COVID Update: What You Need to Know
As the pandemic enters its fifth year, staying informed about the latest developments with the disease, including new variants and treatments, remains especially important for older adults, who are most at risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19.
Here’s a summary of recent coronavirus news that’s particularly relevant to people 50 and older, followed by answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19.
Latest COVID-19 news
FDA authorizes new drug for immunocompromised individuals (March 26). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized a new medication that can help protect immunocompromised people from serious symptoms of COVID-19. The drug — a monoclonal antibody infusion, called Pemgarda — is expected to be available in the coming weeks. Unlike other COVID treatments, the medication is meant to be used ahead of an infection (called pre-exposure prophylaxis) as another layer of protection for people who are unlikely to mount an adequate immune response to the vaccines.
CDC updates COVID isolation guidelines (March 1). Health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have updated isolations guidelines for people with COVID-19. The new recommendations suggest staying away from others when you’re sick and returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving and you're fever-free without the use of a fever-reducing medication. At that point, wearing a mask and practicing other preventive steps is still encouraged for at least five days.
Adults 65-plus should get a spring COVID-19 vaccine (Feb. 29). The CDC is recommending that adults 65 and older roll up their sleeves this spring for another dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. More than half of COVID-19 hospitalizations during October 2023 to December 2023 occurred in this age group, and deaths continue to remain highest among older adults. “An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen, M.D., said in a statement.
Novavax’s updated vaccine gets green light from FDA (Oct. 4). The Food and Drug Administration authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine on Oct. 3 for people 12 and older. Similar to the revised vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, Novavax’s protein-based vaccine targets XBB.1.5, a more recent version of the coronavirus. The company said in a news release that the new shot will be available in thousands of locations across the U.S.
New COVID-19 vaccines get the green light (Sept. 12). A new batch of COVID-19 vaccines that are a closer match to the coronavirus variants that are currently circulating throughout the U.S. have been approved and recommended by health officials, and are now available in pharmacies and doctors’ offices across the country. The shots, from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, target the XBB.1.5 strain of omicron. While this particular variant is no longer driving the majority of the country’s infections, its relatives are, and experts say the vaccines should provide good protection against them. It’s recommended that individuals 6 months and older get the new vaccine. Uninsured and underinsured individuals will be able to receive the vaccines for free under the CDC’s new bridge access program.
