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COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, August 18, 2022

COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, August 18, 2022

White House and Federal Agencies

  • HHSwill extendthe COVID-19 Public Health Emergency for another 90 days in mid-October.
  • The Biden Administration isplanningon shifting from purchasing new vaccines, treatments and tests this fall, and expects these products will be mainly distributed through the private sector in 2023.
  • After criticism of the agency’s COVID-19 response, CDC Director Rochelle Walenskyannouncedinter-agency reforms to CDC staff to improve the agency’s ability to communicate about public health initiatives. The reforms include revamping the CDC’s communications office, and the CDC website to better communicate the agency’s guidance.

Economy, Vaccine, Testing, and Treatment

  • 针对BA.4和更新COVID-19加强注射BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron variant, will beavailablefor Americans over the age of 12 by mid-September.
  • Novavaxsubmittedan application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine. The company says the vaccine can be used as a booster, on top of its primary vaccine series or to mix and match with others.
  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)issuedguidance recommending that people taking at-home COVID-19 tests should take another test 48 hours after an initial negative to rule-out a false-negative test result.
  • 61% of Americans who have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccineplan on getting a booster shotin the fall, according to a University of Michigan poll.
  • Astudypublished in theLancet Psychiatryfound that those recovering from COVID-19 have a higher risk at developing conditions such as psychosis, dementia and “brain fog” compared to other respiratory infections.
  • Astudypublished inThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journalfound that 4.5% of children infected with COVID-19 during the Delta and Omicron waves had symptoms for up to 12 weeks, while 3.3% had symptoms for longer than 12 weeks. 93% of those with long-COVID had reported mild to moderate symptoms when infected.

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