Masking Yields Small Reduction in COVID Risk, Review Concludes
Use of masks in both community settings and healthcare settings may slightly reduce risk of COVID-19, but the evidence base leaves much to be desired, the final installment of a living, rapid review of multiple studies found. “The strength of evidence remained low for reduced risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection with surgical masks versus no mask […]
WHO Says COVID-19 Is No Longer A Global Emergency
GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization said Friday that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking a symbolic end to the devastating coronavirus pandemic that triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies worldwide and killed at least 7 million people worldwide. WHO said that even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic hasn’t […]
COVID Drops to Fourth Leading Cause of Death, CDC Says
COVID-19 dropped to the fourth leading cause of death in 2022, down from third place in 2020 and 2021, according to provisional mortality data from the CDC. Taking its place was “unintentional injury,” which followed heart disease and cancer as the longstanding top killers, reported Farida B. Ahmad, MPH, and colleagues in Morbidity and Mortality […]
Does COVID Vaccination Really Lead to Wonky Periods?
Weak associations were observed between vaccination for COVID-19 and healthcare contacts related to menstrual disturbance or bleeding disorders in women before and after menopause, according to a Swedish register-based cohort study. Looking at over 2.5 million women who received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, the strongest association for menstrual disturbance observed was an […]
FDA Allows Extra Doses of Bivalent COVID Vax for Immunocompromised Tots
The FDA has authorized additional doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for young immunocompromised children, the agency announced on Friday. In kids ages 6 months to 4 years with certain types of immunocompromising conditions (i.e., solid-organ transplant recipients, or those considered to have a similar level of immunocompromise), and who previously received three primary 0.2-mL […]
China Health Officials Lash Out At WHO, Defend Search For Source Of COVID-19
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese health officials defended their search for the source of the COVID-19 virus and lashed out Saturday at the World Health Organization after its leader said Beijing should have shared genetic information earlier. The WHO comments were “offensive and disrespectful,” said the director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, […]
Opinion | Moderna’s Steep COVID Vaccine Price: Corporate Greed or Capitalism?
On May 11, the U.S. public health emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 will end. And with it, many Americans will no longer have access to free, government-sponsored COVID vaccines. Under the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, the U.S. government purchased and distributed COVID-19 vaccines for free to its populace, regardless of insurance or citizenship status. The […]
Opinion | Nobody Wants This Job. Should Physicians Stick Around?
As I enter the patient exam room, the first question is no longer, “When can I get my COVID-19 vaccine?” but rather, “Are you leaving? My old doctor left. You are my fifth doctor in 3 years. What is happening?” Nowadays, I spend more time educating patients about the visible cracks our medical system flaunts. […]
More Young Kids Can Get Bivalent COVID Booster
More children under age 5 are now eligible for a COVID-19 booster, the FDA announced on Tuesday. Kids ages 6 months to 4 years who completed their primary vaccination with three doses of the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech shot can now get a booster with the companies’ bivalent COVID vaccine — which targets the Omicron BA.4/5 subvariants […]
Twitter Uses Dark Humor To Roast Study That Calls Pandemic Mental Health Crisis ‘Minimal’
A BBC tweet about mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired an onslaught of darkly funny lockdown anecdotes. The subject matter of the original tweet was no joke: It linked to a BBC article about research on the mental health consequences of the pandemic. The headline? “Mental-health crisis from Covid pandemic was minimal ― […]