirmed deaths.
"After CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez was fired last week for rejecting RFK Jr.’s push to spread false claims about vaccines; four top CDC officials resigned. On September 1st, 9 prior CDC Directors who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, wrote a New York Times article entitled “We Ran the CDC: RFK Jr. Is Endangering Every American’s Health”. They warned that RFK Jr.’s administration is undermining science-based health policy, threatening vaccine programs and public safety. “This is unacceptable, and it should alarm every American, regardless of political leanings.”
"The Associated Press fact-checked a U.S. Senate hearing from this week where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeated false claims about vaccines, COVID-19, and public health. The review highlighted his false statements about vaccine safety, mortality data, and government response, emphasizing that RFK Jr.’s assertions were not supported by scientific evidence.
"On Friday, RFK Jr’s sister and nephew called for him to resign as HHS secretary saying that he is a threat to American’s health.
"An article in the New York Times this week discussed the use of Maraviroc to heal brain injury. It looked at a 2019 article in Cell from the Carmichael lab showing in three different experiments how CCR5 blockade could boost neuroplasticity in an injured brain. They found CCR5 is upregulated in neurons after stroke, and blocking CCR5 through genetic knockdown in mice or with the HIV drug Maraviroc improved motor and cognitive recovery after stroke. In humans, stroke patients carrying the CCR5-Δ32 mutation have better outcomes, suggesting CCR5 suppression may be a breakthrough in brain repair. A PolyBio group from New York is currently testing the use of Truvada and Maraviroc to treat Long COVID. Since Maraviroc improves neuroplasticity after brain injury, I hope that it will also help neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction (brain fog) in Long COVID.
"In 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire destroyed much of the DeLong family’s property in Ben Lomond, California, wiping out orchards, beehives, and a beloved forest. The family decided to transform their loss into a vibrant flower farm called Beeline Blooms which allows guests to pick dahlias. The public can come to pick their own dahlias on Tuesdays and Thursdays until the end of the season on October 12.
From: https://www.instagram.com/beeline_blooms/
"It’s a triple birthday celebration! New mom Kourtney Brown delivered her new baby Ruby Ann Nye on August 28th which happens to be her birthday, the new baby’s birthday and her Ob/Gyn doctor Dr. Kenyetta Brummitt’s birthday as well. Congratulations to all!
From: Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto
"Have a good week,
"Ruth Ann Crystal MD"
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