Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

“I never thought they’d lock HIM up,” sobbed a distraught member of the Lock Her Up Party.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

The revolution will be supervised.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

FFS people, this was a good thing. take the win.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

President Biden is doing good where he can, and getting it done.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

Ah, the different things are different argument.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Even though I know this is a bad idea, I’m off to do it anyway!

Glad to see john eastman going through some things.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / COVID-19 Coronavirus (& H5N1) Updates: August 13, 2024

COVID-19 Coronavirus (& H5N1) Updates: August 13, 2024

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… The virus is circulating at high levels across the country. That might suggest it’s prime time for another dose of protection. But updated vaccines that target newer variants of the virus are expected to arrive this fall.

Experts said the right time for your next Covid shot will depend on your health status and what you’re hoping to get from the vaccines.

If you’re trying to get the most protection against the leading variants:
Doctors say that many people may want to wait for the updated vaccines, which have been retooled to better protect against the current dominant strains of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone ages 6 months or older receive an updated shot when they become available.

An upcoming vaccine from the biotechnology company Novavax will target JN.1, a coronavirus variant that accounted for the bulk of cases in the United States this winter. The Pfizer and Moderna shots coming this fall will target KP.2, a newer offshoot of JN.1 that’s been circulating this summer. The variants responsible for the largest share of cases in the United States right now, KP.3 and KP.3.1.1, are closely related to KP.2 and JN.1…

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Unpaywalled reprint of an excellent Washington Post story:

A summer COVID-19 wave – and the accompanying fevers, coughs and general misery – continues to wash over the Americas and parts of Asia and Europe, including the Paris Olympics, offering the latest evidence that the coronavirus moves in ways distinct from other respiratory ailments.

The World Health Organization said this week that the virus is increasing in at least 84 countries despite perceptions that the pathogen is a remnant of the past. Disease trackers sounded alarms that diminished testing and low vaccination rates could provide fertile terrain for more dangerous viral variants to take hold…

The rise in global cases comes during pandemic fatigue and a decline in testing for the virus and reporting of cases.

As a result, health agencies confront significant challenges in monitoring and understanding the virus’ impact.

“I am concerned,” Van Kerkhove said. “With such low [vaccine] coverage and with such large circulation, if we were to have a variant that would be more severe, then the susceptibility of the at-risk populations to develop severe disease is huge.”

Wastewater analysis offers one of the main methods for gaining insight into infection levels. Van Kerkhove said circulation rates are estimated to be two to 20 times higher than baseline levels established for comparison purposes at each testing station.

At the peak of the omicron variant in January 2022, the concentration of the coronavirus in wastewater samples peaked at 23 times higher than earlier levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Levels were just barely above baseline at most stations nationally in April and May, but they have risen in the past two months to seven times the baseline concentration – a considerable increase but far below the rate of the nation’s largest outbreaks.

With the increase, public health experts worry that more severe variants of the coronavirus could emerge heading into fall and winter, and with waning vaccination rates, people with a higher risk of severe infection could face more dangerous outcomes.

Elevated infection rates during summers months in the Northern Hemisphere deviate from the typical pattern of respiratory viruses, which usually thrive during the fall and winter. While current hospitalization rates are lower than peak levels during the pandemic, WHO is calling on governments to bolster vaccination initiatives for high-risk groups…

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Reader Interactions

23Comments

  1. 1.

    p.a.

    Fellow retiree and guy I worked with for years, now mid-70s, one of those people ALWAYS in great shape just from being active (& swimming), is down to 120lbs (he went 180-ish) & can’t do anything for more than 5 mins without resting.  Drs finding nothing.  The thinking is long covid.

  2. 2.

    oldster

    Thanks for the great roundup, Anne Laurie.
    I wish Novavax, Pfizer et al would roll out those updated formulations sooner! I really want to get a new booster before the school year starts, but if I do then I cannot get the new stuff for at least four months. So, I will wait.

  3. 3.

    TBone

    I’m a bit frustrated that the article in Nature offers another “roadmap.”  I need answers, and I’m pretty sure we already know how to get there.  Gah.  I’m suffering almost every day (a few good days sprinkled in here and there keep me sane and hopeful).  I need to definitively know why I have fewer good days.  Symptoms cycle more quickly, come and go every few days – WHY?

  4. 4.

    Matt McIrvin

    The wastewater counts from Boston suggest that the summer wave has passed peak there, but the same is not true everywhere in the region and the decline is frustratingly slow. In any event, if it has passed peak, it never got nearly as high as last winter here. I’m generally masking on the bus and would like that new booster, though I suppose getting it too early means I’ve got less protection later in the winter.

  5. 5.

    TBone

    @p.a.: I’m so sorry your friend has no answers. This is another reason why I’m so very frustrated – long Covid seems to be mirroring the way long Lyme patents have been handled by the medical establishment.  Not good!  If they don’t have methods for medical diagnosis, they need to start doing clinical diagnosis!

    There are two primary types of diagnosis: clinical and medical. Clinical diagnosis relies on a patient’s medical history and physical examination. In contrast, medical diagnosis incorporates additional tests and imaging studies to confirm clinical findings.

    Even with the lack of definive medical testing and treatment for long Covid, simply getting a proper diagnosis takes a huge weight off of the patient’s shoulders.

  7. 7.

    ItinerantPedant

    COVID is endemic. Well, of COURSE it is. This was only gonna “end” that way.

    In the course of human history we’ve eradicated one virus. ONE. Smallpox. Which is more lethal (more motive to not FAFO) and harder to transmit. COVID is way less lethal than even when it started and that wasn’t lethal enough to stop the FAFO crowd. And is airborne.

    It’s why I always asked “define over” when someone said, “When COVID is over.”  Many meant gone. It’s clear many thought it could be wiped out. No. But we can now predict when waves happen…when houses and businesses transition to mostly treated, recirculated air. This IS what “over” looks like. I said, two years ago, “How you act now is going to be the rest of your life, because this is it.”

  8. 8.

    R-Jud

    Attended a family reunion in NJ last week and we all caught COVID. Very relieved to be testing negative just as I prepare to fly back to the UK today, and we’ve all had mild cases, but Christ, what a drag. Bought myself and The Child some N95s for our flights.

  9. 9.

    Betty

    The WHO statement about Covid increasing in 84 countries is certainly a vast under count. Here in Dominica the government gave up on identifying or responding to Covid several years ago. The latest “flu” making the rounds is most likely Covid, but no one is calling it that.

  10. 10.

    Manyakitty

    @R-Jud: ugh. No fun at all. Feel better soon!

    Off topic, but I keep looking for your podcast on YouTube music but I can’t find it there. Should I just try to listen from your website?

  13. 13.

    R-Jud

    @Manyakitty: Hi! Thanks so much for listening! I will need to look into why it’s not there; thank you for flagging that up. It is available on Spotify in the meantime, but listening from the site also works!

    Tomorrow’s episode will be a day late, due to the ‘rona. Couldn’t quite finish the edit in time.

  15. 15.

    narya

    Attended an outdoor beer event this weekend–most places I was were (a) outside, or (b) well-ventilated, or (c) if indoors and not-(b), we were there early and some distance from others. We’ll see if that strategy worked . . .

    Thanks for the roundup, AL–I’m eagerly awaiting the new vax formulation (I got my last booster in April, so any time now would be good).

  16. 16.

    A Man for All Seasonings (formerly Geeno)

    I hate that I’m constantly reading that woman’s name as “Helen Brain-swell”.

    — Old  man worried about his faculties

  17. 17.

    Gretchen

    Thanks so much for staying on top of this, AL! My worry is the kids. There is no effort to keep it from spreading through the schools over and over. I know one school where a parent owns an HVAC company, and he  put in new air cleaners, but most schools didn’t bother. Special ed teachers are seeing more kids with delays.

  18. 18.

    Glidwrith

    @TBone: COVID is a syncticial virus, meaning it fuses cells together to hide from the immune system. My best guess for long COVID sufferers is all those little pockets of uncleared virus are triggering the immune system, so when a pocket is targeted, you get symptoms.

    I don’t have any suggestions for treatment, beyond getting every updated booster possible and don’t get COVID again.

  19. 19.

    VFX Lurker

    Thank you for these important posts, Anne Laurie.

    I tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Because of your posts, I knew to seek Paxlovid immediately. I learned that I needed a prescription before I could get Paxlovid at a pharmacy. So, I scheduled a video visit, got a prescription, and then got Paxlovid. I started Paxlovid that night.

    My husband tested negative on Sunday and positive on Monday. He has slightly reduced kidney function after a number of kidney stones in 2022, so the teledoc prescribed the “renal dose” of Paxlovid. He started this reduced dose of Paxlovid on Monday night. As per the doctor and pharmacist’s instructions, he is abstaining from taking his statins until he finishes his Paxlovid course.

    With insurance, each video visit cost $25, and Paxlovid itself cost $0. We both felt much better after taking Paxlovid and taking time to rest.

    We’re both up-to-date on our vaccinations — again, because of your posts. My parents also got the Spring boosters because of your posts.

    Thank you for keeping us informed for the last 4.5 years.

  21. 21.

    Winsomeone

    Husband and I got our 1st, and hopefully last, Covid infection while across the country visiting family. Let our guard down for one hour with the grandkids and zap. Symptoms within two days, scrambled to get an Urgent care visit on a Sunday and started Paxlovid that night. The Paxlovid side- effect of tasting like we were sucking on pennies the entire five days was unpleasant, but worth it. And then the rebound four days later for another seven days. And lingering cough a month later. Trip ruined, expensive prolonged AirBnB stays, feeling unwell. Lesson learned.

Comments are closed.