Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
That Bout With Covid Might Cause Myriad Ailments Later On, Study Finds
Scientists suspect that one culprit behind your new illness might be the infection you got a couple of years ago.聽The link between new health problems and your past health history appears to be particularly prevalent with Covid. A new Nature Medicine study found that health problems stemming from even mild Covid infections can emerge as many as three years afterward. The study found a greater risk three years later of problems in the gut, brain and lungs, including irritable bowel syndrome, mini-strokes and pulmonary scarring. This is different from what most people think of as 鈥渓ong Covid,鈥 the debilitating chronic condition that can include fatigue, brain fog and racing heartbeat. (Reddy, 7/2)
As cases of COVID-19 are on the rise and with a new variant of the disease emerging this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending updated vaccines ahead of the fall and winter virus season. "Make a plan now for you and your family to get both updated flu and COVID vaccines this fall, ahead of the respiratory virus season," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement Thursday. (7/1)
New diagnoses of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Finland doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the largest increase in females aged 13 to 30 years, University of Helsinki researchers聽report in JAMA Network Open. The team analyzed nationwide data on new ADHD diagnoses, prevalence, and medication use among 5.6 million participants from registries in 2015, 2020), and 2022. The average participant age was 44.1 years, and 50.6% were female. (Van Beusekom, 7/1)
In bird flu updates 鈥
Scientists tracking the spread of bird flu are increasingly concerned that gaps in surveillance may keep them several steps behind a new pandemic, according to Reuters interviews with more than a dozen leading disease experts. Many of them have been monitoring the new subtype of H5N1 avian flu in migratory birds since 2020. But the spread of the virus to 129 dairy herds in 12 U.S. states signals a change that could bring it closer to becoming transmissible between humans. Infections also have been found in other mammals, from alpacas to house cats. (Steenhuysen and Rigby, 7/2)
US scientists haven鈥檛 gotten a handle on how to effectively track bird flu, three months after a Texas dairy worker was diagnosed with the virus. That鈥檚 impeding the ability to create a vaccine to protect against the spread among people. Bird flu鈥檚 health risk to the general public remains low, according to US officials. But if the virus becomes more dangerous, it鈥檚 unclear we鈥檒l have a shot that works, according to Kate Broderick, a vaccine developer at Maravai LifeSciences Holdings, who鈥檚 helped develop shots against Ebola and Zika. (Smith and Nix, 7/1)
Colorado鈥檚 outbreak of bird flu among dairy cattle is now the worst in the country, with more cases in the past month than any other state, according to the latest state and federal data. (Ingold, 7/2)
