Coronavirus BRIEFING
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Crisis Response Tactics

Another Round of Free COVID Tests

By Staff
Wednesday, November 22, 2023 11:50 AM Beginning today, you can request another free round of COVID tests from the government. Head over to The New York Times for everything you need to know. 

Surge in Eating Disorders Tied to COVID-19 Pandemic

By Staff
Wednesday, November 22, 2023 8:05 AM Healthcare claims data point to a surge in treatment for eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among young people, a new report suggests.

Why Don't Doctors Feel Like Heroes Anymore?

By Staff
Wednesday, November 22, 2023 8:02 AM In April 2020, as many Americans prepared to spend the Easter holiday in lockdown, pop star Mariah Carey released a video honoring the "sacrifices and courage" of frontline workers battling COVID-19—her 1993 hit, "Hero." For healthcare professionals, the reality of 2020 wasn't quite so uplifting.

Higher-Dose Fluvoxamine Fails for COVID Outpatients

By Staff
Tuesday, November 21, 2023 6:09 AM The extensive quest to repurpose a cheap therapy for non-hospitalized COVID patients has once again fallen short, this time using a higher dose of fluvoxamine (Luvox), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

Inside a Long COVID Clinic's Fight to Meet Crushing Patient Needs

By Staff
Monday, November 20, 2023 7:02 AM Janna Friedly was thrilled, hopeful—and relieved—by the email that had landed in her inbox: After years of fighting an uphill battle to treat patients with long COVID, her Seattle clinic, one of the first and longest-running facilities in the US, was finally getting a much-needed financial boost from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Long COVID Immune Profiles Appear Largely Normal

By Staff
Friday, November 17, 2023 6:09 AM Spinal fluid immune profiles were largely normal in people with neurologic long COVID symptoms in a case-control study, suggesting brain inflammation was not a cause of long COVID cognitive symptoms.

Saltwater Gargling May Help Avoid COVID Hospitalization

By Staff
Thursday, November 16, 2023 8:02 AM ANAHEIM, California—Gargling and nasal rinsing with saltwater several times a day appeared to be associated with significantly lower COVID-19 hospitalization rates in a small, randomized, double-blind, controlled study.

Pandemic Linked to a Dramatic Drop in Working Memory, Executive Function

By Staff
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 8:02 AM In the first year of the COVID-19, there was a significant drop in working memory and executive function in older individuals, which is linked to known dementia risk factors including increased alcohol use and a more sedentary lifestyle. The trend persisted into the second year of the pandemic after social restrictions had eased.

'Tripledemic': Your Questions Answered

By Staff
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 8:02 AM On September 19, Medscape hosted a live virtual event around this year's "tripledemic" of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The CDC's Manisha Patel, MD, MS, MBA, spoke with Dr. Eric Topol, Medscape's Editor-in-Chief, during the event, during which audience members asked questions of our panelists.

Pan American Health Organization: 'We Can't Be the Last in Line Again During a Pandemic'

By Staff
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 8:02 AM When he took the helm at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) at the end of January, Jarbas Barbosa, MD, MPH, PhD, was intent on reshaping the image that the health sector developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. His aim was to leverage the revamp as a way of strengthening the health system "to address ongoing problems and shortfalls and secure the right to health for all people in our region."

What Happens if You Get Both COVID and Flu (or RSV) at Once?

By Staff
Monday, November 13, 2023 8:02 AM Getting COVID-19: No fun. The same is true of flu or RSV. But getting more than one of them at the same time? Now you’re talking about what could be a really dangerous situation.

FDA Clears Acon's OTC Home Antigen Test for COVID

By Staff
Sunday, November 12, 2023 8:02 AM The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday cleared an over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 antigen test made by Acon Laboratories.

Sensory Comeback: New Findings Show the Path to Smell and Taste Recovery After COVID

By Staff
Sunday, November 12, 2023 8:02 AM Good news for people struggling with sensory problems after a bout of COVID-19. Although mild cases of the disease often impair the ability to taste and smell, and the problem can drag on for months, a new study from Italy shows that most people return to their senses, as it were, within 3 years.

Guidance Focuses on Mental Health Symptoms in Long COVID

By Staff
Thursday, November 9, 2023 6:09 AM An interdisciplinary group of physicians has released the latest guidance in its series on long COVID, this time focusing on mental health symptoms.

A New Long COVID Explanation: Low Serotonin Levels?

By Staff
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 8:02 AM Could antidepressants hold the key to treating long COVID? University of Pennsylvania researchers have uncovered a link between long COVID and levels of serotonin in the body that may offer a new explanation for the condition. The study even points to a possible treatment.