Former US covid-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha tells The BMJ about antivirals, long covid, his worries for the winter season and why the “partisanisation” of vaccination worries him
Taking office in November 2021, US President Joe Biden was immediately confronted by the chaotic nature of his country’s reaction to covid-19. One of his first actions was to appoint a “covid-19 tsar” someone who would oversee the response in a joined up manner, from testing and surveillance to access to vaccines and treatments to on-the-ground responses from doctors.
Jeff Zients was first appointed and when he moved to become Biden’s chief of staff the president chose Ashish Jha, a long time public health expert and one of the loudest voices during the pandemic, to fill the role.
Jha was in the post for 15 months, until the duties were absorbed into other parts of government. His tenure saw the US exit the state of emergency for covid-19 and face an mpox epidemic that has affected over 3
While there are reports of viral RNA and symptom rebound in people with Covid-19 treated with Pfizer s Paxlovid, a study led by Indian-origin scientists showed that even without the antiviral treatment both symptoms of Covid as well as viral .
Covid symptoms can rebound in nearly 1 in 3 people without Paxlovid: Study indianewengland.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from indianewengland.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The dean of Brown’s School of Public Health, a globally recognized expert on pandemic preparedness and response, will take leave for a temporary assignment to serve in the critical federal government role.