Disclaimer: The data in this column come from either mainstream news media sources or scientific research published in peer-reviewed journals (each category can be determined by following the links in the reference section). This column’s author acknowledges the cultural bias of the world scientific community in its belief that the scientific method is the most viable available alternative for assessing COVID-19 and its effects in an objective manner through a structured process of observable and repeatable hypothesis testing.
Summary: The CDC is watching a new COVID-19 subvariant called EU.1.1 that has infected people in some northwestern states. EU.1.1 is a descendant of XBB.1.5 and was detected last year in Europe. XBB.1.5 is still the dominant strain of COVID in the U.S., but cases have declined to around 27% of all COVID infections, the CDC says. XBB.1.16 accounts for 19.9% of cases, and XBB.1.9.2 accounts for 13% (see “CDC Tracking New COVID Subvariant in Northwestern States” under VIrology & Epidemiology).
Neurologic symptoms are a prominent feature of many cases of Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) (see “What Is the Newest Guidance for Neurologic Complications of Long COVID?” under COVID Complications).
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued an advisory to help medical professionals better recognize the mental health symptoms that may come with long COVID. The nine mental health symptoms highlighted in the advisory are: Fatigue Cognitive impairment, including brain fog Anxiety Depression Obsessive-compulsive disorder Sleep disorders Posttraumatic stress disorder Psychotic disorder Start of a substance use disorder (see “Agency Issues Advisory on Mental Health Symptoms of Long COVID” under COVID Complications).
About 10% of people infected with Omicron reported having long COVID, a lower percentage than estimated for people infected with earlier strains of the coronavirus, says a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (see “Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection” under COVID Complications).
Research also indicates increased diagnostic rates for neuropsychiatric disorders following Coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 infection)] (see “Neuropsychiatric Disorders Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection” under COVID Complications).
As of May 11, 2023, COVID Data Tracker is no longer reporting aggregate cases and deaths, COVID-19 Community Levels, COVID-19 Community Transmission Levels, or COVID-19 Electronic Laboratory Reporting (CELR) data.(from the CDC at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home).
Declines in fertility and birth rates occurred during waves of the pandemic (see “State-specific Fertility Rate Changes Across the USA Following the First two Waves of COVID-19” under COVID Complications).
For the week ending Jun 17, 2023 there were 2,216 new COVID-19 deaths in the US (see https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/united-states).
The British government’s legal challenge to the COVID-19 public inquiry will likely be heard on June 30 or shortly afterwards (see “UK Government Challenge to COVID Inquiry to Be Heard Soon: Lawyer” under Media News).
The May 11, 2023 termination of the PHE has made it increasingly difficult to accurately track COVID-19 new cases or fatalities. However, new variants of concern continue to emerge, with consequent infections and deaths.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on 6/16/2023 that it has advised manufacturers that are updating their COVID-19 vaccines to develop monovalent shots to target the XBB.1.5 subvariant (see “FDA Advises COVID Vaccine Makers to Develop Shots Aimed at XBB.1.5 Variant” under Policy).
Since the termination of the PHE, data on vaccination rates are no longer being tracked. The last known US COVID-19 vaccination rates (May 10, 2023) are as follows: full vaccination (two initial doses) 69.3%; at least one updated booster dose: 17% (see “Track Covid-19 in the U.S.” under Vaccines, Treatment & Testing). “Our World in Data” stopped trying to track US booster rates on August 30, 2022 and shows a flat line since then.
Virology & Epidemiology:
COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU): https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html and https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/united-states
Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus-data
Worldometer: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
Health Equity Tracker: https://healthequitytracker.org/exploredata?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-4SLBhCVARIsACrhWLUL78j0e9QYUZtcHe_eMhwzCgsIqClo1P9-7GVeRfEW8ewY8Xi7o0QaApCmEALw_wcB
CDC Tracking New COVID Subvariant in Northwestern States: https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/993740?ecd=wnl_dne3_230628_MSCPEDIT_etid5578125&uac=397605ET&impID=5578125
Vaccines, Treatment & Testing:
Current U.S. COVID Vaccination Rate: https://www.google.com/search?q=us+covid+vaccination+rate&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS936US936&oq=us+covid+vaccination+rate+&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l7j0i457i512j0i512.4456j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Track Covid-19 in the U.S.: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/us/covid-cases.html
Policy:
FDA Advises COVID Vaccine Makers to Develop Shots Aimed at XBB.1.5 Variant: https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/993347?src=FYE
COVID Complications:
State-specific Fertility Rate Changes Across the USA Following the First two Waves of COVID-19: https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/992983?ecd=wnl_edit_tpal&uac=397605ET&impID=5557654&faf=1
What Is the Newest Guidance for Neurologic Complications of Long COVID?: https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/993557?sso=true&impID=5564407&uac=397605ET&src=wnl_tpal_230624_mscpedu
Agency Issues Advisory on Mental Health Symptoms of Long COVID: https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/993638?src=FYE
Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2805540
Neuropsychiatric Disorders Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection: https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/146/6/2241/7024720
Media News:
UK Government Challenge to COVID Inquiry to Be Heard Soon: Lawyer: https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/992803?src=FYE
Hoping that is helpful information–
Chuck
Charles M. Lepkowsky, Ph.D. Solvang, CA