Michael Reeder LCPC

COVID-19 update

Listmates,

I apologize for any cross-postings.

It has been sometime since I posted a COVID-19 update, due in part to reductions in infection rates after vaccinations became available, and in part due to the paucity of COVID-19 data since the CDC stopped tracking and reporting infection and mortality rates at the end of the public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023.

COVID-19 is still active in the US population. Although data are no longer for injection or mortality, wastewater measurements continue to provide a fair approximation of contagion rates.

Currently, the states with "very high" COVID-19 contagion rates are Alaska, Hawaii and Texas. States with "high" COVID-19 contagion rates include California, Delaware, Kentucky and Louisiana.

cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-nation

The effects of long COVID continue to be reported and studied. Over 16 million workers in the US have been diagnosed with long COVID. A significant percentage of at risk populations have also been diagnosed with long COVID, including older adults and immunocompromised people. Hardships for those with long COVID include difficulty being diagnosed, treated, or compensated for time lost from work.

medscape.com/viewarticle/long-

Current strains present with sore throat, headache, subsequent deep chest congestion, cognitive interference and weakness. Generally symptoms persist for three weeks.

nebraskamed.com/COVID/what-cov

webmd.com/covid/news/20250626/

nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/cov.

The forecast for COVID is not favorable. Funding for vaccine research, testing (kits), and treatment has been cut.

hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-winds-d

The advice from the research and medical community remains unchanged. If traveling by air, wear a mask. If in a crowded venue, wear a mask. People exposed to school-aged children are at risk.

Chuck

Charles M. Lepkowsky, Ph.D.

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Michael Reeder LCPC

New Rules at VA Effect Treatment and Hiring of Patients and Staff Based Upon Political and Marital Affiliations

The article at The Guardian on the erosion of rights for patients and healthcare employees is getting lots of denial from the Trump administration and the VA, resulting in lots of press throwing it all into question such as from The Hill. (See: TITLE: ‘Extremely disturbing and unethical’: new rules allow VA doctors to refuse to treat Democrats, unmarried veterans. URL: theguardian.com/us-news/2025/j & also see: mastodon.clinicians-exchange.o )

Meanwhile, this is the topic of a discussion in the subreddit for Federal workers:

reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/

Someone starts out asking if The Guardian article is true. A bunch of people weigh-in with opinions that those denying it tend to be liars. Someone says The Guardian obtained a copy of the new guidelines. Worth a read at link above.

Then someone posts a link to the new guidelines:
va.gov/files/2025-04/MEDICAL%2

Then someone asks what page the new guidelines are on (page 9) and in response another person posts a graphic at the following URL and ATTACHED to this message showing the OLD version and the NEW version for comparison:

reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%

The changes as reported by The Guardian appear to be *TRUE* as I see the language in question on page 9 of the new "BYLAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS of the MEDICAL STAFF of the VETERANS AFFAIRS PALO ALTO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM" at the 2nd link above.

Subject to any further information -- this appears to be true reporting as far as I can tell.

-- Michael
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry

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