The Consumer Advisor

As everyone who has been following the Omicron family of SARS-CoV-2 descendants in recent months, there’s a swarm of new subvariants. One of these is XBB, which is a recombinant (fusion) of 2 different BA.2 variants, BJ.1 (BA.2.10.1.1) and BA.2.75 (BA.2.75.3.1.1.1),  depicted below  by both the tree and mutation map. Phylogenetic tree with scale bar indicating genetic distance, from  Wang et al , Cell Mutation map by Tom Peacock Dr. Emma Hodcroft also has a  terrific diagram  to show the recombination between 2 variants that resulted in XBB Now it appears that in New York State, XBB evolved further to XBB.1.5, with new mutations, which was aptly first noted by JP Weiland a couple of weeks ago, coincident with the beginning of a steep rise of hospitalizations there. The key mutation of XBB.1.5 is clearly F486P, which had been identified many months ago by the Bloom lab as o...

Nearly three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, experts are trying to understand the lingering symptoms of what is commonly called   long COVID , who is most at risk, and how the symptoms can best be treated. A cross-sectional study of over 16, 000 individuals  found  15 percent of U.S. adults with a prior positive COVID-19 infection reported current symptoms of long COVID. PDF  https://docdro.id/8on4krP The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  reports  that one in 13 U.S. adults experience symptoms lasting three or more months after first contracting COVID-19 . These symptoms, also called post-COVID Conditions (PCCs), are most often seen in patients  over 65 years old  with pre-existing medical conditions.  “This may be the result of worsening of one or more known conditions, but also may stem from altered immune responses,”  Dr. Richard Becker  of the Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease at the University of C...

Group A streptococcus (GAS) infections have been spreading in Europe recently, with the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sweden reporting a significant spike in cases in children under 10 years of age since September. Pediatric hospitals in the United States have also reported a rise in such cases from previous years. On Dec. 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) jointly issued a warning about emerging trends regarding the disease. GAS or Strep A infections can incur sore throat, headache, fever, and other mild sicknesses, and can also morph into a severe invasive GAS (iGAS) infection, such as scarlet fever, necrotizing fasciitis, and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Analysis by WHO and ECDC  suggested  that the increase in children iGAS cases may be related to the recent increase in transmission of respiratory viruses, including seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)....

Two already-approved drugs may effectively treat the millions of Americans estimated to have long Covid. Guanfacine, an Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder ( ADHD ) drug sold under the name Tenex, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a concussion drug that is branded Mucomyst were found to reduce brain fog in two-thirds of patients. Doctors at Yale University believe the combination protects the brain's pre-frontal cortex from stress and inflammation - which can break down neural connections and cause the symptoms associated with brain fog. While the study was small - only on 12 patients - the researchers believe they have found an effective treatment for the elusive condition - one that is available at pharmacies right now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that around eight percent of Americans are suffering long Covid, and more than 3,500  have died as a result . PDF  https://docdro.id/8on4krP Long Covid is an umbrella term for the perplexing range...