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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 30/09/2026

While there are no data sources on Long COVID in prison, experts suspect rates of the disease may be higher there than in the general population. They face high reinfection risks and poor access to medical care. Read more from @octoberk.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/09/29/i...

A graphic shows two images side by side. One are mobility devices, including many walkers, outside of prison cells. Another shows a red SARS-CoV-2 virus contrasted with a black background. The text reads, “The Sick Times. I interviewed five people with Long COVID in prison. They are invisible in the system. By October Krausch.

Meanwhile, her cellmate, Wayland Scott, says he has frequently had problems breathing after COVID-19, and gets winded going up the stairs he must take to get to his cell. Even so, he has not been able to receive an inhaler, despite having one before Long COVID when he first came to prison. “There was a year that they had a big shortage of the albuterol. And when that happened, I got taken off of my inhaler and I’ve never been able to get it back,” he said.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 29/09/2026

To stay up to date with the latest COVID-19 trends, make sure you're signed up for our newsletter! You'll get @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social's breakdown every Tuesday, delivered directly to your inbox! thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

The CDC’s infectious disease forecasting center, which uses emergency department data, estimates that COVID-19 cases are “growing or likely growing” in 14 states, “declining or likely declining” in five states, and “not changing” in 18 states as of September 23.
The West coast remains a major hotspot for COVID-19 spread as it’s been throughout the summer. The CDC describes average SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater as “high” for California, Oregon, and Washington and “very high” for Hawaii; what the CDC calls “high,” I would characterize as actually very high given the agency’s high baseline for this metric.

Levels might be declining in some parts of the West but are still going up in others.
COVID-19 levels in the South seem to be on the decline, but remain higher as this region has also been a hotspot this summer.
The Northeast might be the next hotspot, with wastewater as well as healthcare system data reporting potential increases.

This week, the CDC’s wastewater dashboard includes a note that data will be interrupted for about 200 testing sites. The note describes this as a “brief gap” in data while the agency awards a new contract to a biotech company that will supplement testing programs at state and local public health departments.
While the CDC says there will be a “brief gap” in data from these sites, it doesn’t provide any specifics on when a new contract will be awarded or how the agency will support places impacted by this break in testing. My story from last June includes more context on this situation.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 29/09/2026

The current COVID-19 picture remains varied by region: as the summer wave continues into early fall, cases are trending up in the Northeast and parts of the West and down in the South. And an upcoming gap between CDC contracts will further restrict available data. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/29/n...

Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for September 29, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with red) and slightly decreasing (represented with a diagonal down arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "low*" (darker yellow) and stable (side to side arrow); and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is moderate (darker yellow) and slightly decreasing. Text below these metrics reads: "*CDC wastewater viral activity levels are calculated based on measurements in the last two years only. They do not account for the lower spread that could be possible with more widespread precautions."

The current COVID-19 picture remains varied by region: as the summer wave continues into early fall, cases are trending up in the Northeast and parts of the West and down in the South. And an upcoming gap between CDC contracts will further restrict available data.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 26/09/2026

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A black background with white text reads, “If you have 5 minutes, we’d love your feedback on our Long COVID journalism. What do you say? Take the survey. The Sick Times.”

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 25/09/2026

Study: More evidence of reduced blood flow to the brain of people with Long COVID Analysis: The U.S. is ill-equipped to respond to LC and future mass disabling events Preprint: Assessed over 700 LC clinical trials and found that they emphasized treating symptoms thesicktimes.org/2026/09/22/r...

A visual shows functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain, which allow researchers to visualize the activity of the brain. Three scans surround a 3-d image of a human head with a view into their brain. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates. A small study found more evidence of reduced blood flow to the brain of people with Long COVID. New analysis: The U.S. is ill-equipped to respond to Long COVID and future mass disabling events. A recent preprint assessed over 700 Long COVID clinical trials and found that they emphasized treating symptoms.”

A small study in NeuroImage: Reports has found more evidence of reduced blood flow to the brain of people with Long COVID. The authors concluded that this abnormality was linked with fatigue, after they assessed brain imaging results of 22 people with Long COVID and compared them with 19 controls. Participants of the study performed a 20-minute cognitive test called psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), while undergoing a type of MRI that tracks blood flow. People with Long COVID reported much higher fatigue than controls both before and after the task, and “exhibited significantly longer reaction times during the PVT,” the authors concluded.

The U.S. is ill-equipped to respond to Long COVID and future mass disabling events, a new analysis argues in The Journal of Medical Humanities. Author Philip Finkelstein evaluated the disease through the lens of securitization, or, how public challenges are viewed as existential security threats. He found that modern security strategies remain “shortsighted and poorly attuned to threats that operate insidiously, eroding societies from within.” He stated that to properly address the security of Long COVID on society, the U.S. would need to invest in long-term care, workplace accommodations, and social support, but that these solutions are not “geopolitically advantageous.”

A recent preprint shared in Research Square assessed over 700 Long COVID clinical trials and found that they emphasized treating symptoms. Only 57 of the 714 trials addressed post-exertional malaise (PEM), prevalent in a subtype of Long COVID, and only eight of those trials used PEM as primary endpoint. “There is a substantial unmet need for well-powered, mechanism-based, disease-modifying trials with biomarker-driven designs and objective, exertion-based endpoints,” the researchers concluded. Still, researchers stated they used a conservative research strategy, which may have missed some studies.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 24/09/2026

1,700 people have signed a petition asking for a pause and independent review of a Long COVID trial planning to test the Lighting Process, a pseudoscientific mind-body program that outside experts have heavily criticized. Read more from spichaksimon.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/09/22/p...

A close up of a grey stone building at McMaster University. Ivy crawls across the building, changing color in fall. It appears green, orange, and red. The text reads, “The Sick Times. People with Long COVID demand pause of McMaster University clinical trial. By Simon Spichak. Reporting.”

Key points you should know:

A petition signed by 1,700 people asks for a pause and independent review of a trial run by McMaster University researchers who want to test the Lightning Process.

The Lightning Process is a pseudoscientific mind-body program to try to treat Long COVID that has been accused of exploiting people with Long COVID and related diseases.

The trial is designed in part by a Lightning Process practitioner and prescreens participants for motivation using a questionnaire that isn’t validated for Long COVID.

There are very few trials and little funding in Canada for Long COVID research, and advocates believe that studying the Lightning Process instead of pathobiological pathways is a waste of funding.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 24/09/2026

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 23/09/2026

The Telegraph recently published an article about "sickfluencers" titled “How having a disability became cool." We've republished a piece by Julia Doubleday at The Gauntlet pushing back against the article, which she calls "absurd on its face." thesicktimes.org/2026/09/21/c...

A young woman stands by a staircase with a backdrop of tree canopy. She wears a white, high quality mask and has long dark hair. She wears a teal sweatshirt and black pants. The text reads, “The Gauntlet x The Sick Times. COVID-19 — not TikTok — is disabling young women “Sickfluencers” are symptoms of a mass disabling event. By Julia Doubleday.”

“The country is sicker than it’s ever been before” — now why would that be? Six years after COVID-19 hit, four years after the virus has been allowed to run totally rampant without mitigation, the country is sicker than it’s ever been before, but we can’t come up with any reason why that would be other than “women be faking?”

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 22/09/2026

In the South, wastewater and healthcare system data both indicate decreasing COVID-19 cases. The CDC’s infectious disease forecasting center estimates cases are “declining or likely declining” in 13 states as of September 16, including states across the South.
In the West, there are conflicting data on whether the wave has peaked or is still rising. The CDC’s regional average for the West reports a decline, while WWSCAN reports a plateau or slower increase and Biobot Analytics reports a significant increase.
Still, recent COVID-19 levels are higher across both the South and West.

Chart from the CDC's Center for Disease Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) displaying recent epidemic trends for COVID-19. The chart is a map of the U.S. with states color-coded according to their COVID-19 trend status: dark purple for "growing" cases, lighter purple for "likely growing," white for "not changing," gray for "not estimated," lighter teal for "likely declining," and darker teal for "declining." Text above the chart reads: "As of September 16, 2026, we estimate that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 27 states, declining or likely declining in 13 states, and not changing in 10 states. Previous estimates can be found on data.cdc.gov." The states with "growing or likely growing" cases are largely all in the North of the U.S. (plus California, Alaska, and Hawaii) and states with "declining or likely declining" cases are all in the South.

The Northeast, and to a lesser extent the Midwest, are starting to report increasing COVID-19 spread after lower levels throughout the summer. The CDC’s forecasting center estimates cases are “growing or likely growing” in 27 states, with most of those in the Northeast, Midwest, and Northwest.

As updated COVID-19 vaccines have started to become available, some health experts are raising concerns about their status in the CDC’s Vaccines for Children program, which provides free vaccinations to children who are uninsured, underinsured, or otherwise need financial support. The agency hasn’t yet decided whether COVID-19 vaccines will be part of the program this year, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. Delaying or restricting COVID-19 vaccines from this program could lead to increased severe infections and Long COVID among children.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 22/09/2026

COVID-19 spread seems to have peaked for the summer in the South, but may still be increasing in the West and is starting to go up more in Northern states. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/22/n...

Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for September 22, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with red) and slightly increasing (represented with a diagonal up arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "low*" (darker yellow) and stable (side to side arrow); and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is moderate (darker yellow) and slightly decreasing (diagonal down arrow). Text below these metrics reads: "*CDC wastewater viral activity levels are calculated based on measurements in the last two years only. They do not account for the lower spread that could be possible with more widespread precautions."

While national averages for COVID-19 metrics appear to be at a peak or plateau as of mid-September, the picture actually looks pretty different from region to region. COVID-19 spread seems to have peaked for the summer in the South, but may still be increasing in the West and is starting to go up more in Northern states.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 21/09/2026

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 18/09/2026

Want to stay on top of all the latest Long COVID research? Sign up for our newsletter and get @mileswgriffis.bsky.social's research updates delivered directly to your inbox every Tuesday! thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 18/09/2026

🦠 Study: Repeat SARS-C0V-2 infections were linked to a higher odds of new health conditions 📝 Long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis, and post-treatment Lyme disease are included as priorities in the new NIAID 2026-2030 Strategic Plan thesicktimes.org/2026/09/15/r...

A colorful red, orange, and purple microscopic image shows coronavirus particles in vibrant detail. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates. Study: Repeat SARS-C0V-2 infections were linked to a higher odds of new health conditions. Long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis, and post-treatment Lyme disease are included as priorities in the new NIAID 2026-2030 Strategic Plan.”

Repeat SARS-C0V-2 infections were linked to a higher odds of new health conditions, according to a new study in the Canada Communicable Disease Report. Researchers assessed data from 9,000 people who responded to a self-reported survey between 2020 and 2023, and found that those with more than two SARS-CoV-2 infections had a 76% higher risk of a new diagnosis compared to those who had not reported any infections. The survey covered a broad range of diagnoses, including respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal conditions. The authors cautioned that the results could not prove that SARS-CoV-2 infection caused the new conditions due to limitations of the study.

Long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis, and post-treatment Lyme disease are included as priorities in the new NIAID 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases claims it will center on finding both risk factors and underlying mechanisms.“NIAID remains committed to supporting research to develop person-centered prevention and treatment strategies that improve the quality of life of those impacted by long-term conditions following clearance of an infection,” the plan states. Still, it’s unclear how NIAID plans to fund additional research for these diseases.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 17/09/2026

This week at The Sick Times, Selina Nwulu argues that corporate interests have had more say in our behaviors toward both COVID-19 and the climate crisis than any evidence-based public health response. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/15/d...

A demonstrator holds a cardboard sign that reads "People Not Profit". The demonstrator has long hair and wears a high quality black mask. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Denial is a tactic for both the COVID-19 and climate crises. By Selina Nwulu. Commentary.”

Corporate influences in today’s age don’t look like outright denial; instead, leaders insist on the smoke and mirrors of “business as usual.”
Living in this denial, and subsequent neglect, is catastrophic on both a practical and existential level. What does it do to our sense of self and safety to be routinely gaslit out of reacting in real time to the crises that surround us?

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 16/09/2026

This summer’s COVID-19 wave may have reached its peak in some parts of the country, as major metrics report disease levels stagnating or starting to decline as of early September. But levels remain high in many places, particularly in the West and South. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/15/n...

Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for September 15, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with red) and stable (represented with a side to side arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "very low*" (lighter yellow) and stable; and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is moderate (darker yellow) and stable. Text below these metrics reads: "*CDC wastewater viral activity levels are calculated based on measurements in the last two years only. They do not account for the lower spread that could be possible with more widespread precautions."

Wastewater data from the CDC and Biobot Analytics report that national averages of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage have leveled off in recent weeks. WastewaterSCAN still reports an increasing national average through early September, but the rate of that increase has slowed down a lot compared to the rapid climb reported in August.

The West and South have reported the highest SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater throughout this wave. In the West, wastewater data from both WWSCAN and Biobot suggest that COVID-19 outbreaks may still be growing in some places.

Based on wastewater data, this summer’s wave appears to have included fewer COVID-19 cases than prior summers’. However, such comparisons always need to come with a large grain of salt, because scientists don’t have a great sense of how the coronavirus’ continued evolution, as well as the many other factors that make wastewater data messy, has impacted the way individual infections show up in sewage.

While the COVID-19 wave may be peaking, other viruses are slowly starting to enter the picture.

The CDC’s flu surveillance network reports growing cases of influenza-like illness, or people seeking healthcare for fever plus cough or sore throat, over recent weeks. This is a broad metric that can include some COVID-19 cases along with flu, RSV, and other viruses that cause similar respiratory symptoms.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 15/09/2026

Want to stay on top of more Long COVID clinical trials and breaking news like this? Sign up for The Sick Times newsletter: thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

The novel drug bezisterim may help improve fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and neurological symptoms in people with Long COVID, according to preliminary clinical trial results that the treatment’s developer, BioVie, shared Tuesday morning. While the trial’s findings require further analysis and peer-review, the initial results are among the most promising from any Long COVID trial reported so far, the study’s expert advisors said.

BioVie plans to use these results from its phase 2 trial, called ADDRESS-LC, to inform a larger, phase 3 study that could confirm the drug’s ability to help people with Long COVID. The company also seeks to pursue accelerated Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, representatives said during a webinar discussing the results.

Bezisterim is a novel drug also being tested for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The drug is a synthetic derivative of a steroid and can cross the blood-brain barrier, which means it can directly impact the brain and change neurological symptoms. BioVie states that the drug is believed to reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 15/09/2026

Novel drug bezisterim may help improve fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and neurological symptoms in people with Long COVID, according to preliminary clinical trial results that the treatment’s developer, BioVie, shared this morning. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/15/b...

ID: A hand placing a pill in a weekly organizer. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Bezisterim may help with some Long COVID symptoms, drug’s developer reports in early trial results. By Betsy Ladyzhets. News.” The following slides feature quotes from the story at The Sick Times.

“What really stands out to me about the data that have been presented today is that it shows a very clear direction” toward improving key symptoms, said Ezra Spier, a Long COVID patient-researcher who advised the trial team, during the webinar. “It gives the community some hope, because we’ve been seeing trial fail after fail after fail. Seeing something that provides demonstrated impact, I think is really exciting.”

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 08/09/2026

As @mileswgriffis.bsky.social and his husband participated in the effort to rehabilitate the burn scar from the 2020 Dome Fire, the ritual of planting the Joshua trees took on an even greater meaning when he realized the uncanny overlaps with the COVID-19 pandemic. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/08/w...

Black text over an image of the Dome Fire burn scar reads, “After a lightning bolt hit the forest in August 2020, igniting the fire, Cima Dome became forever bound to the COVID-19 pandemic for me. It was the year I lost both my health and my refuge. Things only got worse in 2023, when a second fire broke outignited in the preserve, burning nearly 100,000 acres and killing another 1 million Joshua trees. Where do you mourn when your sanctuary suddenly becomes a place to grieve? Miles W. Griffis, The Sick Times.”

Black text over an image of the Dome Fire burn scar reads, “Because I lost my abilities to the pandemic, this wild gardening has given me some control to confront two crises at once. I plant Joshua trees and leave out water for our nonhuman neighbors to offer mutual aid for the environment. I name each tree to oppose our society’s denial of the pandemic’s “incalculable” mass death and its continuing effects. I imagine each Joshua tree as a spiked fist rising from the ashes of indifference. Miles W. Griffis, The Sick Times.”

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 03/09/2026

Want to stay on top of Long COVID research and news about clinical trials? Sign up for The Sick Times newsletter and we'll deliver our original reporting directly to your inbox! pages.viral-loops.com/share-the-si...

People with Long COVID are at a higher risk for cardiovascular, renal, and pulmonary (CRP) outcomes, according to a large observational study published in Journal of the American Heart Association. The study was a retrospective study and assessed more than 2.6 million people who developed COVID-19, comparing about 158,000 people who had been diagnosed with Long COVID with the larger group of controls. Researchers assessed 15 types of CRP outcomes including pulmonary embolisms, strokes, kidney disease, and more. They found a greater risk of worse outcomes with Long COVID for younger people compared to younger people without Long COVID, than the differences in risks for older people.

NASEM recently announced a new study on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection across all age groups and its implications for the military. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine study will specifically assess the scientific evidence of neurocognitive impacts, as well as how the infection affects “military force readiness.” The committee currently has 14 provisional appointees, who will do literature reviews and conduct public meetings on COVID-19 and Long COVID to produce a report for the government. Public feedback is open on the project and committee members until September 14th.

A new trial for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) will study Intermittent Hypoxia-Hyperoxia Treatment (IHHT). Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark will enroll 104 female participants in the randomized trial and compare the treatment, which delivers short cycles of low and high oxygen for 22–40 minute sessions, to a placebo. They hypothesize that the treatment may help the body adapt to oxygen related stress. The study will use the Short Form-36 Health Survey as its primary endpoint, measuring quality of life. The study is not yet recruiting.

Researchers behind RECOVER-VITAL, the National Institutes of Health’s clinical trial testing Paxlovid for Long COVID, have formally published their results in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, after sharing them on clinicaltrials.gov this spring. The study found that both 15-day and 25-day Paxlovid courses did not help improve symptoms. While the study collected samples from participants to investigate how the antiviral impacted potential viral persistence, analysis of those samples is “pending” and “will be published” in future studies, the researchers wrote. For more on these results and other RECOVER trials, see Betsy’s story from May.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 03/09/2026

This week's #LongCOVID research updates from @mileswgriffis.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/09/01/r...

A scanning electron micrograph (SEM) image shows a blood clot, made up of blood cells tangled in grey appearing fibrin. The text reads, "The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates.

Study: People with Long COVID are at a higher risk for cardiovascular, renal, and pulmonary outcomes

NASEM announced a new study on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection across all age groups and its implications for the military

A new trial for myalgic encephalomyelitis will study Intermittent Hypoxia-Hyperoxia Treatment

RECOVER-VITAL’s clinical trial testing Paxlovid for Long COVID has formally published their results

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 02/09/2026

Want to stay on top of breaking Long COVID news? Sign up for The Sick Times newsletter and we'll deliver our original reporting directly to your inbox! pages.viral-loops.com/share-the-si...

PROBE-PASC should represent part of a much larger national research effort — not the limit of our investment.

Karyn Bishof, COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 02/09/2026

Updates include: * Context on past DOD medical research funding * Comments + slides from Michael Peluso’s presentation at the ISLC-PAIS conference * Comments from Long COVID advocates * And a closer look at first clinical trial in the series, which will test Pemgarda and hydroxychloroquine

Key points you should know:

A new U.S. clinical trials program called PROBE-PASC was announced on Friday at a Long COVID conference in Amsterdam. The program received initial funding of $8 million from a Department of Defense (DOD) grant.

This DOD grant, through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), supports biomedical research for specific diseases and topics that Congress has designated as priorities. Past grants have supported research into cancer, tick-borne illnesses, traumatic brain injuries, and more.

Key points you should know:

The first clinical trial in the series will test the monoclonal antibody Pemgarda, along with the immune-modulating drug hydroxychloroquine. The study will include arms with both drugs by themselves and the two in combination.

The funding shows the DOD’s interest in Long COVID, which research has shown affects the military. A 2023 CDMRP grant supported the clinical trial of the novel drug bezisterim for Long COVID.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 02/09/2026

On Friday, The Sick Times broke the news that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is funding a new clinical trials program for Long COVID with an initial grant of $8 million. This week we have more reporting from Betsy Ladyzhets about PROBE-PASC. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/01/d...

ID: A view of the U.S. Pentagon building at night reflecting in the Potomac River. Five bright lights emit from the building like stars. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Department of Defense funds $8 million grant for Long COVID trials. The first study in a new mechanistic clinical trials program will test Pemgarda and hydroxychloroquine alone and in combination. By Betsy Ladyzhets. Reporting.”

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 01/09/2026

The U.S.’s summer 2026 COVID-19 wave is in full swing. All disease tracking metrics report increased spread across the country, and the school year’s start and upcoming holiday weekend will cause further outbreaks. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/01/n...

Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for September 1, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with red) and slightly increasing (represented with a diagonal up arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "very low*" (lighter yellow) and significantly increasing (represented with a directly up arrow); and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is moderate (darker yellow) and slightly increasing. Text below these metrics reads: "*CDC wastewater viral activity levels are calculated based on measurements in the last two years only. They do not account for the lower spread that could be possible with more widespread precautions."

The U.S.’s summer 2026 COVID-19 wave is in full swing. All disease tracking metrics report increased spread across the country, and the school year’s start and upcoming holiday weekend will cause further outbreaks. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated vaccines for this year, but they may be hard to access for many people thanks to Trump administration policies.

Wastewater data from the CDC, WastewaterSCAN, and Biobot Analytics all report growing SARS-CoV-2 levels across all regions into late August. See my recent video for more detail on why the CDC's national level is still "very low" despite these increases.
Test positivity, as reported by the CDC’s PCR testing network, also continues to increase across the U.S. The South and West report the highest rates of positive COVID-19 tests. And the CDC’s infectious disease forecasting center estimates that COVID-19 cases are “growing” in the vast majority of states as of August 26.

ID: Chart from the CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System showing trends in wastewater viral activity levels (WVALs) over time for the state of Texas. The line chart's Y axis represents WVAL and includes horizontal lines dividing the chart into categories: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. The X axis represents time, going from December 2025 to August 2026. The chart includes lines representing Texas's state-wide average (in purple), the regional average for the South (in yellow), and the national average (in black). All areas had a COVID-19 wave in winter 2025-26, and are seeing another wave now in summer 2026. Recent values for Texas are drastically higher than those for the South and the national average.

Texas has emerged as a particular hotspot right now. SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater in the state are “very high” according to the CDC with 40 testing sites reporting, which is a particularly concerning reading given how high of a bar the CDC’s dashboard has for this category.

Last week, the FDA approved COVID-19 vaccines that have been updated to protect against recently-circulating variants. Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax have all told news outlets that they are starting to ship their updated vaccines to pharmacies, and appointments will start to be available in the coming days and weeks. However, only Americans over age 65 and those with a “preexisting condition” that increases risk of severe COVID-19 are officially eligible for the vaccines.
In many places, it’s still possible to get vaccinated for COVID-19 without being formally eligible, but people faced challenges with making appointments and getting their insurance to cover the shots under similar federal policies last year.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 01/09/2026

Despite prior experience working in public health, Kelly Sealey has faced challenges getting care for Long COVID and chronic seizures. This essay is part of the Color of Long COVID series, supported by the Disability Visibility Project. thesicktimes.org/2026/08/28/w...

A collage of three images: a close up of a Black woman in a high quality mask, brain scans, and a close up of a service dog's vest. Red, violet, and sage green shapes are laid over the images. The text reads, “The Sick Times. “We’re going to stop the gaslighting right now”: How I’m fighting back as a Black woman with Long COVID. By Kelly Sealey. Commentary.”

I’ve seen countless specialists for Long COVID and my seizures. While a few have helped guide my care, most have gaslit me. I’ve never in my 47 years of life or 20-plus years of working in healthcare experienced such interactions with medical professionals. I can’t help but wonder if this is tied to my race in some way, given how Black women are treated by some providers.
Kelly Sealey

“We’re going to stop the gaslighting right now”: How
I’m fighting back as a Black woman with Long COVID

Kelly Sealey

“We’re going to stop the gaslighting right now”: How
I’m fighting back as a Black woman with Long COVID

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 27/08/2026

It's a great time to sign up for The Sick Times newsletter! Not only will you get @mileswgriffis.bsky.social's research updates delivered to your inbox every week — right now we're testing a referral program that'll score you Sick Times stickers, hats, & more! pages.viral-loops.com/share-the-si...

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 27/08/2026

👀 Observational study: found more evidence of endothelial dysfunction in Long COVID (LC) 💊 Small clinical trial: found a probiotic formula called VSL#3 helped improve fatigue in people with LC 🧬 Study: “MicroRNA” may serve as a future biomarker for LC thesicktimes.org/2026/08/25/r...

A close up photo of a human eye. The eye is hazel and the person appears to be lighter skinned. They have a dark brown eyelashes and a hazel eye. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates. Another observational study found more evidence of endothelial dysfunction in Long COVID. A small clinical trial found a probiotic formula called VSL#3 helped improve fatigue in people with Long COVID. Small pieces of genetic molecules in the blood called “microRNA” may serve as a future biomarker for Long COVID.”

Another observational study found more evidence of endothelial dysfunction in Long COVID. German researchers evaluated the eyes of 102 people with Long COVID, comparing them to 102 people “recovered” from COVID-19, as well as controls. The study, published in BMC Medicine, used a non-invasive technique called retinal vessel analysis (RVA) that measures blood vessels in the eyes. Researchers found people with Long COVID had abnormalities in those vessels; those abnormalities were most pronounced in the participants who also met criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). They additionally found those with the abnormalities had worse neurocognitive symptoms.

A small clinical trial found a probiotic formula called VSL#3 helped improve fatigue in people with Long COVID. Published in the British Journal of Biomedical Science, the trial included 23 participants who took two sachets of the formula per day for 28 days, or a placebo. The Italian researchers used the Chalder Fatigue Scale as a primary endpoint, finding that the formula significantly reduced fatigue compared to the placebo. They also found, using exploratory biological analysis, that the formula reduced some pro-inflammatory and immune-related cytokines; they concluded more research is needed on treatments targeting the microbiome for Long COVID with larger sample sizes.

Small pieces of genetic molecules in the blood called “microRNA” may serve as a future biomarker for Long COVID, according to a new study shared in Communications Medicine. Austrian researchers evaluated the blood of 206 people with Long COVID and compared them to 71 controls, finding abnormalities in three microRNAs in Long COVID. “These findings suggest that measuring circulating microRNAs could eventually help with diagnosis, but further validation in larger, well-matched populations is required before clinical implementation,” the authors wrote.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 26/08/2026

💌 1 successful referral = a thank-you note from our team 🕊️ 5 = a pack of Sick Times stickers, designed by artists in the Long COVID community. 🧢 10 = a Sick Times hat! 🌈 20 = you’ll be invited to a one-on-one Q&A call with one of our editors, Miles and Betsy.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 26/08/2026

Want to help The Sick Times keep going and growing? Signing up for — and sharing — our newsletter is a great way to do that! Co-founder and managing editor @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social is here to tell you more!

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 26/08/2026

The end of summer may be approaching in the U.S., but our summer COVID-19 wave is showing no signs of slowing. All data sources report significant increases in disease levels and outbreaks across the country. thesicktimes.org/2026/08/25/n...

Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for August 25, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with red) and significantly increasing (represented with a directly up arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "very low*" (lighter yellow) and significantly increasing ; and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is moderate (darker yellow) and significantly increasing. Text below these metrics reads: "*CDC wastewater viral activity levels are calculated based on measurements in the last two years only. They do not account for the lower spread that could be possible with more widespread precautions."

The end of summer may be approaching in the U.S., but our summer COVID-19 wave is showing no signs of slowing. All data sources report significant increases in disease levels and outbreaks across the country. As the latest data are from mid-August, case counts may be higher in your area than they appear.

The CDC, WastewaterSCAN, and Biobot Analytics all report increases in SARS-CoV-2 levels at sewage testing sites around the U.S. The West and South continue to feature the biggest hotspots in this wave, but there are testing sites with high levels and notable increases across all regions.
While WWSCAN and Biobot both describe recent national SARS-CoV-2 levels as higher, the CDC still insists they are “very low.” This is partially because the CDC compares recent levels to an already-high baseline, and partially because the agency keeps shifting its data presentation to downplay COVID-19’s spread.

ID: Line chart showing COVID-19 PCR test positivity trends, using data from the CDC's National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS). Text at the top of the chart reads, "Weekly percent of tests positive for respiratory viruses reported to NREVSS, COVID-19, national average." The Y axis represents percent of tests returning positive results in each week, and the X axis represents time, going from July 2025 to August 2026. The chart shows a wave in summer to early fall 2025, one in winter to early spring 2025-26, and rising levels indicating the first part of a wave in summer 2026. In the latest data point from the week ending August 15, test positivity is close to 5%; this metric peaked at about 5.4% in the winter 2025-spring 26 wave.

Test positivity, as reported by the CDC’s PCR testing network, also continues to increase nationally and across regions. The testing network’s national average is nearing 5%, where test positivity peaked during last winter’s wave; and this metric has already surpassed the winter’s highest levels for parts of the South and West.

School has started for much of the U.S., which will likely magnify outbreaks as very few schools still take any COVID-19 precautions. A recent paper in the journal Vaccine shows the immense costs of infectious diseases harming children: the authors estimated that every measles case reported in 2025 cost the medical and public health systems over $100 million total that year, and likely even more this year as measles continues spreading. Long COVID in children is not tracked as closely, but is surely still causing immense harm.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 25/08/2026

To help us grow our newsletter, we’re trying out a referral program. We think this will make it easier for readers like you to share the newsletter with other community members. But we need your help to test it out!

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 20/08/2026

Sign up for our newsletter to get research updates, COVID-19-trends, original reporting about the ongoing pandemic, essays and commentary from disabled writers, and more — every Tuesday: thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

🦠 Researchers found immune abnormalities in the intestines of people with Long COVID, according to a new preprint. The small study compared colon tissue samples and blood of 44 people with Long COVID to 13 controls who “recovered” from COVID-19, using several different analysis methods. They found that 27% of the Long COVID participants had persistent SARS-CoV-2 virus, and that the prevalence was higher in tissues, compared to blood. Since the study was observational, it does not prove that viral persistence causes immune dysregulation, the researchers stated. Still, they concluded that antivirals, as well as combination treatments that target both viral reservoirs and tissue-based immune dysfunction, should be studied as Long COVID treatments.

👩🏽‍⚕️ A new government report from the U.K. found that around one in four healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 early in the pandemic have had Long COVID. Called REACH-OUT, the mixed-methods study analyzed existing datasets and research from around the world, including a detailed survey of over 11,000 healthcare workers in the U.K. The study found a severe lack of support for workers and extensive stigma of the disease from managers and fellow healthcare workers. “This research highlights how much impact the COVID pandemic continues to have on healthcare workers,” Katherine Woolf, a medical education researcher, told London Daily News.

💵 A preprint from Yale estimates that universal healthcare in the U.S. could save the lives of over 114,000 Americans a year. Researchers ran models using data from 2024, comparing our current multi-payer system to a single-payer system, looking at both healthcare expenditure and mortality. Alongside the many thousand lives saved, they also projected universal healthcare would reduce expenditure by over $1 trillion per year. “Our results indicate that the existing budget is more than sufficient to cover everyone at lower total cost,” the researchers concluded. “The obstacle to universal coverage has never been the absence of resources, but the way they are allocated.”

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 20/08/2026

This week's Long COVID research updates from @mileswgriffis.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/08/18/r...

A computer image highlights the large intestine in a person. It appears red and curves through the abdomen of the subject. Other organs and body parts are faded out and contrasted with a black background. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates. Preprint: Researchers found immune abnormalities in the intestines of people with Long COVID. Report: One in four healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 early in the pandemic in the U.K. have had Long COVID. Preprint: Universal healthcare in the U.S. could save the lives of over 114,000 Americans a year.”

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 19/08/2026

Advocates are calling on senators and representatives to include the ME/CFS Research Roadmap and new Long COVID funding in the fiscal year 2027 budget as legislators debate appropriations bills in the coming weeks. Read more from @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/08/18/c...

ID: MEAction advocates demonstrate outside of the Capital building in Washington D.C. on a sunny, spring day. They wear red t-shirts that read "millions missing" and "SOS" as well as high quality masks. One is in a wheel chair, while another sits on a stool. They hold signs that say, "Millions Missing, SOS, 2025, MEAction" that have an illustration of the statue of liberty. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Congress’s 2027 budget could include new funding for Long COVID and ME. By Betsy Ladyzhets. Reporting.”

Key points you should know:

Congress is legally required to pass a federal budget every year. The budget process, called appropriations, can be an opportunity to secure new research funding more quickly than specific, standalone bills.

Advocates are pushing for the fiscal year 2027 budget to include $50 million for the ME/CFS Research Roadmap, a detailed plan to advance ME research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Some 2027 budget proposals include opportunities for new Long COVID and infection-associated chronic condition (IACC) funding across the NIH, other health agencies, and the Department of Defense.

Advocates are focusing on contacting senators, as Senate offices are still drafting appropriations bills in the next few weeks while the House versions of these bills are already written.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 18/08/2026

COVID-19 spread continues to increase across the US as this summer’s wave keeps climbing. While levels are highest in the West & South, there are hotspots in all regions. The CDC as well as mainstream media sources are downplaying this wave as they have many others. thesicktimes.org/2026/08/18/n...

Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for August 18, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with orange) and significantly increasing (represented with a directly up arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "very low*" (lighter yellow) and slightly increasing (diagonal up arrow); and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is moderate (darker yellow) and significantly increasing. Text below these metrics reads: "*CDC wastewater viral activity levels are calculated based on measurements in the last two years only. They do not account for the lower spread that could be possible with more widespread precautions."

The CDC, WastewaterSCAN, and Biobot Analytics all report increasing SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater through late July and early August, with the highest levels in the West followed by the South.
The CDC’s national wastewater viral activity level (WVAL) is still “very low” despite clear increases in infections. In addition to using only recent data for its activity level calculation — meaning the baseline is much higher than truly low levels we saw early in the pandemic — the agency recently shifted its categories to further downplay COVID-19’s spread. WVAL values that would’ve been labeled as “low” before this shift are now “very low,” values that would’ve been “moderate” are now “low,” and so on.

Chart from the California Department of Public Health sharing statewide data for SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater. A box in the top left corner describes the statewide level and trend: level is "low" and trend is "strong increase 128%." A box in the bottom left summarizes trends across testing sites in the state: 61% of sites have an increase, 15% have a plateau, 14% have a decrease, and 10% have insufficient data. On the right, there is a line chart showing the statewide average over the last two years. The X axis represents time and the Y axis represents the wastewater viral activity level, with colored lines going across the chart to signify differences between very low, low, moderate, high, very high. The chart shows larger summer waves and smaller winter waves over 2024-early 2026; in the latest data, levels have been dramatically rising over the last two months but are still marked as "low."

For example, California currently has a “low” WVAL on the CDC’s dashboard. But based on the raw data, it would have been labeled as “moderate” with the same statewide average before this shift. The state health department’s dashboard, which also uses CDC levels to display the data, now labels prior waves as peaking with “low” and “moderate” levels, too. Data tracker Michael Hoerger flagged the CDC category change and shared a video explaining it.

Meanwhile, the CDC’s infectious disease forecasting center (which uses emergency department data) estimates that COVID-19 cases are “growing or likely growing” across all states but one as of August 12.
Over a month after COVID-19 levels started increasing, mainstream media outlets have finally picked up on the presence of this summer’s wave. One recent story in NPR downplays the virus’ continued spread, suggesting that it only makes people “feel awful for a week or two” and completely failing to mention Long COVID as a potential result of infection.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 14/08/2026

This week at The Sick Times, a new essay from Kara Yorio about how following the established protocol after her breast cancer diagnosis showed her a new way to approach her Long COVID care. thesicktimes.org/2026/08/14/b...

A graphic shows a white woman in a high quality mask on the subway. She wears a glasses, hoops, and has a short hair. Overlaid over the black and white photo are various shades of pink circles. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Breast cancer exposed the lack of care I receive for Long COVID. Cancer has a sadly well-worn path. It showed me that I deserve dignity and support for Long COVID. By Kara Yorio. Essay.”

Before the cancer diagnosis, I sought answers to my Long COVID symptoms. I was privileged to access various specialists and undergo many tests. I collected a lot of data with no answers or measurable improvement. Mostly on my own, I attempted to manufacture some kind of plan amid so much medical uncertainty.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 13/08/2026

🦠 New study: confirmed COVID-19 can reactivate dormant viruses in the body 🫀 Clinical trial: found a combination prednisolone and losartan did not significantly improve heart function in Long COVID 💵 NIH RECOVER announced funding for pathobiology research thesicktimes.org/2026/08/11/r...

An electron micrograph image shows numerous herpes simplex virions, members of the Herpesviridae virus family. The round viruses appear black and gray, contrasted on an icy blue background. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates. New study: confirmed COVID-19 can reactivate dormant viruses in the body. Clinical trial: found a combination prednisolone and losartan did not significantly improve heart function in Long COVID. The National Institute of Health’s RECOVER program recently announced funding for pathobiology research.”

🦠 COVID-19 can reactivate dormant viruses in the body, confirms new research in Nature. Researchers ran advanced analyses of data from multiple biological layers on 1,154 people hospitalized with COVID-19 before mid-2021 and found significant reactivation of viruses in the herpes and Anelloviridae families. “Nearly half of people … had a virus that they were already carrying wake up,” a co-author told Science. “This happens [even] in people whose immune systems are otherwise normal.” While reactivated viruses have been found in prior studies on Long COVID, the researchers caution that their new results do not prove causation. “Our results raise the possibility that viral reactivation may contribute to the development of severe acute COVID-19 and Long COVID,” the authors concluded.

🫀A German clinical trial found a combination of the steroid prednisolone and the heart medication losartan did not significantly improve heart function in Long COVID. The randomized, double-blind study, published in Nature Communications, included 279 people with Long COVID who had cardiovascular symptoms, excluding people with pre-existing structural heart disease. Participants took the drug combination, or a placebo, for 16 weeks and completed heart imaging before and after the study. While the combination was found to be “safe and well-tolerated” and some participants reported improved symptoms during the trial, the study did not meet a statistically significant primary endpoint measuring a specific change in how much blood was pumped from the heart.

💵 The National Institute of Health’s RECOVER program recently announced funding for pathobiology research. Researchers can apply for grants up to $800,000 per year (for two years), and apply to use data and biosamples from RECOVER’s observational studies along with — for the first time — from its clinical trials. “Investigators from higher education institutions, government agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and other eligible institutions are encouraged to apply,” a RECOVER press release stated.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 12/08/2026

Key points you should know:

Long COVID’s heterogeneity and range of clinical presentations have made the search for biomarkers extremely complicated and resource-intensive.

With a $1.35 million donation from PolyBio Research Foundation, the University of California, San Francisco has recently launched VIPER, a program designed to coordinate and accelerate the biomarker search. VIPER stands for Viral Immunopathogenesis and Persistence Repeat Donor Cohort.

Key points you should know:

VIPER’s initial focus is on biomarkers related to viral persistence, although the project expects to expand to other possible biological pathways in future efforts.

The program will include a “well-defined” cohort of 150 participants — 100 with Long COVID and 50 who had COVID-19 but recovered.

Researchers are planning fast-track promising candidates for noninvasive tests into clinical trials and, if the results are good, to scale up dissemination as quickly as possible.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 12/08/2026

Led by researchers at UCSF, the VIPER research program plans to validate promising candidates for noninvasive tests that can be used to advance #LongCOVID clinical trials. thesicktimes.org/2026/08/11/v...

ID: A collage graphic displays a tower of the Golden Gate bridge, with a pixelated filter, vials of blood in black and white, and a photo of a light blue viper. These images are overlayed with white borders over a microscopic image of red SARS-CoV-2 viruses with a blue background. The text reads, “The Sick Times. VIPER aims to fast track Long COVID biomarkers. Here’s how it works. By David Tuller.”

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 11/08/2026

This summer’s COVID-19 wave started later and lower than similar waves in prior years, making it difficult to anticipate what might happen in the coming months.

ID: Line chart from WastewaterSCAN showing average SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater from all testing sites in the WWSCAN network. The X axis represents time, going from June 2023 to July 2026, and the Y axis represents quantity of nucleic acids, PMMoV normalized (x 1 million). The black line shows several surges, in the summer and winter of each year. In the most recent data, SARS-CoV-2 levels have been increasing rapidly but started very low from a long, low lull in spring and early summer 2026.

WastewaterSCAN and Biobot Analytics both report increasing SARS-CoV-2 in their national and regional averages throughout July. WWSCAN now reports a “high” national trend for SARS-CoV-2 (with increasing levels and medium concentration compared to historical data) along with a “high” trend in the West and South, and “medium” in the Midwest and Northeast.

After months of a stable and “very low” average, the CDC is finally reporting a pronounced increase in its national wastewater viral activity level for SARS-CoV-2. The CDC’s analysis methods — using a higher baseline for historical comparison than other wastewater data providers — often leads their dashboard to be delayed in warning about a starting wave.
The CDC’s infectious disease forecasting center estimates that COVID-19 cases are “growing” in 41 states and “likely growing” in two more states, as of August 5.

In other disease news: outbreaks may be starting to slow down for cyclospora, the parasite causing severe gastrointestinal illness.
Still, there are several active outbreaks of cyclospora across many states. In a recent article in The Conversation, wastewater researcher Joan Rose describes how the parasite may spread when contaminated sewage is used to water crops. Rose calls for expanding wastewater surveillance to include protozoan diseases like cyclospora, along with other pathogens that may thrive in sewage.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 11/08/2026

A summer COVID-19 wave is still rising in the U.S., according to data through late July. Increases in disease spread are most pronounced in the South and West, but all regions have growing outbreaks. thesicktimes.org/2026/08/11/n...

Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for August 11, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with orange) and significantly increasing (represented with a directly up arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "very low*" (lighter yellow) and significantly increasing; and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is moderate (darker yellow) and significantly increasing. Text below these metrics reads: "*CDC wastewater viral activity levels are calculated based on measurements in the last two years only. They do not account for the lower spread that could be possible with more widespread precautions."

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 08/08/2026

Today, on #SevereMEAwarenessDay, we're sharing the introduction and two excerpts from the new book, “What Is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Like?” These excepted essays were written by Madelleine Muller. thesicktimes.org/2026/08/08/t...

ID: Graphic showing the cover of the book, 'What Is Is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Like?' on the left and a black and white photo of writer Madelleine Muller on the right. The book cover features dark blue boxes with white text over an abstract painting in shades of blue, green, yellow, and white. Other text on the cover notes that the book was created by the WIMEL writers with a foreword and other contributions by Bateman Horne Center. In the photo of Madelleine, the writer is resting and wearing sunglasses and earplugs. The text reads, “The Sick Times. “This exhaustion is cellular”: Excerpts from the new book ‘What Is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Like?’ By Madelleine Muller.”

Then there’s the ME pain of exhaustion. This is not something an able-bodied person will ever have felt, even at their most exhausted. This exhaustion is cellular, and it feels like every cell is cramping, vibrating, and hungry at the same time.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 07/08/2026

Sign up for our newsletter to get @mileswgriffis.bsky.social's weekly #LongCOVID research updates delivered directly into your inbox! thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 06/08/2026

Study: confirmed skeletal muscle abnormalities in Long COVID and ME Study: found evidence that fibromyalgia is a central nervous system disorder Study: Black people in the U.S. are less likely to be diagnosed with Long COVID compared to white people thesicktimes.org/2026/08/04/r...

ID: Muscle fibers appear underneath a microscope in a striped pattern. The fibers appear red with white spaces. Inside the fiber are purple dots. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates. A new study confirmed skeletal muscle abnormalities in Long COVID and ME. A large genetic study found evidence that fibromyalgia is a central nervous system disorder. Black people in the U.S. are less likely to be diagnosed with Long COVID compared to white people, according to a new study.”

A new study in Nature Communications confirmed skeletal muscle abnormalities in Long COVID and ME. The study, which furthered past research on post-exertional malaise from the same research group, compared various exercise tests and biopsies of people with Long COVID and ME to results from people who underwent 60 days of strict bedrest, as well as results from controls. “There are indications of abnormalities in muscle fibers, energy production, and oxygen supply,” lead researcher Rob Wüst said in a press release. People with Long COVID and ME “should not be treated as if they have merely lost their fitness. Future studies and diagnostics must take this into account.”

A large genetic study in Nature Medicine found evidence that fibromyalgia is a central nervous system disorder. Researchers analyzed genetic data from 2.56 million people, comparing around 54,000 people with fibromyalgia to controls. They found 26 loci for the disease, or specific locations on a chromosome where variations on DNA are linked to the increased chance of disease development. Though fibromyalgia has a higher prevalence in women, the researchers did not find a sex difference in the genetic architecture. “These findings establish a firm biological basis for a long-debated condition,” the researchers concluded. The study’s biggest limiting factor was its primarily European cohort, which could limit how well the findings apply to people of other ethnicities.

Black people in the U.S. are less likely to be diagnosed with Long COVID compared to white people, according to a new study in Health Affairs. Researchers evaluated the electronic health records of 2.4 million Americans diagnosed with acute COVID-19 between 2022 and early 2023, using the ICD-10-CM code for Long COVID (U09.9) as the primary outcome. The researchers found less than 1% of each ethnicity group in the study had a Long COVID diagnosis, and stated that their findings were “likely an underestimate of the true magnitude of diagnostic bias.”

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 05/08/2026

This week at The Sick Times, Elizabeth Pugh argues that labeling people with Long COVID as “patients” is stigmatizing and personally and politically harmful. “It strips personal agency,” she writes. “And frankly, it’s bad PR.” Read more: thesicktimes.org/2026/08/04/t...

ID: A group of people walk in the streets of San Francisco on a sunny day in 1986 holding a large white banner that reads, "People with AIDS Alliance". Some wear hats and sunglasses, others hold white, blue, green, and purple balloons. The text reads, “The Sick Times. There’s a long history of person-first language in advocacy. Here’s why we should use it for Long COVID. By Elizabeth Pugh.”

Every time I see “Long COVID patient,” I feel my humanity pickpocketed.

I am not a patient. I’m a person recovering from a virus that has killed tens of millions of people worldwide in just six years. I’m not some nebulous entity roaming around town in a hospital gown, walking an IV pole like a pet.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 04/08/2026

The U.S. is about a month into a summer COVID-19 wave, with levels rising across much of the country, especially in the West and South. This week's COVID-19 trends report: thesicktimes.org/2026/08/04/n...

Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for August 4, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "medium" (represented with darker yellow) and significantly increasing (represented with a directly up arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "very low*" (lighter yellow) and stable (side to side arrow); and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is low (light yellow) and slightly increasing (diagonal up arrow). Text below these metrics reads: "*CDC wastewater viral activity levels are calculated based on measurements in the last two years only. They do not account for the lower spread that could be possible with more widespread precautions."

Wastewater surveillance data from WastewaterSCAN and Biobot Analytics both report consistent increases in their national averages of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and in the West and South over the last month, along with less consistent increases in the other major regions.
The CDC is stubbornly still reporting that SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater are “very low” nationally and in all four regions. This is partially because the CDC uses a higher baseline for comparison in presenting its wastewater data than other providers like WWSCAN.

This chart from the CDC's Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) is a map of the U.S. with states color-coded according to their recent COVID-19 epidemic trend. Text above the map reads: "As of July 29, 2026, we estimate that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 41 states, declining or likely declining in 0 states, and not changing in 7 states. Previous estimates can be found on data.cdc.gov." 28 states are colored in darker purple for "growing" cases, another 13 are colored in lighter purple for "likely growing" cases, and remaining states are colored in white for "not changing" or gray for "not estimated."

CDC healthcare system data, meanwhile, continue to report rising COVID-19 cases. The agency's infectious disease forecasting center, which uses emergency department data, estimates that COVID-19 cases are “growing or likely growing” in 41 states, as of July 29.

The parasite cyclospora also continues to spread. Yesterday, the Michigan health department reported two deaths from this pathogen, which causes severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Disability advocates criticized the New York Times for highlighting that both people who died had “significant underlying health conditions,” a rhetorical move also used frequently to downplay COVID-19’s destructive impacts on vulnerable people.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 30/07/2026

🧠 Small study: found persistent neuromuscular abnormalities in Long COVID 💊 Small trial: taking Paxlovid during acute COVID-19 may help reduce the risk of Long COVID ⚡️ Researchers announced a new, controversial trial to study the “Lightning Process” for Long COVID thesicktimes.org/2026/07/28/r...

ID: A science illustration of the muscles of the human back and arm. The muscles appear red as the subject lifts their right arm, helping accentuate the muscles. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates. Small study: found persistent neuromuscular abnormalities in Long COVID. Small trial: taking Paxlovid during acute COVID-19 may help reduce the risk of Long COVID. Researchers announced a new, controversial trial to study the ‘Lightning Process’ for Long COVID.”

A new study found persistent neuromuscular abnormalities in Long COVID. The small study, published in Neurophysiologie Clinique, included 50 people with Long COVID who underwent two types of electromyography tests, which can provide objective measures of muscle function. Danish researchers performed the tests on specific muscles in the arms and legs, finding that 60% of the cohort had abnormal results in one or both of the tests, more than a year after their first exam. “These findings suggest ongoing neuromuscular dysfunction,” the authors wrote, noting that the study’s biggest limitation was a selection bias and that the results can’t be generalized for all people with Long COVID.

Taking Paxlovid during acute COVID-19 may help reduce the risk of Long COVID, according to a small trial. The results add to a set of large electronic health record studies that found the drug to be largely ineffective in preventing Long COVID; this new study is one of the first randomized control trials. Norwegian researchers included 144 people in the study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, who took the antiviral during acute COVID-19, or a placebo. They found the risk of Long COVID symptoms at three months was 40% lower for the Paxlovid group than for the placebo group. Still, the researchers said the findings should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size, noting that the trial’s study recruitment was terminated early. “There is a risk of overestimating treatment efficacy,” they stated.

Researchers announced a new, controversial trial to study the “Lightning Process” for Long COVID. The heavily criticized “mind body intervention” has failed in trials for similar diseases and caused harm in people with Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). The intervention has also been accused of “exploiting people” and called “quackery” by a psychologist; it was exposed in a BBC investigation. The new study, based at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, aims to recruit 100 participants who will either undergo the three day program and a few follow-up calls, or “pacing sessions,” for 26 weeks total. The primary outcome measure researchers are using for the trial is the subjective Checklist Individual Strength (CIS-Fatigue) survey, which has been criticized to “overestimate” improvements when used as a primary outcome measure.

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 29/07/2026

The 14th annual Dysautonomia International conference outside Houston included presentations on the role of autoimmunity in dysautonomia and a biobank initiative for POTS research. thesicktimes.org/2026/07/28/d...

ID: Collage graphic featuring images of a cowboy hat, downtown Houston, Texas, a diagram of a heart, and a person checking their heart rate on a smartwatch. The photos are interspersed with light blue and pink rectangles, over a background showing heart rate diagrams on pink graph paper. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Dysautonomia conference centers biomarkers and post-exertional malaise. By Rachel Fairbank.”

Key points you should know:

Over 400 clinicians, researchers, and people with dysautonomia gathered in person in The Woodlands, Texas, with an additional 1,000 joining virtually for over 50 sessions. The conference was organized by the advocacy group Dysautonomia International.

Some of the conference themes included the growing evidence that dysautonomia is an inflammatory and autoimmune condition and the role of mast cell dysfunction in driving symptoms.

Key points you should know:

Dysautonomia International is launching a biobank initiative, called POTS BRAIN, to help facilitate POTS research. Their first study will be looking at markers for iron storage and inflammation. They are hoping to eventually recruit remote participants.

Multiple sessions discussed myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) as a common comorbidity, and offered advice on how to recognize and mitigate the challenges of post-exertional malaise (PEM).

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 28/07/2026

Don't forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter to get COVID-19 trends, Long COVID research updates, and more delivered directly to your inbox every Tuesday. thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 28/07/2026

A summer COVID-19 wave continues to pick up momentum in the U.S. While disease levels remain on the lower end compared to past summers, almost all major metrics are showing increases across the country. This week's COVID-19 trends: thesicktimes.org/2026/07/28/n...

Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for July 28, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with an orange color box) and slightly increasing (represented with a diagonal up arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "very low*" (lighter yellow) and stable (side to side arrow); and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is low (light yellow) and significantly increasing (directly up arrow). Text below these metrics reads: "*CDC wastewater viral activity levels are calculated based on measurements in the last two years only. They do not account for the lower spread that could be possible with more widespread precautions."

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