Coronavirus Update: Demystifying Covid ‘brain fog’

PLUS: The Covid-19 headlines you need to know, a distraction, and something to read.

View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions By Eve Sneider | 07.07.22 As the news keeps evolving, we're here to bring you the most reliable coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Subscribe to support our journalism. Beijing mandates vaccines, pharmacists can prescribe Paxlovid, and Cyprus reinstates indoor masking. But first, here's this week's big story: The Secrets of Covid 'Brain Fog' Are Starting to Lift Since the first cases of long Covid were detected, scientists have been baffled by it: It can be hard to define, and at times it's even been difficult to tell how many people have it. Now, researchers have new insights into brain fog, one of the disruptive symptoms many long-haulers struggle with. Looking at mice with mild Covid-19 infections, they found that the virus disrupted normal activity for some kinds of brain cells and left behind signs of inflammation. More studies will be needed to prove anything definitively, but this discovery is an important step toward providing an explanation of brain fog as well as potential pathways for therapies. Last month, data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicated that some 20 million American adults are struggling with long Covid symptoms, and that children can experience prolonged symptoms too. And yet the illness continues to evade easy explanations. More research is necessary to make more sense of how it works, and how to alleviate the symptoms it causes. Headlines Starting next Monday, people in Beijing will need to show proof of vaccination to enter a wide variety of public places, making the capital the first city in mainland China to mandate vaccines. (CNN) A new US policy from the FDA permits pharmacists to prescribe the oral antiviral Paxlovid, which mitigates the worst symptoms of Covid. (Associated Press) Just over a month after removing it, Cyprus has reinstated its indoor mask mandate as cases are on the rise once again. (Reuters) Even though cases are rising, New York City officials did away with its color-coded alert system late last week, which informed residents about when they were at greater risk of catching Covid. (New York Times) Starting next week, Australians over 30 will be eligible to receive a fourth Covid-19 shot, a move spurred by the onset of another Omicron wave. (The Guardian) Science Spotlight The Infamous 1972 Report That Warned of Civilization's Collapse In 1972, the intellectual organization The Club of Rome published The Limits of Growth, a best seller portending the end of civilization. Fifty years later, what's changed? Climate Change Breaks Plant Immune Systems. Can They Be Rebooted? Plants have immune systems too, and some are withering as the planet faces increasingly extreme heat. But some say this troubling trend could be reversible. Daily Distraction Cringing at your younger self is a cornerstone of growing up. For Gen Zers who documented their tween years online, there's even more to unpack. Something to Read After she gave birth to her son, WIRED writer Kate Knibbs' social media feeds filled with stories of sick kids. What is it about the algorithms governing the internet that leads them to feed people tragedies? Sanity Check At-home Covid tests are great to have on hand, but they're not cheap. The good news: iHealth's kits are available right now for their lowest price yet. GET WIRED Get WIRED for just $29.99 $5. Includes the print edition plus editor in chief Gideon Lichfield's column, System Update. Subscribe now. Have questions or comments? Reply to this email.   This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or Manage your newsletter subscriptions   Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.