4/5/25: Long COVID research grants restored in advocacy win; U.S. bird flu update

Last week, a federal order to rescind COVID-related funding meant over 45 grants for Long COVID pathobiology studies through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RECOVER initiative were canceled. But after reporting from The Sick Times and Chemical & Engineering News, advocates sprung into action, and days after the initial cancellation, the grants were reinstated.

And bird flu outbreaks this past year have raised concern about the potential for the pathogen turning into another pandemic.

In this episode of Still Here: Co-hosts Betsy Ladyzhets and Miles Griffis recap their reporting about NIH grants that were revoked and reinstated within a matter of days. Plus, health and science freelance reporter Melody Schreiber provides an update on the status of bird flu and its chronic disease risks after this past year's outbreaks.
Also in this episode: A new RECOVER preprint looking at reinfections and Long COVID in children and adolescents. And the latest COVID-19 trends.

The transcript for this podcast is⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ available on The Sick Times’ website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can jump to specific sections of the podcast and transcript below:

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:59) COVID-19 trends

(00:06:10) Long COVID pathobiology research grants revoked and restored

(00:16:00) What we know about the U.S. bird flu outbreak

(00:23:42) Research: RECOVER preprint about Long COVID and reinfections in children, adolescents

(00:25:15) Outro

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Mentioned in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Submit a voice memo reflecting on over 5 years of COVID-19 and Long COVID
• The Sick Times: National COVID-19 trends, April 1
• CDC wastewater dashboard
• Biobot wastewater risk reports
• WastewaterSCAN dashboard
• The Sick Times: UPDATE: RECOVER Long COVID pathobiology grants restored
• The Sick Times: RECOVER grants for Long COVID pathobiology research are among those cut under new NIH directive
• Chemical & Engineering News: NIH cancels RECOVER grants for long COVID projects
• Long COVID Campaign: Call Congress tool / Email Congress tool
• The Sick Times: What we know about the U.S. bird flu outbreak and its chronic disease risk
• The Sick Times: Research updates, April 1
• The Sick Times: COVID-19 reinfections are further disabling people with Long COVID

Additional audio in this episode: 

• Rude Mechanical Orchestra: Which Side Are You On? (orig. Florence Reece) 
• Pixabay: Thunder and the beginning of rainfall