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Studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today show a significant bump in protection against the highly transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant after a booster dose, resulting in fewer hospitalizations, emergency visits, deaths, and cases in people who had received three doses of mRNA vaccines.

Rochelle Walensky covid-19 vaccine infection

WHO advisers weigh in on COVID-19 boosters, Pfizer vaccine in younger kids

World Health Organization (WHO) vaccine advisers today updated their COVID-19 vaccine prioritization guidance, which backs booster shots in high-priority groups and refined their recommendations for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which it now recommends in a reduced dose for children ages 5 to 11 years.

Britain covid-19 recommendations vaccine

High false-negative rate limits value of rapid COVID tests for kids

A meta-analysis published this week in BMJ shows that COVID-19 rapid antigen tests for children don't meet minimum performance standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Michael Osterholm Usa Britain state Minnesota city Manchester covid-19 testing symptoms

News Scan for Jan 21, 2022

A cohort study of more than 2,000 US and Canadian women indicates that COVID-19 vaccination does not impair fertility—but men who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 may experience short-term reduced fertility, according to surveys of the women's partners.In the study, published yesterday in the American Journal of Epidemi

Usa Canada city Boston county Canadian covid-19 vaccine infection

Generic drug makers sign on to make Merck COVID-19 antiviral

Following an initial licensing deal in October between the United Nations–based Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and Merck to allow pharmaceutical companies in other countries to make molnupiravir, an oral antiviral for treating COVID-19, the MPP today announced agreements with 27 generic makers.

China South Korea Usa India Indonesia Pakistan Denmark Bangladesh Norway South Africa Kenya Jordan Vietnam Egypt county Charles covid-19 reports Merck

Wastewater suggests Omicron is receding in US cities

Samples from wastewater taken from 83 US cities suggests the latest surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant may have already peaked in major urban areas but is on the rise in rural communities.

covid-19 vaccine Citi

News Scan for Jan 20, 2022

A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine successfully raises antibody levels that neutralize the Omicron variant, according to laboratory findings from UK scientists published yesterday in The Lancet.Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute (FCI) and the

Britain covid-19 testing symptoms

COVID surges in many regions fuel steady global rise

Global COVID-19 activity jumped 20% last week compared with the week before, amid surges across multiple regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly update on the pandemic.

Maria Van-Kerkhove Usa India Italy Germany Britain France Argentina Libya Brazil Peru Colombia Somalia Bolivia Paraguay Uruguay region Mediterranean Timor-Leste covid-19 Health reports

White House to offer 400 million free N95s to Americans

The Biden administration today confirmed officials will make available and free to the public 400 million N95 respirators to be distributed at community health centers and pharmacies across the country.

Usa county Early covid-19 vaccine infection

News Scan for Jan 19, 2022

A small University of California study finds no evidence that breast milk from mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 transmits the virus to their babies.The study, published today in Pediatrics Research, involved polymerase

state California virus covid-19 infection

Most side effects noted in COVID vaccine trials may be due to 'nocebo effect'

More than a third of participants in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials who received a placebo reported adverse events (AEs) such as headache and fatigue and contributed to the "nocebo effect," potentially rendering 76% of all AE reports after the first dose not true AEs, according to a meta-analysis yesterday in JAMA Network Open.

Beth Israel Usa Germany Israel city Boston information vaccine reports

Report outlines 8 steps for current, future pandemics

A new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) comments on the "ineffectual and fragmented" US COVID-19 pandemic responses thus far and recommends eight steps to manage the ongoing crisis amid variant fatigue, inflation, and supply chain disruptions.

Usa Washington pandemic vaccine Health

COVID-19 Scan for Jan 13, 2022

Austrian scientists writing in a letter in the New England Journal of Medicine yesterday demonstrate poor neutralization of the Omicron variant when using serum from vaccinated or recovered COVID-19 patients, potentially signaling a need for variant-specific vaccines.The highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant has caused C

covid-19 vaccine infection

Global COVID-19 cases continue to spike, with deaths stable

In its latest snapshot of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday said cases last week rose 55% over the previous week, up in nearly all parts of the world and highest in the region that includes India.

Adhanom Ghebreyesus Pan Usa Philippines Japan Usa India Italy Britain France Australia Guam covid-19 death reports

Asia, parts of Europe tighten COVID-19 measures due to Omicron

Though early-hit countries are on the downslope of their Omicron variant surges, others are battling rising cases, with some tightening their measures and others—such as China and Hong Kong—taking stronger steps as they try to head off steep rises.

Fumio Kishida China France Hong Kong city Tokyo Eu Russia city Moscow Bulgaria covid-19 vaccine reports

COVID-19 Scan for Jan 18, 2022

Today a study from Germany published in Science shows three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine raised antibody levels against the highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant.The study was based on sera from 51 participants, which was ch

city Wuhan Usa Germany state Oregon county Delta covid-19 vaccine patient

COVID ebbs in some East Coast hot spots, rises elsewhere

Cases are declining in a few big cities in the eastern United States that felt the earliest impact from the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, but surges are still building in other regions of the country, pushing some hospitals and workplaces to the brink.

New York Usa city New York Britain state New York Washington state New Jersey state Kentucky city Chicago county York county Cleveland South Africa city Newark, state New Jersey state Indiana state New Hampshire area Puerto Rico state Colorado state Alabama hospital covid-19 reports

US government makes free COVID-19 tests available

Today Americans can order four free COVID-19 at-home antigen tests at COVIDtests.gov, 1 month after President Joe Biden said he was securing 500 million free tests for Americans.

Joe Biden New York Usa state New York Washington state New Jersey state Vermont city Washington hospital covid-19 testing

News Scan for Jan 12, 2022

The US COVID-19 vaccination program may have averted 14 million infections, saved more than 240,000 lives, and prevented upwards of 1.1 million hospitalizations in the first half of 2021, according to estimates from a modeling study yesterday in JAMA Network Open.Led by York University scientists in Toronto, the research team

Usa hospital covid-19 vaccine

Studies: COVID vaccines effective, with limited waning

A trio of new studies yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine report encouraging results on the effectiveness and durability of protection of COVID-19 vaccines against hospitalization and death, including teens.

hospital covid-19 vaccine

Supreme Court blocks COVID vaccine mandate for large employers

Today the US Supreme Court, on a 6-3 vote, blocked a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that would have affected one in three American workers while leaving in place a requirement for healthcare workers.

Joe Biden Usa city Georgetown covid-19 president vaccine

Firm tackles US drug shortages during COVID with Wisconsin plant

After witnessing generic drug quality issues during visits to Asian manufacturing facilities and wrestling with dwindling domestic production capacity and foreign pricing fluctuations, family-run Nexus Pharmaceuticals found a solution a half hour north of its Lincolnshire, Illinois, headquarters.

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News Scan for Jan 14, 2022

Needless insurer spending on ivermectin prescriptions for COVID-19, estimated at $2.5 million in the United States for the week of Aug 13, 2021—the most recent week analyzed—would extrapolate to $130 million annually, US researchers reported yesterday in JAMA.Ivermectin has become a hot-button drug because some, especia

Usa city Boston state Michigan covid-19 testing reports

India's COVID-19 cases surge as parts of Europe eye easing restrictions

India's daily COVID-19 cases jumped well past 200,000 today, reaching the highest levels since last spring, as some countries in Europe that were affected early by the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant considered easing some restrictions.

India Netherlands Denmark city Mumbai city Delhi hospital virus covid-19

COVID-19 worsens maternal, fetal outcomes, studies find

Women who gave birth within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test died at a significantly higher rate than their healthy counterparts, finds a Scottish study yesterday in Nature Medicine. They were also more prone to poor birth outcomes, even if they weren't severely ill, according to a US study in The Lancet Digital Health.

Usa Scotland covid-19 infection Health

News Scan for Dec 27, 2021

A retrospective study of a large cohort of US pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic found that infection with SARS-CoV-2 was associated with increased risks for poor pregnancy outcomes, an international team of researchers reported today in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.Using de-identified administrative claims and electronic

Usa outbreak Pregnancy reports

More reports bolster evidence of lower Omicron severity

South African researchers yesterday shared more evidence on the Omicron variant impact, which supports initial signs that illnesses may be less severe, with separate groups from the United Kingdom reporting similar findings.

Britain South Africa hospital vaccine reports

FDA approves Pfizer's COVID-19 pill for emergency use

Today the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for emergency use Pfizer's Paxlovid, the first oral pill meant to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection in patients who are at high risk of progressing to severe illness.

Usa covid-19 vaccine patient

1 in 4 with metabolic syndrome and COVID at risk for breathing distress

An international study of 29,040 hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients finds that metabolic syndrome was tied to significantly greater odds of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death.

hospital covid-19 patient

COVID-19 Scan for Dec 22, 2021

People unvaccinated against COVID-19 were at up to four times the risk of infection, finds a JAMA Network Open study based on tests taken at US retail pharmacies, most of them after the emergence of the Delta (B1617.2) variant.Researchers from CVS Health in Rhode Island analyzed the incidence

Usa state Rhode Island covid-19 vaccine infection

UK, Germany opt not to add strict COVID measures ahead of Christmas

Amid rapid Omicron variant spread and uncertainty about its impact, leaders in the United Kingdom and Germany have ruled out imposing strong new COVID-19 measures before Christmas, though measures are being planned or considered for the following week as New Year's Day nears.

Adhanom Ghebreyesus Germany Britain hospital death vaccine

Biden: COVID-19 testing to increase as Omicron spreads

Today President Joe Biden addressed the nation on the rising threat of the Omicron variant and laid out new steps his administration is taking to combat what experts expect to be a deluge of cases in the coming weeks, including increased testing.

Joe Biden Usa covid-19 testing vaccine

News Scan for Dec 21, 2021

A study of 107 French teens hospitalized with the COVID-19–related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) shows that none had been fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, and only 7 had received one dose.In the study, published yesterday in JAMA, the researchers studied MIS

France covid-19 death vaccine

Most US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-issued emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for COVID-19–related medical products were not supported by high-quality data, and the FDA revoked authorizations for 17 products because of effectiveness or safety problems, according to a research letter yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Usa testing vaccine Health

Studies detail risk of severe COVID-19, GI problems in kids

Two studies today describe severe COVID-19 and the related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), the first detailing risk factors for pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission and death during hospitalization, and the second showing serious gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

hospital covid-19 patient

Americans enter holiday season with Omicron looming

Hopes for a normal holiday season are being dashed as the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant continues to sweep across the United States.

Usa city New York state Maryland county Collin covid-19 testing vaccine

European nations mull tougher COVID steps as Netherlands locks down

The Netherlands yesterday entered a lockdown aimed at cutting spread over the holidays, as other European nations battling Omicron (B.1.1.529) surges considered taking tougher physical distancing measures.

Mark Rutte Germany Netherlands vaccine Health reports

News Scan for Dec 20, 2021

A small observational study presented over the weekend at the online Euroanaesthesia conference suggests that, of COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), those with acute kidney injury (AKI) are more likely to die in the hospital than those with a history of kidney disease.According to a press release from study sponsor, The European Soc

Austria city Vienna covid-19 patient reports

News Scan for Dec 17, 2021

COVID-19 breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated US adults substantially boosted humoral immunity and demonstrated cross-neutralization against the Delta (B1617.2) variant, despite mostly mild illness, finds a small study yesterday in JAMA.Humoral immunity involves antibodies secreted by B cells circ

Usa state Oregon outbreak vaccine reports

With Omicron rising in US, feds unveil plan to keep kids in school

As the nation braces for a torrent of COVID-19 infections caused by the new Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, the White House today unveiled a new strategy to keep unvaccinated children in school rather than quarantining at home after a COVID-19 exposure.

Rochelle Walensky Usa county Lake covid-19 testing vaccine

Merck's COVID-19 pill cuts hospital use, death in unvaccinated

Early treatment with Merck's experimental pill molnupiravir nearly halved the risk of hospitalization and death in at-risk, unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, according to interim results from an international phase 3 clinical trial published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

Britain hospital covid-19 patient

Uncertainty swirls around Omicron COVID-19 severity

The latest data and projections from the United Kingdom, closely watched as Europe's biggest Omicron hot spot, cast doubt on whether infections are less severe than Delta variant infections, with South African experts reporting that the milder illness they see might not be due to the virus itself but from preexisting immunity.

Britain South Africa vaccine infection reports

CDC advisors recommend mRNA COVID vaccines over J&J

Today the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discussed the continued use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine, after reports of blood clots related to vaccination have risen.

Usa vaccine patient J&J

Omicron boosts COVID-19 surges in Denmark, UK

Two European countries—Denmark and the United Kingdom—reported new daily highs for COVID-19 cases, partly fueled by the more transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant.

Britain Denmark covid-19 vaccine reports

Novavax COVID vaccine shows 90.4% efficacy against infection

A phase 3 trial yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) finds that the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is 90.4% effective against infection and 100% effective against moderate to severe illness, bringing yet another vaccine one step closer to approval.

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COVID-19 Scan for Dec 16, 2021

Only 20% and 24% of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine recipients in a Chinese study had detectable neutralizing antibodies against two isolates of the highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, while recipients of the Coronavac vaccine had no antibodies against either isolate.The study, published today in Clinical Infectious Diseases af

China Hong Kong covid-19 testing isolate

Lung tissue study sheds light on fast Omicron spread

In the first findings on how the Omicron variant (B11529) infects the respiratory tract, researchers from Hong Kong University (HKU) today reported that the virus multiplies 70 times faster in the bronchi than Delta and the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, which they said might explain why Omicron transmits faster.

South Korea Britain Hong Kong county Delta virus infection reports

US hits 800,000 COVID-19 deaths as Omicron now in 36 states

This week America reached another grim milestone in the pandemic: 800,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, about 400,000 of them during the past year, when vaccines have been available.

Usa covid-19 death reports

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

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