Featured COVID Headlines
How to Think About Personal Risk When COVID Case Data Can’t Be Trusted – The Atlantic
The numbers do still have some use, even if they’re less illuminating than before. Coronavirus cases are up more than 25 percent in the United States over the past two weeks—and those are just the ones we know about. Experts warn that the true size of the current outbreak could be 10, or even 14, times worse than the official counts suggest.
COVID vaccines can’t keep up with new Omicron subvariants – Yahoo News
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the air. New subvariants of the Omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus “appear to be even more immune-resistant than the original,” Axios reported Wednesday.
Testing Positive and Using the ‘Backdoor’ to Get Into the U.S. – NYT
Entering the United States by air requires a negative coronavirus test. Some people who can’t provide one are using a workaround: flying to Canada or Mexico, then entering via a land border.
During the Omicron Wave, Death Rates Soared for Older People – NYT
Last year, people 65 and older died from Covid at lower rates than in previous waves. But with Omicron and waning immunity, death rates rose again.
Reported COVID-19 infection levels nearly 6 times higher than last Memorial Day – ABC News
Millions of Americans traveled for Memorial Day weekend at levels not seen since before the onset of the pandemic. It marked a return to normalcy for many and a chance to gather with family and friends. But in reality, the situation was far from normal — with confirmed COVID-19 cases nearly six times higher than last Memorial Day, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Viruses that were on hiatus during Covid are back — and behaving in unexpected ways – STAT
For nearly two years, as the Covid pandemic disrupted life around the globe, other infectious diseases were in retreat. Now, as the world rapidly dismantles the measures put in place to slow spread of Covid, the viral and bacterial nuisances that were on hiatus are returning — and behaving in unexpected ways.
North Korea Did an Amazing Job of Keeping Covid Out. Or It Lied. – Bloomberg
Few health experts believe North Korea managed to keep out Covid-19 since early 2020. So when Kim Jong Un officially confirmed the nation’s first case on Thursday, the question was more: “Why now?”
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
outbreak in Iraq, the first case was reported in the Al-Anbar governorate Monday. The patient is a 25-year-old resident of the Al-Rahhaliya area in Ramadi.
[Related] Iraq: 1st Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever case reported in Erbil
Monkeypox
Portugal now reports 100 confirmed monkeypox cases – Outbreak News Today
The Directorate-General for Health (DGS) confirms 4 more cases of human infection with the Monkeypox virus in Portugal, with a total of 100 cases so far. Most infections have been reported to date in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, but there are also cases in the North and Algarve regions.
How Serious Is Monkeypox? – NYT
Health officials are tracking more than 100 cases of confirmed or suspected monkeypox that have appeared in countries where the disease does not typically occur, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Why the Atypical Symptoms in the Latest Monkeypox Cases? – MedPageToday
In mid-May, a young man appeared at a hospital in Montreal with a single lesion on his genitals. About a week earlier he had sexual contact with someone who tested positive for monkeypox. Over the next several days, his lesion grew in size and more lesions appeared, but they weren’t painful. He had no fever and the lesion remained contained.This was one of the first monkeypox cases in Canada. The details, including all of the atypical symptoms, were shared by one of the patient’s physicians, Sébastien Poulin, MD, of Saint-Jerome Hospital in Montreal, via Twitter.
COVID Vaccine Headlines
Third mRNA Shot Offers Best Covid-19 Immunity, Study Says – Bloomberg
A third dose of messenger RNA Covid-19 vaccine provides a key boost to immunity against the coronavirus, regardless of the original type of immunization, researchers said.
Clinical Considerations
Long COVID in Older Adults: An Elusive Geriatric Syndrome – MedPageToday
A recent report from the CDC said that nearly 60% of Americans, including 75% of children and adolescents, have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 as of February. As the virus continues to linger and mutate, that number will continue to rise, leading to higher rates of long COVID: a wide range of symptoms that can last more than 4 weeks or longer after the initial infection.
Covid-19 Can Leave You Infectious After Five or Even 10 Days – WSJ
Seeing that bright red line appear on an at-home Covid-19 test can feel inevitable during a surge like the one under way now. What can be surprising is how many days later that line keeps popping up.
Faulty Pulse Oximeter Design Likely Hurt Care For Darker-Skinned Covid Patients – KHN
A study shows that the devices did not measure the oxygen levels of Black, Latino, or Asian patients as accurately as white patients. And in Nevada, a lab company is under fire for covid test results that were almost entirely wrong.
Official Reporting for June 1, 2022
World Health Organization
Weekly Epi Update June 1, 2022(latest release)
New Cases: 457,276 ⬇︎
Confirmed Cases: 527,603,107
Deaths: 6,290,452
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 530,242,431
Deaths: 6,293,221
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total cases: 83,949,036 (+94,260 New Cases) ⬇︎
Total deaths: 1,002,067 (+301 New Deaths) ⬇︎
Science and Tech
None Today
Psychological and Sociological Impact
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy last week issued an advisory regarding the burnout and resignation crisis in the healthcare community, underlining the severity of the problem. The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated pre-existing morale problems for medical professionals frustrated with changing job demands that they say affects their ability to care for patients. Early retirements and career changes could lead to significant shortages in nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers, hindering future medical care in the U.S.
Corporate America’s real estate footprint has changed significantly since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. While some companies are adapting to new remote- or hybrid-friendly futures, others are insisting that employees return to the office full-time. Regardless, the typical office layout has undergone a complete turnaround from prioritizing desk allocation to focusing on spaces that enable collaboration and high-quality experiences.
Published Research
New Perspectives on Long COVID Syndrome: The Development of Unusually Delayed and Recurring Pericarditis After a Primary SARS-CoV-2 Infection – Cureus
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
Most pregnant women believe or are unsure about COVID-19 vaccine misinformation: poll – The Hill
Seven in ten women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant believe or are unsure about false claims related to COVID-19 vaccines, a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll found.
Coping with COVID
