While the COVID-19 pandemic challenged all veterans transitioning to civilian life, female post-9/11 veterans experienced a sharper decline in overall well-being compared to their male counterparts, according to new research from the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State.

The GVN is monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.3.2, sometimes informally referred to in media reports as the “cicada” variant, and emphasizes that current evidence does not indicate cause for alarm or heightened public concern

GVN's Annual International Scientific Meeting brought together leading virologists, clinicians, epidemiologists, and public health experts from around the world to examine lessons from COVID-19 and share cutting-edge research shaping the future of pandemic preparedness.

Researchers from University of Tsukuba and Institute of Science Tokyo have identified nonrandom patterns in the emergence of spike D614 reversions in publicly available SARS-CoV-2 genomic data. Analysis of publicly available sequences revealed numerous instances in which the spike D614G substitution, previously associated with increased transmissibility, reverted from G614 to the ancestral D614 residue, with these events predominantly occurring in the Delta and Omicron BA.2 lineages. The detected reversions also exhibited nonrandom patterns in temporal occurrence and geographic distribution.

People with long COVID are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in eClinicalMedicine. The results show that the risk of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease is higher even among those who were not hospitalised during the acute infection.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a possible way to make longer lasting vaccines for respiratory viruses like influenza and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The work, published March 25 in in the journal Cell Reports, focuses on T cells, a type of immune cell that helps control infections by killing virus-infected cells. Unlike antibodies — the basis of most current vaccines, which can lose effectiveness as viruses mutate — T cells recognize more stable parts of viruses, offering a path to broader protection.

About The Study: The findings of this cohort study suggest that among highly boosted patients with cancer, the overall risk of postacute sequelae following Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection was not significantly elevated compared with noninfected patients; however, patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 remained at increased risk of postacute sequelae despite administration of COVID-19 therapeutics. These findings further suggest that COVID-19 vaccination and boosting remain important in mitigating the risk of long COVID among immunocompromised patients during endemicity.

A global research team co‑led by McMaster University has identified one of the first medications shown to meaningfully reduce fatigue in people living with long COVID – a breakthrough for millions still struggling with persistent symptoms years after the pandemic began. 

First systematic review to track long-term trends across pre- and post-pandemic periods finds dramatic rise in screen use among children and adolescents.

New research led by the University of Plymouth (UK) demonstrates that clear messages can align public behaviour during a health crisis, effectively bridging gaps previously associated with political voting records. The research was carried out around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and recruited more than 800 United States citizens who had voted for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Election.

The findings enhance the understanding of the inflammation that accompanies aging, explaining how an otherwise minor cough can sometimes send an elderly person to the hospital.  

A new paper in Genome Biology and Evolution indicates that while the COVID-19 virus has developed rapidly since 2019, it has done so within limited genetic channels. These genetic limits have remained unchanged. Despite scientists’ earlier fears about dramatic, rapid evolution of the COVID-19 virus, it appears recent changes in the virus were relatively constrained; the virus altered by combining pre-existing mutations. The virus has not expanded the number of genetic routes it can take to evolve.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact young children’s executive function skills? 

Executive function skills are a set of inter-related processes that support attention, self-control, and goal-directed behavior. Executive function has been linked to positive outcomes across multiple domains of development. The skills associated with executive function develop rapidly during childhood and promote longer-term health, academic success, and wellbeing. Researchers from Harvard University were eager to learn how the pandemic affected children's developing executive function skills across time.