Health
Long COVID is highest in these states, says new CDC report
The effects of COVID are lingering longer among the residents of some states than others.
That’s according to the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which tracks reported cases of long COVID throughout the U.S.
The highest prevalence of long COVID was found in West Virginia — where 10.6% of survey respondents reported experiencing long-term effects of the virus in 2022.
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In Alabama and Montana, long COVID cases were reported by 9.8% of respondents.
Other states with long COVID cases exceeding 8% included North Dakota (9.3%), Oklahoma (9.1%), Wyoming (9.0%), Tennessee (8.9%), Mississippi (8.7%), Iowa (8.3%), South Dakota (8.3%) and Utah (8.3%).
Long COVID is a condition in which symptoms of the virus persist for an extended period of time, generally three months or more. (iStock)
Overall, 6.9% of U.S. adults reported ever experiencing long COVID, the report stated.
In general, the highest prevalence of long COVID was in the South, West and Midwest, with the lowest reported cases in New England and the Pacific.
Obesity and vaccines play a role, doctor says
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, who was not involved in the CDC report, called for further studies into how long COVID is reported — including who reports it and the criteria they use to define their symptoms, which varies from region to region.
“Vaccine uptake clearly plays a role, as multiple studies have shown that at least three shots decreases the risk of long COVID significantly,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Underlying diseases represent another significant factor, Siegel pointed out.
“We know that obesity, for example, increases risk of severe COVID dramatically, and severe COVID correlates with persistent symptoms and long COVID,” he said.
The highest prevalence of long COVID was found in the state of West Virginia, where 10.6% of survey respondents reported experiencing long-term effects of the virus in 2022. (iStock)
“In fact, obesity is the highest in the South and Midwest (over 35%),” noted Siegel, “and it is probably no accident that obesity is the highest in the country in West Virginia (41%), which also has the highest rate of long COVID.”
Data and limitations
The data for this report was gathered by phone from respondents who were at least 18 years old as part of the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a population-based cross-sectional survey, per the CDC.
The adults were all asked for their age, sex, previous COVID-19 diagnosis and whether they had ever experienced long COVID.
The CDC tracks reported cases of long COVID throughout the U.S. as part of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (REUTERS/Tami Chappell/File Photo)
In gathering this state-specific data, the CDC said it aims to “inform policy, planning or programming to support U.S. adults experiencing long COVID.”
There were some limitations associated with the study, the CDC noted.
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“BRFSS did not capture treatment during acute COVID infection, time since COVID-19 illness or duration or severity of symptoms, which could influence the reported prevalence of long COVID,” the agency wrote.
“In addition, information about COVID-19 vaccination was only available for a subset of jurisdictions and is not included in this report.”
What is long COVID?
Long COVID is a condition in which symptoms of the virus persist for an extended period of time, generally three months or more.
Those symptoms can include fatigue, respiratory symptoms and neurologic symptoms (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”).
The most prominent features are persistent fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, cough, and rapid heart rate or arrhythmias, according to Dr. Siegel. (iStock)
“Long COVID is still an ill-defined term, but for me, the most prominent features are persistent fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, cough, and rapid heart rate or arrhythmias,” Siegel added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC and the West Virginia Department of Health requesting additional comment.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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Yoga is known to boost relaxation, strength and flexibility – and now a new study has found the practice could improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances after cancer treatment.
The findings were presented last week at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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The study was conducted across multiple U.S. community cancer care sites, including 410 adult cancer survivors averaging 54 years of age. Around 75% were breast cancer survivors, and none of them had practiced yoga regularly within the prior three months.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances in cancer survivors. (iStock)
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Half of them received only standard survivorship care without the yoga, while the other half received standard care and were also enrolled in the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training.
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Based on questionnaires completed by the patients, the survivors in the yoga group experienced “moderate-to-large” reductions in overall mood disturbance, “small-to-medium” reductions in anxiety and “medium-to-large” reductions in fatigue, the study found.
The improvements in mood and fatigue appeared to be linked to yoga’s beneficial effect on sleep quality, according to the researchers.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training. (iStock)
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug,” lead investigator Yuri Choi, PhD, of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The study did not reveal any major safety concerns or serious adverse events related to the yoga practice.
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug.”
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed for a medical publication.
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“The sample in our clinical trial was relatively homogeneous, with most participants being women (96%), breast cancer patients (75%), Caucasian (93%), and having some college or higher education (82%),” noted Choi.
“We are adapting our intervention to reach all cancer patients and survivors, including the creation of a mobile app to reach people in rural communities.”
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The research also excluded patients with metastatic cancer (whose disease had spread to other parts of the body).
The total study was only four weeks, so more research is needed to determine long-term benefits.
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted. (iStock)
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted.
Some yoga studios may use different names for Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, such as Foundations Yoga or Healing Yoga, Choi noted.
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“Survivors should also look for certified yoga instructors who have experience working with cancer patients/survivors or individuals with other challenging health conditions,” the researcher advised. “They should not be afraid to ask their oncology team for referrals to qualified instructors in their community.”
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Choi also noted that the research did not reveal whether other types of yoga, such as heated-room or rigorous-flow yoga, are safe or beneficial for cancer survivors.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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