ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), in response to a request from the US federal government, has published a new consensus diagnosis for long COVID. While working groups, national governments, and health organizations have all offered definition of long COVID, no general consensus exists. The definition, which can be applied to both children and adults, reads: "Long COVID (LC) is an infection-associated chronic condition (IACC) that occurs after SARS-CoV-2 infection and is present for at least 3 months as a continuous, relapsing and remitting, or progressive disease state that affects one or more organ systems." (Soucheray, 6/11)

Headache, fatigue, malaise, and chills after COVID-19 vaccination are signs the immune system is marshalling a strong response against future infection, suggests a study posted today in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Generally, we found that the higher the number of side effects, the higher the level of antibodies," first author Ethan Dutcher, MD, PhD, said in a UCSF news release. (Van Beusekom, 6/11)

This fall, prepare for the latest round of COVID vaccine Whac-a-Mole.  Like the old arcade game, no matter how many shots we get, the enemy always pops back up. But here’s why the new shot, recommended by FDA advisers last week, makes sense: It targets a new version of the virus, the FDA panel said. It bolsters your body’s ever-growing defense system.  And it’s a lot better than getting very sick or hospitalized. (Krieger, 6/11)

Los Angeles city employees who left or were fired because of noncompliance to the city's 2021 vaccination policy can now reapply for their positions. The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to establish a pathway back to employment to assist some 86 employees who were affected. The council also voted Tuesday to lift the city's policy requiring municipal employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19. (Sharp, 6/11)

COVID-19 markers in California have begun their expected summer uptick, driven by increased travel, indoor activities due to the heat and new coronavirus variants collectively known as FLiRT. These factors prompted a nearly 30% rise in COVID-19 related emergency room visits in California in the last week of May — the most recent reported time period — according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Vaziri, 6/11)

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced a tough grilling from House GOP lawmakers Tuesday over his handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes during the height of the pandemic. Cuomo visited Capitol Hill for a closed-door interview with the House select subcommittee investigating the coronavirus pandemic. (Betz, 6/11)

A new study today in JAMA Network Open shows that pediatric hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) doubled during the 2022-2023 season compared to the prior year. (Soucheray, 6/11)

Republican leaders of a prominent committee overseeing federal health agencies are pushing to crack down on certain viral pathogen research with a new oversight panel. (Owermohle, 6/11)