- A new National Institutes of Health RECOVER program study in JAMA Pediatrics found that around one in seven children under age six with a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection met the probable diagnostic criteria for Long COVID. Studying over 1,000 infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children, researchers revealed differences in how Long COVID presented between age groups. “Young children have been largely excluded from public conversations about the impact of COVID,” said co-author Megan Carmilani in a press release. “[This study] should be a wake-up call to providers and parents: babies and toddlers can develop Long COVID.” The authors also put together a resource designed for caregivers of children with Long COVID, which identifies Long COVID as “the most common chronic health problem in children.”
- Pemivibart (Pemgarda), a monoclonal antibody that helps prevent COVID-19, was found to be “well tolerated” and effective in a new phase 3 clinical trial of nearly 800 participants. Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the study noted that a small number of trial participants experienced anaphylaxis — a severe allergic reaction. “Overall, these data underscore the ongoing need for preventive measures, especially during periods of high exposure to SARS-CoV-2,” the study’s authors concluded.
- A new preprint from researchers in the United States and Canada used a model called “Mobius” to classify ME and Long COVID with 97% accuracy, using data from the blood of people with the diseases. The scientists used 852 samples from 14 different data sets and concluded that while clinical validation is needed, the open-source model “could enable a much-needed objective blood test for these conditions and guide targeted precision medicine therapies.”
