-------------------------------------
COVID & Health News, 11/2/25
"As the government shutdown drags on, the CDC’s data blackout also continues making it harder to find information on winter respiratory viruses and COVID.
"According to WastewaterSCAN, COVID levels are LOW across the nation at this time. Most likely they will start to increase again after Thanksgiving, so it is a good idea to get a COVID vaccine by mid-November. Even the highest areas (Dover NH 537 PMMoV, Montpellier VT 495 PMMoV, Snohomish WA 323 PMMoV, and Kinston NC 303 PMMoV SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater) are much lower than levels were a month ago. Mike Hoerger reports that about 1 in 185 people in the U.S. has COVID now which translates to about 264,000 cases per day across the United States. Because of the lack of CDC data, epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers has started posting information for each of the 50 states plus D.C. on respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2, flu and RSV.
"We may have an early Flu season like some other countries are having, so it is important to get your Flu shot now if you haven’t done so.
"Norovirus (stomach flu) levels are MEDIUM nationally, with higher levels in the South. If someone you know has the stomach flu (vomiting and diarrhea), make sure to wash your hands often and clean surfaces as needed.
"GISAID normally provides genomic data on disease-causing viruses so that we can see if any new variants have arisen. JP Weiland tweeted on October 30:
“GISAID is now blocking genomic sequencing access to critical resources like Nextstrain, Covspectrum, Outbreak.info/ & others. This makes us less safe, as live tracking of viral evolution remains critical for assessment of emerging threats.
I don’t see how I can continue modeling when access to ED, wastewater, and genomic data has been cut.” - JP Weiland
"The CDC last updated the COVID variant tracker 8/28/25.
"BA.3.2 is a variant that has been seen in small quantities on 4 continents and is being followed. According to Ryan Hisner, BA.3.2 has now been detected in low levels in New Zealand wastewater, so it is spreading, albeit slowly, geographically. Most likely, BA.3.2 would need a few more mutations to make it more immune evasive if it is going to spread significantly.
"In a multicenter, double-blinded, randomized-controlled trial in Japan, daily intake of a Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma probiotic was investigated for its effect on 100 patients with mild COVID infection. The small study found that the Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma probiotic significantly accelerated the clearance of the viral load and hastened the recovery of smell and taste after COVID infection as compared to placebo. Overall, the treatment was deemed safe and well tolerated, suggesting a potential adjunctive therapy for mild COVID cases.
"In a retrospective cohort study of 18,124 newborns at Mass General Brigham, babies whose mothers had COVID infection during pregnancy faced a 29% higher odds of a neurodevelopmental diagnosis such as speech delays, motor disorders, and autism by age 3. The odds increased to 36% if COVID infection had been in the third trimester and to 43% for male babies. While the overall risk remains low, the findings suggest that the maternal immune response to COVID could subtly disrupt fetal brain development, highlighting the importance of prevention of COVID infection during pregnancy.
"Researchers reviewed 511 studies including recent phase III trial and real-world data on the updated 2025–2026 formulations of COVID, RSV, and Influenza vaccines. All of the vaccines significantly helped to reduce hospitalization and severe illness. COVID vaccination and boosters reduced risk of hospitalization by about 50% for non-immunocompromised adults. Giving the COVID, Flu and RSV vaccines together at the same visit was safe and is key to helping ease strain on hospitals.
"The household contacts of 1,047 consecutive COVID infection inpatients from two Chinese hospitals were studied to evaluate vaccine durability. Although protection against infection waned over time, exposed household contacts who had received at least two vaccine doses maintained strong protection against hospitalization for more than 12 months. Boosters provided additional benefit, especially for older adults.
"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 155 global studies shows that Influenza, COVID-19, HIV, and shingles (herpes zoster) significantly increase the long-term risk of stroke and heart disease. In the 14 weeks after a COVID infection, people had 3x the risk of heart attack and were 3x as likely to have a stroke and these risks remained elevated for at least a year. In the month after Influenza, people were 4x more likely to have a heart attack and 5x more likely to have a stroke. “The study researchers say preventive measures, including vaccination, may play an important role in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, especially in people who already have heart disease or heart disease risk factors.”
"A new global review of cardiac sequelae of Long COVID found that about 1 in 5 people with Long COVID report heart-related symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, or shortness of breath. The rate of myocarditis was much higher after COVID infection (1,500 per million after infection) than after COVID vaccination which was 15x less common. This data highlights the importance of vaccination in preventing post-COVID cardiac complications.
From: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2840667
"Scripps Research Translational Institute in California has initiated a decentralized (remote) clinical trial called the Long COVID Treatment Trial (LoCITT, pronounced ‘lock-it’) to evaluate a repurposed drug, GLP1 RA drug Tirzepatide, to treat Long COVID symptoms. The study will enroll 1,000 participants from their homes across the United States, using digital platforms to streamline recruitment and monitoring. Researchers aim to assess whether Tirzepatide improves fatigue and cognitive issues in Long COVID patients by reducing inflammation.
"Tokyo researchers studied 105 people with Long COVID and found that those whose spike specific antibodies that switched toward the IgG4 type were four times more likely to recover. Antibody class switching may indicate an immune adaptation that promotes resolution of Long COVID symptoms.
"A University of Minnesota team analyzed HLA gene variants in patients with ME/CFS, Long COVID, and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). They found that specific HLA types bind poorly to viral and bacterial antigens, potentially allowing persistent antigen fragments to remain in the body. These findings support the theory that inadequate immune clearance and viral persistence contributes to chronic post-infectious syndromes.
"Researchers from Luxembourg’s CON-VINCE cohort followed 1,865 adults for four years, comparing those who had COVID infection with those who had not. They found that fatigue combined with memory impairment uniquely characterized the post-COVID group, while anxiety and depression occurred equally in both groups. The authors stated that these findings can help distinguish neurological Long COVID features from general pandemic-related stress.
"Tom Kindlon posted several helpful worksheets written by patient Helen Connick on what to do at home and in hospital to support someone with Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM).
"As of October 28, 2025, a total of 1,648 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States, 12% of cases hospitalized (202 of 1648), and 3 confirmed deaths from measles.
"A new Global Tracker for Vaccine Preventable Diseases is online. Recent data shows an RSV outbreak in Shanghai, Chicken Pox outbreak in Moscow, and Hepatitis A spreading in Prague. There is a large Measles outbreak in Mexico City, and measles are spreading in the United States, Canada, Brazil, the Canary Islands, Spain, Israel, Pakistan, Moscow, Australia and New Zealand. It is sad to see an increase in vaccine preventable diseases since we have the tools to stop them. Two doses of the MMR vaccine is 97% effective in preventing the measles.
From: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/vaccine-preventable-disease-a-global-tracker
"With the month-long government shutdown, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or food stamps) benefits were expected to run out of funds for payments today. However, on Friday, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown. Approximately 42 million Americans depend on SNAP assistance for their food.
"Researchers in Iran performed a phase III randomized clinical trial on 396 patients who had suffered a heart attack, finding that a single infusion of Wharton’s jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) into the coronary artery significantly cut the risk of developing subsequent heart failure by more than half. This breakthrough suggests that regenerative medicine may soon offer a powerful way to repair the heart after a heart attack and prevent heart failure.
"In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 50 middle aged people in Germany, Urolithin-A was found to boost CD8⁺ T cells and improved immune metabolism, hinting at a new way to slow age-related immune system decline and inflammaging. Urolithin A works by inducing mitophagy which is the clearance of damaged mitochondria.
"In a UK Biobank study of 80,000 adults, women derived the same heart-disease protection and reduction of cardiovascular risk and related mortality from about half the exercise time that men needed (250 min/week for women vs 530 min/week needed for men). For participants with existing coronary heart disease (CHD), women who were physically active had a threefold greater reduction in mortality risk than similarly active men.
"It is always best to double check your artificial intelligence (AI) assistant’s answers. A new study from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), led by the BBC shows that AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini misrepresent news content at least 45% of the time, regardless of language used.
"An unlikely hero saved a Japanese railway line from shutting down when a stray calico cat named Tama was appointed “Stationmaster” at Kishi Station in 2006. Her adorable presence drew tourists from across the country, boosted ticket and merchandise sales, and helped to make the railway financially sound. Tama passed away in 2015, but her legacy has been carried on by her feline successors, Stationmasters Nitama (which literally translates to Tama II) and Yontama (Tama IV), who continue to greet passengers and draw visitors.
Stationmaster Tama the cat
"Have a great week,
"Ruth Ann Crystal MD"
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment