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COVID wave increases, new COVID boosters, COVID changes blood stem cells, H5N1 found in fetal bovine serum (FBS), 2 measles deaths in Pennsylvania, and more.
Ruth Ann Crystal MD, Aug 31, 2026
Dolly Parton
Musician, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Dolly Parton passed away this week. Science magazine posted, “Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, leaving a legacy of music, philanthropy and science. She helped to fund Moderna’s early-stage vaccine research and filmed herself being vaccinated to help dispel hesitancy. And her Imagination Library programme sends more than three million books per month to children around the world.” Dolly wrote more than 3,000 songs and won 11 Grammy awards, but more than that, she was a beautiful human being who cared about others.
COVID
The summer COVID wave continues and is expected to peak around Labor Day (September 7). Michael Hoerger estimates that approximately 1 in 95 Americans was actively infectious with COVID using CDC data from 8/22/26 and Biobot data. Many places in the U.S. have much higher levels of COVID in wastewater. Hoerger introduced a new Interactive US map on the PMC COVID-19 Dashboard which shows COVID risks for each county in the United States. For example, 1 in every 33 people is currently infected with COVID in Santa Clara county, California, while Queens county, NY shows that 1 in 125 people are currently infected.
NEW PMC19 Interactive map of COVID in wastewater by county:
Many people have moved on and no longer worry about getting COVID. But COVID’s damage may not stop after recovery. Research shows increased risks of heart attack, stroke, new-onset diabetes, cognitive decline, and autoimmune disease, even years after an acute infection. COVID can also lead to Long COVID, a seriously disabling condition marked by severe fatigue, cognitive problems, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, sleep disruption, and mood changes.
So what can you do? Some medications and vaccines can help protect you. Better air filtration and wearing a KN95 or N95 mask, especially when local wastewater COVID levels rise, can also help. Here are articles about medications and the new COVID vaccines that should be available soon:
Covid-19 Cases Surge—Here’s What’s Different This Summer That Will Help | Forbes 8/27/26
Excellent article written by infectious disease doctor Dr. Judy Stone on the summer COVID wave, when the next vaccines will be available, and how medications like Metformin, Paxlovid, and Ensitrelvir (Xocova) can be taken to reduce the risk of severe COVID infection and of Long COVID.
What to Know About New Covid Vaccines for Fall 2026 | NY Times 8/27/26
“The F.D.A. approved the [new COVID] shots for all people 65 and older, as well as for younger people who have a condition that increases their risk of severe illness from Covid. The Moderna shot is approved for ages 6 months and older; the Pfizer shot for ages 5 years and older; and the Sanofi shot [Novavax] for ages 12 years and older. (A lower-dose Moderna shot, called mNexspike, was also approved for ages 12 and up.)... The updated vaccines target the XFG variant of Covid.”
CDC list of underlying conditions with a higher risk for severe COVID-19 that qualify people for COVID vaccination includes common diagnoses such as asthma, mood disorders including depression, physical inactivity, pregnancy, and many others.
Acute COVID infections, General COVID info
Long-term suppression of interferon programs and stress-associated transcriptional remodeling in human CD34+Lin−CD45+ hematopoietic progenitor cells following SARS-CoV-2 infection | Nature preprint 8/24/26
CD34+Lin−CD45+ hematopoietic progenitor cells are stem cells that produce all blood cell types, including red blood cells, platelets, and immune cells like B cells and T cells. Polish researchers studied these blood progenitor stem cells from 12 COVID patients (at diagnosis, 3 months, and 9 months later) and compared them to 6 uninfected people. They found that genes involved in antiviral defense (type I interferon signaling) stayed suppressed for up to 3 months after COVID infection, but that genes tied to stress adaptation and stem cell flexibility became more active. Instead of returning to normal, blood progenitor stem cells appear to enter a new state after COVID infection with weaker antiviral defenses.
Phagocytosis of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid- and RNA-Containing Immune Complexes Drives Inflammatory Cytokine Production and Endothelial Dysfunction | bioRxiv 8/25/26
Researchers from the University of California Irvine studying 178 COVID patients detected Nucleocapsid protein-RNA complexes in 6 of 11 positive nasal swab samples during active infection. In laboratory models, anti-nucleocapsid antibodies caused monocytes to engulf these N-RNA complexes and triggered an inflammatory response that increased endothelial leakage by 14.4 fold. They concluded that “RNA-containing immune complexes may play a role in the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19.”
HLA class I escape drives the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in human populations | PNAS 8/25/26 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2619192123
Infected cells normally display viral fragments via HLA class I molecules which allows T cells to detect and kill them. Russian researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 mutations evading common HLA alleles spread more successfully across populations, and that some also block T cell receptor recognition directly. Immune evasion, at these two different steps, appears to be a major driver of how SARS-CoV-2 keeps evolving.
Pregnancy
Impact of Gestational Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Neonatal Inflammatory Biomarkers | American Journal of Immunology and Reproductive Immunology 8/25/26
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai analyzed 826 mother and infant pairs, of which 100 had a COVID infection, and found that prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was associated with 22 elevated inflammatory proteins in newborns at birth. Infants whose mothers were infected late in pregnancy showed measurable T cell and chemokine activity, pointing to sustained immune activation that extended into the neonatal period.
Pregnancy Outcomes in Individuals With Long COVID | Obstetrics & Gynecology 8/28/26
University of Utah Health researchers studied 603 pregnancies following SARS-CoV-2 infection and found that Long COVID in pregnancy was not associated with preterm birth, but was associated with an increased risk of hypertensive pregnancy disorders (39% vs 26%).
Pediatrics
Cardiovascular Sequelae After SARS-CoV-2 in Children: From Myocardial Injury to Dysautonomia and Implications for Phenotype-Guided Follow-Up | Pediatric Cardiology 8/25/26
A review from Krakow, Poland looked at long term cardiovascular effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children, finding that among 83 pediatric patients, Long COVID was associated with measurable disruptions in heart rate variability even when standard cardiac imaging appeared normal. These autonomic nervous system irregularities offer a physiological basis for the palpitations, dizziness, and fatigue that some children continue to experience well after acute infection resolves.
Vaccines
Immunological imprinting shapes the cross-reactive antibody responses to the KP.2 and LP.8.1 vaccine doses | Journal of Virology 8/27/26
Emory University researchers studying 21 participants found that in 10 of them, the majority of antibodies generated by the KP.2 mRNA vaccine were directed at the original WA.1 strain rather than the newer target, with only 4.8% of antibodies remaining KP.2 specific one month after vaccination. This pattern reflects immune imprinting, a phenomenon in which prior exposure to earlier coronavirus strains steers the immune system toward familiar rather than novel targets even when updated vaccine formulations are administered.
Long COVID
This week, the 2026 ISLC-PAIS Conference took place in Amsterdam. Here is a link to the conference abstract book and to the list of presentations on Long COVID, ME/CFS, and other post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS).
Biosamples from RECOVER clinical trials offer expanded opportunities for Long COVID research | RECOVER 8/28/26
RECOVER announces that almost 60,000 biosamples collected from more than 3,000 clinical trial participants are available to researchers studying Long COVID.
Early HHV-6 IgG and IgA responses during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in relation to long COVID: a multicohort observational study | eBioMedicine (The Lancet) 8/27/26
HHV-6 causes Roseola or Sixth disease in 90% of children by age 3. Stanford University researchers studying 219 participants found that elevated HHV-6 IgA antibody responses during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection were more common among individuals who subsequently developed Long COVID and reported higher symptom burden. In contrast, higher HHV-6 IgG levels correlated with lower symptom burden.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 is an Occupational Disease for Teachers: How to Support the Teacher Workforce | Workplace Health & Safety 8/28/26
Researchers from UCSF and UC Santa Cruz show epidemiological evidence classifying COVID as an occupational illness among teachers. Nearly 1 in 10 American elementary and secondary school teachers reported Long COVID symptoms in 2022. They recommend formal workplace protections including improved indoor air quality standards and targeted accommodations for affected teachers.
Brain Fog After COVID-19? Long COVID May Be the Cause | University of Utah Health 8/24/26
Brain fog is common in Long COVID, and deficits in concentration, memory, word retrieval, and executive planning can last months to years after initial infection according to the University of Utah Health whose clinic follows thousands of Long COVID clinic patients. Pushing through the fatigue has shown to worsen post-exertional malaise crashes, while pacing of activity can help.
Clinical-cognitive profiles in long COVID and their associations with inflammatory-endothelial biomarkers and vascular measures | Scientific Reports 8/21/26
Spanish researchers studied 304 Long COVID patients and identified four distinct symptom patterns: low overall impairment, high multisystem impairment, and two in-between types dominated by either emotional or physical symptoms. ICAM-1, a biomarker linked to blood vessel inflammation, was elevated in the high multisystem symptom LC group. No vascular structure or function differences emerged between groups.
Metabolic, viral, and immune phenotypes in long COVID | Frontiers in Endocrinology 8/28/26
“In a case-control study of RECOVER participants from Maine Kentucky and Louisiana we found that the primary outcome, T cell oxidative phosphorylation, was not impaired in those with confirmed Long COVID symptoms vs those who were considered Indeterminate. However, there were some alterations in T cell function. For example in vitro stimulated T cells with the SARS-CoV-2 peptide from individuals with LC+ had enhanced glycolytic activation, greater numbers of CD26+ T cells and increased dipeptidyl peptidase (CD26) activity which correlated closely with symptom burden.”
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome | JAMA 8/27/26
Chung and Raj reviewed 103 studies and concluded that POTS involves reduced venous return and low circulating blood volume that diminish cardiac filling and cerebral perfusion, provoking a compensatory spike in heart rate upon standing. Between 30% to 40% of cases emerge following an infectious illness, underscoring the condition’s relevance to postinfectious autonomic dysfunction.
SARS-CoV-2 disrupts the integrity of a human blood-brain barrier model in the absence of infection | Journal of NeuroVirology 8/27/26
University College Dublin scientists studied a blood-brain barrier (BBB) model comprised of human BMECs, astrocytes, pericytes, and microglia and found that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and inactivated virus disrupted the BBB even without active infection,by reducing tight-junction proteins and triggering inflammation. Findings suggest that immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, not direct infection, may drive COVID neuropathology.
Emerging Trends in Pharmacotherapy for Long COVID | IDSA Science Speaks 8/25/26
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (ISDA) reviewed five core biological targets for Long COVID treatments including persistent viral reservoirs, chronic immune activation, microclot formation, autonomic nervous system disruption, and mitochondrial damage. “Combination pharmacotherapy, tailored to dominant clinical [Long COVID] phenotypes, may ultimately prove more effective than single-agent approaches…There is an urgent need for large randomized controlled trials, validated biomarkers, drug-repurposing platforms and longitudinal safety data.”
Immunopharmacological mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 spike-induced persistent pain in mice | Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 8/25/26
Brazilian scientists studied 472 mice and found that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone is sufficient to trigger prolonged pain-like hypersensitivity without full viral infection. The effect depended on a neuroimmune cascade involving TLR4 receptor signaling, phagocytic cells, T cell activation, and the cytokine IFN gamma. Blocking any of these steps prevented the hypersensitivity from developing.
Thrombotic risk trajectories in patients with coronary artery disease before and during COVID-19 | iScience 8/25/26
Chinese scientists analyzed 4,183 coronary artery disease patients and found that they had a 2.2x increased risk of thrombosis in the first 12 months after COVID infection, with 7.8x the thrombosis risk in the first 3 months after infection. “The primary composite outcome included cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis, unplanned revascularization, ischemic stroke, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and peripheral arterial thrombosis.”
Extracellular vesicles in COVID-19 and long COVID: Structural mediators of viral persistence and immune dysfunction | Current Opinion in Structural Biology 8/26/26
Researchers from Rome reviewed evidence showing that extracellular vesicles (EVs) are capable of carrying and protecting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and viral RNA within the body for several months after infection. This molecular persistence appears to maintain ongoing immune system activation along with stress to the vascular and metabolic systems, offering a structural biological explanation for the chronic symptom burden observed in Long COVID patients.
Dr. Amy Proal and Dr. Timothy Henrich on Long COVID, Oncogenic Viruses, and the Latest Research | Los Angeles Times 8/26/26
Dr. Amy Proal of PolyBio and Dr. Timothy Henrich from UCSF talked with the Los Angeles Times about the UCSF LIINC study which biobanks samples from Long COVID patients. They also discussed viral persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in Long COVID patients, and whether the virus, like some other viruses, may carry oncogenic potential.
H5N1
🚨 Isolation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus from Fetal Bovine Serum, United States, 2025 | CDC 8/8/26
During routine screening, Cornell University researchers isolated live, infectious H5N1 bird flu virus from a commercial lot of fetal bovine serum (FBS), an ingredient used in cell culture in labs worldwide. This shows that H5N1 can survive undetected in biological products distributed commercially, risking wider lab or manufacturing exposure. Heat treatment was found to fully inactivate the virus, although I have questions about inactive virus potentially being immunogenic in cell cultures.
Measles
As of August 27, 2026, 2,777 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026.
Johns Hopkins US Measles Tracker:
Measles deaths reported in Pennsylvania spark fight among politicians and health officials | AP 8/28/26
Pennsylvania officials and Governor Shapiro announced two measles-associated deaths this week in a newborn baby boy and in another unvaccinated person. RFK Jr responded on social media saying that these measles deaths may have been “fabricated.”
The expected death rate from measles is 1 in 1,000 cases, so we would expect to see 2 deaths if there had been 2,000 measles cases. But, only 400 measles cases have been reported in Lancaster county, so Dr. Paul Offit believes that many more measles infections may be going unreported. With children going back-to-school, the numbers will probably continue to increase. Measles is highly contagious in an unvaccinated population. The MMR vaccine is safe and two doses provide 97% protection against measles.
Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
DR Congo Ministry of Communication and Media reported that as of August 28, there have been 5,945 confirmed Ebola cases, including 1,327 recoveries and 2,862 deaths. 896 patients are in isolation or hospitalized. Contact tracing has reached 84% and the fatality rate is 48%.
US Government Health News
See above for RFK Jr’s claim of “fabrication” of measles deaths in Pennsylvania.
RFK Jr lied in Senate confirmation hearings, newly revealed documents indicate | Guardian 8/27/26
“Newly obtained documents indicate that the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, lied during two congressional hearings last year, when he told lawmakers who held the key to his confirmation that a 2019 visit to Samoa had “nothing to do with vaccines”.”
Florida’s Department of Health removes 4 vaccines from required list for public schools | CIDRAP 8/26/26
“The Florida Department of Health announced a new rule that would allow Florida children to attend public school without receiving immunizations for chickenpox, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B, and pneumococcal disease. The rule also expanded religious exemptions for school vaccines.”
Other news
Meta settles landmark state child harm claims for $18 billion and promises changes to its platforms | CNN Business 8/26/26
Meta agreed to pay roughly $18 billion to settle claims from 29 states that it designed Instagram and Facebook to addict children and violated child privacy laws. As part of the deal, Meta has agreed to make changes to its platforms, such as establishing daily time limits for teen users.
CD19 CAR T cell therapy for treatment-refractory seropositive rheumatoid arthritis: a phase 1 trial | Nature Medicine 8/27/26
Researchers at Charité University Medical Center in Berlin treated 6 patients with severe, treatment-resistant rheumatoid arthritis using CD19 CAR-T cells, which eliminated B cells from both blood and tissues and reduced ACPA autoantibodies by 94%. When B cells returned, the reconstituted population consisted predominantly of naïve cells, indicating a fundamental reset of the autoimmune process underlying the disease.
Possible involvement of viral infection in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis | Journal of NeuroVirology 8/28/26
Researchers at the University of Milan reviewed evidence that three persistent viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, parvovirus B19, and enterovirus, may take up residence in thymic tissue and trigger the B cell activation and toll-like receptor signaling that underlies Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune condition in which antibodies attack acetylcholine receptors at neuromuscular junctions. A causal relationship between these viral infections and the disease has not been established, however.
7 perfectly preserved examples of Googie architecture in Los Angeles | Wallpaper
“The rise of larger-than-life, space-age architecture marked the boom of car culture in 1950s Los Angeles.” It was known as Googie architecture, not Google architecture.
Have a great week,
Ruth Ann Crystal MD
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