134 – COVID & Aging August 2023 Update: Staying Safe, Boosters & More

Dr. K discusses the latest COVID news for August 2023, including the recent rise in COVID cases, whether to get boosted again now or later, what we know about the upcoming fall COVID vaccine, and more. 

In this episode:

• What to know about the new COVID wave
• Update on the EG.5 subvariant
• Whether vaccines work against the newest variants
• Update on the upcoming 2023 COVID vaccine booster
• Answers to FAQs
  • Should you get boosted again now or wait?
• Symptoms of COVID & what to do if you catch it
• What will really help us live with COVID

Note: For the masks Dr. K recommends, you can get the 3M V-flex here https://amzn.to/3OxrsRY, and the Powecom KN95 here https://amzn.to/3W9frXf

These are Amazon affiliate links, so any purchases will help support Better Health While Aging, thank you!

Related Episodes:

133 – COVID Summer 2023 News Update for Aging Adults

Related Resources:

• BHWA:
  • COVID & Aging Adults: 2023 & 2022 Updates
  • COVID Vaccination for Aging Adults: What to Know & Do
• To track COVID data:
  • Wastewater:
    
    • Biobot.io wastewater tracker
    • CDC Wastewater Surveillance
  • CDC Covid Data Tracker
  • CDC Weekly hospitalizations
  • CDC Weekly deaths
  • CDC Nursing Home Covid-19 Data Dashboard
• CDC & FDA information referenced in this update:
  • FDA: PAXLOVID Patient Eligibility Screening Checklist Tool for Prescribers
  • CDC: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Presentation Slides: June 21-23, 2023 Meeting
    • COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness updates (starts with slide 39)
  • CDC: Effectiveness of Up-to-Date COVID-19 Vaccination in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Nursing Home Residents — United States, November 20, 2022–January 8, 2023
  • CDC: Long COVID and Significant Activity Limitation Among Adults, by Age — United States, June 1–13, 2022, to June 7–19, 2023
• From medical journals and research groups:
  • Prevalence of Symptoms ≤12 Months After Acute Illness, by COVID-19 Testing Status Among Adults — United States, December 2020–March 2023
  • Outpatient treatment of COVID-19 and incidence of post-COVID-19 condition over 10 months (COVID-OUT) (June 2023)
  • Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations (Jan 2023)
• From news and other media:
  • NPR: Coronavirus FAQ: Is it wiser to get a booster now or wait for the new fall booster? (8/11/23)
  • NBC news: What’s your current risk of getting long Covid? (March 2023)
• For masking, ventilation COVID transmission information:
  • Masks Dr. K uses:
    • 3M V-flex N95
    • 3M Aura N95
    • Powecom KN95
  • Project N95
  • Twitter resources
    • @joeyfox85
    • @masknerd