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Around 89% of the infants studied who were born between 2008 and 2011 could articulate a full word like "bowl" or "cup" at 12 months old, compared to around 77% of infants born during the early months of the pandemic. The share of infants who could point at objects fell from 93% to 84%, and the portion who could wave goodbye fell from 94% to 88%. (Bendix, 10/12)

Omicron was first identified in southern Africa late last year, when it outcompeted the delta variant. Omicron’s initial iteration, B.1.1.529, is characterized by some 30 mutations in the gene for the spike protein, which gives the coronavirus its crown-like appearance and allows it to invade cells. Changes there can make the pathogen less recognizable to the antibodies the immune system makes in response to vaccination or a case of Covid, increasing the risk of infection in such cases. (Gale, 10/13)

The U.S. should prepare for a spike in COVID cases this winter as more people gather indoors and infections already begin to rise in Europe, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha says. ... "We are seeing this increase in Europe, and Europe tends to precede us by about four to six weeks," Jha told NPR. "And so it stands to reason that as we get into November, December, maybe January, we are going to see an increase in infections across much of the country." (Kelly, Jarenwattananon and O'Connor, 10/13)

Two studies published today reveal new findings on long COVID, with one showing a possible role for cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for the evaluation of persistent symptoms, and the other finding a link between symptomatic infection and poor quality of life and reduced ability to complete daily activities. (Van Beusekom, 10/12)

The COVID Restore program was one of the first post-COVID care clinics to emerge in the United States. (Puckering, 10/12)