COVID-19 Pandemic News Briefs
Pandemic News Briefs are recorded once monthly.
They are listed in reverse order, so that the newest one is at the top of the page.
We’ve added a topic listing to make it easier to find the video you’d like to watch and have added a pdf of the resources discussed.
If you’d like to receive email notification when new videos are posted, join our list.
Also check out these informational videos too.
About the videos: Remember that science changes so what we know today may not be what we know tomorrow!
Each video is a reporting of the news for the month.
This material is informational only and does not constitute medical advice or should be construed as such.
Quick Index
Each video is numbered. Click the link to go directly to the pertinent part of each video.
You can also scroll down in the Main Library to get the list of topics.
Long COVID (PASC) Videos
#011 – Part 2 (all)
#012 (13:47 – 18:50)
#014 (1:24 – 7:05)
#015 (17:22 – 21:36)
#016 (13:08 – 22:13)
Moving Forward – A Framework for safe practice (video & templates)
#011 – Part 1 (all)
Main Library
Each video is numbered and comes with a list of topics and timestamps
#016 – July 18, 2022
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- Variant Update (1:17)
- Paxlovid Update (5:24)
- Test to Treat Update (6:23)
- Vaccine Update – Kids (8:46)
- Boosters (9:32)
- Vaccination & Menstrual Cycles (11:42)
- Long COVID (PASC) Update (13:08)
- Long COVID – What’s the Mortality Rate? (16:49)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#015 – June 20, 2022
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- Variant Update (1:30)
- Breakthrough Cases (3:05)
- Mask Mandate Update (5:23)
- Paxlovid Rebound Update (6:12)
- Vaccination of Kids (8:06)
- Vaccines: Other News (11:07)
- COVID Upending Other Viruses (12:49)
- Monkeypox (13:35)
- Variant Update (14:07)
- Long COVID (PASC) Update (17:22)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#014 – May 16, 2022
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- Long COVID (PASC) & Vaccines (1:24)
- Long COVID (PASC) & Alternative Approaches (4:17)
- Long COVID (PASC) & Hospitalization (5:23)
- Long COVID (PASC) & Poop! (6:02)
- Good Summary for Risk Assessment for Long COVID (PASC) (7:05)
- Mask mandates (9:56)
- Test Recalls (12:12)
- Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Update (12:48)
- Variant Update (14:07)
- COVID Rebound (after Paxlovid) (15:02)
- Milestones (17:58)
- Housekeeping: Template Update (20:33)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#013 – April 18, 2022
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- Test-to-Treat Program (1:15)
- Booster Shots (General News) (3:15)
– Is it worth getting boosted? (4:16)
– Are there overuses issues (like with antibiotics?) (4:38)
– When to get your 2nd booster(5:49)
– How often are we going to need boosters? (5:58)
– Which vaccine should I get (mixing and matching)? (6:45) - Mask mandates (8:58)
- Ventilation(9:50)
- Variant update (11:02)
– Omicron XE (11:23)
– Omicron BA.2 Subvariants BA.2.12 & BA2.12.1 (11:45) - Wastewater Surveillance (WWS) (12:59)
– What is WWS?(12:59)
– Why scientists are turning to WWS(13:30)
– What does WWS tell us? (14.34)
– Limitations of WWS (15:12)
– What now? How do we use WWS? (16:45) - Bonus Info (17:57)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#012 – March 28, 2022
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- CDC Community Guidelines (1:04)
- More free COVID tests (8:17)
- Variant Update -BA.2 (8:46)
- Variant Update – Deltacron (10:59)
- A 2nd Booster is coming (12:23)
- Long COVID Update (13:47)
– No Definition / Clear Name (14:03)
– Brain Issues (15:03)
– Heart Issues (16:26)
– It can “pop up” (17:40)
– Risk factor for diabetes (18:12)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
Moving Forward – A Framework for Massage Therapy Practice
#011 – February 21, 2022 – Part 1
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- Introduction to Riding the Waves (1:06)
- The Jetelina et al. Framework (1:39)
- The Massage Therapy Framework (9:18)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic (including LMT framework)
Riding the Waves – A Suggested Framework for Massage Therapists
Spreadsheet Template to keep track of the data
Check out this video that talks about the template
News Brief: Long COVID (PASC)
#011 – February 21, 2022 – Part 2
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- The Basics (1:14)
- What Causes PASC? (2:03)
- Risk Factors (3:34)
- Impact of Vaccines on PASC (5:44)
- PASC & Exercises (Implications for Practice) (7:38)
More updates can be found here:
3/2022 Update @ 13:47
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#011 – February 21, 2022 – Part 3
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- Revisiting Quarantine Guidelines (0:37)
- Booster Shots (3:25)
- Omicron & 2 Subvariants (5:07)
- Masks (7:54)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#010 – January 17, 2022
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- Quarantine Changes (0:55)
- Antigen Testing (5:20)
– Insurance Coverage (5:24)
– Free Tests (5:40)
– Omicron & Testing (6:29)
– Swabbing the Throat too (7:43)
– Treatment - Good Reads (10:15)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#009 – December 20, 2021
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- Omicron Overview (0:46)
– Prevalence (4:13)
– Severity (4:54)
– Vaccine Effectiveness (6:29)
– Geekiness (7:37)
– Treatment (7:54)
– Massage Therapist Take Away (8:18) - Vaccine Recommendations (10:44)
- Obesity & Severe COVID (11:14)
- Test to Stay (12:06)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#008 – September 19, 2021
This news brief covers (with time stamps):
- General Update (0:55)
- Booster Shots (3:08)
- Breakthrough Cases (6:26)
- Breakthrough Case Contagion (10:22)
- Variants (11:51)
- Vaccine Status Discrimination (14:39)
- Testing (15:33)
- Masking (18:52)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#007 – December 21, 2020
This news brief covers:
1. Vaccine info
– Vaccines / Study Protocol basics (0:50)
– Moderna Vaccine – between the doses (6:21)
(info on asymptomatic spread)
– Comparing Pfizer and Moderna vaccines (13:11)
2. Testing
– Misc. items about window of contagion (16:01)
– Types of tests (3) (16:46)
– What the (3) tests do (18:16)
– Comparing Molecular (PCR)
& Antigen (Rapid) tests (19:42)
– Massage therapist take away (28:23)
3. Wrap up (30:35)
Sources and the massage therapist’s take away for each topic
#006 – November 16, 2020
This news brief covers:
1. Vaccine News – Pfizer / Moderna
Includes Nov. 20 Update on Pfizer Vaccine (14:52)
2. CDC changed definition of close contact (17:54)
3. Coagulation issues (autoantibodies) (22:47)
4. Prevalence of common symptoms – systematic review (24:50)
5. Mask Studies
Reducing the spread (25:51)
Oxygen saturation does not decrease (26:46)
#005 – October 19, 2020
This news brief covers:
1. Relative Humidity (temperature) & COVID-19
2. Getting COVID-19 from surfaces
3. COVID-19 Reinfection
4. Do masks provide immunity?
5. Airborne transmission and the CDC
6. Masks & breathing (hypoxia and CO2 poisoning)
7. Miscellaneous stories we’re following
Links to Resources & massage therapy take away for each topic
#004 – September 21, 2020
This news brief covers:
1. Mask decontamination and reuse
2. CDC update on testing if exposed to the virus
3. CDC & the aerosolization of the virus
4. Article on spread through aerosols and impact of ventilation systems
5. Symptoms:
a. Numbers on loss of taste and smell
b. World-wide study with development of symptom clusters and the impact on treatment.
6. Long haulers and longer term effects of the disease:
a. Heart damage – even in the asymptomatic
b. How many long haulers are there?
c. Survivorcorps and Post Covid Care Centers
7. CDC protocols for massage therapists
8. A possible new screening question to ask clients.
Addition to the video:
Under item 6c. Long haulers discussion about the lack of recognition: It should be noted that long haulers may have been misdiagnosed because clinicians did not know that the symptoms were actually part of COVID-19 and not something else. Often patients tried to tell the clinician that these symptoms seemed to be connected to COVID-19, only to be disbelieved. This is changing as more is learned about the disease.
#003 – August 31, 2020
This news brief covers:
1. The CDC and their latest info about testing (and walking it back)
2. Job opportunities for massage therapists
3. The social distance distance may be outdated
4. More on long-haulers
5. Practice support: ABMP articles
6. State vs. County guidelines
7. Re-using N95 masks
#002 – August 3, 2020
#001 – May 11, 2020
The first forum.
Due to the personal sharing involved, this video is “Unlisted” on YouTube and is not searchable there or on the internet.
So sorry to miss the last meeting (8/31). Was evacuated for almost two weeks due to wildfire. Internet and phone services were spotty. ~ Kathy
Wow! I hope everything turned out ok. We’ll be thinking of you. The next one is Sept. 21st. You should have gotten a notice today about that.