September 16, 2022

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 September 16, 2022. Notable advancements include:

• The updated COVID-19 booster are safe for pregnant and nursing women according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.
• A study from the Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America found that people infected with COVID-19 after getting doubly vaccinated are associated with a 41 percent lower chance of developing long COVID-19 symptoms.
• Researchers have completed a comprehensive screening and found that three natural compounds present in foods like green tea, olive oil and red wine are promising candidates for the development of drugs against COVID-19.

Recent News

• California’s COVID-19 case rate falls to a four-month low; new vaccine boosters launch
  The Sacramento Bee – September 15, 2022
  Having improved steadily for the past couple of months, some of California’s key COVID-19 metrics have fallen to their lowest levels since spring, as global health leaders also express some optimism about the trajectory of the pandemic. The statewide daily case rate for COVID-19 has fallen to 12.1 per 100,000 residents, California Department of Public Health officials said in a Thursday update, down 30% in the past week for the lowest rate recorded since late April. Test positivity is 6.2%, California’s lowest point since late May and down from 7.3% last week. California health officials beginning this month reduced their COVID-19 case data updates to a weekly basis, down from twice a week.
• COVID-19 booster shots well-tolerated by pregnant and nursing women
  News Medical Life Sciences – September 14, 2022
  The COVID-19 booster shots are well tolerated by both pregnant and nursing women, a new study published in JAMA Network Open concluded. The UW Medicine-led study with over 17,000 participants showed that “there were very few obstetric concerns after patients received the boosters,” noted lead author and UW Medicine OB-GYN Dr. Alisa Kachikis. In addition, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a practice advisory encouraging pregnant or lactating individuals to receive the latest COVID-19 booster, which has been modified to protect against the BA.4 and BA.5 variants.
• Double Vaccinations Before an Infection Reduce Long COVID-19
  WebMD – September 13, 2022
  People infected with COVID-19 after getting doubly vaccinated are associated with a 41 percent lower chance of developing long COVID-19 symptoms, according to new study published in Britain. People infected before being vaccinated were more likely to have symptoms at least 12 weeks later, highlighting “the need for public health initiatives” to increase vaccinations, say authors of the study published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
• X-ray screening identifies compounds that block a major COVID-19 enzyme
  Drug Target Review – September 13, 2022
  Researchers from Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Germany, have completed a comprehensive screening of a large library of natural substances, finding that three natural compounds present in foods like green tea, olive oil and red wine are promising candidates for the development of drugs against COVID-19. Using DESY’s X-ray source PETRA III, the team found that the compounds bound to a central enzyme vital for the replication of COVID-19. All three compounds are already used as active substances in existing drugs, however, if and when a corona drug can be developed on the basis of these compounds remains to be investigated.

• COVID-19 in California: Get the new booster shot by Halloween, White House urges
  The San Francisco Chronicle – September 12, 2022
  Those deliberating when to get the updated bivalent booster against COVID-19 shouldn’t wait too long, according to the White House COVID-19 response coordinator. In an interview for Andy Slavitt’s “In the Bubble” podcast, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said high-risk individuals should get the new shots right away and everyone else should get it in early fall. “I think it’s really important for people to get it by Halloween,” he said. “Why Halloween? Because three weeks after Halloween is Thanksgiving, and there’s a lot of travel, and you’re seeing family, and you’re seeing friends. And few weeks later, it’s the holidays.” Jha added that one of the primary reasons the Biden administration is considering making the vaccines available annually like the flu shot is because they expect the virus to follow a seasonal pattern.

• What to know about getting updated COVID-19 booster, flu shot at the same time
  CNN – September 12, 2022
  Fall and winter are around the corner, which means not only is it time to get your flu shot, but US health officials are urging everyone who is eligible to get their updated COVID-19 booster, too. At the same time, health officials stress the recommendation to get your seasonal flu vaccine. Not only are US health officials encouraging people to get both shots this year, some local public health departments are planning to schedule joint vaccine clinics, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
• When’s the best time to get the new COVID-19 booster shot? Here’s what experts say
  The New York Times – September 10, 2022
  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone 12 and older get a booster at least two months after their last COVID-19 shot or three months after recovering from a COVID-19 infection. But some studies and experts in immunology and infectious diseases are coalescing around the idea that waiting longer — roughly three to six months — may be more optimal to obtain the biggest benefit from the additional booster. This is because getting a shot too soon after a previous injection, or after infection, doesn’t give the immune system enough time to “rest” and prime itself to rev up again to respond to another shot. 
• With 34 Vaccine Programs in Development, Moderna Eyes Global Launches
  BioSpace – September 9, 2022
  Moderna is preparing for multiple product launches over the next several years, including RSV and flu vaccines, boosters for COVID-19 and mRNA programs for rare diseases. Between 2023 and 2026, Moderna anticipates multiple vaccine launches across the globe, beginning with boosters aimed at the various strains of COVID-19. In 2023, Moderna aims to pursue approval under the accelerated pathway for its flu vaccine mRNA-1010. As part of its launch plans, Moderna said it will continue investing in its manufacturing capabilities to support vaccine production.
• Long COVID-19 tied to loss of smell that may be permanent
  University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy – September 9, 2022
  An observational study of 219 unvaccinated long-COVID-19 patients with neurologic symptoms in the Amazon concludes that 64% had a persistently impaired sense of smell, which the authors said could be permanent. The study authors noted that most COVID-19-related olfactory disorders last only 2 or 3 weeks. But chronic olfactory disorders, they said, have been linked to disturbed eating patterns, depression, and reduced quality of life and can lead to difficulties with cooking, health and nutrition maintenance, personal hygiene, and social relationships. These patients are three times more likely to be endangered by smoke inhalation, delayed detection of gas leaks, and spoiled food, the authors said.

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

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If you have any questions about informational briefings contact California Biotechnology Foundation Executive Director Patty Cooper at (916)764-2434 or [email protected].