May 5, 2023

COVID-19 Update | May 5, 2023

The California Biotechnology Foundation is committed to keeping you up to date about COVID-19 testing, treatment and prevention advancements. The following resources track what progress has been made as of May 5, 2023. Notable advancements include:

• Recent studies show that monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can prevent critical health outcomes related to COVID-19 symptoms.
• Researchers at the University of Missouri have isolated a protein known as Occludin inside the human body that is a key contributor to how the COVID-19 virus spreads from cell to cell.
• A new case control study highlights the effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines against symptomatic infections.

Recent News

• US to lift most federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates next week
  AP News – May 3, 2023
  The Biden administration will end most of the last remaining federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements next week when the national public health emergency for the coronavirus ends, the White House said Monday. Vaccine requirements for federal workers and federal contractors, as well as foreign air travelers to the U.S., will end May 11.
• Bivalent COVID vaccine shows good Omicron protection while older version wanes
  CIDRAP – May 3, 2023
  Two studies published today measure the vaccine effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against laboratory-confirmed Omicron variant and subvariants and symptomatic disease. Vaccines that target the newer variants performed well, but primary vaccines offered rapidly waning protection from SARS-CoV-2 infections in the post-Omicron era.
• Research examines key factors related to COVID-19 variant dynamics
  News Wise – May 3, 2023
  Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers publish comprehensive study on global COVID-19 variant transitions, highlighting significant diversity related to vaccination rates, co-circulating variants, and immunity from prior infections. Study draws from a range of data streams to identify possible reasons for variations across the globe.
• Key to preventing runaway inflammation in patients with severe COVID-19
  News Medical & Life Sciences – May 3, 2023
  A treatment to prevent runaway inflammation in patients with severe COVID-19 is a step closer after a University of Queensland-led study into how immune cells respond to the virus. Researchers have discovered that most immune cells which contribute to chronic inflammation are not infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19.
• Researchers report positive results from Phase 2 clinical trial of investigational treatment against long COVID-19 fatigue
  News Medical & Life Sciences – May 3, 2023
  People living with long COVID-19 in the trial who received AXA1125 had a significant improvement in fatigue compared to those who received a placebo.
• Monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines provide durable protection against critical outcomes
  News Medical & Life Sciences – May 2, 2023
  Studies have shown that monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines prevented critical outcomes, including COVID-19-related hospitalization, IMV, and death, during predominance eras of severe acute respiratory syndrome COVID-19 early variants of concerns, Alpha, Delta, and early Omicron variants.
• New insight into how the occludin protein mediates cell-to-cell transmission of COVID-19
  News Medical & Life Sciences – May 2, 2023
  While COVID-19 continues to infect people around the world, researchers at the University of Missouri have identified a specific protein inside the human body that plays a critical role in how the virus spreads from cell to cell after infection; a discovery that will help better understand the COVID-19 disease and could lead to the development of new antiviral drugs in the future.

Rely on California Biotechnology Foundation to monitor breaking news and provide updates on the latest advancements in COVID-19 diagnostics, vaccines and treatments.

Stay informed on the latest news and trends on the economic and health benefits of this industry by visiting the new CABiotech.org

If you have any questions about hosting informational briefings for your colleagues serving in the legislature, contact California Biotechnology Foundation Executive Director Patty Cooper at (916)764-2434 or [email protected].