I have been thinking and arguing about COVID-19 terminology since the pandemic started. I am especially interested in how public health professionals—both officials and outside experts—talk about COVID.There are terms that public health professionals often use imprecisely.

There are terms they often use incorrectly. And there are terms they often use in a way that's technically accurate but almost sure to be misunderstood by much of the public.

Then, when they're predictably misunderstood, they claim they were clear and the public is "confused."Politicians and journalists fall into these COVID language traps too.

But for obvious reasons public health professionals should be held to a higher standard. And if they can do a better job of communicating clearly about COVID, maybe there's hope that others will improve as well.Here are some of my musings about COVID language traps.

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A new vaccine which protects against two strains of covid has been approved for the NHS to use this autumn

A second “bivalent” coronavirus vaccine has been approved by the UK’s health watchdog ahead of a series of booster jabs this autumn.

June Raine Steve Barclay Britain vaccine strain Coronavirus

Unsolved Overbrook homicide: Who killed 15-year-old Angelo Walker?

OVERBROOK - Transitioning from the field to the sidelines, Coach Bill Sytsma says football is still his passion, one that’s brought a lot of purpose as he transitioned from player to coach.In recent years, there has been unexpected pain, as well. "It’s a little over two years and it’s still difficult to think about," Sytsma said. Before COVID-19, as head coach of the Frankford High School football team, Coach Sytsma lost two players. When the pandemic hit in March of 2020, schools closed for in-person learning and after-school activities, including athletics, canceled. No outlet.

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Covid-19: Immense efforts are on for next-generation vaccines, says top health expert

Covid-19 working group NTAGI said, “this whole concept of next-generation vaccine is that we don't have to give repeated doses. The second is if we give the vaccine it covers the prevailing viruses and also future viruses better and the protection remains for a long time," news agency ANI report said.

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Covid-19: India reports 7,219 cases, 33 deaths in a day

As of now, Delhi has 1,457 active cases, Maharashtra has 9,197 cases, Haryana 1,185 cases, Assam has 2,838 cases, Kerala has 9,645 covid cases , Tamil Nadu has 5,127 active cases and Karnataka 5,051 NEW DELHI: India recorded 7,219 fresh covid infections and 33 related deaths in the last 24 hours, the union health ministry said in an update on Saturday. Active cases now stand at 56,745, with total reported cases since the pandemic hit in early 2020 at more than 4.44 crore.

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San Jose seafood restaurant owner charged with bilking $3.5M from COVID relief funds

Mall on Eastridge Loop in San Jose. SAN JOSE, Calif. - A federal grand jury has indicted a San Jose restaurant owner with bilking $3.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds and spending it to refinance his home, buy a Lexus and use at a casino, charging documents indicate.David Tai Leung, who owns half of Tomi Sushi and Seafood Buffet in a mall at 2200 Eastridge Loop, was charged Wednesday in U.S.

city San Jose 2020 pandemic Lexus

Low testosterone in men may raise risk of COVID hospitalization

Men with low testosterone levels and COVID-19 were more than twice as likely as men with normal concentrations to be hospitalized, but those treated with hormone replacement therapy weren't at elevated risk, suggests an observational study today in JAMA Network Open.

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Drake Says 2020 Was ‘The Hardest Year Maybe In Human History’ Due To COVID-19

Drake had people talking online this week after calling 2020 the “hardest year maybe in human history.”

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Men with low testosterone more susceptible to Covid hospitalisation: Report

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine have found that men with Covid-19 who had low testosterone levels are likelier than those with normal levels to experience acute illness and require hospitalisation Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine have found that men who have testosterone levels and have been infected with Covid-19 are more likely to require hospitalisations than those with normal levels. As many as 723 individuals who tested positive for Covid-19, largely in 2020 before vaccinations were available, were studied in the study.

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China approves Livzon Pharma's Covid vaccine

China has approved Livzon Pharma's vaccine against Covid-19, among the first new products in more than a year China granted emergency use authorisation to Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc's COVID-19 vaccine as a booster, the firm said on Friday, marking one of the two new products against the disease the country cleared in more than a year. Livzon's vaccine, if rolled out to the public, would widen booster options for China's 1.4 billion population, of which 90% have been vaccinated and nearly 60% received a booster dose.

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Covid: The 'most significant' symptoms in the eyes - how to spot the 'common' signs

Covid, your mind probably travels straight to signs like cough or sore throat. However, there are also symptoms that won't make you want to crawl into bed with a cup of tea. This might make it difficult to pin them down; however, knowing what to look for could help.

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Manitoba vaccine update coming Friday afternoon

Hospitalizations, ICU admissions up as latest Manitoba COVID-19 numbers released Global News will stream the news conference on this page.

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Governor Wolf starts process to pardon lower level marijuana convictions

Reading, PA - September 14: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. At the Reading Area Community College campus in Reading, PA Tuesday morning September 14, 2021 where Pennsylvania Gov.

Tom Wolf John Fetterman state Pennsylvania state New Jersey state Delaware city Harrisburg, state Pennsylvania covid-19 vaccine Mobile

Will omicron-specific booster shots be more effective at combating COVID-19?

COVID-19. Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti are immunologists who study infectious disorders and how vaccines trigger different aspects of the immune system to fight infection. They weigh in on how the updated booster shots train the immune system and how protective they might be against COVID-19.

India virus covid-19 vaccine

Covid-19: India's active cases drop below 60k, logs 6,168 infections today

In India, the active caseload is also witnessing a downward journey from the past few days. Currently, India has 59,210 active cases. India on Friday saw a marginal decline in daily Covid-19 cases with the country recording 6,168 fresh infections in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

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1,800 community cases; 269 hospitalisations; 3 in ICU

Today we are reporting 1,800 community cases, 269 current hospitalisations.

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White House: How about a COVID-19 boost with that flu shot?

White House plan also relies in part of on local health departments, providers and community groups to reach out and encourage people to get the updated booster. Pharmacies, health providers and state or local health departments are preparing to send text messages to millions of people that will encourage them to get a booster this fall, White House officials said. Jha said he recommends most Americans get the booster by the end of October.

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News Releases from Department of Health | New bivalent COVID-19 boosters offer enhanced protection

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) recommends the use of the first bivalent booster vaccines designed specifically to protect against original COVID-19 and the most common forms of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i, the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants.The BA.5 subvariant accounts for an estimated 91% of the COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i. The BA.4 subvariant accounts for an additional 4% of the cases in Hawai‘i.“The COVID-19 boosters we have been using do a good job of protecting us against severe illness. The new bivalent boosters are an upgrade because they take into account mutations of the COVID-19 virus to specifically address Omicron subvariants,” said State Health Director Dr.

Elizabeth Char city Honolulu state Health covid-19 vaccine

4 in 10 recent deaths linked to COVID-19 were actually caused by the virus: BCCDC

COVID-19 in B.C. between April and mid-August were actually caused by the virus, reports the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.The BCCDC’s most recent situation report reports 1,110 deaths since the province moved to its “30 day all cause mortality” reporting model on April 2.

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CDC panel recommends updated COVID boosters

As the nation braces for another possible surge in COVID-19 activity as schools resume and cooler weather brings people indoors, vaccine advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today recommended two updated COVID-19 boosters that target the circulating BA.4/BA.5 Omicron subvariants.

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CDC panel recommends tweaked COVID-19 booster

a fast-tracked approach. CDC’s director Dr. Rochelle Walensky must give the final sign-off before the shots are available.In June, the FDA ordered vaccine makers to tweak their shots to target BA.4 and BA.5, becoming the so-called "combo shot."FILE - Medical staff at Howard University give COVID-19 Vaccination doses for Hospital Staff Members on Dec.

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COVID's hidden victims: New orphans and essential workers

A pair of new studies describe COVID-19–related parental loss and occupational death rates, with a global analysis finding that children were more likely to be orphaned if they live in the poorest countries with high rates of noncommunicable diseases, and the other showing that essential workers in California had higher rates of coronavirus deaths and excess deaths than those with less workplace exposure.

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COVID-19 Scan for Sep 01, 2022

Infections with previous COVID-19 variants offer more protection against the Omicron BA.5 subvariant in vaccinated people compared with vaccinated people who had no previous infections, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study yesterday.The study was based on research conducted at the University of

Portugal city Lisbon, Portugal covid-19 vaccine infection

Ontario teachers’ unions voice concern about lifting isolation rule days before school starts

COVID-19 days before thousands of students and educators return to school in person.The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation say they’re worried allowing children and educators to return to the classroom while still potentially contagious could cause the virus to spread faster in schools.They say that could put people’s health at risk, and likely cause further disruptions to learning. No need to isolate for 5 days if COVID-positive as long as symptoms improve: Ontario top doc Ontario’s top doctor announced Wednesday that people who test positive for COVID-19 no longer have to isolate for five days, but can return to work or school once their fever is gone and their other symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours.Dr.

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2 in 10 Americans report experience with gun violence, AP-NORC poll finds

FILE - Oakland police investigate a double shooting in East Oakland, Calif., on June 29, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images) DETROIT - About 2 in 10 U.S.

Jane Tyska Usa state Florida city Atlanta city Detroit city Jacksonville, state Florida county Harris city Chicago, county Harris covid-19 reports Citi

White House encouraging COVID-19 boosters, flu shot for fall

Close-up shot of a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shot being administered in Freeport, New York on November 30, 2021. (Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - The Biden administration hopes to make getting a COVID-19 booster as routine as going in for the yearly flu shot.That’s at the heart of its campaign to sell the newly authorized shot to an American public that has widely rejected COVID-19 boosters since they first became available last fall.Shots of the updated boosters, specifically designed by Pfizer and Moderna to respond to the omicron strain, could start within days.

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WHO warns of more ‘dangerous COVID variants’ in coming days. Read here

Omicron are more transmissible than their predecessors, & the risk of even more transmissible & more dangerous variants remains," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during the weekly media briefing regarding COVID on Wednesday."Subvariants of Omicron are more transmissible than their predecessors, & the risk of even more transmissible & more dangerous variants remains. Meanwhile, vaccination coverage among the most at-risk people remains too low, especially in low-income countries"-@DrTedros #COVID19 He further alerted that the cases are likely to rise again in the coming months. “We are now seeing a welcome decline in reported COVID deaths globally.

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Health Canada approves Moderna’s Omicron COVID booster

bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first vaccine specifically targeting the Omicron variant to get approval for the Canadian market.According to the drug authorization listing, the bivalent booster will be a half-dose of the amount delivered in the primary doses of the vaccine, keeping it in line with the dose delivered in boosters so far.The Omicron booster is authorized only for Canadians over the age of 18 at this time.Side effects are listed as “mild” and similar to those experienced with the regular booster doses: muscle aches, chills, headache, fever and pain at the injection site. Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccines: Could updated shots prevent a fall wave? Moderna, which submitted its bivalent vaccine candidate to Health Canada in June, said at the time that trial data showed when given as a fourth dose, its variant-adapted shot raised virus-neutralizing antibodies by eight-fold against Omicron.Ottawa has signed an agreement with Moderna to provide 12 million doses of its updated shot for 2022 and 2023.

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Omicron targeted COVID vaccines get EU nod: All you need to know

(With inputs from agencies)

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COVID-19 booster appointments open for Ontario children aged 5 to 11

COVID-19 booster shots for their children aged five to 11 starting today.The Ontario government says appointments can be booked through the province’s vaccine portal starting at 8 a.m.Appointments can also be made through local public health units as well as some pharmacies and health-care providers.Ontario’s top doctor announced Wednesday that the province would start rolling out boosters for kids five to 11 this week.

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Top four long Covid symptoms revealed by new data as millions suffer side effects

A total of two million people across the country are estimated to be suffering from long Covid, new figures suggest.

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Covid-19: India reports 7,900 cases in last 24 hours

The Centre has directed states union territories to continue monitoring incoming international travellers as part of the revised surveillance strategy. States have also been asked to monitor lnfluenza-like illness (lLl) & SARI cases, undertake constant genome sequencing, and step-up vaccination NEW DELHI: Over the last 24 hours, daily covid infections in India rose by 7,946, pushing active cases to 62,748, while 37 related deaths were reported, as per Union health ministry’s update on Thursday.

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India sees slight rise in Covid cases with 7,946 infections in 24 hrs

7,231 Covid cases yesterday. The case positivity rate reported today increased to 2.98 per cent. The active cases in the country fell from 64,667 yesterday to 62,748 today.

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HSE expands appointments for Covid booster dose

Those who have long-term health conditions, for example diabetes, asthma or heart disease should now come forward for their second Covid-19 booster vaccine, the Health Service Executive has said.

Colm Henry Ireland Health

2,066 community cases; 286 hospitalisations; 3 in ICU

Today we are reporting 2,066 community cases, 286 current hospitalisations.

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COVID-19: Pediatric booster doses available Thursday for London, Ont. kids aged 5-11

announced the move during a press conference at Queen’s Park on Wednesday. Ontario top doc doesn’t expect a return to broad COVID restrictions, though masking may be needed It comes just over a week after Health Canada approved the booster dose for younger children.In a statement Wednesday, health unit officials said it was recommended that kids five to 11 receive their booster six months after completing a primary two-dose series of the vaccine.

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Alberta needs to change tactics to improve 5-11 COVID vaccination rate: study

University of Alberta researchers.And with booster doses going out to kids in the same age group on Wednesday, one author of a new study said “public health has a bit of work on their hands.”“Our study showed that although a good proportion of folks got their first dose for their kids, second dose dropped off a little bit,” Dr. Shannon MacDonald, associate professor of nursing and public health at the University of Alberta, told Global News.“So even people who are willing to vaccinate their kids are either forgetting or not getting around to the second dose.

covid-19 vaccine Health

Infant abuse, domestic violence spiked amid COVID

JAMA Network Open published two studies yesterday on child abuse in France and domestic violence in Japan early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the former finding that the rate of abusive head trauma (AHT) in infants nearly doubled and the latter showing that calls to domestic-violence help centers rose significantly.

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FDA authorizes updated COVID boosters from Moderna and Pfizer

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it has authorized for emergency use bivalent booster shots that target the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants, setting the stage for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory group recommendation discussions tomorrow.

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Ontario top doc doesn’t expect a return to broad COVID restrictions, though masking may be needed

Kieran Moore county Ontario virus mask Health

Infant abuse, domestic violence spiked amid COVID in France, Japan

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No need to isolate for 5 days if COVID-positive as long as symptoms improve: Ontario top doc

COVID-19 no longer need to isolate for five days as long as their fever has cleared and symptoms have improved for at least 24 hours, Ontario’s top doctor says.Dr. Kieran Moore held a media briefing Wednesday where he discussed the upcoming respiratory virus season.During the press conference, Moore announced that the five-day isolation recommendation has been dropped.“The main guidance now for the fall has to apply to all respiratory illnesses.

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WHO shares ‘welcome’ news on Covid but still has a warning

#COVID19, where we are now seeing a welcome decline in reported deaths globally. However, with colder weather approaching in the northern hemisphere, it’s reasonable to expect an increase in hospitalizations and deaths in the coming months"-@DrTedros Tedros said vaccination rates, even in rich countries, were still too low, noting that 30% of health workers and 20% of older people remain unimmunized. “These vaccination gaps pose a risk to all of us," he said.

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Covid alert level across UK downgraded as number of severe cases falls

The Covid-19 alert level across the UK has been downgraded after the number of reported cases has fallen.

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FDA approves tweaked ‘combo shot’ COVID booster to target variants

nearly all COVID-19 infections in the U.S. and much of the world.

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Future COVID variants likely to infect us differently: Expert explains why

Omicron variant are less likely to spread the virus to others if they have been vaccinated or have had a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. And in case, the individual has taken both doses of vaccines then the chances of spreading the virus are even lesser. The study was posted as a preprint on medRxiv this month and has not been peer-reviewed.

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Covid-19 inquiry begins work examining government’s response to pandemic

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has opened its investigation into the decisions made by Boris Johnson’s Government during the pandemic. There will be a particular focus initially on early 2020 until the first lockdown was imposed in late March.

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COVID-19 update: Advise everyone to take booster doses soon, says NTAGI chairman

ALSO READ: India logs 7,231 Covid-19 infections today, active cases below 65k Earlier on Wednesday, India reported 7,231 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the active caseload below 65,000-mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

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United States	Cases: 46 252 513 Deaths: 750 423 Recovered: 0
India	Cases: 34 321 025 Deaths: 459 652 Recovered: 0
Brazil	Cases: 21 835 785 Deaths: 608 235 Recovered: 0
United Kingdom	Cases: 9 215 683 Deaths: 141 607 Recovered: 0
Russia	Cases: 8 494 589 Deaths: 237 619 Recovered: 0

COMMENTARY: Navigating COVID language traps

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