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COVID-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern COVID-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern
Covid-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern A surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States and around the globe is sparking concern among health officials who are warning that more severe variants of the virus may be coming. “COVID-19 is still very much with us and circulating in all countries," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said in a news conference last week. “Data from our sentinel-based surveillance system across 84 countries reports that the percent of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been rising over several weeks." Wastewater surveillance suggests that the circulation of COVID is two to 20 times…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
COVID-19: Recall Issued For Brand Of Over-Counter Tests That Could Give False Negative Results COVID-19: Recall Issued For Brand Of Over-Counter Tests That Could Give False Negative Results
Covid-19: Recall Issued For Brand Of Over-Counter Tests That Could Give False Negative Results A new recall has been issued for a brand of COVID-19 tests due to an increased chance that the tests may give false negative results Detect, Inc. is voluntarily recalling specific lots of the Detect COVID-19 Test, an over-the-counter test used to identify SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in self-collected nasal swabs. The recall affects 11,102 tests shipped to customers from July 26, 2022, through Aug. 26, 2022, the company said. The test was granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October, 2021. There is an increased chance t…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
COVID-19: CT Cancer Patient Has Been Infected With Virus At Least 471 Days, Case Study Says COVID-19: CT Cancer Patient Has Been Infected With Virus At Least 471 Days, Case Study Says
Covid-19: CT Cancer Patient Has Been Infected With Virus At Least 471 Days, Case Study Says A Connecticut resident experienced a chronic COVID-19 infection for at least 471 days, researchers reported. Researchers from Yale University found that a patient, who is diagnosed with lymphoma, has been testing positive for the virus for at least 471 days and that the virus rapidly mutated during their infection, according to the Daily Mail. The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, can be found here. Researchers reported that their surveillance system captured 30 nasal swabs from the unnamed individual, and sequenced COVID-19 genomes from day 79 through 471, which was between Feb…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: Moderna Seeks Vaccine Authorization For Kids Under Age 6 COVID-19: Moderna Seeks Vaccine Authorization For Kids Under Age 6
Covid-19: Moderna Seeks Vaccine Authorization For Kids Under Age 6 Moderna says it has submitted a request to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 6. The company made the announcement on Thursday, April 28, saying it submitted a request to FDA to authorize its vaccine for children from ages 6 months to 6 years old. Moderna's vaccines are currently only authorized for individuals aged 18 and older. "We are proud to share that we have initiated our EUA submission for authorization for our COVID-19 vaccine for young children," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said. "We believe mRNA-1273…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: FDA Announces New At-Home Test Recall COVID-19: FDA Announces New At-Home Test Recall
Covid-19: FDA Announces New At-Home Test Recall Federal health officials are cautioning Americans not to use a specific COVID-19 at-home testing kit that has not been approved or authorized by medical authorities. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are advising against the use of the LuSys Laboratories COVID-19 Antigen Test because they have not been cleared for use. In total, nearly 165,000 at-home kits are subject to the recall, according to the FDA. Officials said that the LuSys Laboratories COVID-19 Antigen Test uses a nasal swab, or a saliva (spit) sample intended to de…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Don't Use This Specific At-Home Test, FDA Warns COVID-19: Don't Use This Specific At-Home Test, FDA Warns
Covid-19: Don't Use This Specific At-Home Test, FDA Warns Federal health officials are cautioning Americans not to use a specific at-home rapid COVID-19 test that is being distributed but has yet to be authorized. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert to advise that people should not use the ACON Laboratories test “Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test (Self Testing” that is packaged in a dark blue box (see above). Officials said that the test has not been authorized, cleared, or approved by the FDA for distribution or use in the United States, and the agency is concerned about the risk of false results from those using it. T…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Studies Shed Light On How Pandemic May Have Started COVID-19: New Studies Shed Light On How Pandemic May Have Started
Covid-19: New Studies Shed Light On How Pandemic May Have Started New clues about how the COVID-19 pandemic started have been detailed in studies that have just been released by scientists on Saturday, Feb. 26. Two studies, conducted by United States scientists, trace the original of the SARS-CoV-2 novel strain of the coronavirus to the large market in Wuhan, China that sold live animals.  The studies are based on genetic analyses of COVID-19 samples from the market and from those who were infected in the first two months after the initial strain was identified. “When you look at all of the evidence together, it’s an extraordinarily clear picture th…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: New Study Shows Effectiveness Of Different Types Of Masks COVID-19: New Study Shows Effectiveness Of Different Types Of Masks
Covid-19: New Study Shows Effectiveness Of Different Types Of Masks Wearing masks makes a big difference when it comes to preventing COVID-19 infection, and which type of mask you wear also matters, according to a brand-new study. "Consistent use of a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings was associated with lower odds of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result (adjusted odds ratio = 0.44)," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. "Use of respirators with higher filtration capacity was associated with the most protection, compared with no mask use." The CDC has just announced these findings: Those who wear N95 and KN95 masks are 8…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: CDC Reveals If Getting Vaxxed Is More Effective Than Natural Immunity COVID-19: CDC Reveals If Getting Vaxxed Is More Effective Than Natural Immunity
Covid-19: CDC Reveals If Getting Vaxxed Is More Effective Than Natural Immunity Top federal health officials have dispelled the long-standing question regarding the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations versus natural immunity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report of a new study that found that both vaccinations and prior infection help to protect against new COVID-19 infections, though the former has proven far more effective in preventing virus-related hospitalizations. In the study, researchers evaluated more than a million COVID-19 cases in California and New York to analyze the risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalizations among fou…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Outbreak Of Virus In Deer Population Could Be Trouble For Humans, Scientists Say COVID-19: Outbreak Of Virus In Deer Population Could Be Trouble For Humans, Scientists Say
Covid-19: Outbreak Of Virus In Deer Population Could Be Trouble For Humans, Scientists Say For the first time, researchers are uncovering disconcerting evidence that COVID-19 is spreading amongst the deer population, which could spell trouble for humans. Researchers took nasal swabs from 360 white-tailed deer in the US between January and March 2021 when the number of COVID-19 cases was surging across the country, which found that more than 35 percent were previously infected or dealing with an active case. The latest study out of Ohio comes on the heels of research that found COVID-19 infections were prevalent in white-tailed deer in New York, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Illinois, and M…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Research Reveals Percentage Of Cases That Occur Without Symptoms COVID-19: New Research Reveals Percentage Of Cases That Occur Without Symptoms
Covid-19: New Research Reveals Percentage Of Cases That Occur Without Symptoms Health officials have released a new study confirming that nearly half of all those who contract COVID-19 infections remain asymptomatic, confirming a long-held belief. New research found that more than 40 percent of those who tested positive for the virus have not shown symptoms, according to a new study published this week in JAMA Network Open. In the study, researchers examined nearly 100 studies between January 2020 and February 2021 of nearly 30 million people in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. Of those millions, approximately 60 percent of confirmed COVID…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Study Reveals How Many More Times Unvaccinated Are Likely To Die From Virus, CDC Says COVID-19: Study Reveals How Many More Times Unvaccinated Are Likely To Die From Virus, CDC Says
Covid-19: Study Reveals How Many More Times Unvaccinated Are Likely To Die From Virus, CDC Says A newly released study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that Americans unvaccinated for COVID-19 are more than 10 times more likely to die from the virus. People not fully vaccinated against the virus are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and 11 times more likely to die, according to new major studies published on Friday, Sept. 10 by the CDC. "The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and death is higher in unvaccinated than vaccinated persons, and the incidence rate ratios are related to vaccine effectiveness,” researche…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Study Discovers Link Between Virus, Brain Changes Seen In Alzheimer’s COVID-19: Study Discovers Link Between Virus, Brain Changes Seen In Alzheimer’s
Covid-19: Study Discovers Link Between Virus, Brain Changes Seen In Alzheimer’s Scientists from across the world will present their findings on how COVID-19 affects the brain this week amid a new study that has identified mechanisms by which COVID can lead to Alzheimer’s disease-like dementia. The scientists are meeting at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, which gets underway in Denver on Monday, July 26. Research that has been conducted up till now has been concerning. A Cleveland Clinic study discovered a link between infections of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and brain changes that are commonly seen in those with Alzheim…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Virus Was In Five States Before First Official Cases Reported, New Research Reveals COVID-19: Virus Was In Five States Before First Official Cases Reported, New Research Reveals
Covid-19: Virus Was In Five States Before First Official Cases Reported, New Research Reveals New research has found that the COVID-19 virus was circulating in at least five states for months before the first case was officially reported in the United States. According to a National Institutes of Health study published Tuesday, June 15 in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal found that people in five states were infected with the virus in December 2019 and early in 2020 before the pandemic truly began last year. Researchers said that there was evidence of infection in nine out of 24,079 people whose blood samples were taken between Jan. 2, 2020, and March 18, 2020, suggesti…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Those Who Test Positive After Recovering Are Not Contagious, Study Says COVID-19: Those Who Test Positive After Recovering Are Not Contagious, Study Says
Covid-19: Those Who Test Positive After Recovering Are Not Contagious, Study Says A new study found that people who recovered from COVID-19 after testing positive did not transmit the virus to others in close proximity. Researchers evaluated more than 3,500 NBA players and staff who were in a “bubble” for last season’s playoff run to evaluate who contracted COVID-19, recovered, and were contagious. In total, researchers studied the data of 3,648 players, staff, and vendors who were forced to undergo daily COVID-19 testing between June 11, and Oct. 19 last year. During the 2020 NBA playoffs, the league created an isolation zone at Walt Disney World in Florida that was l…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Massachusetts Among Top 10 Hotspots For Virus Variants COVID-19: Massachusetts Among Top 10 Hotspots For Virus Variants
Covid-19: Massachusetts Among Top 10 Hotspots For Virus Variants Massachusetts has become a hotspot for a new virus variant of COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 has one or more mutations that differentiate it from the predominant coronavirus already circulating, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The CDC has been tracking these mutated COVID-19 viruses around the country. On Friday, March 5, Massachusetts was the state with the 10th most incidents of COVID-19 variants reported. There have been 3,390 instances of SARS CoV-2 in Massachusetts since January 2020, the CDC said. The states that have endured the most COVID-19 virus variants are Calif…

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by Kristin Palpini
Schools
COVID-19: Schools Can Safely Reopen If Proper Precautions Are Taken, CDC Says, Citing Research COVID-19: Schools Can Safely Reopen If Proper Precautions Are Taken, CDC Says, Citing Research
Covid-19: Schools Can Safely Reopen If Proper Precautions Are Taken, CDC Says, Citing Research Children can safely return to classrooms in most communities throughout the nation if proper safety measures are taken amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) announced, saying evidence indicates that in-person instruction can be held safely as long as social distancing and mask-wearing protocols are in place. At the same, local officials should limit indoor dining, bars, and poorly ventilated gyms in order to keep infection rates low in the community at large, the CDC researchers wrote in a report published on Tuesday, Jan. 26 in the journal JAMA. …

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Wearing Two Masks Better Than One, Creates Obstacle Course For Virus, CDC Says COVID-19: Wearing Two Masks Better Than One, Creates Obstacle Course For Virus, CDC Says
Covid-19: Wearing Two Masks Better Than One, Creates Obstacle Course For Virus, CDC Says Face masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but you could be getting more protection out of them by wearing two. Research shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC) recently noted the increased effectiveness of multi-layered masks or wearing two masks compared to a single-layer or just one mask. Multi-layer cloth masks can block up to 50-70 percent of fine droplets and particles and limit the forward spread of those captured. The message is pressing in the United States where more than 400,000 people have died due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. T…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: FDA Approves First Rapid At-Home Test COVID-19: FDA Approves First Rapid At-Home Test
Covid-19: FDA Approves First Rapid At-Home Test The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first rapid at-home COVID-19 test that could have results returned within an hour. The FDA issued an emergency use authorization on Tuesday, Nov. 17 for the "Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit," a single-use test that will detect the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. The test works by swirling the self-collected sample swab in a vial that is then placed in the test unit. In 30 minutes or less, the results can be read directly from the test unit’s light-up display that shows whether a person is positive or negative for the S…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: First Case Of Reinfection Confirmed, Researchers Say COVID-19: First Case Of Reinfection Confirmed, Researchers Say
Covid-19: First Case Of Reinfection Confirmed, Researchers Say The first case of COVID-19 reinfection has been confirmed by researchers, suggesting that immunity in some may only last for several months. “An apparently young and healthy patient had a second case of COVID-19 infection which was diagnosed 4.5 months after the first episode,” University of Hong Kong researchers said in a statement issued Monday, Aug. 24. The researchers said they are unsure if the man was a "persistent carrier" of the virus from his previous infection. The man, a 33-year-old IT worker, was first diagnosed positive in April. He tested COVID positive again in an airport sc…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: High Percentage Of Those Infected With Virus Show No Symptoms, New Research Reveals COVID-19: High Percentage Of Those Infected With Virus Show No Symptoms, New Research Reveals
Covid-19: High Percentage Of Those Infected With Virus Show No Symptoms, New Research Reveals An extraordinarily high percentage of COVID-19 infected people showed no symptoms of the disease, according to new research. Up to 40 percent of infected people "seem to have no symptoms," National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins said. "This might potentially explain why some people seem to fend off the virus and may be less susceptible to becoming severely ill," Collins wrote in a blog post.  Collins said it's "becoming apparent that our country is entering a new and troubling phase of the pandemic as SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, co…

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by Joe Lombardi