Updated Covid Boosters Protect Effectively Against XBB.1.5 Strain: CDC

NBC News: Updated Covid Boosters Cut The Infection Risk From XBB.1.5 Subvariant By Half, CDC Finds
The updated Covid boosters reduce the risk of Covid infection from the predominant omicron subvariant by nearly half, according to early data published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In adults up to age 49, the latest boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were 48% effective against symptomatic infection from the XBB.1.5 subvariant, the new report said. As of Jan. 21, that subvariant accounted for about 1 in 2 new cases in the U.S. (Lovelace Jr., 1/25)

USA Today: COVID Vaccines Protect Against Omicron Subvariant XBB, CDC Finds
Officials had argued that a "bivalent" booster — addressing two forms of the virus instead of one — would be more protective than the original "monovalent" vaccine as the virus continues to evolve. The new study found that, despite the mismatch in variants, the booster remains protective against XBB. "There is incremental or additional protection from getting the bivalent on top of those past monovalent doses," said Ruth Link-Gelles, the paper's first author, on Wednesday in a CDC call with media. (Weintraub, 1/25)

Reuters: Updated COVID Vaccines Prevented Illness From Latest Variants -CDC
"Today we have additional evidence to show that these updated vaccines are protecting people against the latest COVID-19 variants," Dr. Brendan Jackson, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 response, told reporters in a briefing. (Steenhuysen and Mahobe, 1/25)

Also —

San Francisco Chronicle: COVID In California: Study Finds Vaccines Safe And Effective For Kids
In a meta-analysis of 17 studies of nearly 11 million vaccinated children, a global team of researchers found that COVID-19 vaccination in children aged 5 to 11 years was associated with lower risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-related illnesses and hospitalizations due to COVID illnesses. (Vaziri, 1/25)

KHN and PolitiFact: Florida Gov. DeSantis Falsely Claims Bivalent Booster Boosts Chances Of Covid Infection 
As he proposed to extend the state’s ban on mandates for covid vaccines and face masks, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis lobbed a flurry of criticism at President Joe Biden and “the medical establishment.”  “They were not following the science,” DeSantis said at a Jan. 17 press conference in Panama City Beach. “Almost every study now has said with these new boosters, you’re more likely to get infected with the bivalent booster.” (Reyes, 1/26)

A new PCR test detects the XBB.1.5 variant —

Reuters: Roche Launches New Test To Detect Fast Spreading Omicron Sub-Variant
Roche has launched a new PCR test to detect a fast-spreading sub-variant of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus, the Swiss drugmaker said on Thursday. The new test specifically targets the XBB.1.5 Omicron variant and will help researchers closely track the virus’s lineage and provide insights into the epidemiology and impact it has on public health, the company added. (1/26)

Covid's effect on your heart and cholesterol —

CBS News: Heart-Related Deaths Rose Sharply During First Year Of COVID-19 Pandemic, Report Shows
The annual pace of Americans dying from cardiovascular-related causes accelerated during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic to the worst it has been since 2015, according to final figures gathered this month by the American Heart Association. (Tin, 1/25)

NBC News: Could Getting Covid Raise Cholesterol?
Covid may increase the risk for high cholesterol for up to a year after infection, two recent studies suggest, prompting some doctors to take a closer look at the apparent trend. "It's something that we need to pay more attention to," said Dr. Ashish Sarraju, a cardiologist with the Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation section at the Cleveland Clinic, adding that the latest research is "provocative." (Edwards, 1/25)