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COVID-19: CDC Issues Risk Assessment On New Pirola Variant As Hospitalizations Increase 21.6% COVID-19: CDC Issues Risk Assessment On New Pirola Variant As Hospitalizations Increase 21.6%
Covid-19: CDC Issues Risk Assessment On New Pirola Variant As Hospitalizations Increase 21.6% COVID-19 hospitalizations saw a 21.6 percent jump in one week according to the latest data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has just released new information on a brand-new highly mutated variant. New increases are expected for the next month, the agency is now projecting. The news comes as the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) are monitoring the newly identified BA.2.86 strain, now known as Pirola, which has around 30 mutations. The second figure above shows the number of daily COVID hospitalizations in the US each day from Thursday, June 13 th…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed COVID-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed
Covid-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed The first case of the newly identified COVID-19 variant with 30 mutations has been identified in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded BA.2.86 to a “variant under monitoring," citing the "large number of mutations it carries." BA.2.86, which has now been nicknamed "Pirola," was first detected in Israel, and cases have also been identified in the United Kingdom and Denmark. The initial case in the US has been detected in Michigan. The patient, an older person with mild symptoms, is from Washtenaw County, the Michigan Department of Health and Hu…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: New BA.2.86 Variant With 30 Mutations Leads To Rapid Reaction From CDC, WHO COVID-19: New BA.2.86 Variant With 30 Mutations Leads To Rapid Reaction From CDC, WHO
Covid-19: New BA.2.86 Variant With 30 Mutations Leads To Rapid Reaction From CDC, WHO New update - COVID-19: First US Case Of BA.2.86 Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed A newly identified COVID-19 variant has over 30 mutations, prompting immediate attention from health agencies. The World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded BA.2.86 to a “variant under monitoring," citing the "large number of mutations it carries." So far, only a few sequences of the variant have been reported from a handful of countries, the WHO said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it's also tracking the new strain. The WHO says a "variant under monitoring" has genetic change…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Here Are Symptoms For New Eris Subvariant Now Making Up Most US Cases COVID-19: Here Are Symptoms For New Eris Subvariant Now Making Up Most US Cases
Covid-19: Here Are Symptoms For New Eris Subvariant Now Making Up Most US Cases A rundown of symptoms for a new highly-transmissible COVID-19 subvariant has emerged as the number of hospitalizations in the United States has climbed again according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There were 10,320 hospitalizations for the week ending Saturday, Aug. 5, an increase of 14.3 percent from the 9,026 the week earlier. With testing for the virus now at a low level, hospitalizations are the key metric for determining upticks in cases. The new subvariant known as Eris, whose official name is EG.5, is now causing most cases nationwide, just …

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: New Eris Strain Already Most Prevalent Version Of Virus In US COVID-19: New Eris Strain Already Most Prevalent Version Of Virus In US
Covid-19: New Eris Strain Already Most Prevalent Version Of Virus In US A newly identified offshoot of the Omicron variant now known as Eris has already become the most prevalent version of the COVID-19 virus in the United States. The variant, whose official name is EG.5, is causing about 17 percent of cases nationwide, with about 16 percent of cases linked to the XBB.1.16 strain known as Arcturus, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Arcturus was first identified in March of this year. The World Health Organization warned that Eris, a descendent of the XBB subvariant, could lead to an increase in infections. "D…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: New EG.5 Variant Identified Amid Rise In Cases, Hospitalizations COVID-19: New EG.5 Variant Identified Amid Rise In Cases, Hospitalizations
Covid-19: New EG.5 Variant Identified Amid Rise In Cases, Hospitalizations New update - COVID-19: New Eris Strain Already Most Prevalent Version Of Virus A new COVID-19 variant has been identified amid a rise in hospitalizations and cases being reported by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). COVID hospital admissions during the week ending Saturday, July 29, increased 12.5 percent over the previous week, according to CDC data. In addition, visits to the emergency room were up more than 21.8 percent, and the positive test percentage increased 1.3 percent. One of the causes of the trend could be excessive heat, which is sending…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: Hospitalizations In NY Increasing; Health Officials Urge Treatment Options COVID-19: Hospitalizations In NY Increasing; Health Officials Urge Treatment Options
Covid-19: Hospitalizations In NY Increasing; Health Officials Urge Treatment Options Health officials in New York are warning of an uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations, mirroring a similar trend seen across the country. The latest data shows that COVID-related hospital admissions for the week ending Wednesday, Aug. 2, increased 22 percent over the previous week, according to the New York State Department of Health. Hospitalizations are now at 0.6 per 100,000 residents on average, translating to more than 100 admissions per day. Earlier Report: COVID-19: Summertime Uptick In Cases, Hospitalizations Reported By CDC During that same period, the number of reported COVI…

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by Michael Mashburn
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COVID-19: Summertime Uptick In Cases, Hospitalizations Reported By CDC COVID-19: Summertime Uptick In Cases, Hospitalizations Reported By CDC
Covid-19: Summertime Uptick In Cases, Hospitalizations Reported By CDC A summertime uptick in both COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases is being reported by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). “After roughly six, seven months of steady declines, things are starting to tick back up again,” said CDC’s COVID incident manager Dr. Brendan Jackson, according to a report by NPR. COVID-hospital admissions during the week ending Saturday, July 22, increased 10.3 percent over the previous week, according to CDC data. In addition, visits to the emergency room were up more than 17 percent and the positive test percentage went up 1.3 perc…

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by Joe Lombardi
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COVID-19: 12 Symptoms Of Long COVID Revealed In New Study COVID-19: 12 Symptoms Of Long COVID Revealed In New Study
Covid-19: 12 Symptoms Of Long COVID Revealed In New Study A new study funded by the  National Institutes of Health is shedding light on one of the more complex aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. So-called Long COVID is the term used for those who experience effects from their infection for months or more. The findings, released in the medical journal JAMA on Thursday, May 25, also identify 12 symptoms of Long COVID: Post-exertional malaise ( fatigue that worsens after physical or mental activity) Fatigue Dizziness Brain fog Loss of smell or taste Gastrointestinal symptoms Heart palpitations Thirst Chronic cough Chest pain Issues with se…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Owner Of NY Theme Park, Restaurant Admits Stealing $3.2M In Federal Aid COVID-19: Owner Of NY Theme Park, Restaurant Admits Stealing $3.2M In Federal Aid
Covid-19: Owner Of NY Theme Park, Restaurant Admits Stealing $3.2M In Federal Aid A man who owns a theme park and restaurant in New York has admitted to stealing over $3 million through federal COVID-19 aid with some of those funds used to buy a home on Nantucket. Long Island resident Donald Finley, age 61, of Roslyn, the owner of Jekyll & Hyde Restaurant in Manhattan and the Bayville Adventure Park in Nassau County, pleaded guilty to disaster relief fraud and wire fraud on Thursday, May 25. As stated in court filings by the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace: Between March 2020 and March 2021, amid the COVID pandemic, Finley fra…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
COVID-19: Do Not Use These At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns, FDA Says COVID-19: Do Not Use These At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns, FDA Says
Covid-19: Do Not Use These At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns, FDA Says Americans have been advised by federal officials not to use a brand of COVID-19 at-home tests that could have potentially harmful bacteria inside the kits. SD Biosensor, Inc. announced on Friday, May 5, that the company is requesting that consumers stop using “Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Tests” due to contaminants found in the tube with liquid inside, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Related story - COVID-19: These Pair Of Symptoms Distinguish Arcturus From Other Omicron Subvariants The affected tests can be identified by the lot number on the outer packaging (see below…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: These Pair Of Symptoms Distinguish Arcturus From Other Omicron Subvariants COVID-19: These Pair Of Symptoms Distinguish Arcturus From Other Omicron Subvariants
Covid-19: These Pair Of Symptoms Distinguish Arcturus From Other Omicron Subvariants Two symptoms of a new highly contagious COVID-19 strain are distinguishing it from other Omicron subvariants. Arcturus, officially known as XBB.1.16, was labeled "a variant of interest" by the World Health Organization late last month. Arcturus now accounts for 12.5 percent of cases in the US, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) variant tracker. XBB.1.16 spreads about 1.20 times more than another Omicron subvariant known as Kraken (XBB.1.5), according to a study by the University of Tokyo.  Kraken now accounts for about 65 percent of US cases…

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by Joe Lombardi