“We need broadly acting and efficient tools to combat the virus load in our everyday life,” said Prof Varpu Marjomki. “Vaccinations are important, but they cannot deal with many of the newly emerging serotypes early enough to be effective on their own.” The scientists had previously tested willow bark extract on enteroviruses, and found it… Read More »
Rising Infectious Disease Threats Spur Expert Calls for Pandemic Readiness
COVID-19, responsible for more than 6.8 million global fatalities (1✔ ✔Trusted SourceCOVID-19 cases, recoveries, and deaths worldwide 2023 Go to source), stands as one of the most lethal pandemics in human history. Given indications that it may not be the final pandemic, health professionals are advocating for enhanced pandemic preparedness. While nobody can predict the… Read More »
Contrasting COVID-19 Realities Demand Vigilance
In fact, the test positivity rate shot up from 0 to 42 percent in only three weeks in areas where surveillance was active, showcasing the extent and speed of spread of COVID-19 within any community. Fortunately, fatality and severe outcomes were relatively few compared to previous waves. Unfortunately, testing has dropped to extremely low levels… Read More »
It’s (Finally) Time to Stop Calling It a Pandemic: Experts
March 17, 2023 — It’s been 3 years since the World Health Organization officially declared the COVID-19 emergency a pandemic. Now, with health systems no longer overwhelmed and more than a year of no surprise variants, many infectious disease experts are declaring a shift in the crisis from pandemic to endemic. Endemic, broadly, means the… Read More »
COVID at 3 Years: Where Are We Headed?
March 15, 2023 – Three years after COVID-19 rocked the world, the pandemic has evolved into a steady state of commonplace infections, less frequent hospitalization and death, and continued anxiety and isolation for older people and those with weakened immune systems. After about 2½ years of requiring masks in health care settings, the CDC lifted… Read More »
Q&A: The Future of COVID-19
Senior writer Kara Grant co-authored this report. March 15, 2023 – As we approach the third anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts and everyday Americans wonder if we are finally at the end of what has been a painful and exhausting ordeal that’s lasted 3 years. With vaccine and booster fatigue, COVID-19 cases leveling out, and a… Read More »
Omicron Much Less Likely to Cause Long COVID, Study Finds
March 10, 2023 – Health care workers infected with the COVID-19 Omicron variant were far less likely to experience significant long COVID symptoms than those who contracted the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to new research out of Switzerland. The results, which will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases conference in… Read More »
Politics, Media Erode Trust in Top Health Agencies, Survey Says
March 7, 2023 — The political wars waged over public health recommendations on how to fight the COVID-19 pandemic have had a direct effect on the trust in public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA, according to the results of a survey conducted by Harvard researchers. The study, published on March 6 in… Read More »
Long COVID Takes Toll on Already Stretched Health Care Workforce
March 6, 2023 — The impact of long COVID – and its sometimes-disabling symptoms that can persist for more than a year — has worsened health care’s already severe workforce shortage. Hospitals have turned to training programs, traveling nurses, and emergency room staffing services. While the shortage of clinical workers continues, support workers are also in… Read More »
