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“I got it because keeping myself safe, my family safe, the people in this building,” Kelce said. “I stand by it 1,000%. Fully comfortable with him calling me Mr. Pfizer.” Travis Kelcie isn’t Jonas Salk, but this is what a responsible public figure does. https://t.co/Wqi1AtgGiI
— Richard Yeselson (@yeselson) October 6, 2023
This week’s Covid news theory:
NEW: Scientists offer a new explanation and possible treatment for Long Covid
In some patients, remnants of the coronavirus in the gut may stifle production of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter, researchers suggest. https://t.co/mIRqzCt2Ge
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) October 16, 2023
Per the NYTimes, “Scientists Offer a New Explanation for Long Covid”: [Unpaywalled gift link]
A team of scientists is proposing a new explanation for some cases of long Covid, based on their findings that serotonin levels were lower in people with the complex condition.
In their study, published on Monday in the journal Cell, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania suggest that serotonin reduction is triggered by remnants of the virus lingering in the gut. Depleted serotonin could especially explain memory problems and some neurological and cognitive symptoms of long Covid, they say.
Why It Matters: New ways to diagnose and treat long Covid.
This is one of several new studies documenting distinct biological changes in the bodies of people with long Covid — offering important discoveries for a condition that takes many forms and often does not register on standard diagnostic tools like X-rays.The research could point the way toward possible treatments, including medications that boost serotonin. And the authors said the biological pathway that their research outlines could unite many of the major theories of what causes long Covid: lingering remnants of the virus, inflammation, increased blood clotting and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system…
“This is an excellent study that identifies lower levels of circulating serotonin as a mechanism for long Covid,” said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University. Her team and colleagues at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai recently published a study that identified other biological changes linked to some cases of long Covid, including levels of the hormone cortisol. These studies could point to specific subtypes of long Covid or different biological indicators at different points in the condition…
Researchers analyzed the blood of 58 patients who had been experiencing long Covid for between three months and 22 months since their infection. Those results were compared to blood analysis of 30 people with no post-Covid symptoms and 60 patients who were in the early, acute stage of coronavirus infection.
Maayan Levy, a lead author and assistant professor of microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, said levels of serotonin and other metabolites were altered right after a coronavirus infection, something that also happens immediately after other viral infections.
But in people with long Covid, serotonin was the only significant molecule that did not recover to pre-infection levels, she said…
There are caveats. The study was not large, so the findings need to be confirmed with other research. Participants in some other long Covid studies, in which some patients had milder symptoms, did not always show depleted serotonin, a result that Dr. Levy said might indicate that depletion happened only in people whose long Covid involves multiple serious symptoms.
What’s Next: A clinical trial of Prozac.
Scientists want to find biomarkers for long Covid — biological changes that can be measured to help diagnose the condition. Dr. Thaiss said the new study suggested three: the presence of viral remnants in stool, low serotonin and high levels of interferons…Most experts believe that there will not be a single biomarker for the condition, but that several indicators will emerge and might vary, based on the type of symptoms and other factors.
There is tremendous need for effective ways to treat long Covid, and clinical trials of several treatments are underway. Dr. Levy and Dr. Thaiss said they would be starting a clinical trial to test fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor often marketed as Prozac, and possibly also tryptophan…
More details at the link. Some long covid sufferers are dubious about this (yes, very small) study — Are you saying it’s all in our heads?!? — but frankly, the brain-gut connection has been seriously understudied, and this new piece of the puzzle supplements studies I’ve seen about other gut-related neurological conditions (Parkinsons, for instance).
… Just as with Covid-19 vaccines this season, the antiviral – a combination of the drugs nirmatrelvir and ritonavir – will move from being available free to everyone through government purchases to a more traditional commercial marketplace for most patients at the end of this year, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services and drugmaker Pfizer.
The new price – the cost before insurance – hasn’t been set but is expected to be higher than the $530-per-course price paid by the US government.
People who are on Medicare or Medicaid or who are uninsured will still be able to get Paxlovid for free through 2024 via a patient assistance program, according to HHS, but those with commercial insurance are likely to face a copay, Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said Monday. About 40% of prescriptions of Paxlovid are written for Medicare and Medicaid patients, he said…
Don’t panic, yet. The price of Paxlovid is absolutely gonna go up, unfortunately, but I suspect the numbers being thrown around right now are very much a case of Pfizer testing how much it can get away with.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Monday that he expects about 17% of the U.S. population to get updated COVID-19 vaccines during the current vaccination campaign, in-line with last year. https://t.co/HrosdIqHut
— Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) October 16, 2023
Last night's update: 171,000 new cases, nearly 1,600 new deaths https://t.co/McAjTdkPX2
— BNO News (@BNOFeed) October 16, 2023
(link)
Pfizer set off a fresh round of concern about the size of the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine and treatment market in the long term, driving down shares on Monday of its German partner BioNTech and smaller rival Moderna . https://t.co/41MHLdbMzs
— Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) October 16, 2023
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Singapore: Best protection against severe Covid is a minimum of three vaccinations and a natural infection in one year.
"Defence against severe Covid-19 wanes in a year, those at risk must take yearly shots."https://t.co/YhyhKMqo0p
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) October 13, 2023
New Zealand: Covid still here, still deadly.
"Every week we see thousands of cases, hundreds lying in hospital beds, and around 20 deaths."
"It's a bit like an unwelcome guest that no one wants to talk about, but it hasn't gone away, that's for sure,''https://t.co/45rw3kbtZJ
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) October 17, 2023
(link)
Spain: Increase in acute respiratory infections in primary care for fourth consecutive week.
Detailed 16-page report on ARI's including Covid-19 puts other nations to shame. https://t.co/eAQ5h8JdFC pic.twitter.com/FutFyF9NqX
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) October 13, 2023
UK: Covid-19 hospitalisations up by 24% in one week.
Cases increased by 29.4% from the week before.
Oh, and watch out for rashes, apparently. https://t.co/Kt6As0Bz3t
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) October 17, 2023
(link)
(link)
Canada: Highest B.C. Covid hospitalizations for more than a year.
This week saw the first fall in hospitalizations since early August.https://t.co/TA9EzPApri
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) October 15, 2023
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#Paxlovid paradox: Paxlovid appeared to significantly reduce the risk of #LongCovid in older adults at high risk for #Covid, but may have *increased* the risk of post-Covid conditions in adolescents, according to a large case-controlled study from the CDC https://t.co/U1aLiObOpD pic.twitter.com/5xsRBUS1MB
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 17, 2023
Long Covid by SARS-CoV-2 variant:
"Only 0.2% in the Omicron cohort were diagnosed as having long COVID, compared with 0.5% in the Delta cohort, 1.0% in the Alpha cohort, and 1.3% in the wild-type cohort."https://t.co/ol6KeKI8kd
— CoronaHeadsUp (@CoronaHeadsUp) October 16, 2023
(link)
Children's immune systems tame #SARSCoV2 & a new study shows how. Infants & young children who get infected have a potent antibody response to SARS2 & high levels of inflammatory proteins in the nose. This response contrasts w/ that seen in adults https://t.co/fzF473qIwt pic.twitter.com/03VWHN5Pby
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 16, 2023
How #SARSCoV2 is continuing to evolve in the Omicron era, by many of the guiding lights who have so diligently tracked this virus throughout the pandemichttps://t.co/dATftWJKMt @NatureMicrobiol by @CorneliusRoemer @PeacockFlu @DannySheward @LongDesertTrain @siamosolocani pic.twitter.com/ArlNtEizUy
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 16, 2023
In a new #SciencePerspective, @florian_krammer and Ali Ellebedy discuss the challenges and concerns surrounding the development of #COVID19 boosters and argue that current vaccines should be specifically tailored to combat future #SARSCoV2 variants. https://t.co/au1j9hZxWe pic.twitter.com/CIQfYLR0ea
— Science Magazine (@ScienceMagazine) October 16, 2023
Yes, #COVIDisAirborne but distribution of infectious particles differs depending on how they're dispersed from an infected person. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany are studying #SARSCoV2 emission data. Caution: Stay away from singers⬇️ https://t.co/nKufQAFuAf pic.twitter.com/a57FICeeiM
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 17, 2023
(link)
An intranasal #Covid vaccine generates a strong immune response, a phase 1 study found. 2 doses of live-attenuated CoviLiv prompted broad antibody & T cell response. Just sniff it. CoviLiv doesn't require cold chain storage & is easier to stockpile https://t.co/hXPJtEFo0r pic.twitter.com/Gx2dFnyscM
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 13, 2023
With several recent advances and funding, Covid nasal vaccines now have momentum.
It's covered in the new Ground Truths (link in my profile) pic.twitter.com/huYxtydhGK— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 14, 2023
Prevention of #LongCovid: A meta-analysis of 24 studies shows vaccine effectiveness, with booster, at 69% and without booster 37%https://t.co/0ajXvF6NX0 pic.twitter.com/BSxniKwlvF
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 16, 2023
(link)
“In the first comprehensive national poll of doctors about their experiences treating #LongCovid patients.. only 6% reported they regularly have success with treatments for long COVID that benefitted patients.” https://t.co/xMNhnYh5Ro
— charlos (@loscharlos) October 13, 2023
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This is 189 hydroxychloroquine prescriptions per day and 88 ivermectin prescriptions per day https://t.co/kyGAp6Xufc
— Ryan Marino, MD (@RyanMarino) October 12, 2023
5 Arkansas inmates were unknowingly treated w/ Ivermectin for #Covid & each will get $2000 to settle a lawsuit. Suit contends they were given IVM in Nov 2020 & didn’t realize what they'd gotten 'til July 2021. Arkansas is largely an anti-science red state https://t.co/PjWRk5WES6
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 13, 2023
Reader Interactions
31Comments
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NeenerNeener
Monroe County, NY:
35 new cases on 10/08/23.
62 new cases on 10/09/23.
64 new cases on 10/10/23.
59 new cases on 10/11/23.
50 new cases on 10/12/23.
31 new cases on 10/13/23.
16 new cases on 10/14/23.
Deaths now at 2342, up 11 from last week. That’s scary.
There go two miscreants
Greatly appreciate that you continue to do these!
Kay
Look for a fresh wave of conspiracy theories out of the anti vaxx/bro world – they all think Prozac (SSRI) are a Big Pharma conspiracy.
The two conspiracy threads will converge – or maybe collide and crack up! :)
Anne Laurie
Oh, it’s already started, take my word. But I have no respect for those loons / grifters… while I understand that Long Covidians can be very, very sensitive about their sufferings being dismissed as ‘just depression’ (i.e., malingering). I don’t always agree with their takes, but I don’t dismiss them out of hand!
OzarkHillbilly
@Anne Laurie:
Not pointing this at you Anne but there is no ‘just depression,’ depression kills.
New Deal democrat
As I wrote last week, BIobot’s contract for wastewater reporting was not renewed. We know know that the winner for the contract was Google, via a subsidiary named Verily. Unfortunately it appears that they have zero interest in providing actual useful information. Their graphic interface is here:
https://publichealth.verily.com/?v=SC2_N
There is no US dashboard, and no statewide aggregates either. Just dot and graph spaghetti of local testing information. I am very upset both with Google and with the CDC, for allowing this to happen. We are flying utterly blind, heading towards the winter season. If anyone can find more useful information at this site, please let me know.
As of Monday, hospitalizations for the week of October 7 were reported down to 16,800 from the peak of 20,700 four weeks earlier. Aside from this past spring and summer, this is nevertheless lower than at any time during the pandemic except for 2 months each in summer 2021 and spring 2022. The low was 6,300 this past June.
Deaths increased to 1,274 during the week of September 16. Deaths probably peaked by the end of September, probably under 1,500. This is nevertheless lower than at any previous time during the pandemic except for this spring and summer, when the all time low was 479 in early July.
Last Friday’s variant update indicated that XBB variants still made up 25% of all cases. Newer variants EG.5, HV1, and FL.1.5.1 made up a total of 57%. There is no indication so far that any of these are particularly virulent.
Erin
@New Deal democrat: It’s awful, Biobot was so much better. It’s not as good as Biobot was, but it’s much better than the useless information at Verily: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#wastewater-surveillance
JeanneT
There are definitely reports from neighbors of Covid spreading through the area here (West MI). Even nearer to home, my eldest sister came down with a Covid infection last week, just after we had a family gathering. SO FAR no one else has come down with it; I’ll be testing again later this morning.
Cameron
Thank God I live in Florida, where Prince Ronald White-boots of Clan Pudding Fingers has conquered this so-called “pandemic” and brought FREEDOM to his people! Suck it,libtards!
lowtechcyclist
Who is BNO News, and why should I trust their numbers?
I’ve clicked through to their tweets, but from their tweets there’s no link to a website with further details. There’s a link in their bio to a fundraising page. Swell.
New Deal democrat
@Erin: Thanks. I did check that page.
As far as I can tell, they do report where COVID is increasing or decreasing, but no information on levels. Have you been able to tease that out?
Dorothy A. Winsor
I see Colbert has covid again. That’s at least the fourth time for him.
dougcb68
Mexico has initiated a COVID vaccination campaign using the Cuban and Russian vaccines Abdala and Sputnik V. Does anyone have any information about these vaccines that would help me decide if I should get this shot?
Yarrow
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Apparently we’re all just supposed to get Covid every so often now. We’ll only be allowed to get vaccinated once a year and as far as I can tell the protection from vaccines only lasts about six months. Forget masking or improving air quality. Not going to happen. Just get Covid.
Soprano2
@Anne Laurie: I don’t see that at all in the linked article. I see findings that serotonin was suppressed in these people, which may be causing their problem. If they’re taking it as people saying it’s their own fault or all in their heads, that’s on them. These scientists are presenting a concrete reason they believe may be responsible for long COVID. It’s my hope that the research into long COVID will provide answers for others who suffer from poorly-understood auto-immune problems, like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Erin
@New Deal democrat: Nope, not really. I’m so frustrated to have lost Biobot.
Soprano2
@New Deal democrat: Not that familiar with Biobot, but that site isn’t great. MO has a lot of monitoring here through the Sewershed Surveillance Project, but none of it is on their site except Kansas City. Unfortunately, you can’t do anything about the fact that Biobot lost the contract. Maybe they’ll do something on their own.
Soprano2
@Dorothy A. Winsor: His show was a repeat last night, so I guess that means he was too sick to do it from his house, which is what he did Monday night.
Yarrow
@Soprano2: If you haven’t followed how Long Covid patients have been treated by much of the medical establishment, they have regularly been told it’s all in their head. Not all doctors, not all patients, of course. But it happens enough that I’ve seen it all over the Covid and Long Covid internet.
Soprano2
@Yarrow: I haven’t, but I’m familiar with it through people with Chronic Fatigue, so that doesn’t surprise me. What I’m saying is that this particular article is pinpointing a specific thing that might be a cause that could be treated! That’s not saying it’s all in your head. We women are used to being told problems are all in our heads, it’s not an unfamiliar thing.
Yarrow
@Soprano2: I didn’t have the impression that AL was talking about the article. My impression was she was talking about the discussion around the findings, which could be interpreted as “all in your head.” Long Covid patients, like CFS patients and others with challenging chronic conditions, are pretty sensitive to hearing that. I thought she was trying to acknowledge and be sensitive to that issue.
hrprogressive
The increased drive towards nasal vaccines which may better attenuate transmission, and the markedly lower occurrences of Long Covid in the Omicron Era are what passes for good news these days.
Now if they could just get to the bottom of how “at risk” the general population is from things like increased heart attack and stroke risk after catching the damn thing, maybe we are on our way to something passing for normal…in a couple more years. Maybe.
I got my XBB shot a few weeks ago, and I was told by the Walgreens tech that this version was very popular compared to last year’s bivalent version, so. That’s also encouraging to hear.
wenchacha
Often, when pain or other symptoms are treated with an anti-depressant, a patient might assume the dr. is saying it’s psychosomatic. That is not the message to take! Anti-depressants can treat pain, and are often included to aid recovery.
Uncle Cosmo
That’s less than a 5% change, i.e., a statistically meaningless blip probably due to nothing more “scary” than random variation. As Philip Abelson put it in his magnificent tome Statistics as Principled Argument, “Chance is lumpy.”
JML
Props to Kelce, appreciate him pwning the odious and narcissistic Rodgers. (Based on how Rodgers celebrity relationships have gone, I like to think Kelce connecting up with Taylor Swift burns the ever-living fuck out of him)
Another Scott
@dougcb68: I don’t recall anything recent about Sputnik, but early on there were stories about contamination with various things. I would hope that if there was anything to that that it has been resolved by now.
STATNews.com is a good source – maybe check there for the latest.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
dougcb68
@Another Scott: Thanks Scott. I went to STATNews.com and there was nothing more recent than 2021.
Bill Arnold
@New Deal democrat:
New York State has a detailed site
COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance, which I’ve been using to track my local area.
That horrible new site doesn’t have a feedback link. Has a couple of email addresses at the bottom for people who want to use the data. (My feedback would have been “WHAT. IS. THIS. SHIT?”)
Johnny C. Lately
anybody else notice that the long covid incidence rate for omicron claimed in the Swedish study (described in the CIDRAP press release) is more than an order of magnitude less than the consensus rate discussed by the CDC and US media these days? 0.2% versus 5-7%…. did the Swedes just use a really strict definition ?
contrast
Swedish study claiming 0.2% long covid rate for omicron
CDC on long covid
What's Happening Florida
The importance of understanding and addressing long Covid cannot be overstated, and this article provides valuable insights into the latest research in this area. It effectively conveys the significance of a recent study that identifies distinct biological changes in long Covid patients, offering hope for future treatments. The inclusion of expert opinions and the potential clinical trial of Prozac add depth to the article. It’s a well-written and informative piece that highlights the ongoing efforts to combat long Covid.
WaterGirl
@What’s Happening Florida: I just saw your comment in moderation today. Sorry it took nearly a week.
Your next comment will show up right away. Welcome!