News from the USA, United States of America

The American Association of Immunologists: 'Long COVID: An Often Invisible Disability'

'Lisa McCorkell, co-founder of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative (PLRC), knows firsthand the debilitating effects of Long COVID.'

'On February 26, 2025, at AAI’s first ever congressional briefing, McCorkell shed light on the reality of Long COVID as an often invisible and episodic disability—one that disrupts millions of lives yet remains widely misunderstood and underrecognized'

'Despite these challenges, there is a clear path forward. McCorkell stressed the need for sustained federal funding for research, including efforts to identify biomarkers and develop targeted treatments. Expanding clinical trials is crucial, as is meaningful patient engagement in research and policy discussions. '

'But for the more than 20 million Americans suffering from this condition, progress is not optional. “We must ensure that we are not set back, but that we continue to move forward,” McCorkell concluded. “This is a crisis, and we need a robust response to match its scale.”
 
Boston Globe: 'Why is there no national day of remembrance for those who died of COVID-19'

'In 2021, Massachusetts State Representatives Natalie Blais and Mindy Domb introduced a House resolution to create an annual COVID remembrance day, but it never got a vote. A spokesperson for Domb’s office said this session she is focusing on bills addressing long COVID research; Blais’s office did not respond to a request for comment’
 
Post Bulletin (Rochester, MN): 'John Marshall sweethearts open up about chronic illness'

'Amy and Lance Blackstone's long COVID diagnoses have changed the course of their lives. With their podcast, they aim to help people "understand the world from other people's perspectives"

'Amy started experiencing long COVID symptoms after her initial illness in March 2020...Amy dealt with intense headaches, brain fog and trouble focusing. With her long COVID symptoms persisting, she has limited bandwidth for activity before the brain fog and fatigue kick in.'

"She has about two good hours a day," Lance said.

'...Amy said the experience of having long COVID has been isolating. Podcasts have provided not only a low-effort pastime, but also a new sense of belonging.'
 
Unbelievable. It is as if the USA want to persuade the rest of the world that it is a banana state. Which maybe now it is. Some us have been sceptical about any claim that the USA has a credible academic output for some time. But this is a bit like putting a moustache in felt pen on the Mona Lisa and then cutting her up to make paper darts.
 
Mij said:
Why is PubMed down?
Click to expand...

It's been intermittently unavailable in time and geographic location over the last 24+ hours. This appears to be a DNS issue. Currently the authoritative nameservers are all unavailable, so cached data via Google or Cloudflare might still be working.

https://www.nslookup.io/domains/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/dns-records/#authoritative still returns —

None of the authoritative DNS servers are available. Please try again another DNS server by selecting it above.
Click to expand...
 
Center for Economic Policy & Research (CEPR): 'RFK Jr’s False Choice: Why Infectious and Chronic Disease Research Must Go Hand in Hand'

'One in five of those infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, experience lasting symptoms in the form of Long COVID. Approximately one in ten people who contract Lyme Disease experience persistent symptoms even after completing a course of antibiotics. And Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) — a chronic, long-term illness with profound impacts on quality of life — is usually preceded by a viral illness.'

'We must fund research into treatments and cures for those who currently suffer from chronic conditions. We must increase accessibility for those with these conditions, as part of a disability justice-minded approach to health.'
 
Colorado Public News:'Resilience and bright sides mostly shine through as Coloradans reflect on five years since the pandemic shut the state down''

'When he got sick, he drove himself three hours to Denver, followed by county deputies to ensure he made it to the hospital, where he was admitted with pneumonia. Papenfus eventually developed long COVID, what he calls “COVID brain.”

'He was a broadband technician with CenturyLink for 37 years. He caught the virus at the start of the pandemic, was hospitalized and on a ventilator for a time, and ended up staying two months. He retired and also developed long COVID. Five years on, it’s a mixed bag.'

'He still grapples with chronic fatigue, brain fog and diminished lung capacity. But Troutman said a long COVID patient group he joined after he got sick still meets regularly, comparing their experiences, supporting each other. “We're still a tight little group and we're getting better together,” he said.

'Clarence Troutman, who suffers from long COVID, says he now has trouble reading articles, especially if they're longer than a paragraph.'
 
Star Tribune: 'How COVID-19 changed Minnesotans'

'As many as 700,000 Minnesota adults endured..long COVID after their initial illnesses, according to a federal survey last fall..Scheurer is among the estimated 50,000 with severe, lingering impairments. An overreaction by the immune system seems to trigger long COVID, but why it hits some people and not others is unclear.'
 
In an op-ed published by Fox News Sunday, Kennedy touted the recent update to CDC guidance on “therapeutic medications.”

It is also our responsibility to provide up-to-date guidance on available therapeutic medications. While there is no approved antiviral for those who may be infected, CDC has recently updated their recommendation supporting administration of vitamin A under the supervision of a physician for those with mild, moderate, and severe infection. Studies have found that vitamin A can dramatically reduce measles mortality.

Tens of thousands died with, or of, measles annually in 19th Century America. By 1960 -- before the vaccine’s introduction -- improvements in sanitation and nutrition had eliminated 98% of measles deaths. Good nutrition remains a best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses. Vitamins A, C, and D, and foods rich in vitamins B12, C, and E should be part of a balanced diet.
LINK
 
American doctors receive limited nutrition training in med school, where subjects like vitamin A and its toxicity in excess amounts would be taught. I imagine very few traditional doctors would be of much help in recommending vitamin therapy for patients. For measles, most would recommend the vaccine for prevention rather than vitamins.
 
Vitamin A? Cod liver oil? Experts say there is not replacement for measles vaccination

There are some uses for vitamin A in measles treatment. But it won't prevent the illness, doctors say.

“The thing that I worry about is by (Kennedy) playing this up and others playing this up, it sends a false equivalency message, that somehow treating with vitamin A is equivalent to getting vaccinated, which is clearly not the case,” Hotez said.
LINK
 
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