Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Starts To Guide Doctors On How To Treat Long Covid
Roll Call: CDC Issues Guidance For Treating ‘Long COVID’ Patients
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released much-anticipated guidance for physicians treating patients struggling with lingering and complicated problems after COVID-19, often called “long COVID.” The guidance, which was posted online late Monday, offers initial recommendations for physicians treating patients who are experiencing illness at least four weeks after an acute infection of the virus that causes COVID-19. The interim guidance acknowledges much is unknown about post-COVID conditions, although the National Institutes of Health launched a research effort last week. (McIntire, 6/15)
The Hill: Large Study Says Nearly 25 Percent Of COVID-19 Patients Have Long-Lasting Symptoms
A detailed new report suggests that nearly one quarter of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 continued to struggle with side effects at least one month after their initial diagnosis, adding to the burgeoning knowledge about the coronavirus that took over the world in 2020. Researchers looked at more than 1.9 million patients without serious comorbidities like cancer, kidney disease, and hepatitis. This makes it one of the largest comprehensive COVID-19 surveillance studies so far. (Kelley, 6/15)
The New York Times: Covid News: Study Finds Health Problems Can Persist Long After Infection, Even Among The Asymptomatic
Hundreds of thousands of Americans have sought medical care for post-Covid health problems that they had not been diagnosed with before becoming infected with the coronavirus, according to the largest study to date of long-term symptoms in Covid-19 patients. The study, tracking the health insurance records of nearly 2 million people in the United States who contracted the coronavirus last year, found that one month or more after their infection, 23 percent of them sought medical treatment for new conditions. (Belluck, 6/16)
Modern Healthcare: One-Fifth Of Asymptomatic COVID Patients Developed Long-Haul Symptoms
Almost one-fifth of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients later developed conditions associated with long-haulers, according to a new white paper from FAIR Health. The healthcare transparency not-for-profit studied private insurance claims associated with 1.9 million patients who had a COVID-19 test, and then and looked at any health issues 30 days or more after their initial diagnosis. The analysis found 19% of asymptomatic individuals had at least one long-haul symptom, but the number is likely larger. (Gillespie, 6/15)
The New York Times: Distorted, Bizarre Food Smells Haunt Covid Survivors
Marcel Kuttab first sensed something was awry while brushing her teeth a year ago, several months after recovering from Covid-19.Her toothbrush tasted dirty, so she threw it out and got a new one. Then she realized the toothpaste was at fault. Onions and garlic and meat tasted putrid, and coffee smelled like gasoline — all symptoms of the once little-known condition called parosmia that distorts the senses of smell and taste. (Schoch, 6/15)
