#novid

And if your doctor prescribes Paxlovid to reduce severity of symptoms, which Dr. Schaffner hopes is the case if you are older or have underlying health conditions that increase your risk for severe disease if you get COVID-19, your health insurer may charge a copay. Previously the federal government provided the drug for free regardless of insurance status.

If you need assistance to afford Paxlovid, you might want to contact Pfizer’s assistance program or call Pfizer at 877-219-7225.

Public health officials have cited contact tracing as a key part of lifting lockdowns and continuing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus; a new app developed at Carnegie Mellon University could make the effort easier.

NOVID launched in the Apple app store and Google Play last week. It’s the first app of its kind made in the United States, according to creator and CMU math professor Po-Shen Loh.

NOVID traces users and warns them about exposure risks in their network. If a user tells the app if they’ve tested positive for the virus, people that have come into contact with that user recently will receive a notification. After a user reports positive, their network is only alerted once. Then those users can decide whether or not it’s in their best interest to get tested or go near a relative who could be at higher risk for severe effects of the virus.

Loh said it's all anonymous.

"It doesn't ask you for your phone number, it doesn't ask you for your name. It doesn't even ask you for a username and password," he said. It does require permission to use a device’s Bluetooth and microphone.

Tuvan Internationale

My colleagues and I reviewed Long Covid in-depth earlier this year, but there have been new reports that firm up evidence for 4 ways to reduce the likelihood of chronic sequelae from a Covid infection (or re-infection).

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OK, But What About Treatment?