AHRQ survey: 7% of US adults reported having long COVID by early 2023 New findings from a US survey from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) scientists concludes that 6.9% of US adults—or almost 18 million adults—have ever had long COVID as of early 2023, confirming the results of previous surveys.  CIDRAP

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COVID could damage your vision, new study says. Keep an eye out for these symptoms Extended exposure to SARS-CoV-2 may harm your retinas in particular. Fortune

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How $4 billion funded the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic response (medicalxpress.com)

New University of Virginia School of Medicine research is shedding light on how federal funding helped scientists understand the COVID-19 virus, develop new treatments and deploy lifesaving vaccines in record time.

Secure access to food and water is decreasing for US children, research finds (medicalxpress.com)

Between 2005 and 2020, the number of children facing simultaneous water and food insecurity in the United States more than doubled. Additionally, Black and Hispanic children were several times more likely than white children to experience food and water insecurity at the same time....

In a study published in Nature Water, the researchers examined water insecurity, food insecurity and their simultaneous occurrence among children in the United States.

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Nursing Homes Are Left in the Dark as More Utilities Cut Power To Prevent Wildfires - KFF Health News A nursing home in Colorado had 75 minutes to prepare for a power outage that lasted 28 hours. Such public safety power shut-offs are being used more often as a fire prevention tool, but not all health facilities are prepared. khnkytjaw KFF Health News

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5 of 7 defendants convicted of misusing Covid relief money meant to feed children The federal fraud trial was the first in a $250 million scheme that prosecutors said was the largest of its kind. NBC News

A Minnesota jury on Friday found five of seven defendants guilty of most of the crimes they faced related to a scheme in which they misused millions of dollars meant to feed children during the pandemic.

Paxlovid fails to improve long COVID symptoms in small study Using the popular COVID antiviral Paxlovid failed to significantly improve symptoms in 155 patients experiencing moderate to severe long COVID, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.  CIDRAP

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The findings are part of the STOP-PASC trial, and the study was conducted at Stanford University from November 2022 to September 2023. All enrollees reported at least 3 months of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) symptoms.

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