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A new variant of COVID-19 has emerged in the United Kindom, and this one could be a doozy. It combines two different omicron strains and has been called the XE variant. According to data from the British Public Health Officials at the World Health Organization, this could be the fastest-spreading COVID variant yet. It has not been discovered in the United States yet, however, it has been detected in Cina and Thailand.
A new study which was published this week in the journal JAMA Neurology found that COVID-19 survivors over the age of 60 may face heightened risk of mild cognitive impairment, cognitive decline and even dementia. The study followed more than 1,400 COVID-19 survivors aged 60 or older and used their uninfected spouses as a control population. Participants were tested on their cognitive functions using a questionnaire and a telephone interview six months after their discharge and then again 12 months after being released from the hospital. At the end of the study, 12% showed cognitive impairment. Of that group, 3% had dementia and another 9% had mild cognitive issues. The researchers also said that 15% of those with severe COVID-19 developed dementia compared to just 1% amongst those who had a mild case of it.
It’s hard to believe, but that was the headline of a recent USA Today story which, to me, was shocking. They are under so much stress right now with the number of COVID-19 cases and staffing at the bare minimum, I would have thought that they would be extremely unhappy. But 75% of them say that they still love their jobs, according to a USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll of doctors, nurses, paramedics, therapists and others in the health care industry. “The pandemic has actually made me realize how important this career is, and how I really do make a difference,†Christina Rosa, a 33-year-old mental health counselor told USA Today, despite the fact that she had to close her office and serve clients remotely. About half of the poll respondents described themselves as burned out and 20% said they were feeling angry.
There are so many economic problems surrounding us, one of them I hadn’t even thought of recently hit the headlines of The Wall Street Journal : Life Insurers Facing Huge Losses Due to COVID-19 deaths. Although the increase in losses for last year’s victims of coronavirus were expected, what was not were losses attributable to people who died from something other than COVID-19. Some medical experts believe that these were due to people not going to the doctor because they feared getting the coronavirus or simply couldn’t get an appointment. “The losses we are seeing continue to be elevated over 2019 levels due at least in part, we believe, to the pandemic and the existence of either delayed or unavailable healthcare,†Globe Life finance chief Frank Svoboda told analysts and investors.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/rise-in-non-covid-19-deaths-hits-life-insurers-11645576252
Just as the number of infections started plummeting and it appeared that it would soon be safe to go outside again, health authorities have announced that a more infectious type of the Omicron variant has surged and now accounts for a full one-third of global COVID-19 cases sequenced in recent weeks. Known as BA.2, this strain may extend the length of a new COVID-19 wave. “We’re looking not only at how quickly those peaks go up, but how they come down,†World Health Organization (SHO) epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove told The Wall Street Journal. “And as the decline in cases occurs…we also need to look at: Is there a slowing of that decline? Or will we start to see an increase again?† she continued. Fingers crossed that this is not another huge wave.
In a close vote, The Senate voted 50 to 46 in favor confirming Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Califf was opposed by some Republicans after being pressured by abortion-pill opponents as well as some Democrat’s because of Dr. Califf’s industry ties. Six Republicans voted for confirmation while four Democrats and independent Senator Bernie Sanders voted against him. As FDA Commissioner, Dr. Califf will play a key roll in overseeing the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Medicare is usually the leader on what sort of medications are approved for payment, with private insurance companies typically following suit. Not this time. It was weeks after President Joe Biden said private insurance companies had to cover the cost of at-home COVID test that finally Medicare announced it would cover up to 8 tests per home per month. Medicare will pay pharmacies and other entities directly to allow enrollees to pick up the free tests. Until the tests become available in drug stores, you can order them at wwww.CovidTests.gov.
Americans can now get free at-home COVID-19 tests, either by ordering online or buying them at the store and getting reimbursed by private insurance. Ordering them online at COVIDTests.gov is by far the easiest way. I went in and filled out the form online and ordered four tests for free and the process was easy (although the tests have yet to arrive). Those with private health insurance can also buy the tests at their local drugstore and applying for reimbursement from their private insurer or Medicare Advantage Plan if they cover it (Medicare does not cover this). However, this can be a complicated process. Anyone who has tried to file a claim themselves with an insurance company knows that the process is very slow and can be painful. Reimbursement policies differ by insurance carrier so if four at-home tests will tide you over for the month, that is by far your best bet.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is hitting the elderly and nursing homes particularly hard, with the highest number of cases ever documented among staff and a near-record number of residents falling ill with the virus. This, on top of a worker shortage which has hit virtually every industry, has made this particularly difficult to deal with. For the week ending January 9, there were 32,061 new confirmed COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents, nearly triple the number of cases the week before (6,406), according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-cases-surge-at-nursing-homes-11641924320
The White House has announced that private health insurers will soon have to cover the cost of in-home COVID-19 tests, as long as they are authorized, cleared or approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The new policy, which starts on Saturday, would allow for eight free tests per month. “We are requiring insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans. This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp-up access to easy-to-use, at home tests at no cost,†Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a news release. This is great news, because there are many people who have been vaccinated and had a booster which have been tested positive with the new strain of coronavirus which is spreading rapidly.