Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Relief From Long-Haul Symptoms After Covid Shot Reported By Some Patients
The Washington Post: Some Long-Haul Covid-19 Patients Say Their Symptoms Are Subsiding After Getting Vaccines
Arianna Eisenberg endured long-haul covid-19 for eight months, a recurring nightmare of soaking sweats, crushing fatigue, insomnia, brain fog and muscle pain. But Eisenberg’s tale has a happy ending that neither she nor current medical science can explain. Thirty-six hours after her second shot of coronavirus vaccine last month, her symptoms were gone, and they haven’t returned. “I really felt back to myself,” the 34-year-old Brooklyn therapist said, “to a way that I didn’t think was possible when I was really sick.” (Bernstein and Guarino, 3/16)
Becker's Hospital Review: Lingering Symptoms Go Away After Getting Vaccinated, Some COVID-19 Long-Haulers Say
Survivor Corps, an online group of people with long COVID-19 symptoms, conducted an informal member survey that showed 216 people felt no different after vaccination, while 171 said their conditions improved and 63 said they felt worse. Little research has been officially published on the subject, the Post reports. "The only thing that we can safely assume is that an unknown proportion of people who acquire SARS-CoV-2 have long-term symptoms," Steven Deeks, MD, an infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco, told the Post. "We know the questions. We have no answers. Hard stop." (Carbajal, 3/16)
Axios: Experts Look Into Whether COVID Vaccines Could Help Long-Haulers
Some people with "long COVID" say their symptoms have gotten better after they received a vaccine, the Washington Post reports. The evidence so far is largely anecdotal, but further research could help determine whether vaccines can offer some help to the millions of people worldwide who are suffering through long-term illness that science doesn't understand very well. (Fernandez, 3/17)
