Unapproved stem-cell therapies marketed to people with long COVID Evgeniia Medvedeva/iStock CIDRAP

New research has identified 38 direct-to-consumer businesses marketing stem-cell treatments and exosome therapies for COVID-19 infections and, especially, long COVID, despite lacking approval by US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory body in the United States. Descriptions of the businesses and an analysis of their marketing strategies are published in Stem Cell Reports.

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Extreme heat could lead to 233% increase in U.S. excess cardiovascular deaths, study says A large increase in greenhouse gas emissions would lead to a 233% increase in excess cardiovascular deaths in the U.S., or 5,491 excess deaths annually, according to a new study. Theresa Gaffney STAT

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US, global COVID-19 markers show declines Ezra Acayan/World Bank/Flickr cc CIDRAP

COVID-19 activity in the United States last week showed more signs of declines, though deaths were up, and the World Health Organization's (WHO's) monthly snapshot of global activity suggests decreased activity, though the group cautioned that few countries are reporting data.

A new Covid variant has become dominant amid slow uptake of the updated shots The HV.1 variant took over this week as the dominant variant in the U.S., but just around 3.5 % of the population has received an updated Covid shot thus far. NBC News

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Senate panel advances NIH nominee Bertagnolli - Roll Call President Biden’s choice to run the National Institutes of Health won approval from a key Senate committee. Ariel Cohen Roll Call

After months of back and forth, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Wednesday advanced the nomination of Monica Bertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health by a vote of 15-6, with ranking member Bill Cassidy, R-La., voting for President Joe Biden’s nominee and Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., opposing it.

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Why is COVID-19 more severe in some people? Researchers use genetics, data science to find out Why do some people have a more severe course of COVID-19 disease than others? A genome sequence database created by an international collaboration of researchers, including many from the University of ... Tyler Irving Medical Xpress

Why do some people have a more severe course of COVID-19 disease than others? A genome sequence database created by an international collaboration of researchers, including many from the University of Toronto and partner hospitals, may hold the answers to this question—and many more.

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Severe mental illness linked to 50% increase in COVID-related death The study was based on outcomes seen among 660,000 UK patients from February 2020 to April 2021. CIDRAP

People with severe mental illness (SMI) are at a 50% increased risk of death from all causes following COVID-19 infections, according to a study yesterday  in The British Journal of Psychiatry.

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Pfizer combination Covid, flu vaccine shows positive trial data (cnbc.com)

• Pfizer said its combination vaccine candidates targeting Covid and the flu will move to a final-stage trial in the coming months after showing positive initial results. ..
• Pfizer and other vaccine makers like Moderna and Novavax believe combination shots will simplify the process for people to protect themselves against respiratory viruses that typically surge around the same time of the year.
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