Infection with adenovirus, a common childhood virus, is the leading hypothesis for recent cases of severe hepatitis of unknown origin in children that have led to at least six deaths, U.S. health officials said on May 20.
Where we are: Omicron BA.2 persists while vaccines lower risk of long COVID
B.1.1.7 "Kent" strain (United Kingdom), B.1.1.7 Variant (UK), Bebtelovimab (LY-CoV1404; LY3853113), BNT162b2 (Pfizer and BioNTech), C.1.2 Covid-19 Variant (South Africa), Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, Coronavirus Vaccines, COVID-19 Antibodies, COVID-19 Deaths, COVID-19 Variant B.1.526 (New York), Covid-19 Variants, Etesevimab (Lilly), Evusheld (tixagevimab and cilgavimab; AstraZeneca), Hospitalizations, Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients, Molnupiravir, mRNA-1273/Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (Moderna), Omicron (B.1.1.529) (South Africa), Omicron BA.2, Pandemics, TherapeuticsThere appears to be a rise in COVID-19 illnesses, driven by Omicron subvariants, which may be better able to evade immunity from vaccines and previous infections and lower public health measures by the public such as masking and social distancing.
COVID is rising in the Americas, virus ‘not going away anytime soon’ – PAHO
Brazil, Central America, COVID-19 cases, COVID-19 Deaths, COVID-19 Infections, COVID-19 protocols, COVID-19 vaccination rates, Mask-wearing, North America, Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Social Distancing, World Health OrganizationCOVID-19 is on the rise again in the Americas as many countries have abandoned measures like masking and social distancing and many lag in vaccination rates, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on May 18.
FDA authorizes COVID-19 boosters for kids 5-11 as cases creep up
Antidepressants, BNT162b2 (Pfizer and BioNTech), Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, Coronavirus Vaccines, COVID-19 cases, COVID-19 Deaths, COVID-19 Vaccines, Death Tolls, Fluvoxamine, Generics, Health Outcomes, Healthcare Economics Outcomes Resesarch, Pandemics, Patient Deaths, Pfizer, SARS-CoV-2 virus, TherapeuticsOn May 17, the U.S. FDA authorized a booster of Pfizer’s vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 years. The action comes as major cities are announcing a rise in cases. Additionally, COVID-19 would have claimed over 110,000 more lives in 2021 if not for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to a Pfizer-sponsored report on the first year of the U.S. vaccination program.
Explainer: How North Korea’s COVID-19 outbreak could ignite a major health crisis
Coronavirus, Coronavirus Diagnostic Tests, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, Coronavirus Vaccines, COVAX Facility, COVID-19 Crisis, COVID-19 Deaths, COVID-19 Molecular Diagnostic Tests, COVID-19 self-testing kit, COVID-19 shots, COVID-19 Testing, Covid-19 Testing Guidance, COVID-19 Therapeutic, COVID-19 vaccination rates, COVID-19 Vaccinations, COVID-19 Vaccines, Diagnostic Tests, North Korea, Outbreaks, Pandemics, Politics, South Korea, Vaccinations, Vaccines, World Health OrganizationNorth Korea’s admission that it is battling an “explosive” COVID-19 outbreak raised concerns that the virus could devastate a country with an under-resourced health system, limited testing capabilities, and no vaccine program.
North Korea reports first COVID-19 death as fever spreads ‘explosively’
Coronavirus, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, Coronavirus Vaccines, COVID-19 Deaths, COVID-19 Self Test, COVID-19 Testing, COVID-19 Vaccines, North Korea, Outbreaks, Pandemics, Politics, Pyongyang, South Korea, Therapeutics, VaccinesAt least one person confirmed to have COVID-19 has died in North Korea and hundreds of thousands have shown fever symptoms, state media said on May 13, offering hints at the potentially dire scale of the country’s first confirmed outbreak of the pandemic.
The state of Massachusetts on May 12 agreed to pay $56 million to resolve a lawsuit by families of veterans who contracted COVID-19 during an outbreak at a veterans’ care center that killed 84 people early in the pandemic.
The World Health Organization on May 12 said COVID-19 deaths have exceeded the 2 million mark for countries in the WHO European Region.
Biden marks 1 million Americans dead from COVID
Congress, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Coronavirus Infections, Coronavirus Mutations, Coronavirus Restrictions, Coronavirus surge, COVID-19 booster shots, COVID-19 Deaths, COVID-19 Infections, COVID-19 shots, COVID-19 Therapeutic, COVID-19 therapeutic candidates, COVID-19 Therapeutics, COVID-19 Therapies, COVID-19 treatment pill, COVID-19 vaccination rates, Covid-19 Variants, Joe Biden, Pandemics, Reuters Tally, SARS-CoV-2 virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Summits, United States, White House, White House coronavirus task forcePresident Joe Biden on May 12 commemorated the death of 1 million people in the United States from COVID-19, marking what he called “a tragic milestone” and urging Americans to “remain vigilant” amid the ongoing pandemic.
Texas doctor calls U.S. COVID deaths nearing 1 million ‘mindblowing’
“Long-Haul” COVID-19, Asymptomatic Patients, BNT162b2 (Pfizer and BioNTech), Breakthrough COVID-19, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Coronavirus Restrictions, Coronavirus surge, Coronavirus Vaccines, COVID guidelines, COVID-19 anti-vaxxers, Covid-19 asymptomatic infections, COVID-19 cases, COVID-19 Deaths, Covid-19 fatality rate, COVID-19 inoculations, COVID-19 misinformation, COVID-19 Prevention Measures, COVID-19 protocols, COVID-19 recommendations, COVID-19 risk, COVID-19 Severe Complications, COVID-19 Vaccines, Deaths, Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (J&J), Mask-wearing, mRNA-1273/Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (Moderna), Pandemics, Therapeutics, Vaccines, Vaxzevria (previously COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca)In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, pulmonologist Joseph Varon offered an opinion that made headlines around the world and went viral on social media. Varon was fighting two wars, he said: one against COVID and one against stupidity.