Study Says Vaccines Don’t Stop Long Covid Symptoms

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Vaccines May Not Prevent Many Symptoms Of Long Covid, Study Suggests
A large U.S. study looking at whether vaccination protects against long covid showed the shots have only a slight protective effect: Being vaccinated appeared to reduce the risk of lung and blood clot disorders, but did little to protect against most other symptoms. The new paper, published Wednesday in Nature Medicine, is part of a series of studies by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the impact of the coronavirus, and was based on 33,940 people who experienced breakthrough infections after vaccination. (Cha, 5/25)

AP: Long COVID Affects More Older Adults; Shots Don't Prevent It 
New U.S. research on long COVID-19 provides fresh evidence that it can happen even after breakthrough infections in vaccinated people, and that older adults face higher risks for the long-term effects. In a study of veterans published Wednesday, about one-third who had breakthrough infections showed signs of long COVID. (Tanner, 5/25)

More on long covid —

CIDRAP: MRI Shows Lung Abnormalities In Former COVID-19 Patients
A special type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) found lung abnormalities in patients who had previously had COVID-19, even those who had not been hospitalized with the illness, according to a small UK study in Radiology. ... The authors said these findings could help explain some of the mysteries of long COVID, and guide clinicians in developing appropriate treatment plans. (5/25)

Bloomberg: Heart-Failure Drug Used To Treat Long Covid Symptoms
More than 200 symptoms can afflict those dealing with the aftereffects of Covid-19. An emerging approach to treating one of them—heart palpitations—highlights the successes scientists are having in addressing the symptoms, even if it may take years to understand how they’re caused. About 11% of coronavirus patients report experiencing palpitations or an increased heart rate, according to a meta-analysis of long-Covid studies published in the journal Scientific Reports in August. The symptoms are suggestive of a broader condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, which affects more than 24 million Americans—a number that’s growing because of Covid. POTS is more prevalent among women of childbearing age; often coincides with lightheadedness, brain fog, and gastric upset; and can eventually lead to chronic fatigue. (Gale, 5/25)

In other news about the spread of covid —

USA Today: Rebound COVID After Paxlovid Calls For 5 Days Isolation, CDC Says
People who test positive for COVID-19 again after taking the drug Paxlovid should isolate for another five days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. There's a chance they might be contagious if they have this rebound effect, said the CDC's Dr. Lauri Hicks. This is the first time the CDC has issued guidance on what people should do if they test positive again a few days after testing negative for COVID-19. Although the guidance is specific to those taking Paxlovid, Hicks, chief medical officer of CDC's COVID-19 response, said anyone who tests positive or feels poorly again should stay away from others. (Weintraub, 5/25)

Des Moines Register: Polk County Hospitals Limit Capacity Amid COVID, Staff Shortages
Polk County hospitals are running at limited capacity because of staffing shortages, increases in COVID-19 and normal summer injuries. The demand for hospital beds in Polk County is greater than the number of beds available, according to a news release from the Polk County Health Department. Rising COVID-19 cases and typical summer trauma injuries like motorcycle, bike, ATV and pool injuries are filling up hospitals said Nola Aigner-Davis, Polk County Health Department spokesperson. (Joens, 5/25)

Anchorage Daily News: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising Among Older Alaskans, Health Officials Say
COVID-19 hospitalizations among older Alaskans are increasing as new cases also rise, state health officials said Wednesday. People over 70 now make up the majority of the state’s COVID-positive patients, chief medical officer Dr. Anne Zink said during a briefing. Even for vaccinated and boosted people, age remains the top risk factor for severe illness from the virus. State health officials say current hospitalization rates of people over 70 remain far below those seen during last year’s surge driven by the delta variant, but rose over the last week. (5/25)

Bay Area News Group: Omicron Sub-Variants BA.4 And BA.5 Found In Santa Clara County's Wastewater As Cases Continue To Climb
Two highly contagious omicron subvariants that recently swept through South Africa and sparked a rapid rise in coronavirus cases in that country have been detected in Santa Clara County’s wastewater systems, according to public health officials. Health experts say the newly discovered subvariants — BA. 4 and BA.5 — are more transmissible than the nation’s current dominant variants — BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 — and have so far evaded immunity protection. This month, the European Centers for Disease Control recently classified the two strains as “variants of concern.” (Greschler, 5/25)

KHN: California Schools Try To Outrace Covid Outbreaks
A fourth-grade camping trip led to one outbreak, a high school prom to another. But even with covid cases rising as schools head into the final stretch of the academic year, most California districts have not moved toward reinstating mask mandates. That stance has left many parents confused and concerned as they witness or hear about covid outbreaks among students after field trips and proms. (Kreidler, 5/26)

AP: Gov. Inslee Tests Positive For COVID, Officials Urge Masking 
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said Wednesday, the same day state health officials urged people to wear face mask indoors as case counts steadily rise. At a news conference the state’s public health leaders said they weren’t issuing mandates but “strongly recommending” masks be worn indoors in crowded or confined places. (5/25)

AP: Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney Tests Positive For COVID-19
U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney said Wednesday that she had tested positive for COVID-19 and planned to work through minor symptoms she said she was experiencing. ... Cheney said in a statement that she was fully vaccinated and had also received a coronavirus booster. (5/25)

Also —

Stat: Hospitals Are Exploring A Way To Pay For Uninsured Covid-19 Care 
The federal health department shut down a program that paid hospitals and clinics for caring for uninsured Covid-19 patients, but some hospitals are now eyeing a backdoor option to get those costs paid for. Throughout much of the pandemic, the costs of testing, vaccinating, and treating uninsured patients were mostly funneled to a multi-billion-dollar program run by the Health Resources and Services Administration, but that program ran out of money and shut down in April. The program paid out more than $1 billion per month, which means its closure was a big hit for some facilities that serve large numbers of uninsured patients. (Cohrs, 5/26)