In the Press

US officials have confirmed a case of monkeypox in a Massachusetts resident who had recently traveled to Canada, where health officials are investigating 17 cases in the Montreal area.

Spain and Portugal are reporting what could be dozens of monkeypox cases, as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed two more cases today, bringing the UK total to nine cases since May 6.

A study assessing Cornell University's COVID-19 surveillance and vaccination programs during the Omicron variant surge suggests that vaccination protected against severe infection, but it and other mitigation measures—including mass testing—didn't prevent rapid viral transmission.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expressed concern Tuesday about an unusual outbreak of monkeypox in the United Kingdom, suggesting there appears to be at least some undetected transmission of the virus there and warning of the possibility that the outbreak could spread beyond U.K. borders.

Today, the entire world is battling to contain the spread of COVID-19. Massive efforts are being made to find a therapeutic solution in the shortest possible time. However, the research community is becoming increasingly concerned about taking a shortsighted strategy without contemplating the long-term consequences.

In their first media briefing in about 6 weeks, officials leading the US COVID-19 response said the nation is making good use of tests and treatments to battle a steady rise driven by the more transmissible BA.2.12.1 subvariant.

More than 8 million people fly on commercial aircraft each day with approximately 5% having a pre-existing respiratory disease.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) last week designated the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants as variants of concern (VOC) and said they could fuel increases in infections in the region in the weeks and months ahead. In US developments, key outbreak markers continue to rise, especially in the Northeast and Midwest.

The discovery of efficient new metallodrugs with minimal side effects is urgently needed in cancer medicine. Associate Professor Andrew Kellett and Dr Creina Slator, Dublin City University, Ireland, have employed ‘click chemistry’ to generate new copper DNA molecular scissors with anticancer and gene editing properties.

Two new observational studies detail Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine protection among US children and adolescents amid the Omicron variant surge, one finding 71% efficacy against infection after a third dose in 12- to 15-year-olds, and the second showing lower risks of infection and hospitalization in vaccinated youth aged 5 to 17 in New York state. The studies were published late last week in JAMA.