Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
No Change Yet: CDC Says 5-Day Covid Isolation Is Still The Guideline
NBC News: CDC Hasn't Changed Covid Guidelines Yet: Here’s What You Need To Know
People who test positive for Covid should still isolate for five days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even though many Americans are already ignoring the policy. That guidance is likely to change at some point, however. Following reports that the CDC was considering easing Covid isolation restrictions — including guidelines that people can leave their homes after being fever-free for 24 hours — the agency refused to confirm that such plans were in the works. The potential change was first reported by The Washington Post. (Edwards and Lovelace Jr., 2/14)
CIDRAP: Research Shows 1 In 10 Infected Pregnant Women Develop Long COVID
New research presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting this week suggests that 1 in 10 pregnant women who contract COVID-19 during pregnancy develop long COVID. The study abstract is published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. (Soucheray, 2/13)
The Washington Post: How Long Covid Can Take A Toll On Relationships
Before she developed long covid, Fran Haddock, 33, enjoyed birdwatching, foraging for seasonal plants and mushrooms, and enjoying the changing seasons. Her partner, Dan Kenny, 35, shares her love for the outdoors and often accompanied her on nature walks or trips to watch wildlife. But after becoming sick with covid in November 2022, Haddock rarely leaves her bed, and nature walks are a distant memory. Among her many symptoms, she experiences debilitating fatigue so severe that she can’t walk more than a few steps. (Morris, 2/13)
CIDRAP: Study: Older US Adults Who Exercised Prepandemic At Lower Risk Of COVID Infection, Hospitalization
US adults aged 45 and older who were physically active before the pandemic were 10% less likely to contract COVID-19 and 27% less likely to be hospitalized if they were infected, a Brigham and Women's Hospital–led study suggests. (Van Beusekom, 2/13)
On the RSV vaccine —
Politico: There’s A New Life-Saving Vaccine. Why Won’t People Take It?
The latest data from the CDC shows that only 16 percent of eligible pregnant people got vaccinated for RSV. Among the over 60 population, it was just over one in five. And among babies and eligible young children, the uptake was “low,” the CDC said. Four years after Covid hit and fueled growing vaccine hesitancy, the rollout of the RSV vaccine this fall and winter offered a case study unfolding in real time. At issue was whether the public health and medical communities had acquired the skills, speed and agility needed to counter malicious misinformation before it took hold in the public’s mind. (Kenen, 2/13)
On the measles and plague —
San Francisco Chronicle: California Warns Of Measles Reemergence As Global Travel Picks Up
Measles is once again on the rise, and doctors should be on the lookout for symptoms as more unvaccinated people travel and potentially bring the highly contagious disease back from countries where it is more common and then pass it onto unvaccinated individuals here, California state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan said Tuesday. The United States declared measles eliminated in 2000, but in the past decade there have been a number of large outbreaks following dips in vaccination rates worldwide — including the 2014 Disneyland outbreak that resulted in 125 cases, largely attributed to a failure to vaccinate. (Ho, 2/13)
The Washington Post: The Bubonic Plague Is Still Around In 2024. How Is That Possible?
“It’s a popular misconception that it’s an ‘old’ medieval disease,” Steve Atkinson, associate professor of molecular and cellular bacteriology at the University of Nottingham in Britain, told The Washington Post by email Tuesday. “In reality it’s still around and is endemic in rodent populations in many parts of the world including the USA, parts of South America, Africa, Asia.” “One key hotspot is Madagascar,” Atkinson said, adding that the island nation had a prolonged epidemic in 2017 for three months starting in August, with 2,417 confirmed cases and 209 fatalities. “There are still cases every year throughout the world,” he added. (Suliman, 2/13)
