News from the USA, United States of America

BioVie: 'Long COVID Treatment Landscape and BioVie’s ADDRESS-LC Trial (Hosted on April 10, 2025)'

'BioVie hosted a virtual investor event on April 10, 2025 featuring key opinion leader (KOL) Lindsay McAlpine MD, Yale University, to discuss the unmet need and current treatment landscape for long COVID, as well as to provide an update on our ADDRESS-LC clinical trial. Chronic neuroinflammation, potentially driven by persisting viral spike protein, is one of the main hypotheses that has been proposed to explain the persistence of symptoms in long COVID. Our lead candidate, bezisterim (NE3107), has demonstrated the ability to modulate key inflammatory pathways implicated in the chronic inflammation seen in long COVID without inhibiting their homeostatic functions.'
 
New York Times: 'Kennedy Says Healthy Kids Don’t Need Covid Shots. Is That True?'

What’s the risk of long Covid?

"Estimates of long Covid among children vary widely. But even at the lower end, studies show that around 1 percent of children in the United States, or roughly one million children, have ever had long Covid, broadly defined as symptoms that persist or emerge at least three months after an infection. These include many children who had mild or asymptomatic infections.

The condition commonly causes children to experience fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath and trouble concentrating and sleeping.

“We see kids that are having huge impacts on their everyday activities — they can no longer go to school because they’re having such profound fatigue or other symptoms,” said Dr. Laura Malone, the director of the Pediatric Post-Covid-19 Rehabilitation Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. “These kids are not able to play sports or go to their school dances,” she added."
 
SNT Gatchaman said:
A disability lawyer: Why I'm Convinced Long Covid Is REAL

(Because disability support is nearly impossible to obtain or survive on in the US. "Why on Earth would anyone be disabled if they don't have to be?")

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RbPvaH_zk-I
Click to expand...
That was always the great debunker for all the ridiculous claims about fashionable illnesses, "secondary benefits", "wanting" to be disabled and choosing a totally discriminated illness, and so on, but reason (or honesty, or honor) was never a factor in those beliefs so here we still are, actually no further than things ever were.

Thread on reddit made by the same person: I'm a disability lawyer who handles Long Covid cases. I made a short video summarizing my frustration with people not believing the reality of Long Covid.
 
Harvard: 'Brain Barriers and Breaking Barriers'

'Neuroscientist Ya’el Courtney’s journey from poverty to PhD'

'Now a postdoctoral scholar in immunology and rheumatology in the Department of Medicine at Stanford University, Courtney focuses on uncovering the mechanisms underlying post-acute sequelae following viral and bacterial infection—basically, why some people stay sick or feel unwell long after they've recovered from an infection. (Long COVID, is a well-known example.) Her long-term goal is to run her own academic research group while serving as a public advocate for science.'
 
American Journal of Health Promotion: Elizabeth, R. Unger, PhD, MD

Long COVID as an Infection-Associated Chronic Condition: Implications

In Brief​

A link between infection and chronic illness has been recognized, along with the complexities of interactions between pathogen, environment, host genetics, route of exposure, and timing of outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought this issue to the forefront and Long COVID is recognized to be an infection associated chronic condition. However, given the wide range of Long COVID presentations, the singular expression gives a false sense of simplicity. Long COVID is best considered as a group of infection associated conditions requiring developing research studies and treatment trials that address the inherent heterogeneity.
 
From the link above:

Moving to Infection Associated Chronic Illnesses

The second NASEM consideration of infection and chronic illnesses, “Toward a Common Research Agenda in Infection-Associated Chronic Illnesses,” was reported in 2024. This workshop focused on the unexplained syndromic illnesses that follow acute infection. These were first recognized simply as the failure to follow the expected recovery from acute infection, resulting in prolonged illness over many years or months. A review in 2022 used the term ‘unexplained post-acute infection syndromes’ while NASEM used the term ‘infection-associated chronic illness’ (IACI), in recognition of the uncertainty about whether the original triggering infection had indeed been cleared, but both terms refer to the same group of syndromic illnesses.

Many viral and non-viral infectious agents are recognized to be associated with these syndromes that have similar symptoms as well as considerable overlap with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a poorly understood multisystemic illness often suspected to have an infectious trigger. The syndromic illnesses following a specific or, in the case of ME/CFS, unknown infection have been challenging to understand. Specific diagnostic tests and treatments have not been identified, leaving both the diagnosis and clinical care to be based on symptoms.

It could be argued that, given the significant symptom overlap between these conditions and failures of the siloed approach, considering these conditions as a whole or including several different conditions as comparison groups may be needed to identify the underlying causal pathways that may be shared.
 
Long COVID is best considered as a group of infection associated conditions requiring developing research studies and treatment trials that address the inherent heterogeneity.

I think we just don't know enough to be confident about that. I don't see a fatal flaw with the alternative interpretation that a common process or mechanism can drive disparate presentations.
 
RFK Jr has fired all 17 members of CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices. The US now has no CDC director and no ACIP. Control of US vaccines is concentrated in the office of an HHS Sec who doesn’t believe any vaccine is safe and effective.

WSJ: June 9, 2025

RFK Jr: HHS Moves to Restore Public Trust in Vaccines

"We're reconstituting an advisory committee to avoid conflicts of interest."

​

 
The Bleach Community is ready for JFK Jr to Make their Dreams Come True

Online communities dedicated to the use of toxic bleach solutions to treat everything from cancer to autism believe Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is interested in their cause.

“We are thrilled that RFK Jr. is in charge,” Michelle Herman, who sells a nasal spray containing chlorine dioxide and says she’s discussed the topic with Kennedy, tells WIRED. She was pictured, along with other bleach enthusiasts and activists, at the recent Truth Seekers conference held at Trump’s Doral resort in Florida.

“The bleachers are back, making connections with powerful people, reaching RFK and Trump,” says Fiona O’Leary, an Ireland-based activist who has autistic children and has spent years trying to highlight the dangers of toxic bleach solutions being sold as an autism cure. “Bleachers want RFK to approve chlorine dioxide as a treatment for autism, cancer, and other conditions. It is like watching a horror show.”

Kennedy, according to chlorine dioxide advocates, has been interested in their cause dating back to at least 2023.
 
The Sick Times: 'Minnesota’s unique Long COVID program retains funding following advocacy'

'Advocates pushed back against threatened funding cuts and won continued support for Long COVID work in the Minnesota legislature’s final 2026–27 budget.'

'Minnesota advocates pushed back on the proposed cuts, led by local myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) groups including #MEAction’s Minnesota chapter and Minnesota ME/CFS Alliance.'

'More than 375,000 people in Minnesota have been affected by Long COVID and related infection-associated chronic conditions (IACCs), according to MDH’s research'

'“We hope this news will be a glimmer of relief for those impacted by Long COVID and related conditions, as well as for everyone whose efforts are supported by this funding,” wrote program lead Kate Murray in an email sent to grantees and partners, shared with The Sick Times.'
 
U.S. Federal Register: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program: ME/CFS


Source: U.S. Federal Register
Vol. 90, #115, pp 25493-25494
Date: June 17, 2025
URL:
https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...nts-rehabilitation-long-term-training-program

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-06-17/pdf/2025-11117.pdf


[A Rule by the Education Department]

Final Priorities and Requirements - Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Department of Education (Department) announces priorities and requirements under the Rehabilitation Long-Term Training (RLTT) program with a focus on the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD)
and six rehabilitation topic areas.

(...)

The priorities and requirements are effective July 17, 2025.

(...)

We have removed 'Such mental health disorders and illnesses might include mood disorders (e.g., depressive disorders and bipolar
disorders), suicidality, schizophrenia, eating disorders, post-traumatic
stress disorder, and other mild to severe mental health disorders. This
can include mental health issues related to long-term effects of
post-acute infection syndromes (COVID-19 and myalgic
encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) for which mental
health care may be part of treating a potentially more systematic
illness.' from Priority 2, Topic Area 3.

(...)


Diana Diaz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 2025-11117 Filed 6-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
 
Raleigh News & Observer: 'Funding cuts force one of North Carolina’s only Long COVID clinics to shut its doors'

'The UNC COVID Recovery Clinic, one of the only clinics in the state designed to treat patients with Long COVID, closed on June 16 due to funding cuts, according to a news release.'

'Since 2021, the clinic in Chapel Hill has seen thousands of patients, most of whom report fatigue, brain fog, sleep impairment, shortness of breath and anxiety lasting months or years after a COVID-19 diagnosis, according to data from the clinic.'

“We are committed to ensuring that all of these patients continue to receive medical care, with as little disruption as possible,” a spokesperson for UNC Health said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer.'
 
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