DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The 3rd human case of bird flu in the US has 2 new and troubling symptoms
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The H5N1 virus has become a pandemic among animals, raging through worldwide bird populations and now through US cattle herds. There, the H5N1 virus can continue operating as an avian virus, grabbing avian receptors with no need to adapt to human receptors. Two previous one-off human cases of H5N1 — one in Chile and one in Ecuador — featured respiratory symptoms. Even with its current monitoring, the CDC would probably detect sustained human spread, he said. Correction — June 4, 2024: An earlier version of this story misstated the nature of genomic sequencing of the H5N1 virus.

Persons: —, Jude virologist Richard Webby, Diego Vara, Rick Bright, Amanda Perobelli, John Harper, Nirav Shah, farmworkers, Shah, Bright, Bill Powers, Nathan Howard, Department of Agriculture hadn't Organizations: Service, US Centers for Disease Control, Business, CDC, Reuters, World Health Organization, Studies, New York Times, Stock, Drug Administration, STAT, Webby, Department of Agriculture Locations: Texas, Michigan, Americas, Norte, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Campinas, Townsend , Delaware

☆ Why Americans Don't Get Enough Sleep: Money Stress, Jobs, Health
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Jeremy Ney | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

When we don't get enough sleep, it can influence everything from how much money we make to our likelihood of developing dementia, heart disease, and diabetes. Researchers have found that stress is one of the strongest indicators of poor sleep. On top of that, the county struggles with poor health, another major contributor to poor sleep. In our analysis, we overlaid the CDC's sleep data with a CDC survey on mental health and found a 79% correlation between mental-health problems and poor sleep. In the food-services industry, people juggle inconsistent shifts and low pay that often requires taking on multiple jobs, and 40% of workers don't get enough sleep.

Persons: Tim Cook, Robinhood's Vlad Tenev, Gordon Ramsay, Drake, Michael Phelps, Mingo, It's, Johns Hopkins, isn't Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, South . Residents, CDC, Columbia, Johns Hopkins University, Graduate Medical Locations: South, West Virginia , Kentucky, Alabama, Mingo, West Virginia, Boulder County , Colorado, America, healthiest, Manhattan, San Francisco, Mississippi, . California, Florida

☆ Bird flu could jump to humans any day. A former surgeon general says it feels like 2020 again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In recent months the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has been spreading through US cattle herds for the first time ever. The cow-to-cow transmission is the latest escalation in a global outbreak that began when the virus reemerged in Europe in 2020. Bill Powers with his flock of white turkeys, kept under shelter to prevent exposure to bird flu, in Townsend, Delaware. Nathan Howard/Getty ImagesDr. Jerome Adams, a former surgeon general and the director of health equity at Purdue University, is getting deja vu. AdvertisementOnly testing the sickSo far, the USDA has only been testing cattle herds when an animal appears sick.

Persons: —, Jeremy Farrar, Nathan Frandino, Farrar, Bill Powers, Nathan Howard, Jerome Adams, they've, Adams, Donald Trump, hasn't, Terry Chea, they're, Zeynep Tufekci, Jean Carroll, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, President Trump, Trump, Biden Organizations: Service, Business, World Health Organization, Washington Post, Food and Drug Administration, New York Times, FDA, Johann, Reuters, US Centers for Disease Control, Purdue University, CDC, US Department of Agriculture, White, USDA Locations: Europe, South America, Fresno , California, Texas, Townsend , Delaware, COVID, Sonoma County , California

☆ There is no loneliness epidemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

With the report, a steady trickle of headlines about the epidemic turned into a firehose: "Loneliness is at epidemic levels and it's killing Americans" (USA Today); "This Epidemic of Isolation Is as Harmful as Smoking" (Bloomberg); "America's Loneliness Epidemic Comes for the Restaurant" (The Atlantic). There's one problem: The loneliness epidemic doesn't exist. Even the authors caution in their meta-analysis that "the frequently used term 'loneliness epidemic' seems exaggerated." Calling it a "loneliness epidemic," then, may be a bit like calling COVID a "sneezing pandemic." "There are many, many surveys that are just making up questions about loneliness and are not using the UCLA Loneliness Scale or some other validated loneliness scale," she says.

Persons: Vivek Murthy, Murthy, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Sen, Chris Murphy, Ruth, University of Michigan —, Eric Klinenberg, Julianne Holt, it's, Dave Sbarra, Holt, David Riesman, Lunstad, I've, —, Sbarra, Klinenberg, Adam Mastroianni, " Mastroianni, Mastroianni, Biden, isn't, Jill Lepore, voicemails, There's, Jerome Adams Organizations: Bloomberg, Business, York, Gallup, University of Michigan, New York University, Brigham Young University, University of Arizona, Bell, University of California Los, Commerce, UCLA, Republican, Democratic Locations: Connecticut, Brooklyn, University of California Los Angeles, America, Washington, DC, COVID

☆ What you need to know about eating meat, dairy, and eggs during the bird flu outbreak, according to a food safety expert
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Embrace firm egg yolksTo be extra safe, fully cook your meat and eggs, said Alcaine. Just as you would to prevent salmonella or E.coli infections, you should cook meat and eggs at hot-enough temperatures to prevent illness. AdvertisementAdditionally, Alcaine said you'll want to be wary of cross-contamination, such as keeping the utensils used to handle raw meat and eggs away from cooked food. However, some states allow the sale of raw milk and unpasteurized cheese, which have been growing in popularity over recent years. AdvertisementIn general, drinking raw milk can lead to side effects like vomiting and diarrhea, and just to be safe, the CDC also suggests abstaining in light of this recent outbreak.

Persons: —, Samuel Alcaine, Alcaine, Cook, you'll, Sumiko Mekaru Organizations: Service, USDA, Business, Maine Foods, Cornell University, CDC, New York Times, PHC, ABC News Locations: Texas, Cal

NEW YORK (AP) — The nation's top public health agency is expanding a program that tests international travelers for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Those locations should provide more information about respiratory infections coming out of South America, Africa and Asia, particularly, CDC officials said. But they are given a COVID-19 home test kit to take with them, CDC officials say. That testing is for COVID-19, but CDC officials are evaluating the possibility of monitoring wastewater for other things, Walker said. The CDC program has a current budget of about $37 million.

Persons: ”, Allison Taylor Walker, Walker, Ginkgo Organizations: Disease Control, CDC, Health, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: COVID, Miami, South America, Africa, Asia, Chicago

☆ CDC updates Covid isolation guidelines for people who test positive
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Erika Edwards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People who test positive for Covid no longer need to isolate for five days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Many doctors have been urging the CDC to lift isolation guidance for months, saying it did little to stop the spread of Covid. The experiences of California and Oregon, which previously lifted their Covid isolation guidelines, proved that to be true. "Recent data indicate that California and Oregon, where isolation guidance looks more like CDC's updated recommendations, are not experiencing higher Covid-19 emergency department visits or hospitalizations," Jackson said. Changing the Covid isolation to mirror what's recommended for flu and other respiratory illnesses makes sense to Dr. David Margolius, the public health director for the city of Cleveland.

Persons: you've, Mandy Cohen, Cohen, Covid, Dr, Brendan Jackson, Jackson, David Margolius, We've, Kristin Englund Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, National Center, CDC, Cleveland Clinic Locations: United States, California, Oregon, Cleveland

☆ New COVID Variant Takes Hold in the United States
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter(HealthDay)TUESDAY, Nov. 28, 2023 (Healthday News) -- The prevalence of a highly mutated COVID variant has tripled in the past two weeks, new government data shows. Now, nearly 1 in 10 new COVID cases are fueled by the BA.2.86 variant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday. Scientists first warned of the highly mutated variant back in August, but it has since spread in several regions of the United States. The CDC also noted that BA.2.86 variant poses a "low" public health risk. But the CDC data released Monday did show that emergency department visits linked to COVID-19 have begun to climb nationwide.

Persons: Robin Foster HealthDay, Jasmine Reed Organizations: U.S . Centers for Disease Control, EG, WHO, CDC, CBS News, JN Locations: New York, New Jersey, United States, U.S

☆ CDC expedites release of more doses of infant RSV drug from Sanofi, AstraZeneca amid shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The shortage – and other issues related to insurance coverage – threatens to prevent infants from receiving critical protection against RSV. Each year, the virus kills a few hundred children younger than 5, and 6,000 to 10,000 seniors, according to the CDC. RSV also causes around 58,000 to 80,000 hospitalizations among children younger than 5 years old each year, the CDC said. The U.S. started to see a sharp uptick in RSV cases in the middle of October. The U.S. suffered an unusually severe RSV season last year.

Persons: Sanofi, Nirav Shah Organizations: Disease Control, U.S, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, CDC, Vaccines, Children Program, Food and Drug Administration, FDA Locations: U.S

Advances in childhood cancer are a success story in modern medicine. But in the past decade, those strides have stalled for Black and Hispanic youth, opening a gap in death rates, according to a new report published Thursday. Death rates were about the same for Black, Hispanic and white children in 2001, and all went lower during the next decade. Nearly incurable 50 years ago, childhood cancer now is survivable for most patients, especially those with leukemia. The National Cancer Institute is working to gather data from every childhood cancer patient with the goal of linking each child to state-of-the-art care.

Persons: ”, Sharon Castellino, Emory University’s, Castellino, Paula Aristizabal, ” Aristizabal, Emily Tonorezos Organizations: Black, Emory, Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control, University of California, Rady Children’s, Equity, National Cancer Institute, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Atlanta, U.S, San Diego, Rady

LONDON (AP) — Measles deaths globally spiked by more than 40% last year and cases rose after vaccination levels dramatically dropped during the pandemic, leading health agencies said Thursday. The highly infectious disease triggered epidemics in 37 countries last year, versus 22 countries in 2021. “The increase in measles outbreaks and deaths is staggering, but unfortunately, not unexpected given the declining vaccination rates we’ve seen in the past few years,” said CDC's John Vertefeuille, said in a statement. Two doses of the measles vaccine are highly protective against the disease. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: ”, CDC's John Vertefeuille, Andrew Wakefield Organizations: World Health Organization, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, WHO, CDC, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, India, British, London

Nov 7 (Reuters) - The number of newborns with syphilis in the United States surged more than 10-fold in the last decade, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Tuesday. The agency said 3,761 cases were recorded in 2022, the highest in over 30 years, up from 334 cases in 2012. The 2022 cases included 231 stillbirths and 51 infant deaths. Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy. The CDC recommends screening for syphilis at the first prenatal care visit to reduce perinatal transmission.

Persons: Laura Bachmann, Bachmann, Sriparna Roy, Nancy Lapid Organizations: U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC's, CDC, Thomson Locations: United, Bengaluru

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. infant mortality rate rose 3% last year — the largest increase in two decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. White and Native American infants, infant boys and babies born at 37 weeks or earlier had significant death rate increases. Because the number of babies born in the U.S. varies from year to year, researchers instead calculate rates to better compare infant mortality over time. The U.S. infant mortality rate has been worse than other high-income countries, which experts have attributed to poverty, inadequate prenatal care and other possibilities. The national rate rose to 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022, up from from 5.44 per 1,000 the year before, the new report said.

Persons: “ It’s, ”, Marie Thoma, Eric Eichenwald, Eichenwald, Danielle Ely, —, ” Ely Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, University of Maryland, American Academy of Pediatrics, CDC, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Philadelphia, U.S, Georgia, Iowa , Missouri, Texas

Political Cartoons View All 1223 ImagesNow the agency is aiming to further reduce lead levels in drinking water and tighten a rule that failed to prevent recent drinking water crises in cities like Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey. Bernstein said he is hopeful “that as we remove lead pipes, we’re going to see the numbers continue to fall. “CDC’s work was used in other cities with elevated water lead levels to dampen citizen concerns,” the congressional report said. Joe Cotruvo, a former director of the Drinking Water Standards Division at EPA, said the existing regulations work and should be credited with significantly reducing lead in drinking water, they just aren’t properly enforced. Lead pipes in both cities were rapidly removed and lead levels dropped.

Persons: Ronnie Levin, ” Levin, Joe Biden, ”, Levin, Flint, Aaron Bernstein, Bernstein, Mark Powell, Yanna Lambrinidou, “, Mary Jean Brown, Marc Edwards, wouldn't, Joe Cotruvo, Michael Schock, Schock, we’ve Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Harvard, Centers for Disease Control, Washington , D.C, D.C, Virginia Tech, CDC, Agency, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation, AP Locations: Flint , Michigan, Newark , New Jersey, U.S, Boston, WASHINGTON, Washington ,, Washington, The Washington, Flint, Benton Harbor , Michigan, Newark, Benton, Benton Harbor

☆ Supreme Court blocks restrictions on Biden administration efforts to remove contentious social media posts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday blocked in full a lower court ruling that would have curbed the Biden administration's ability to communicate with social media companies about contentious content on such issues as Covid-19. Donald Trump was president at the time, but the district court ruling focused on actions taken by the government after President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. But the appeals court still required the White House, the FBI and top health officials not to "coerce or significantly encourage" social media companies to remove content the Biden administration considers misinformation. The administration turned to the Supreme Court hoping to freeze Doughty's ruling in full. The district court ruling was on hold while the Supreme Court decided what steps to take.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Alito, Jim Hoft, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Terry Doughty, Biden, White, Karine Jean, Pierre, Vivek Murthy, Elizabeth Prelogar, Prelogar Organizations: Biden, U.S, Trump, Circuit, FBI, Supreme Locations: Louisiana, Missouri

A vial labelled "Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine" is seen in this illustration taken January 16, 2022. The Maryland-based company, whose COVID vaccine is its lone marketed product, has adopted cost-cutting measures and is counting on commercial sales of its updated shot to help it stay afloat. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will not meet again to discuss the Novavax shot, a spokesperson said. Novavax's original COVID shot received U.S. authorization in July 2022, long after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were in use. All three of the updated shots target the XBB.1.5 variant of the coronavirus.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, BioNTech, COVID, John Jacobs, Jacobs, Sriparna Roy, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Pfizer Inc, Moderna, FDA, Pfizer, Moderna's, Thomson Locations: U.S, Maryland, Bengaluru

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials plan to endorse a common antibiotic as a morning-after pill that gay and bisexual men can use to try to avoid some increasingly common sexually transmitted diseases. The proposed CDC guideline was released Monday, and officials will move to finalize it after a 45-day public comment period. Doxycycline, a cheap antibiotic that has been available for more than 40 years, is a treatment for health problems including acne, chlamydia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. That kind of antibiotic resistance hasn't materialized in San Francisco, but it will be important to watch for, Cohen said. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: ”, Jonathan Mermin, Mermin, Stephanie Cohen, —, Taimur Khan, Khan, Cohen Organizations: —, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, New, of Medicine, Fenway Health, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: — U.S, “, Boston, San Francisco

☆ US CDC panel weighs use of Pfizer's maternal RSV vaccine to protect infants
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A child suffering from an RSV infection at the pediatric intensive care unit at the Asklepios Clinic in Sankt Augustin, Germany, December, 6, 2022. RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms but can also lead to serious illness and hospitalization. It is typically a seasonal illness, starting in the autumn and peaking in the winter in most of the U.S., according to the CDC. An estimated 58,000 to 80,000 children below the age of five years are hospitalized every year due to RSV infection in the U.S., according to government data. However, the agency said the difference did not appear to be statistically significant, thus might have been due to chance.

Persons: Benjamin Westhoff, Sriparna Roy, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Asklepios, REUTERS, Pfizer, GSK, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, CDC, FDA, Thomson Locations: Sankt Augustin, Germany, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ New Covid boosters could reach Americans as soon as Thursday – here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Brian Cassella | Tribune News Service | Getty ImagesA new round of Covid vaccines is finally here in the U.S. Meanwhile, the FDA is still reviewing a third updated vaccine from Novavax for people ages 12 and up. Here's everything you need to know about the updated Covid vaccines, from where to find them, whether you can get them for free and when to get them. The agency's website outlines more specific guidelines for staying up to date on Covid vaccines, which differ depending on age group and risk level. Kroger Americans will soon be able to use the federal website vaccines.gov to find other locations offering the updated Covid shots, according to a CDC spokesperson.

Persons: Brian Cassella, Covid, Biden, Megan Wallace, they've, Brian Snyder, vaccines.gov, Evelyn Twentyman, Will, Moderna's, Twentyman, Taison Bell, Bell, CDC's Wallace, Wallace Organizations: Pfizer, Tribune, Service, U.S, The, Disease Control, Moderna, Food and Drug Administration, CDC, FDA, Walgreens, CNBC, WALGREENS, CVS Albertsons, Kroger, Manufacturers, CVS, University of Virginia Health, Younger Locations: Chatham , Illinois, U.S, Covid, Somerville , Massachusetts

☆ CDC advisors recommend updated Covid vaccines for all Americans ages 6 months and up
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An independent advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended that all Americans ages 6 months and up receive updated Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna , the next step toward the shots reaching Americans in the coming days. Thirteen advisors voted in favor of that "universal" recommendation for Americans, while one voted against it. It is a vaccine-preventable disease," said Dr. Beth Bell, clinical professor at the University of Washington and member of the panel, during the advisory meeting. "And so, for that reason, I favor the universal recommendation." The advisory panel's "universal" recommendation comes a day after the Food and Drug Administration approved the two mRNA jabs, which are designed to target the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, Georgina Peacock, Beth Bell, Hospitalizations, hospitalizations, Megan Wallace Organizations: Moderna, Pharmacy, Centers for Disease Control, Pfizer, CDC, University of Washington, Food and Drug Administration, FDA Locations: Schwenksville , Pennsylvania, U.S

☆ Covid-19, flu, RSV: Here are the vaccine recommendations for fall—and the best time to get them
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Updated Covid vaccinesOn Monday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the new Covid vaccine, which will target a variant of Omicron called XBB.1.5. When should you get your updated Covid vaccine? Older adults, and people with heart and lung disease, should also consider getting the RSV vaccine, says Pavia. "Because the ACIP gave a softer recommendation to the RSV vaccine, coverage is going to be variable," says Pavia. For those with certain Medicare plans, the RSV vaccine should be covered, specifically under a Part D plan.

Persons: there's, Andrew Pavia, It's, Don't, Biden, you've, they're, hasn't, it's Organizations: CNBC, Centers for Disease Control, University of Utah, Children's Hospital, CDC, Food and Drug Administration, COVID, FDA, CDC's, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Infants, The New York Times Locations: Pavia

☆ US CDC says existing antibodies can work against new COVID variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 8 (Reuters) - Early research data has shown that antibodies produced by prior infection or existing vaccines against the coronavirus were sufficient to protect against the new BA.2.86 variant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday. The Food and Drug Administration in the coming days is expected to authorize the updated vaccines that target the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron, and early data provide encouraging signs for the new shots, CDC said. Since CDC's initial risk assessment last month, BA.2.86 has been identified in nine U.S. states as of Friday. The Omicron offshoot has also been identified from both human and wastewater specimens in countries including Japan, UK and Canada. Reporting by Vaibhav Sadhamta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: coronavirus, Vaibhav, Shailesh Organizations: U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Drug Administration, CDC, Omicron, Canada, Thomson Locations: United States, Japan, Bengaluru

☆ Moderna says updated Covid vaccine was effective against highly mutated BA.2.86 variant in trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Moderna 's new Covid vaccine produced a strong immune response against BA.2.86, a highly mutated omicron variant that health officials are watching closely, according to clinical trial data the biotech company released Wednesday. The updated shot produced an 8.7-fold increase in protective antibodies against BA.2.86, which has been detected in small numbers nationwide. Moderna is the first out of the companies producing updated Covid jabs to release data on how its shot fares against BA.2.86. Last month, Moderna also released clinical trial data suggesting that its new shot provides protection against the now-dominant EG.5, or "Eris," variant and another rapidly spreading strain called FL.1.5.1. New vaccines are set to arrive as Eris and other Covid variants fuel a rise in cases and hospitalizations across the country.

Persons: Stephen Hoge, Covid hospitalizations Organizations: Disease Control, Moderna, Pfizer, Novavax, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, EG, CDC Locations: U.S

☆ US CDC tracks new lineage of virus that causes COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The lineage is named BA.2.86, and has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel, the CDC said in a post on messaging platform X. "As we learn more about BA.2.86, CDC's advice on protecting yourself from COVID-19 remains the same," the agency said. The WHO said that, so far, only a few sequences of the variant have been reported from a handful of countries. The new lineage, which has 36 mutations from the currently-dominant XXB.1.5 COVID variant "harkens back to an earlier branch" of the virus, explained Dr. S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist. https://slides.com/jbloom/new_2nd_gen_ba2_variant?ftag=YHF4eb9d17#/12The Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is the strain targeted by vaccines in upcoming COVID booster shots.

Persons: Wesley Long, Jesse Bloom, Fred Hutch, Dr, Long, Shivani Tanna, Himani Sarkar, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Science, Trinity College, Reuters, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, CDC, World Health Organization, WHO, Houston Methodist, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Wuhan, United States, Denmark, Israel, Bengaluru

☆ New Covid vaccines are on the way as 'Eris' variant rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Some public health experts hope that Americans will welcome the new shot as they would a flu jab. In the fall of 2022, by which time most people had either had the COVID virus or the vaccine, fewer than 50 million people got the shots. Its biggest rival, Moderna, conceded demand could be as few as 50 million shots. POST PANDEMIC VACCINEThe COVID public health emergency ended in May and the government has handed much of the duty of vaccinating America to the private sector. As with the flu, Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE), Moderna (MRNA.O) and Novavax (NVAX.O), have created versions of the COVID vaccine to try to match the variant they believe will be circulating this fall.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ashley Kirzinger, Kirzinger, BioNTech, Jefferies, Michael Yee, " Yee, Mandy Cohen, William Schaffner, Schaffner, David Boulware, Michael Erman, Caroline Humer, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, CVS Health, Family, Reuters, Pfizer –, Moderna, Pfizer, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, EG, Vanderbilt University, University of Minnesota, Thomson Locations: U.S, America, United States, COVID, CDC's

Search resuls for: "CDC's"

25 mentions found