In the Press

The B117 COVID-19 variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom in October 2020, may pose a 61% higher risk of 28-day mortality, according to a study published today in Nature. 

In its weekly snapshot of global pandemic activity, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that cases rose again last week, but not as steeply as the previous week, and that half of countries are reporting rises, as activity declines in the other half.

Awareness goes far in keeping people and animals healthy. The One Health Concept is the model for keeping people safe. However, the CDC has been discounting airborne transmission for years.

On the 26th of November 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the newly detected B.1.1.529 lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) the Omicron Variant of Concern (VOC). The genome of the Omicron VOC contains more than 50 mutations, many of which have been associated with increased transmissibility, differing disease severity, and potential to evade immune responses developed for previous VOCs such as Alpha and Delta. In the days since the designation of B.1.1.529 as a VOC, infections with the lineage have been reported in countries around the globe and many countries have implemented travel restrictions and increased border controls in response.  

But Tam told the House of Commons health committee that the sheer number infections from Omicron is stressing workforces and is a reason to adjust our risk tolerance for ending isolation periods early.

Researchers found SARS-CoV-2 in 36% of white-tailed deer in Ohio, with evidence of deer-to-deer spread, according to a study late last week in Nature.

As cases rise in the United Kingdom, including its health secretary testing positive and the prime minister going into isolation, the country eased its remaining COVID-19 restrictions.

SAN FRANCISCO — Allergy is associated with mental disorders such as depression in women who are pregnant, underscoring the need to address this comorbidity in clinical management and public health.

Two more states—Illinois and Kansas—reported their first highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks, both involving noncommercial backyard birds, bringing the number of affected states this year to 13, according to a recent statement from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

A new type of magnetic brain stimulation brought rapid remission to almost 80% of participants with severe depression in a study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine.