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COVID-19: Moderna Vaccine Gets Full Approval From FDA COVID-19: Moderna Vaccine Gets Full Approval From FDA
Covid-19: Moderna Vaccine Gets Full Approval From FDA Federal officials have granted full approval to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine following its authorization last year for emergency use. On Monday, Jan. 31, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Moderna’s vaccine has been granted its full approval, joining the Pfizer shot which was authorized months ago. The move comes after tens of millions of doses of the Moderna vaccine have already been administered across the country. It also represents Moderna’s first FDA-approved product in the US. Officials said the FDA reviewed months of additional follow-up data submitted by Moderna to…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: First Cases Of Double-Infection Florona Disease Identified COVID-19: First Cases Of Double-Infection Florona Disease Identified
Covid-19: First Cases Of Double-Infection Florona Disease Identified While all eyes are on the Omicron COVID-19 variant, a new public health threat has emerged as the country enters the heart of flu season amid the second year of the pandemic. The first cases of Florona disease - a combination of the flu and coronavirus infections - have been reported, causing concern for some as the double infection looms large in parts of the world. In Israel, the first reported case of the disease was identified on Friday, Dec. 31 in a woman who went into labor and was not vaccinated against COVID-19, officials said. Another case was also identified in a pregnant woman. A…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Variant's 50 Mutations Make It Different From Original Virus, NIH Director Says COVID-19: New Variant's 50 Mutations Make It Different From Original Virus, NIH Director Says
Covid-19: New Variant's 50 Mutations Make It Different From Original Virus, NIH Director Says Why are scientists so concerned about the new strain of COVID-19? Simply stated, when it comes to Omicron, it's all about the sheer numbers -- as in the number of mutations. "The main thing that has us focused on this and has caused us to be sort of 24-7 on Zoom calls the last four days is that it has so many mutations," Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said Sunday morning, Nov. 28 on CNN. "Omicron has more than 50 variants that make it different from the original virus, including more than 30 that are in the spike protein." The spike proteins …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Newly Discovered Strain Could Be Worse Than Delta Variant, Scientists Fear COVID-19: Newly Discovered Strain Could Be Worse Than Delta Variant, Scientists Fear
Covid-19: Newly Discovered Strain Could Be Worse Than Delta Variant, Scientists Fear Updated story - COVID-19: New Variant's 50 Mutations Make It Different From Original Virus, NIH Director Says A new COVID-19 variant that could be worse than the Delta strain is sparking concerns among scientists. The B.1.1.529 strain, now known as Omicron, could become a "variant of concern" as soon as Friday, Nov. 26, when the World Health Organization holds an emergency meeting. It is now spreading rapidly in parts of South Africa after first being detected in neighboring Botswana.  The new variant has already shown a large number of mutations, and scientists fear it…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Apple Issues Emergency Security Update To Fix No-Click Spyware Hack Apple Issues Emergency Security Update To Fix No-Click Spyware Hack
Apple Issues Emergency Security Update To Fix No-Click Spyware Hack Apple is advising all users to update their devices to fix a rare no-click security vulnerability in its products. The move comes after researchers from the University of Toronto discovered a flaw that allowed hackers to infect anyone's devices with highly invasive spyware. All of Apple’s operating systems, including those for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, are vulnerable. Apple users should get an alert to update those devices. It's the first known instance of an attack that does not require a victim to click on a link or open unknown infected files. The researchers believ…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: CDC Adds Seven Destinations To 'Very High Risk' Category For Travel COVID-19: CDC Adds Seven Destinations To 'Very High Risk' Category For Travel
Covid-19: CDC Adds Seven Destinations To 'Very High Risk' Category For Travel The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added seven destinations to its COVID-19 Level 4 “very high” risk category for travel. The CDC's parameters define the "very high" risk category as having more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the last four weeks. Americans should now avoid travel to: France,  Israel,  Thailand,  Iceland,  Aruba,  French Polynesia, Eswatini. That brings the total to 74 nations. For a complete rundown, view the list here. Those who absolutely must travel should be fully vaccinated, the CDC said. The majority of count…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: CDC Issues New Travel Guidance For Americans COVID-19: CDC Issues New Travel Guidance For Americans
Covid-19: CDC Issues New Travel Guidance For Americans The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has issued new COVID-19 travel guidance for Americans. The guidance "better differentiate countries with severe outbreak situations" from those where the virus is "sustained, but controlled." The CDC has grouped countries into four levels, with those in Level 4, the highest threat level. In those countries, there have been 500 cases for every 100,000 residents in the last 28 days. Brazil and India are among the Level 4 countries. The CDC is advising Americans to avoid traveling to Level 4 countries. Those in Level 3, with a high…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Infection Surge In World's Most Vaccinated Nation Sparks Search For Answers COVID-19: Infection Surge In World's Most Vaccinated Nation Sparks Search For Answers
Covid-19: Infection Surge In World's Most Vaccinated Nation Sparks Search For Answers One of the world's most vaccinated countries has seen a new rise in COVID-19 cases, forcing researchers to question whether this is a trend or anomaly. Seychelles, a small island country in East Africa that has fully vaccinated the majority of its population, has taken steps to close schools and canceled sports activities for the next two weeks due to a recent surge of the virus. According to Bloomberg, precautionary measures being taken in Seychelles include a ban on the intermingling of households and the early closure of bars, despite the fact that the country has vaccinated more than 6…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Residents Reportedly Among 40-Plus Fatal Victims Of Israel Holy Site Stampede Hudson Valley Residents Reportedly Among 40-Plus Fatal Victims Of Israel Holy Site Stampede
Hudson Valley Residents Reportedly Among 40-Plus Fatal Victims Of Israel Holy Site Stampede At least three Hudson Valley natives were among the dozens killed in Israel when a massive crowd of holiday worshippers went wild, according to reports. On Friday, April 30, mayhem broke out at a Jewish religious festival that was attended by tens of thousands of people in Mount Meron, killing upwards of 45 people and hospitalizing more than 100 others. According to reports, among the dead were Rockland County natives Shragi Gestetner, age 33, formerly of Airmont, Yosef Amram Tauber, age 18, of Monsey, and Eliezer Josef, age 26, of Kiryas Joel, in Orange County. The stampede happened duri…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Here's Number Of Americans Who've Become Infected Despite Being Vaccinated, CDC Says COVID-19: Here's Number Of Americans Who've Become Infected Despite Being Vaccinated, CDC Says
Covid-19: Here's Number Of Americans Who've Become Infected Despite Being Vaccinated, CDC Says The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has released the first data on so-called "breakthrough" COVID-19 cases, meaning those who have become infected despite being fully vaccinated. So far, there have been about 5,800 such cases, the CDC told CNN.  At the time that data was collected, 77 million American adults had been fully vaccinated, meaning 99.992 percent had dodged the disease. The efficacy rates of the double-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both around 95 percent. "To date, no unexpected patterns have been identified in case demographics or vaccine ch…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Taking Aspirin Regularly May Help Prevent Infection, New Study Says COVID-19: Taking Aspirin Regularly May Help Prevent Infection, New Study Says
Covid-19: Taking Aspirin Regularly May Help Prevent Infection, New Study Says Waiting to get a vaccine? In the meantime, there may be something already in your cupboard that could prevent you from becoming infected with COVID-19, according to a new study. Those who took a low dose of aspirin on a regular basis were 29 percent less likely to become infected, according to research conducted in Israel. Data from about 10,000 people who were tested for COVID between Feb. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020 was evaluated and published in the Federation of European Biochemical Societies Journal, which also determined that "aspirin use is associated with better outco…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Could A Return To Normalcy Be Near, Despite Concerns Over Variants? COVID-19: Could A Return To Normalcy Be Near, Despite Concerns Over Variants?
Covid-19: Could A Return To Normalcy Be Near, Despite Concerns Over Variants? As COVID-19 rates continue to decrease, many people are feeling cautiously optimistic that normal life will soon resume. A survey of 21 experts found that most of them believe the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, according to research by The New York Times. Americans may be able to get back to their pre-pandemic lives this summer. Unless … Researchers cautioned that people should not underestimate COVID-19.  Although signs are pointing to the end of the pandemic, a shift in the virus or how people respond to it could send infection and death rates to rising again. Fa…

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by Kristin Palpini