Battling with Covid can lead to many diseases later on: Study
Scientists suspect that inflammation is at least partly responsible for IBS, small strokes and a host of other problems that start years later, even if a person has only had a mild infection. Also, although the risk of bird flu in humans is low, scientists warn that this could change quickly.
Wall Street Journal: Small strokes, stomach problems: Scientists see link to old Covid episodes
Scientists suspect that one culprit behind your new illness may be an infection you had a few years ago. The connection between new health problems and your past health history seems to be particularly prevalent in the case of COVID. A new study in Nature Medicine has found that health problems arising from a mild COVID infection can emerge even three years later. The study found that three years later there is a higher risk of problems in the gut, brain and lungs, including irritable bowel syndrome, small strokes and pulmonary scarring. This is different from what most people think of as “long COVID,” a debilitating chronic condition that can include fatigue, brain fog and a rapid heartbeat. (Reddy, 7/2)
USA Today: Covid 2024: Current guidelines on vaccine, symptoms, isolation period
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise and a new variant of the disease emerges this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending updated vaccines ahead of the fall and winter virus seasons. “Plan now to get both updated flu and COVID vaccines for yourself and your family ahead of respiratory virus season this fall,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement Thursday. (7/1)
CIDRAP: Study shows new diagnoses of ADHD doubled during COVID-19
New diagnoses of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland, with the largest increase among women aged 13 to 30, researchers from the University of Helsinki report in JAMA Network Open. The team analyzed nationwide data on new ADHD diagnoses, prevalence and medication use among 5.6 million participants from the registry in 2015, 2020) and 2022. The average age of participants was 44.1 years, and 50.6% were women. (Van Beusekom, 7/1)
In the bird flu update –
Reuters: Scientists concerned about ‘slow spread’ of bird flu pandemic
Scientists tracking the spread of bird flu are concerned that a lack of surveillance could put them several steps behind a new pandemic, according to interviews with more than a dozen leading disease experts by Reuters. Many of them have been monitoring a new subtype of H5N1 avian flu in migratory birds since 2020. But the spread of the virus in 129 dairy herds in 12 US states signals a shift that could bring it closer to being transmitted between humans. Infections have also been found in other mammals, from alpacas to domestic cats. (Steenhuisen and Rigby, 7/2)
Bloomberg: Bird flu shot hopes fade as tracing problems undermine lessons learned from Covid
Three months after the virus was detected in a Texas dairy worker, U.S. scientists have not found a way to effectively track bird flu, hampering the ability to develop a vaccine to prevent its spread to people. The health risk to the general public from bird flu is low, according to U.S. officials. But if the virus turns out to be more dangerous, it’s not clear we’ll have a vaccine that works, said Kate Broderick, a vaccine developer at Maravai Lifesciences Holdings, who has helped develop vaccines against Ebola and Zika. (Smith and Nix, 7/1)
Colorado Sun: Worst bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle in Colorado
Colorado’s bird flu outbreak among dairy cattle is now the worst in the nation, with more cases reported last month than any other state, according to the latest state and federal data. (Ingold, 7/2)
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