US households can now order four free Covid tests from the government – latest guidelines

An updated Coronavirus booster is now being rolled out nationwide

Jill Biden tested positive for Covid and experienced “mild symptoms”, per a 4 September statement from the White House.

New Covid boosters from Pfizer and Moderna are now available at pharmacies nationwide, and the US has restarted its free Covid test program.

Tests can be ordered from COVIDTests.gov; you can order four per household.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are recommending one dose of the updated vaccine for everyone six months and older in the US; some children may be eligible for up to three doses depending on their age and previous vaccination status.

Hospitalisations and deaths rose steadily during the last weeks of summer, and global health authorities are monitoring two new variants, BA.2.86, known as Pirola, and EG.5, known as Eris.

First reported in February, Eris is now responsible for nearly 30 per cent of Covid cases in the US, per CDC estimates.

Some experts are urging Americans to wear a mask when necessary to slow the spread of the virus.

CDC Covid tracker

16,186 hospitalisations from 15 October to 21 October

Key Points

• How to get free Covid tests from the government
• You should see a doctor for Covid if you develop these symptoms
• Everything we know about the latest round of Covid boosters, including how to book an appointment
• Covid exposure guidelines 2023: What to know

[20 October 2023 05:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

People with HIV may have a greater risk of Covid re-infection

Having HIV may increase a person’s risk of being re-infected with Covid-19, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new data suggest that people with HIV may need to make a plan with their healthcare provider to make sure they’re doing all they can to prevent a Covid-19 infection when case levels spike in their community.

[20 October 2023 00:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

Covid antiviral treatment Paxlovid will cost nearly $1,400, Pfizer says

Pfizer said the company’s antiviral treatment Paxlovid will cost $1,390 per course, according to reporting from Reuters.

It is the most commonly prescribed at-home treatment for Covid, and is often recommended for people who test positive who are at high-risk for severe disease from SARS-CoV-2, including people who are unvaccinated or immunocompromised.

[19 October 2023 21:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

Risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome is higher after Covid infection, study finds

The risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is higher in the six weeks following a Covid infection, according to a new study from Israel.

The results of the study were published in the journal Neurology.

There is no cure for GBS, which causes one’s immune system to attack their nerves. It causes chronic illness, and symptoms such as weakness, shortness of breath, and abnormal blood pressure.

[19 October 2023 18:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

Stephen Colbert to host ‘The Late Show’ remotely due to Covid

Stephen Colbert recently tested positive for Covid, and, as a result, he will be hosting The Late Show remotely for the rest of the week.

[19 October 2023 15:22 · Maggie O’Neill]

What are the Covid isolation guidelines for 2023?

During the last weeks of summer, the US saw a steady rise in Covid hospitalisations and deaths.

As of right now, numbers have started to decline: From 1 October to 7 October deaths from the virus went down 3.8 per cent and hospitalisations decreased 8.2 per cent, per the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But health authorities are warning that we could see a rise in Covid cases during the coming months, as Americans start gathering indoors and respiratory viruses start to circulate more.

Read more here:

[18 October 2023 15:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

Many teenagers who struggled with depression during the pandemic didn’t get treatment, study finds

During the first calendar year of the Covid pandemic, about one-fifth of teenagers in the US experienced symptoms of major depressive disorder, according to new research published in JAMA Pediatrics.

But less than half who required treatment received help. The new study adds to a growing body of research on how the pandemic affected Americans’ mental health—and what needs to be done to treat conditions that arose during the pandemic.

[18 October 2023 10:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

How to find a Covid vaccine near you

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a vaccine finder tool that can help you make an appointment for the updated Covid vaccine.

[18 October 2023 05:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

Pfizer CEO thinks less than one-fifth of Americans will get updated Covid vaccines

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla announced Monday he expects nearly 17 per cent of Americans will get an updated Covid vaccine, according to reporting from Reuters.

Pfizer recently released sales predictions that showed the company may make drastically less than expected on Covid vaccines and treatments this year.

Pfizer and partner BioNTech are expected to make $2 billion less than originally expected on Covid vaccines, and Pfizer is expected to make $7 billion less than originally expected on Paxlovid, the company’s Covid antiviral treatment, according to Reuters.

[18 October 2023 00:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

A House of Representatives committee is investigating a Covid policy at the University of Maryland

The University of Maryland has instituted a policy that says if a student tests positive for Covid, they have to quarantine off campus.

Now, questions have arisen about whether that’s fair for students who can’t return to their parents’ home or book temporary housing, like a hotel.

The US House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is investigating the policy, according to reporting from CBS News.

[17 October 2023 21:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

Long Covid symptoms may be linked to serotonin levels, new study finds

A new study found that people with long Covid may exhibit lower levels of serotonin. The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, could shed light on what causes debilitating long Covid symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and memory loss.

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), long Covid affects nearly one-fifth of Americans who get the virus.