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Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

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Tuesday, Mar 24 2026

Full Issue

Highly Mutated Covid Strain That's Lurking In US Could Cause Trouble

The BA.3.2 variant has been detected in wastewater samples from 25 states. The strain is "genetically distinct from the JN.1 lineages that have circulated in the United States since January 2024,” CDC researchers said. The current formulation of the 2025-26 covid vaccine targets the JN.1 subvariants — which means BA.3.2 might have the ability to evade protection from vaccines.

The highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 BA.3.2 variant, which has been reported by at least 23 countries as of February 11, has been detected in nasal swabs collected from four US travelers, clinical samples from five patients, three airplane wastewater samples, and 132 wastewater surveillance samples from 25 states, per a study published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Van Beusekom, 3/23)

More covid updates —

After five years of research, scientists identified an important role for Dolosigranulum pigrum, a bacterium that naturally lives in the respiratory microbiome. Higher levels of this bacterium were associated with a lower likelihood that long Covid symptoms would persist. (3/21)

Data show that young, healthy people have no additional risk of sudden death if they are vaccinated against COVID-19, contrary to myths that continue to circulate widely on social media. In fact, healthy adolescents and young adults vaccinated against COVID-19 were 43% less likely to experience sudden death than non-vaccinated people, according to a Canadian case-control study published last week in PLOS Medicine. (Szabo, 3/23)

Global immunity to Covid-19 is likely to offer protection against other SARS-type viruses, ultimately lowering the risk of a future coronavirus pandemic, scientists have found. (Forbes, 3/24)

In the early days, the virus posed a graver threat to people and the health care system, Trump embraced lockdowns he now blasts, and the benefits of vaccines were oversold. (Nirappil, 3/22)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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