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

[26 October 2023 07:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

How simvastatin affects Covid patients

Simvastatin, a statin used to redice risk of stroke and heart attack, could help some people with severe Covid, according to new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The drug may prevent some people with Covid from needing organ support or dying, according to the new analysis.

Simvastatin is sometimes recommended for heart disease patients—in conjunction with weight loss, diet, and exercise—to lower the risk of needing heart surgery.

[26 October 2023 01:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

New study looks at consequences of getting high-dose flu shot and Covid vaccine at the same time

There may be a slight risk associated with getting a high-dose flu shot and the Covid vaccine at the same time, according to new research—that has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal—from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The study found a slight increase in stroke risk among people who got both of these at the same time, though the observed effects “were not consistent”, according to the authors of the new report—meaning little is known about whether this increase is real, or what may be causing it.

High-dose flu vaccines are sometimes given to people 65 and older, per the Mayo Clinic.

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

Less than four per cent of the US population has received the updated Covid shot

The American public are largely ignoring advice from health authorities to get the latest Covid vaccine ahead of the winter months, according to reporting from Politico.

Just 12 million people—or, roughly 3.6 per cent of the population—have received the shot so far.

It became available nationwide in Septebmer, and is recommended for everyone six months and older in the US.

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

Carnival Cruise Line found ‘negligent’ for 2020 Covid outbreak

Passengers aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship that suffered a Covid outbreak—which resulted in 28 deaths—have won a lawsuit against the company in Australia, according to reporting from Axois.

The case was decided in Australia’s Federal Court, where Justice Angus Stewart decided Carnival should not have let its Ruby Princess ship leave Sydney for New Zealand in March 2020.

The company should have known or “ought to have known about” the “potentially lethal consequences” of Covid, according to a case summary from the court.

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

NIH leaders get vaccinated against Covid-19

Experts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shared photos of themselves getting vaccinated against Covid-19. The latest vaccine is available at pharmacies nationwide; some people without health insurance can get the shot for free through the Bridge Access Program.

[25 October 2023 07:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

New York State Department of Health reminds New Yorkers to get vaccinated against Covid-19

In the US, everyone six months and older is eligible for the latest Covid vaccine that protects against severe disease from the virus.

[25 October 2023 01:00 · Maggie O’Neill]

New study sheds light on how long kids are contagious with Covid

A small new study published in JAMA Pediatrics has found that children with Covid may be contagious for a median of three days.

The research could help school administrators or policymakers who help decide how long kids should be out of school after testing positive for Covid-19.

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

Should you wear a mask in a healthcare setting?

As government mask mandates have been lifted, many healthcare systems across the country have been left to decide their own mask policies.

Some hospitals and urgent care facilities are now requiring masks as the US prepares for cold and flu season, but that’s not the case everywhere.

Still yet, many experts are urging Americans to wear a mask if they enter a healthcare setting this fall and winter.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a statement on masks that says, “Layered prevention strategies—like staying up to date on vaccines and wearing masks—can help prevent severe illness and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system.”

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

Trump’s attorneys tried to halt his fraud trial due to Covid risk

Attorneys for former president Donald Trump tried to halt his civil fraud trial in New York Tuesday, citing risk of Covid-19 as the reason.

Trump, 77, was not wearing a mask, according to reporting from Business Insider.

The judge declined but explained that N95 masks were available for those concerned about infection.

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

More than 60 per cent of Los Angeles residents plan to get the updated Covid vaccine

A new survey looked at how many people in Los Angeles County will likely get the latest Covid-19 vaccine to protect against severe disease from the virus.