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US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Nationwide Recall Issued After E. Coli Outbreak Linked To Raw Milk Cheese Nationwide Recall Issued After E. Coli Outbreak Linked To Raw Milk Cheese
Nationwide Recall Issued After E. Coli Outbreak Linked To Raw Milk Cheese A new multistate E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheese has sickened nearly a dozen people and led to a recall, according to federal authorities. In a Food Safety Alert issued on Friday, Feb. 16, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said six of 10 illnesses reported in four states came from those who said they ate RAW FARM brand raw cheddar cheese. Four of those infected have been hospitalized and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. No deaths have been reported. The agency said Raw Farm LLC has re…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus COVID-19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus
Covid-19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus A past COVID-19 infection provides "durable" but temporary protection against getting severely sick no matter the variant, according to a brand-new study. Researchers from the University of Washington say it's the most comprehensive data compiled so far showing national immunity protection against the virus. The findings were released Thursday, Feb. 16 in the peer-reviewed journal, The Lancet. The research identified and analyzed 65 studies from 19 different countries.  "Our meta-analyses showed that protection from past infection and any symptomatic disease was high for (COVID-19) an…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: Moderna Seeks Approval For Second Booster Shot For All Adults COVID-19: Moderna Seeks Approval For Second Booster Shot For All Adults
Covid-19: Moderna Seeks Approval For Second Booster Shot For All Adults Though the COVID-19 case numbers across the country have either plateaued or are showing improvement, Moderna is now seeking federal approval to administer a second booster shot for adults. Moderna is seeking an amendment of the US Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine to allow for a fourth vaccine to adults 18 and older who have gotten an initial booster. The move by Moderna comes days after Pfizer and BioNTech submitted a similar request for authorization of an additional booster shot, though that vaccine would only be eligible for adults 65 a…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: Here's When FDA May Roll Out Fourth Vaccine Dose COVID-19: Here's When FDA May Roll Out Fourth Vaccine Dose
Covid-19: Here's When FDA May Roll Out Fourth Vaccine Dose Federal health officials have started discussing when to potentially roll out another COVID-19 booster shot as the world continues combating the pandemic. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials said this week that they have been assessing the latest COVID-19 data, though it is too early to commit to a potential fourth dose of the vaccine for Americans. FDA spokesperson Alison Hunt told CNN that they are “indeed continually looking at the emerging data on the pandemic and variants in the United States and overseas in order to evaluate the potential utility and composition of booster…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: CDC Expected To Greatly Ease Indoor Mask Guidance, Reports Say COVID-19: CDC Expected To Greatly Ease Indoor Mask Guidance, Reports Say
Covid-19: CDC Expected To Greatly Ease Indoor Mask Guidance, Reports Say The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to significantly ease its indoor mask mandate as the country continues its recovery from the latest wave of COVID-19 infections. According to multiple reports, the CDC is expected to announce a change in its guidance regarding masks, allowing most Americans to ditch their facial coverings indoors. The AP first reported the news, citing “two people familiar with the matter.” The new guidance is expected to be announced as soon as Friday, Feb. 25. It marks the first indoor mask guidance change from the CDC since July 2021. …

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: CDC Shortens Waiting Period For Pfizer Booster Shots COVID-19: CDC Shortens Waiting Period For Pfizer Booster Shots
Covid-19: CDC Shortens Waiting Period For Pfizer Booster Shots Americans who received the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can now get a booster shot in a shorter timeframe than originally recommended, according to federal health officials who passed a pair of measures to make the vaccine more readily available. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday, Jan. 4 that booster shots should be made available five months after receiving the second dose of the vaccine, down from the original recommendation of at least six months. Those who received the Moderna vaccine must still wait at least six months after their seco…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: Brand-New Research Reveals Which Vaccine Is Most Effective Over Time COVID-19: Brand-New Research Reveals Which Vaccine Is Most Effective Over Time
Covid-19: Brand-New Research Reveals Which Vaccine Is Most Effective Over Time It turns out not all COVID-19 vaccines are created equal. Newly released research published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found which federally-authorized COVID vaccine is proving to be most effective over time. The studies that have been published found that Moderna’s vaccine is more effective against the virus months after the vaccination series was completed. According to the CDC, the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine against hospitalization fell from 91 percent to 77 percent after a four-month period following the second shot. Moderna’s efficac…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: FDA Expected To Authorize Booster Shots For Immunocompromised People COVID-19: FDA Expected To Authorize Booster Shots For Immunocompromised People
Covid-19: FDA Expected To Authorize Booster Shots For Immunocompromised People The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to move forward quickly with authorization of COVID-19 booster shots for some Americans who are immunocompromised, according to reports. Health officials said that the third shot of the current two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccine could be authorized within the next 48 hours, though no official timetable has been set as variants of the virus and COVID-19 mutations continue to cause a surge in new cases. Before a vaccine can be used in new ways outside existing authorization it requires new approval from the FDA. Currently, the Moderna, Pfizer…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: Unvaccinated Are More Than Twice As Likely To Get Virus A Second Time, CDC Says COVID-19: Unvaccinated Are More Than Twice As Likely To Get Virus A Second Time, CDC Says
Covid-19: Unvaccinated Are More Than Twice As Likely To Get Virus A Second Time, CDC Says A new study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that COVID-19 vaccines offer better and more protection against reinfection of the virus than just natural immunity among those who already have been infected. On Friday, Aug. 6, the CDC released the findings of a new study of nearly 1,000 Americans who previously tested positive for COVID-19 but remained unvaccinated. According to the study, those who were unvaccinated proved to be more than twice as likely to become infected for a second time than those who were fully vaccinated against the virus. Researchers …

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: One Vaccine Dose May Be As Effective As Two For Those Who've Had Virus, Report Says COVID-19: One Vaccine Dose May Be As Effective As Two For Those Who've Had Virus, Report Says
Covid-19: One Vaccine Dose May Be As Effective As Two For Those Who've Had Virus, Report Says New studies have found that Americans receiving the first dose of the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine may be protected against the spread of the vaccine. According to a Bloomberg report, out of more than 1,000 staff members tested at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, many responded to the first dose so robustly that their results were similar to co-workers who received both doses. Research leader Susan Cheng, who co-authored a study published in the Nature Medicine journal, said that those who have already contracted the virus, immune responses after one vaccine have …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Here's How Many Have Missed Scheduled Second Dose Of Vaccine So Far, CDC Says COVID-19: Here's How Many Have Missed Scheduled Second Dose Of Vaccine So Far, CDC Says
Covid-19: Here's How Many Have Missed Scheduled Second Dose Of Vaccine So Far, CDC Says A larger number of Americans are skipping their scheduled second shot for the COVID-19 vaccine, according to new data released from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC found that most recently, more than five million people, approximately 8 percent of those receiving vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech - which require two doses several weeks apart to complete the process - have skipped their second doses. That number is up from approximately 3.4 percent a month ago as the country was ramping up its vaccination program. Officials noted that the CDC is still coll…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: More Young People Getting Hospitalized From 'Stickier,' Highly Contagious Strain COVID-19: More Young People Getting Hospitalized From 'Stickier,' Highly Contagious Strain
Covid-19: More Young People Getting Hospitalized From 'Stickier,' Highly Contagious Strain The new “stickier” COVID-19 variant that derived in the United Kingdom could be at the root of the recent rash of younger Americans getting infected with the virus. Unlike the original COVID-19 strain that came to the East Coast from Wuhan, the new, more transmittable B.1.1.7 variant has proven to be a formidable foe for younger Americans, who have seen the number of infections rapidly rising in recent weeks. “(COVID-19) cases and emergency room visits are up,” Rochelle Walensky, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week. “We are seeing these increases…

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by Zak Failla
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CDC, FDA Call For Pause On Johnson & Johnson Vaccine CDC, FDA Call For Pause On Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
CDC, FDA Call For Pause On Johnson & Johnson Vaccine The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration are calling for a pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine due to six cases of "rare and severe" blood clot cases reported. All six cases occurred among women between 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination, FDA officials said in a joint statement. More than 6.8 million doses of the one-dose vaccine had been administered in the U.S. All Pennsylvania teachers and administrators were given the J&J vaccine. Out of the 200,000 offered the vaccine a…

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by Cecilia Levine
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COVID-19: Pfizer Seeks FDA Approval To Give Vaccines To Kids In New Age Group COVID-19: Pfizer Seeks FDA Approval To Give Vaccines To Kids In New Age Group
Covid-19: Pfizer Seeks FDA Approval To Give Vaccines To Kids In New Age Group Pfizer is seeking federal approval to expand the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15. The company announced that it is asking the Food and Drug Administration to amend its emergency use authorization, which was granted for people ages 16 and up late last year. Now, Pfizer is looking to expand its usage to adolescents as they work to get students back to full in-person learning for the fall semester. Clinical trials of the Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine have shown that it has a 100 percent efficacy in adolescents and is well-tolerated in minors betw…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
COVID-19: Youth Sports, Not Reopening Schools, Fueling Increase In Cases, CDC Says COVID-19: Youth Sports, Not Reopening Schools, Fueling Increase In Cases, CDC Says
Covid-19: Youth Sports, Not Reopening Schools, Fueling Increase In Cases, CDC Says Youth sports, not the recent reopening of schools, has been cited for the recent rise of new COVID-19 cases among youths across America, federal health officials said. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that the latest data found that COVID is spreading rapidly among younger Americans participating in after-school activities such as sports and clubs, where they gather unsafely in clusters. Walensky noted that the reopening of schools has not been linked to the rise in US cases, which are up approximately 3 percent week-to-w…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: This Is When We Can All Stop Wearing Masks, Fauci Says COVID-19: This Is When We Can All Stop Wearing Masks, Fauci Says
Covid-19: This Is When We Can All Stop Wearing Masks, Fauci Says As COVID-19 vaccines and full inoculations become more common, Dr. Anthony Fauci outlined under which conditions people can stop wearing face masks. Face masks have been an integral part of stopping the spread of COVID-19. Wearing the personal protection equipment is required in many public spaces. On Monday, March 1, Fauci, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to President Biden, said that there is a point - and for some people, it is already here - when they can stop wearing face masks. If a person has been fully vaccin…

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by Kristin Palpini
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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
Lifestyle
These MA Cities Rank Among 'Most Obese' In US, Study Says These MA Cities Rank Among 'Most Obese' In US, Study Says
These MA Cities Rank Among 'Most Obese' In US, Study Says It’s no secret America has an overweight problem. About 42 percent of U.S. adults are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is up from 30.5 percent obesity in the adult population in 2000. A person is considered obese if their body mass index exceeds 30. Some places in the U.S. have more of a bulge to battle than others. A new ranking of America's most overweight and obese cities shows how the states' major metro areas compare to the rest of the country. The WalletHub study, "2021’s Most Overweight and Obese Cities in the U.S.," analyzed data from …

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by Kristin Palpini
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COVID-19: Vaccine Rollout Called A 'Success,' A 'Flop,' And 'Racist' - Which Is It? COVID-19: Vaccine Rollout Called A 'Success,' A 'Flop,' And 'Racist' - Which Is It?
Covid-19: Vaccine Rollout Called A 'Success,' A 'Flop,' And 'Racist' - Which Is It? It’s been called “racist” and a “flop,” but according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Massachusetts’ COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan is one of the best in the nation. According to the CDC’s Vaccine Data Tracker, Massachusetts is among 16 states with the highest vaccination rates. Other states in the top 16 are Vermont, South and North Dakota, Arizona, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. States with the highest vaccination rates have administered more than 20,000 vaccine doses per 100,000 people, according to the CDC as of Wednesday, March 3. Meanwhile, conservative…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: 1 In 6 US Counties Not Ready For In-School Education - Lookup Your County On Map COVID-19: 1 In 6 US Counties Not Ready For In-School Education - Lookup Your County On Map
Covid-19: 1 In 6 US Counties Not Ready For In-School Education - Lookup Your County On Map Is your county ready to return to full in-school education for elementary school students? According to new research by The New York Times, only 1 out of 6 counties in the U.S. have tamped down on the spread of COVID-19 enough to justify full-in person education. These counties tend to be sparsely populated in the Plains, West, and MidWest regions. This is concerning as President Biden and state governors have pushed for children to return to school within the next four months or so. The NYT has produced a new national map that shows, county-by-county, where cases of COVID-19 are low eno…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: Who's Better At Finding Vaccine Appointments, Massachusetts Or The CDC? COVID-19: Who's Better At Finding Vaccine Appointments, Massachusetts Or The CDC?
Covid-19: Who's Better At Finding Vaccine Appointments, Massachusetts Or The CDC? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has unveiled its own Vaccine Finder website as states scramble to get individual online COVID-19 vaccination tools running properly. The best facet of the CDC’s vaccine finder, vaccinefinder.org, maybe that it will tell visitors if a vaccine location is out of stock. The website is updated hourly. Massachusetts’ vaccine finder does not offer in-stock information. The website is updated often, but information about whether appointments are available is unreliable. On Monday, March 1, for example, the CDC found 41 vaccination sites within …

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: This Is How To Prepare Students For Re-Entering The Classroom, CDC Says COVID-19: This Is How To Prepare Students For Re-Entering The Classroom, CDC Says
Covid-19: This Is How To Prepare Students For Re-Entering The Classroom, CDC Says With the Commissioner of Secondary and Elementary School Education calling for all elementary school students to return to the classroom by April, current remote-school students and their parents are preparing to make a big transition. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a three-page checklist for things a family can do to be better prepared for students returning to the classroom. For the most part, the CDC guidelines encourage awareness about services and important contacts, communicating effectively and often with students, and what COVID-19 prevention items s…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: Massachusetts Is Hotspot For Children With Rare Pandemic-Related Disease COVID-19: Massachusetts Is Hotspot For Children With Rare Pandemic-Related Disease
Covid-19: Massachusetts Is Hotspot For Children With Rare Pandemic-Related Disease Massachusetts is becoming a hotspot for a rare, but serious disease in children that is related to the COVID-19 virus. Pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is high in 10 states across the U.S., including Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MIS-C can develop weeks after a child has gotten COVID-19 or been in contact with someone with the virus. As of Jan. 8, there had been 1,659 MIS-C cases reported in the U.S. - and 26 related deaths. MIS-C is a condition in which different body parts can become inflamed, such as the heart, …

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: Did You Already Have Virus, And Not Know It? Here Are The Signs COVID-19: Did You Already Have Virus, And Not Know It? Here Are The Signs
Covid-19: Did You Already Have Virus, And Not Know It? Here Are The Signs Not everyone who has caught COVID-19 knows it. But there are ways to tell if you got the novel virus sometime since the pandemic touched down in the U.S. during winter 2020. In many people, signs of “Long COVID-19" persist, according to a new study, “Long COVID: a cross-sectional study of persisting symptoms” led by Dr. Swapna Mandal, a respiratory physician, and a growing host of research. There’s only one true way to know if you had COVID-19 - get an antibody blood test to check for signs of COVID-19. However, there are a number of more informal ways to tell if you previously caught t…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
First Case Of COVID-19 Variant Discovered In Massachusetts First Case Of COVID-19 Variant Discovered In Massachusetts
First Case Of Covid-19 Variant Discovered In Massachusetts The first case of the COVID-19 variant has been detected in Massachusetts, according to the Department of Public Health. The first Massachusetts person to get B.1.1.7 is a Boston woman in her 20s. The variant has also been discovered in New York and Connecticut. She first became ill in early January and received a positive COVID-19 test. A genetic sample was sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further analysis and that’s when the variant was discovered, according to the state Department of Public Health. The woman, who is not being identified, had recently trave…

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by Kristin Palpini
Lifestyle
Bigger, Not Better: US Obesity Rate Expected To Skyrocket Into 2030 Bigger, Not Better: US Obesity Rate Expected To Skyrocket Into 2030
Bigger, Not Better: US Obesity Rate Expected To Skyrocket Into 2030 America is not winning the fight against obesity, according to a new study. Currently, about 42 percent of Americans are obese - meaning they carry around about 50 pounds more than a person of medium average weight. Another 35 percent of Americans are overweight. The situation is expected to get worse by 2025 when half of all Americans are expected to be obese, according to a study by the American Obesity Association, formerly the Massachusetts Science Center. The percentage of obese Americans is expected to hit 60 percent by 2030, said the Woburn-based American Obesity Association. The …

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: Vaccine Roll Out, Week-To-Week Infections Spike - County-By-County Data COVID-19: Vaccine Roll Out, Week-To-Week Infections Spike - County-By-County Data
Covid-19: Vaccine Roll Out, Week-To-Week Infections Spike - County-By-County Data So far, nearly 450,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed in Massachusetts. That’s about 6,523 vaccines per 100,000 people, according to Sunday, Jan. 10, data provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most recent information available. Massachusetts is among the states with the most vaccines distributed - it’s also one of the states that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19. Other states where vaccines are rolling out more quickly than other parts of the country include Connecticut, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine. Meanwhile, the …

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19 Forecast: UMass Predicts Deaths, Infections Over Next 4 Weeks COVID-19 Forecast: UMass Predicts Deaths, Infections Over Next 4 Weeks
Covid-19 Forecast: UMass Predicts Deaths, Infections Over Next 4 Weeks The number of COVID-19 cases is expected to decrease - slightly - in Massachusetts over the next four weeks, according to the UMass COVID-19 Forecast Hub. INFECTIONS This week, (Wednesday, Oct. 7 through Tuesday, Oct. 13) there have been about 4,300 positive COVID-19 incidents reported in Massachusetts. In four weeks, the weekly total should be around 3,500 infections, according to the Hub. Deaths, however, are expected to rise. The University of Massachusetts Amherst COVID-19 Forecast Hub is a data repository for more than 50 international sources. UMass takes the data and puts it into …

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by Kristin Palpini