Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid Vaccine Offers Protection Against Long Covid, Studies Suggest
CIDRAP: Meta-Analysis Estimates 29% Vaccine Effectiveness Against Long COVID
A meta-analysis of six studies estimates that one dose or more of COVID-19 vaccine is 29% effective against symptoms persisting for at least 3 weeks after infection, or long COVID. (Van Beusekom, 12/6)
In other news about covid —
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Coronavirus Cases Spike; Deaths Rise
Los Angeles County appears in the midst of another full-blown coronavirus surge, with cases doubling since Thanksgiving. The spike — which partially captures but likely does not fully reflect exposures over the Thanksgiving holiday — is prompting increasingly urgent calls for residents to get up to date on their vaccines and consider taking other preventive steps to stymie viral transmission and severe illness. (Money and Lin II, 12/6)
Reuters: China Loosens Anti-COVID Rules In Major Policy Shift
China announced on Wednesday the most sweeping changes to its tough anti-COVID regime since the pandemic began three years ago, loosening rules that curbed the spread of the virus but had hobbled the world's second largest economy and sparked protests. The relaxation of rules, which include allowing infected people with mild or no symptoms to quarantine at home and dropping testing for people travelling within the country, are the strongest sign yet that Beijing is preparing its people to live with the disease. (Pollard and Goh, 12/7)
Reuters: China Medical Expert Says COVID Has Mutated, Should Be Renamed - State Media
China should change its official name for COVID-19 to reflect the virus' mutation, and patients with light symptoms should be allowed to quarantine at home, a leading authority on traditional Chinese medicine was quoted as saying on Wednesday. Gu Xiaohong told the state-run Beijing Daily newspaper that the coronavirus' Chinese name, which identifies it as a pneumonia-causing disease, should be changed to call it simply an infectious virus. (12/6)
In updates on the spread of flu, RSV, and strep —
Houston Chronicle: Galveston County Teenager Dies Of Flu
Galveston County on Tuesday reported a teenaged boy as its first flu death of the season. The child died Saturday after testing positive for Influenza A on Nov. 30, according to the Galveston County Health District. He was not vaccinated and had pre-existing medical conditions. (Ketterer, 12/6)
CNN: Why Colds And Flu Viruses Are More Common In Winter
In what researchers are calling a scientific breakthrough, scientists behind a new study may have found the biological reason we get more respiratory illnesses in winter. It turns out the cold air itself damages the immune response occurring in the nose. (LaMotte, 12/6)
The Washington Post: Strep A: What To Know About The Usually Mild Infection Leading To Children’s Deaths
Strep A is highly contagious and commonly carried by many of us in our nose and throats and on our skin without resulting in serious illness, medical officials and experts say. While most cases are not life-threatening, it can develop into an infection known as invasive Group A strep (iGAS), which can be fatal, with the risk greatest among children and the elderly. (Hassan and Suliman, 12/6)
