US households can now order four free Covid tests from the government – latest guidelines
An updated Coronavirus booster is now being rolled out nationwide
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Your support makes all the difference.New Covid boosters from Pfizer and Moderna are now available at pharmacies nationwide, and the US has restarted its free Covid test program.
Tests can be ordered from COVIDTests.gov; you can order four per household.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are recommending one dose of the updated vaccine for everyone six months and older in the US; some children may be eligible for up to three doses depending on their age and previous vaccination status.
Hospitalisations and deaths rose steadily during the last weeks of summer, and global health authorities are monitoring two new variants, BA.2.86, known as Pirola, and EG.5, known as Eris.
First reported in February, Eris is now responsible for nearly 30 per cent of Covid cases in the US, per CDC estimates.
Some experts are urging Americans to wear a mask when necessary to slow the spread of the virus.
CDC Covid tracker
16,186 hospitalisations from 15 October to 21 October
Norway’s king, 86, tests positive for Covid
King Harald V of Norway, 86, has tested positive for Covid and is experiencing “mild symptoms”, according to reporting from the Associated Press.
He has received at least three Covid shots, but it’s not clear if he received an updated vaccine this year.
More research supports getting the Covid vaccine while pregnant
Health authorities have been encouraging pregnant women to get the Covid-19 vaccine ahead of this year’s cold and flu season since they are more likely to develop severe disease if infected with SARS-CoV-2.
A new study published today in JAMA Pediatrics found that getting vaccinated while pregnant also helps protect the baby.
The study found that the risks of neonatal morbidity, neonatal death, and neonatal intensive care unit admission were lower in cases where pregnant women received an mRNA Covid vaccine.
Gut fungi may exacerbate severe Covid infections, study finds
Some fungi found in the gut flourish when a person gets severely ill with Covid, and this could contribute to excessive inflammation caused by the disease, a new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian has found.
The authors of the new report analysed blood samples from people with severe Covid for their new report, and learned that one particular species of yeast called Candida albicans increased in the intestines of people with severe Covid.
The findings could eventually be used to better help treat people with severe disease from SARS-CoV-2.
Some uninsured Americans are eligible for free Covid treatment through a program sponsored by the NIH
Pfizer recently announced the company’s antiviral Covid treatment, Paxlovid, will now cost nearly $1,400 a course.
But a program sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), called Test to Treat, is offering free Covid treatment (and tests) to some people who don’t have employer-sponsored health insurance.
You can check to see if you’re eligible for free treatment at test2treat.org.
How to get the Covid vaccine for free
CDC Director Dr Mandy Cohen recently tweeted a video explaining how to get the Covid vaccine for free.
How to find a Covid vaccine near you
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers information on where you can get a Covid vaccine at Vaccines.gov.
The site allows you to input your zip code and locate pharmacies in your community that offer the vaccine you’re looking for.
The CDC also offers the Covid vaccine for free to people who do not have health insurance, through its Bridge Access Program.
CDC Director and Senator Schumer encourage Covid vaccinations
CDC Director Dr Mandy Cohen tweeted a video of herself and New York Senator Chuck Schumer speaking about the importance of staying up-to-date on all vaccines.
“We’re urging everybody to get their flu shot and their updated Covid booster,” Senator Schumer said. “They don’t hurt—these shots don’t hurt anymore like they used to when I was a kid—and they do you a lot of good. Please get your shot. It’ll avoid a lot of pain later.”
Threads will change its policy on Covid information
Threads—an app similar to X, formerly known as Twitter, that was launched by Meta in July—will soon allow people to search terms like “Covid” in the app, per reporting from CBS News.
The app currently limits users’ ability to search for information related to SARS-CoV-2, a move that drew criticism from some experts when it was announced.
It is not yet clear when this policy will be changed.
Long Covid symptoms can take a toll on day-to-day life
As the US enters cold and flu season, health authorities are urging Americans to get their Covid vaccine to protect against the potential short- and long-term complications caused by the virus.
Symptoms of long Covid include chest pain, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, sleep problems, headache, depression, anxiety, stomach pain, dizziness, cough, fatigue, and fever, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
These six states recently saw high Covid hospitalisation levels, CDC says
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), counties in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, and South Dakota saw Covid hospitalisation rates at or higher than 20 people per every 100,000 residents.
The data are from the week ending 14 October.
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