Long COVID-19

A survey of 2560 participants showed that 2 vaccine doses were associated with a lower probability of long COVID by 75% (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.07-0.87, P = .03), and 3 vaccine doses by 84% (OR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.03-0.84, P = .03) compared to no vaccine. 

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Obesity and its response to COVID-19 vaccine antibody response

This study showed  that severe obesity may accelerate waning of antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and increased breakthrough infections with COVID-19. Another argument to get boosted…again. 

BA.5 Variant abilities

The BA.5 variant has a better ability to get into cells (tropism related to TMPRSS binding efficiency) and therefore is not available on the mucous membranes to test positive for longer, leading to very long periods to test negative after BA.5 infections, often exceeding 10 days. 

SARS CoV-2 virus

How long the SARS-CoV-2 virus stays in the body was examined in this article: 

• It varies between patients, and one patient died after 505 days, still shedding virus. 

• The virus lives longest in feces, as I mentioned before, it is not infectious there, and no fecal oral transmission has been recorded. 

• Compared to other RNA viruses, influenza and cold viruses, SARS-CoV-2 hangs around the longest, in more parts of the body, many of which are not easily accessible to the immune system.

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Stand-alone vaccine counseling

To improve vaccine uptake in Medicaid populations, the lowest in the nation, CMS created new codes for stand-alone vaccine counseling. These codes are for times when a physician counsels a patient about receiving a recommended vaccine and the patient (or patient’s parent or other health care agent) chooses not to have the vaccine administered that day. 

Alzheimer's dementia

935,887 flu–vaccinated-unvaccinated propensity score matched pairs of older adults average age  73.7 years were followed for 46 months.  5.1% (n = 47,889) of the flu-vaccinated patients and 8.5% (n = 79,630) of the flu-unvaccinated patients developed Alzheimer’s dementia for a relative risk reduction of 40%, corresponding to a number needed to treat of 29.4. 

Dementia care

The American Academy of Family Physicians has released a tool box for dementia care.  This is a nice free resource and repository.