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The Sick Times
@thesicktimes.org
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A nonprofit news site chronicling the #LongCOVID crisis. Founded by journalists @BetsyLadyzhets.bsky.social & @MilesWGriffis.bsky.social

Website: thesicktimes.org
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We’re excited to share that our end-of-year fundraiser was a success! While we didn’t reach our full goal, we raised over $50,000, most of which has been doubled thanks to NewsMatch and other generous supporters.

😷 Thank you for believing in our mission to chronicle the #LongCOVID crisis.
ID 1: Thank you for supporting The Sick Times’ fundraiser. We raised nearly $100,000: $51,400 in direct donations from readers; $17,500 in matching funds from NewsMatch and the Philanthropic Access Partner Fund; $23,500 in matching funds from Sick Times readers: Eli Dickinson and Katherine Zambon, the Funtara Fund, and an anonymous supporter; $4,000 in bonuses from NewsMatch. While we did not quite meet our overall goal, we raised over $50,000 in direct donations from readers. And we are set to receive the maximum available matching funds from the Institute for Nonprofit News’ NewsMatch program and from generous Sick Times readers who chipped in. We also had nearly 100 readers become Supporters by setting up new monthly donations. What we plan to do in 2026 * * Hire a new podcast and social media producer, to revive our weekly podcast, Still Here, produce videos for our social media channels, and assist with other editorial tasks. * * Continue publishing news and commentary stories from freelance writers. We’re currently taking pitches for the first half of 2026, and already have some exciting stories lined up. * * Publish more deep dives on clinical trials and pathobiology research, expanding on last year’s series about promising trials and study design. We’re also exploring new ways of sharing complex scientific information with readers. What we plan to do in 2026: * * Keep closely following U.S. government actions on Long COVID and related diseases, especially actions from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the NIH’s RECOVER program, which is set to launch new clinical trials this year. * * More virtual events! We’re considering more town halls with our team, Q&As with notable figures in the Long COVID community, options for readers to meet each other, and more. * * Keep working on sustainability. We’ll continue to pursue grants, sponsorships, and other funding opportunities so that we can keep delivering independent journalism for a long time. We have already secured one major sponsor for 2026, which you will start seeing in our newsletter next week.
January 6, 2026 at 10:22 PM
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Stay on top of COVID-19 trends and #LongCOVID research. Sign up for our newsletter to get our reporting delivered directly to your inbox every Tuesday! thesicktimes.org/newsletter/
Wastewater data from the CDC, WastewaterSCAN, and Biobot Analytics all report significant increases in SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater throughout December. Healthcare system data also report increases in COVID-19 spread across much of the U.S. Test positivity and emergency department visits have not yet gone up as dramatically as wastewater levels, but this will likely change in the coming weeks. chart showing healthcare visits for influenza-like illness, from a network of clinics that report to the agency, during winter flu seasons from 2020 to 2026. Influenza-like illness includes cases with a fever plus a cough or sore throat. The X axis represents week of the year, starting in October (week 40) and going through to the next September (week 39), and the Y axis represents % of patient visits for flu-like illness. Different flu seasons are represented with different colored lines, with the current 2025-26 season in bright red. Visits for flu-like illness have gone up dramatically in December 2025, reaching a higher point for the week ending December 27 than any other recorded in the prior five flu seasons. Flu is doing more damage to the healthcare system. National flu test positivity and emergency department visits were several times higher for flu than for COVID-19 for the week ending December 27. Among clinics reporting to a CDC surveillance network, 8.2% of patient visits that week were for “influenza-like illness,” (fever plus cough or sore throat) — a record high compared to the prior five winters. You might ask: are some of these flu cases really COVID-19 cases? Testing and emergency department data from the CDC are hard to dispute, since healthcare facilities often test for both viruses at the same time when someone presents with respiratory symptoms. But many people do not test to see which virus is making them sick, thanks to the broad dismantling of a public testing infrastructure that we had earlier in the pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 carries a higher risk of long-term symptoms than other pathogens, but flu has also caused myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in the past; both viruses are good reasons to stay on guard. And similar precautions, like high-quality masks, work for both. Black text on a white graph paper background shows The Sick Times COVID-19 trends legend. WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2: Lighter yellow = “Low” Darker yellow = “Medium” Orange = “High"; medium concentration and upward trend or high concentration and downward trend Red = “High"; high concentration and no trend or upward trend CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-CoV-2: Lighter yellow = “Very low” Darker yellow = “Low” Orange = “Moderate” Red = “High” or “Very high” CDC COVID-19 test positivity: Lighter yellow = Under 3% Darker yellow = 3% to 6% Orange = 6% to 10% Red = 10% or higher Week over week percent change Arrow directly down = -20% or less change Arrow diagonal down = -20% to -5% change Arrow in horizontal line = -5% to 5% change Arrow diagonal up = 5% to 20% change Arrow directly up = 20% or more change covid-19-trends-legend.png
January 6, 2026 at 6:39 PM
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COVID-19 levels are increasing across most of the U.S. as of late December. But flu is overshadowing COVID-19 in healthcare system impacts and headlines.

For both viruses, similar precautions (like high-quality masks and improving air quality) work to reduce your risk of infection. bit.ly/3LhxKd2
Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for January 6, 2026. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with a red color) and reports a significant increase (represented with an up arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "moderate*" (orange) and reports a slight increase (diagonal up arrow), and CDC COVID-19 test positivity, which is moderate (darker yellow) and stable (side to side 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."
January 6, 2026 at 6:39 PM
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🚌 Two recent studies state that Long COVID is an occupational disease

👩🏽‍⚕️ Vanderbilt researchers are conducting an immune profiling study on Long COVID and POTS

💊 A new phase two remote clinical trial for ME will assess low-dose naltrexone

This week's #LongCOVID research: bit.ly/49bWgnJ
Two young healthcare workers stand in an orange room of a hospital or clinic. One wears a high quality mask, while the other wears a surgical mask. The text reads, “Long COVID research updates. Two recent studies state that Long COVID is an occupational disease. Vanderbilt researchers are conducting an immune profiling study on Long COVID and POTS. A new phase two remote clinical trial for ME will assess low-dose naltrexone.” Two recent studies state that Long COVID is an occupational disease. The first, a Catalan study of over 2,000 workers, found that those with higher-risk occupations had a 44% higher likelihood of developing Long COVID, compared to people with lower-risk jobs. The higher-risk occupations included healthcare professionals, teachers, retail workers, transport workers, and others. A second study from the U.K. of over 4,000 healthcare workers found that the disease affected different ethnicities, sexes, and occupational roles in different ways. Both studies found that nearly a quarter of workers in their cohorts developed Long COVID. Vanderbilt researchers are conducting an immune profiling study on people with Long COVID and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). In the cross-sectional study, researchers are comparing three inflammatory markers in 150 people with POTS, Long COVID, and those with a history of SARS-C0V-2 infections who did not develop long-term symptoms. The researchers are evaluating a hypothesis that “post-COVID-19 POTS is caused by reduced [parasympathetic] activity, which in turn, contributes to persistent inflammation [and] orthostatic intolerance.” Contact: Marwa Mohamed, marwa.mohamed@vumc.org. A new phase two remote clinical trial was recently announced for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). The study will assess low-dose naltrexone (LDN), a drug that is also being studied for Long COVID. The blinded study will recruit 75 participants from anywhere in the U.S. to trial the drug, testing it at four different doses between 1.5 and 6 milligrams for ten months. The trial is set to start recruiting in April 2026. Contact: Jared Younger, younger@uab.edu.
December 26, 2025 at 3:13 PM
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This is our final COVID-19 trends report for 2025. The Sick Times is off for a scheduled break through January 5, 2026.

Sign up for our newsletter to get our weekly report delivered directly to your inbox when we’re back!
The Sick Times. COVID-19 trends: December 23. Wastewater data from the CDC and WastewaterSCAN show that the Midwest and Northeast remain COVID-19 hotspots as of mid-December, while disease levels are relatively lower in the West and South. The CDC’s wastewater viral activity levels have fluctuated dramatically in recent weeks. I suspect this fluctuation may be reflecting issues with data reporting rather than actual trends in disease spread. Reporting delays and other issues may continue in the next couple of weeks as health officials take time off for the holidays. The Sick Times. COVID-19 trends: December 23. Meanwhile, the CDC healthcare system metrics — which tend to be more reliable than its wastewater surveillance metrics — are clearer in reporting slow but steady increases in COVID-19 spread. Test positivity and emergency department visits are both trending up nationally and across different regions. Flu spread also continues to increase, with flu leading to far more emergency department visits and positive lab tests than COVID-19 in the U.S. as of mid-December. The Sick Times. COVID-19 trends: December 23. Influenza-like illness (a metric representing doctors’ visits for fever, cough, and sore throat) is increasing rapidly and already at “high” or “very high” levels in some states, including New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Colorado. Virologist Angela Rasmussen wrote in a recent newsletter that the “CDC’s ability to carry out core activities for managing flu season is hindered or completely impaired,” thanks to the Trump administration. Map of the U.S. with states color-coded according to their levels of flu-like illness, a metric based on outpatient visits to healthcare providers for fever, cough, and sore throat. The title reads, "2025-26 Influenza Season Week 50 ending Dec 13, 2025." Colors on the map include shades of green for "minimal," greenish yellow for "low," yellow and orange for "moderate," orange and red for "high," and dark red and purple for "very high." States with higher levels include New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Colorado. New York City, represented separate from the rest of the state, is colored in purple for the highest tier of activity. Black text on a white graph paper background shows The Sick Times COVID-19 trends legend. WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2: Lighter yellow = “Low” Darker yellow = “Medium” Orange = “High"; medium concentration and upward trend or high concentration and downward trend Red = “High"; high concentration and no trend or upward trend CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-CoV-2: Lighter yellow = “Very low” Darker yellow = “Low” Orange = “Moderate” Red = “High” or “Very high” CDC COVID-19 test positivity: Lighter yellow = Under 3% Darker yellow = 3% to 6% Orange = 6% to 10% Red = 10% or higher Week over week percent change Arrow directly down = -20% or less change Arrow diagonal down = -20% to -5% change Arrow in horizontal line = -5% to 5% change Arrow diagonal up = 5% to 20% change Arrow directly up = 20% or more change
December 23, 2025 at 6:05 PM
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COVID-19 spread continues to increase across the U.S. as we head into the most travel-and-gathering-heavy part of the year. Flu levels are also going up, more aggressively than COVID-19.

Read @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social's weekly COVID-19 trends report: bit.ly/44K5je9
Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for December 23, 2025. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "medium" (represented with a dark yellow color) and reports a significant increase (represented with an 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 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."
December 23, 2025 at 6:05 PM
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Changes to telehealth policies are more than an inconvenience. Virtual care cuts hurt access for everyone, especially people with disabilities. bit.ly/493L4JM
A picture of a bright red cord telephone floats above a light blue backdrop contaning a grid patter of white SARS-CoV-2 viruses that almost resemble snowflakes. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Telehealth is vital for people with Long COVID. Don’t let it disappear. By Aly Laube.” [If all of my medical visits were in person, I] would miss a good chunk of them just due to my fatigue and not being able to leave the house. - Dani, Person with Long COVID
December 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
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🚑 Study: veterans diagnosed with Long COVID had
34% higher risk of visiting ER

🩸 Study: LC is characterized by “chronic inflammation, immune exhaustion, and metabolic dysregulation”

💶 ME Association has awarded £1.1 million to study Long COVID and ME

#LongCOVID research updates: bit.ly/3KIYDGy
A close up photo of the back of an ambulance. The colorful blue and orange painted on the vehicle contrast are emphasized by a patly cloudy sky. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates. A new study found that veterans diagnosed with Long COVID had a 34% higher risk of visiting the ER. A small study concluded Long COVID is characterized by “chronic inflammation, immune exhaustion, and metabolic dysregulation”. ME Association has awarded £1.1 million in funding to the Imperial College London to study Long COVID and ME.” A new observational study in Cureus found that veterans diagnosed with Long COVID had a 34% higher risk of visiting the emergency department (ED) six months following infection than those without Long COVID. The study included the electronic health records of 172,945 individuals receiving care from the Veterans Health Administration, who had tested positive for COVID-19 from March to December, 2021, identifying those with Long COVID by the disease’s ICD-10 code. “[Long COVID] poses a considerable threat to public health for the U.S. veteran and the general U.S. population,” the authors concluded. “Our data demonstrate that [Long COVID] is characterized by chronic inflammation, immune exhaustion, and metabolic dysregulation,” scientists concluded in a new study published in Nature Immunology. The authors assessed 142 individuals in the study, including people with Long COVID and controls, and found upregulation of inflammation (including the JAK-STAT and IL-6 pathways) more than at least 180 days beyond initial infection. While limited to a small cohort, the authors suggested the results make an argument for JAK STAT inhibitors as therapeutic targets. The U.K. charity the ME Association has awarded £1.1 million ($1.5 million USD) in funding to the Imperial College London to study immunological profiles of Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). The three-year study will include 250 people with each disease, matched with controls, and evaluate stool, blood, and saliva samples. The study will also include collaboration with the team of DecodeME, working on genetic studies about ME. “It makes sense to study both conditions in parallel and in detail – which is what the Rosetta Stone study will do,” said ME Association medical advisor Charles Shepherd in a press release.
December 19, 2025 at 3:05 PM
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Like other South American countries, Colombia lacks awareness of #LongCOVID. There are no specialized clinics and only a handful of research studies, and there is minimal media attention. bit.ly/4j3iTzb
At a mobile health clinic, a health worker administers a COVID-19 vaccine into a patient’s arm. Two other workers sit at a table behind them. The workers are wearing personal protective equipment, including KN95 masks, and fun hats with bright colors. A sign hung up behind the table reads, “Vacuna es segura” (“The vaccine is safe”), and shares other information about COVID-19 precautions. The text on the slide reads, “The Sick Times. Despite Long COVID’s ongoing impact, research in Colombia is limited. By Delfina Marchese.” Members of Long COVID Colombia, a WhatsApp support group, “are totally willing to participate in any trial that there is here in Colombia,” Rodriguez said. “Everything has been very difficult here.” - Claudia Rodriguez, Person with Long COVID in Colombia
December 18, 2025 at 3:14 PM
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On Monday, HHS hosted an event that announced new initiatives for Lyme disease. The roundtable followed a similar event on Long COVID, which still hasn’t led to action.

Read more from @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social and @mileswgriffis.bsky.social: bit.ly/4p0BQnA
Senator Susan Collins speaks at the second Lyme disease roundtable. She is a white woman in her early 70s and swears a grey blazer and white shirt. Behind her a sign reads “lyme disease roundtable”. The text reads, “The Sick Times. HHS hosts event and announces new initiatives for Lyme disease, but advocates are skeptical about follow-through. By Betsy Ladyzhets and Miles W. Griffis.” I’m hoping in the new year that [ARPA-H] can get moving on chronic Lyme and Long COVID…Words are easy, and action is much more difficult. — Devin Russel, Long COVID Foundation
December 17, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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😷 Flu, along with RSV and other viruses that spread through the air and close contact in winter, offer additional reasons to wear high-quality masks and follow other health measures.
Chart from Biobot Analytics showing SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in wastewater by region. The X axis represents time, going from August 2024 to December 2025, and the Y axis represents virus concentration, going from 0 to 1000 copies/mL. The West is represented with a green line, Northeast with a yellow line, South with a pink line, and Midwest with a purple line. All four regions saw a wave in summer 2024, then one in winter 2024-25 (with significantly higher levels in the Northeast and Midwest than the West and South), then one in summer 2025 (with higher levels for the West and South). In the latest data, for early December, Biobot reports increases in all four regions, with the most pronounced spike in the Northeast. Text reads, “Wastewater data from the CDC, WastewaterSCAN, and Biobot Analytics show increasing SARS-CoV-2 levels at sewage testing sites around the country in the first week of December. All three sources report increases in their national averages and for the Northeast, Midwest, and (to a lesser extent) the South.” ID 3) COVID-19 test positivity is also increasing nationally, after a plateau for much of October and November. Health regions in the Northeast and Midwest report more aggressive increases in test positivity than those in the South and West. While we are clearly moving into a period of higher COVID-19 spread, seasonal flu continues to increase more rapidly. National test positivity and emergency department visits are much higher for the flu than for COVID-19 in our latest data. We have also passed the CDC’s threshold for flu season. ID 4) Flu, along with RSV and other viruses that spread through the air and close contact in winter, offer additional reasons to wear high-quality masks and follow other health measures. Health departments in New York City and California recently encouraged masking — something that other agencies should do, too. Screenshot of a text from the California Department of Public Health reads, “Traveling for the holidays? Stay well on your way by wearing a high-quality mask like an N95 in crowded indoor spaces like airports and planes. Also wash your hands frequently, cover your cough or sneeze, and avoid traveling if you’re sick.” ID 5) Black text on a white graph paper background shows The Sick Times COVID-19 trends legend. WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2: Lighter yellow = “Low” Darker yellow = “Medium” Orange = “High"; medium concentration and upward trend or high concentration and downward trend Red = “High"; high concentration and no trend or upward trend CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-CoV-2: Lighter yellow = “Very low” Darker yellow = “Low” Orange = “Moderate” Red = “High” or “Very high” CDC COVID-19 test positivity: Lighter yellow = Under 3% Darker yellow = 3% to 6% Orange = 6% to 10% Red = 10% or higher Week over week percent change Arrow directly down = -20% or less change Arrow diagonal down = -20% to -5% change Arrow in horizontal line = -5% to 5% change Arrow diagonal up = 5% to 20% change Arrow directly up = 20% or more change
December 16, 2025 at 6:35 PM
thesicktimes.org
After a couple of weeks of uneven increases, COVID-19 spread is now clearly going up in the U.S. across most major metrics and most regions. We have also passed the CDC’s threshold for flu season.

Read @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social's full COVID-19 trends report: bit.ly/4qfBlqJ
December 16, 2025 at 6:35 PM
thesicktimes.org
"Until governments and health systems step up, the community can be the difference between someone making it through the next month — or not."

A Q&A with ME advocate Nevra Elis & her support network: bit.ly/4pzAGjW
A photo of Nevra Elis on a hospital bed. She is a Pakistani woman with severe ME and wears a white and blue hospital gown and a blue surgical mask. Her eyes are closed and she lays on her back. The text reads, “The Sick Times. “Medically neglected” and “structurally erased”: International network appeals for ME advocate Nevra Elis. Q&A with Nevra members of Team Nevra.” In short: Nevra is not just medically neglected — she is structurally erased. Her identities make her easier for systems to ignore, even as her life depends on people finally choosing not to look away.
December 16, 2025 at 3:04 PM
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We’re over halfway through our end-of-year fundraiser, and we’re not where we need to be to keep our vital work going. We have three weeks left to hit our goals of $60,000 and 200 monthly supporters.

The #LongCOVID community needs us — we need you! the-sick-times.fundjournalism.org/donate/
Purple background with white text reads: New donations (followed by a thermometer reaching $60K). New monthly supporters (followed by a thermometer reaching 200). Text reads, "The Long COVID community needs us. We need you." Four testimonials from Sick Times readers in speech bubbles: “I desperately need the information you publish and can find it nowhere else.” “The Sick Times does essential work for the Long COVID community.” “You're indispensable and genuine. I trust your dedication to our community.” “I appreciate everything all of you do to keep publishing the truth in a world that cares little for it.”
December 12, 2025 at 5:39 PM
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🩸 A new study examines how COVID-19 impacts the immune system.

💶 The German government has announced over €500 million in funding for infection-associated diseases.

🧬 A preprint study found more than 250 genes associated with ME, 76 of which were shared with Long COVID.

bit.ly/44jnwiz
A microscope image shows a close up of red blood cells and lymphocytes, or, white blood cells. The red blood cells are pink and round and dominate the slide, while the white blood cells, only five of them, appear bright purple and round. The text reads, “"The Sick Times. LonLon g COVID research updates. A new study examines how COVID-19 impacts the immune system. The German government has announced just over €500 million ($582 million USD) in funding for infection-associated diseases.A preprint study found more than 250 genes associated with ME, 76 of which were shared with Long COVID.” A new study examines how COVID-19 impacts the immune system. Researchers used preexisting health records from over 40,000 people who had undergone testing of their lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, and focused on comparing test results taken during China’s massive Omicron wave to before and after this time period. But these were three different cohorts, not the same participants followed over time. While the paper’s authors state that their findings “support immune dysregulation” as a driver of Long COVID, the study did not follow people with documented Long COVID symptoms or confirmed SARS-Cov-2 infections, and did not account for the potential impacts of reinfections during the period it labels as “post-COVID.” Earlier this fall, we reported on the German government cutting Long COVID funding. Now, the government has announced just over €500 million ($582 million USD) in funding for infection-associated diseases, including Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). In a program called a National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases, funds for research will be allocated over the next ten years (2026–2036) to study pathobiology, biomarkers, and more. In the U.S., advocates have demanded at least a billion USD per year, with some experts stating the field needs many billions per year. Researcher Ziyad Al-Aly told Nature, Germany’s funding is “a great step in the right direction.” A preprint using data from the DecodeME study found more than 250 genes associated with ME, 76 of which were shared with Long COVID. Researchers compared the genes of people with ME to those of controls and of a cohort with Long COVID, using a special AI analytics platform. “These findings provide further evidence that ME is a complex multisystemic condition where the risk of developing the disease has a very clear genetic and biological basis,” the authors concluded, explaining that although Long COVID and ME have overlapping genetic commonalities, their research suggests they are different diseases. Read more about the study in this press release, which calls it “the most detailed genetic analysis of ME ever conducted.”
December 11, 2025 at 2:57 PM
thesicktimes.org
For more than a year, Miranda DeNovo (@crookedneighbor.bsky.social) has been helping take care of community members with very severe Long COVID and ME. She writes that doctors who will engage with administrative work can be a lifeline against neglect. bit.ly/4a9ZI4u
A graphic shows an ouroboro, or a snake eating their own tail. In the middle of the ring of the snake is the phrase “just following up”. The background is grapefruit pink with email “envelopes” scattered behind the snake. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Doctors who refuse to engage with administrative work are abandoning their poorest and sickest patients. By Miranda DeNovo.” The healthcare system expects patients to have family members or partners who will build relationships with their doctors, and who can take on this massive administrative burden as a full-time job.
December 10, 2025 at 6:22 PM
thesicktimes.org
😷 You can get @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social's COVID-19 trends reports delivered directly to your inbox every Tuesday by signing up for our weekly newsletter: thesicktimes.org/newsletter/
Wastewater data from the CDC, WastewaterSCAN, and Biobot Analytics all agree that the Midwest is seeing the highest SARS-CoV-2 levels in sewage as of late November. WWSCAN and Biobot also report increases in the Northeast and nationally, while the CDC reports a slight decrease for both those areas. The CDC data are preliminary, though, and sometimes heavily impacted by reporting delays, so their trends may be different in the next update. Line chart from the CDC's NREVSS Dashboard, sharing test positivity rates for so-called respiratory viruses reported by this network of health labs. The title reads: "Weekly percent of tests positive for respiratory viruses reported to NREVSS." The Y axis represents percent of tests that are positive, going from 0% to 30%, and the X axis represents time, going from September 2024 to November 2025. The chart is set to show data for influenza (blue line), RSV (green line), and SARS-Cov-2 (red line). In this time period, all three viruses had waves in winter 2024-25, and SARS-CoV-2 also had waves in summer 2024 and summer 2025. In the most recent data, test positivity for flu has increased sharply, for RSV has increased more moderately, and for SARS-CoV-2, has stayed pretty consistent at about 3%. Text reads: National COVID-19 test positivity, as calculated from the network of testing labs still reporting to the CDC, has stayed very stable since late October (at about 3%). Test positivity for flu, on the other hand, is increasing dramatically: from about 1% for the week ending November 1 to 7.1% for the week ending November 29. Far fewer Americans have received an updated COVID-19 vaccine this year than have received an updated flu vaccine. Vaccination rates for both viruses are also lower this year than in prior years, according to a report from CIDRAP. And our federal health agencies are doing anything but instilling confidence in these important (though far from perfect) public health tools. Read Betsy Ladyzhets’ full COVID-19 trends report thesicktimes.org And sign up for our newsletter to get the weekly report delivered directly to your inbox! thesicktimes.org/newsletter
December 9, 2025 at 6:01 PM
thesicktimes.org
COVID-19 trends for the last week of November are similar to the rest of the month: disease levels are increasing in the Midwest and Northeast, but less so in the West and South. Meanwhile, flu spread is accelerating faster than COVID-19 spread. bit.ly/3MyjHQm
Graphic from The Sick Times sharing the latest COVID-19 trends for December 9, 2025. The graphic presents trends for three metrics: WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2, which is "high" (represented with an orange color) and reports a slight increase (represented with a diagonal up arrow); CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-Cov-2, which is "very low*" (lighter yellow) and stable (represented with a right to left arrow); 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."
December 9, 2025 at 6:01 PM
thesicktimes.org
🍼 Infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy were more likely to have adverse neurodevelopmental diagnoses

💊 Metformin may help reduce risk of Long COVID

🧠 NIH is recruiting for a study on neurological symptoms of Long COVID

This week's #LongCOVID research: bit.ly/4pncbXf
ID: A newborn is wrapped in a small blanket and wears a blue beanie after being delivered in a hospital. They rest on a blue pad. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Long COVID research updates. A study found that infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy were more likely to have adverse neurodevelopmental diagnoses. Another study has found that the common diabetes drug metformin may help reduce the risk of Long COVID. NIH is recruiting for a study to understand if people with neurological symptoms of Long COVID have inactive remnants of SARS-CoV-2 in their bodies.” A large retrospective cohort study of over 18,000 live births found that infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy were more likely to have adverse neurodevelopmental diagnoses by the time they were three years old. Children included in the study, published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, were born between March 2020 and May 2021. This pattern, which included higher rates of speech, language, and motor function disorders, was most pronounced when infection occurred in the third trimester and in male children. “COVID is a real problem that poses risk to the mom in pregnancy and to the child,” one of the authors told ProPublica. Another study has found that the common diabetes drug metformin may help reduce the risk of Long COVID. Shared as a preprint, the electronic health records study found a 53% lower risk of developing Long COVID when the drug was prescribed within six days of SARS-C0V-2 infection. The study included the health records of 496 people (248 in the metformin group. The authors concluded that the result of this study is consistent with randomized controlled trials and observational analyses on the drug for cutting Long COVID risk, and that it could be used to help guide treatment guidelines. Read more about metformin and Long COVID in our recent feature. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is recruiting for a small observational study to understand if people with neurological symptoms of Long COVID have inactive remnants of SARS-CoV-2 in their bodies. The study is recruiting 12 people, including those with Long COVID neurological symptoms and those who have “recovered” from infection. Researchers will take tissue samples from multiple parts of the body, including the digestive tract, lungs, colon, muscle, and skin. Participants will also undergo a lumbar puncture. The study is based in Bethesda, Maryland. Study contact: Angelique Gavin, angelique.gavin@nih.gov.
December 5, 2025 at 2:36 PM
thesicktimes.org
Leslie Lee III, an educator, critic, and Long COVID advocate, died on November 10.

“He was one of the few voices in leftist spaces that refused to buy into COVID denialism," Taylor Lorenz told @mileswgriffis.bsky.social. "He was such a strong voice..."

bit.ly/44MICG4
A photo of Leslie Lee III. He is a Black man in his early 40s with a mustache. He wears a ball cap, glasses, and a black shirt. The text reads, "The Sick Times. Leslie Lee III, culture critic and Long COVID advocate, dies at 43. By Miles W. Griffis." A screenshot of a message on X: L., MA @leslieleeiii Nov 14 Please read. -YB. All proceeds from the GoFundMe will go to cover funeral costs and as temporary replacement of loss of income. This is YB, @stuffhedoes Leslie's spouse. I am sad to share with you the tragic news of his passing on Monday, November 10th, aged 43. Leslie Lee Ill was a beloved husband, son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, and friend. He left us much too soon. I appreciate your kindness at this time, while we process our grief. If you wish, you can donate directly to his gofundme linked in his profile, any later news I will post from this account. A private service for family is being held this week with a memorial service to be held at a later date in NYC. He was to me, my everything. He was an advocate for others with Long COVID. He was an amazing writer and passionate podcaster.
December 4, 2025 at 6:02 PM
thesicktimes.org
While all U.S. COVID-19 metrics remain at low-to-moderate levels as of mid-November, wastewater data show clear signs of this year’s winter wave getting started in the Northeast and Midwest.

Read @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social's full COVID-19 trends report at The Sick Times: bit.ly/4pgWQaD
Black text on a white graph paper background reads, “The Sick Times. COVID-19 trends report: December 2. While all U.S. COVID-19 metrics remain at low-to-moderate levels as of mid-November, wastewater data show clear signs of this year’s winter wave getting started in the Northeast and Midwest. The latest data are from before Thanksgiving, and the increases are likely to continue as outbreaks from holiday travel and gatherings show up in our numbers. — Betsy Ladyzhets 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.” A graph at the top of the graphic shows: 

WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2 at “medium” with a slight decrease. 

CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-CoV-2 at “very low” with a significant increase. CDC COVID-19 test positivity at “moderate” with a slight decrease. Black text on a white graph paper background reads, “The Sick Times. COVID-19 trends report: December 2. National wastewater trends from the CDC and WastewaterSCAN disagree this week. The CDC reports a substantial increase in its national average between November 15 and 22, while WWSCAN reports a slight decrease between November 12 and 19. Both dashboards agree, however, that the Midwest and Northeast are seeing sustained increases of SARS-CoV-2 in their wastewater, while viral levels in the West and South remain lower and stable.” Black text on a white graph paper background reads, “The Sick Times. COVID-19 trends report: December 2. Healthcare system data and state-reported data similarly show that the Midwest and Northeast are seeing the start of a likely winter wave before the rest of the country. California reports very low SARS-CoV-2 levels in its wastewater. Kansas also reports low levels, in a new wastewater dashboard the state just launched. Meanwhile, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont (also with a new dashboard, upgrading from weekly reports) report increases in their wastewater.” Black text on a white graph paper background reads, “The Sick Times. COVID-19 trends report: December 2. "Vaccination rates in the U.S., fall 2025." The chart has four lines representing estimated vaccination rates: flu vaccines in adults and children (purple solid line and purple dashed line, respectively), and COVID-19 vaccines in adults and children (teal solid line and teal dashed line). The purple lines representing flu vaccines are much higher, going up toward 40%, than the teal lines representing COVID-19 vaccines. In the latest estimate, for November 22, only 15% of adults and 6% of children have received COVID-19 vaccines. Text below the title notes: "CDC estimates based on survey data from the National Immunization Survey-Fall Respiratory Virus Module, as of December 1, 2025." Text reads, “Seasonal flu spread is accelerating more rapidly and uniformly than COVID-19, at least in our pre-Thanksgiving data. Flu certainly merits some attention in the winter, but it does not pose as much of a chronic disease threat to every organ system as COVID-19 does. And yet, the CDC’s estimates of vaccinations so far show far more Americans getting their flu shots than their COVID-19 shots.”
December 3, 2025 at 11:05 PM
thesicktimes.org
We're eager to hear what you think about our new graphic representations of @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social's weekly COVID-19 trends. We've been working on this project for a while, and we're excited to share it with you!

For further details, check out our The Sick Times COVID-19 trends legend.
Black text on a white graph paper background shows The Sick Times COVID-19 trends legend. WastewaterSCAN category for SARS-CoV-2: Lighter yellow = “Low” Darker yellow = “Medium” Orange = “High"; medium concentration and upward trend or high concentration and downward trend Red = “High"; high concentration and no trend or upward trend CDC wastewater viral activity level for SARS-CoV-2: Lighter yellow = “Very low” Darker yellow = “Low” Orange = “Moderate” Red = “High” or “Very high” CDC COVID-19 test positivity: Lighter yellow = Under 3% Darker yellow = 3% to 6% Orange = 6% to 10% Red = 10% or higher Week over week percent change Arrow directly down = -20% or less change Arrow diagonal down = -20% to -5% change Arrow in horizontal line = -5% to 5% change Arrow diagonal up = 5% to 20% change Arrow directly up = 20% or more change
December 3, 2025 at 10:58 PM
thesicktimes.org
Tens of millions of Americans have #LongCOVID, a number we can only expect to grow as people become reinfected multiple times. Yet despite this increased need for healthcare, the government is slashing Medicaid.

Read more from @lauralew105.bsky.social: bit.ly/3MhxU48
A demonstrator in a wheelchair at a rally outside the News Corp. headquarters in New York City on May 20, 2025. The demonstrator, who wears a black shirt and skirt, holds a sign that says, “stop the deadly cuts to medicaid.” The text reads, “The Sick Times. The future of Medicaid is “really scary” for people with Long COVID. By Laura Weiss.” “This country is not prepared, hasn’t been prepared for five years for this massive increase in disabled people,” said Dom Kelly, CEO of New Disabled South, an advocacy organization.
December 3, 2025 at 5:44 PM
thesicktimes.org
It’s #GivingTuesday! Will you help us get our fundraiser back on track and keep our #LongCOVID journalism going? the-sick-times.fundjournalism.org/donate/
The Sick Times News Match It's Giving Tuesday! Our end-of-year fundraiser has been moving more slowly than we planned. To help us get back on track, we're hoping to raise $10,000 and gain 50 new monthly supporters (at any amount!) by the end of the day today. Since Betsy and Miles launched this nonprofit publication in 2023, we've made it our mission to provide essential news and information to people with Long COVID, related diseases, and their loved ones during the ongoing pandemic - and we're not slowing down any time soon. Whether you're following for our COVID-19 trends, research explainers, clinical trial updates, or personal essays, our fact-based reporting helps you better understand the continuing Long COVID crisis. Can you help power our Long COVID reporting! DONATE TODAY The Sick Times News Match Other ways to support us We understand that many people in our community aren't able to donate. This is why we'll never have a paywall — our stories will always be completely free to read. If you aren't in a position to donate yourself, here are a few ways you can help: • Share this email/this post with a friend/family member • Tell us why you find our work valuable • Send any ideas you have for potential funding sources The Sick Times News Match
December 2, 2025 at 2:57 PM
thesicktimes.org
“The problem with Long COVID is that most of society would rather not see it.”

@philipandrewhoover.bsky.social writes that he often feels that he’s living a double life. How can this sick side of him be so central, so enormous, yet so unseen by those who know and love him? bit.ly/4pf80g7
Edvard Munch’s Melancholy depicts a man sitting by himself on the seashore, resting his head on his hand, with a look of deep sadness on his face. The text reads, “The Sick Times. You know someone with Long COVID. They need you to ask about it genuinely. By Philip Hoover.” “The worst part of getting Long COVID was the cruelty of the disease, a punitive unraveling of my health and identity. The next-worst part, and just as heartbreaking, was discovering how few of my friends and loved ones could engage with my illness in ways that felt caring.”
December 1, 2025 at 6:04 PM