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More than two dozen commonly available lab tests couldn't help diagnose long COVID in a study of more than 10,000 adults, leaving doctors still having to rule out other health conditions to confirm whether someone has the condition. (Bettelheim, 8/13)

New survey data from the landmark Women's Health Initiative (WHI) reveal that 34% of postmenopausal women [ages 50 to 79] infected with COVID-19 had symptoms lasting at least 8 weeks, while a separate 2-year telemedicine study shows that 84% and 61% of all infected patients still had symptoms 1 and 2 years later, respectively. (Van Beusekom, 8/12)

More than half of U.S. states are reporting "very high" levels of COVID activity as the virus continues to spread and increase in many parts of the country, according to the latest wastewater data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 27 states are reporting "very high" levels and 17 states are reporting "high" levels of wastewater viral activity. The western region continues to see the highest levels followed by the South, Midwest and Northeast, respectively. (Benadjaoud, 8/12)

Connecticut, Hawaii and Nevada were the only states with rates declining or likely declining. Southern states — including Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina — had some of the highest probabilities that the outbreak is spreading, the CDC estimated. (Bettelheim, 8/13)

A new study in Open Forum Infectious Diseases analyzed the clinical features of and outcomes of pediatric and adult hospitalized COVID patients at five US sites, and found that teens were at greatest risk for severe disease among all children, and those 50 to 64 years old were at greatest risk among all adults. (Soucheray, 8/12)