Burundi officials detect polio outbreak linked to vaccine LONDON (AP) — Health officials in Burundi have declared an outbreak of polio linked to the vaccine, the first time the paralytic disease has been detected in the East African country for more than three decades. AP NEWS

...

The Burundi government declared the polio outbreak to be a national public health emergency and plans to start an immunization campaign within weeks, aimed at protecting all children up to age seven.

...

Cocaine trafficking surges following COVID-19-related slowdown Routed through new hubs and expanded criminal networks, cocaine trafficking has made a dramatic comeback following an initial slowdown caused by the emergence of COVID-19, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said on Thursday in a hard-hitting new report. UN News

...

The CDC Wants To Modernize Its Healthcare Data Infrastructure The organization hopes to be at the forefront of data modernization and infrastructure. Sai Balasubramanian, M.D., J.D. Forbes

...

Pandemic 3 years later: Has the COVID-19 virus won? On the third anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus is still spreading and the death toll is nearing 7 million worldwide. Yet most people have resumed their normal lives, thanks to a wall of immunity built from infections and vaccines. AP NEWS

...

“New variants emerging anywhere threaten us everywhere,” said virus researcher Thomas Friedrich of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Maybe that will help people to understand how connected we are.” ...

House votes to declassify info about origins of COVID-19 WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted unanimously Friday to declassify U.S. intelligence information about the origins of COVID-19, a sweeping show of bipartisan support near the third anniversary of the start of the deadly pandemic. AP NEWS

...

The 419-0 vote was final congressional approval of the bill, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk. It’s unclear whether the president will sign the measure into law, and the White House said the matter was under review.

...

Omicron less likely than wild-type virus to result in long COVID, study suggests CIDRAP

Swiss researchers find that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is much less likely to lead to long COVID than the original, wild-type virus.

FDA recalls supplement claiming COVID-related health benefits The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a recall for dietary supplements that claimed they could prevent, treat or cure COVID-19. Tannock Blair WRIC ABC 8News

...

“Dr. Rima Recommends Nano Silver 10 PPM” was a dietary supplement sold between Jan. 22, 2020 and Dec. 27, 2021.

New York City rats can catch the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, study finds | CNN The millions of Norway rats that live alongside New Yorkers are among the animals that can catch the virus that causes Covid-19, a new study says. However, reports of the virus spreading from any types of animals to humans remain rare. Katherine Dillinger CNN

...

CERAWEEK-Don’t let China control clean energy supply chain, US officials warn Officials from President Joe Biden's administration warned leaders of the U.S. clean energy transition this week to decarbonize quickly and keep the supply chain out of China's control. Richard Valdmanis,Ernest Scheyder Reuters

...

Mental health and the pandemic: What U.S. surveys have found Here’s a look at what surveys by Pew Research Center and other organizations have found about Americans’ mental health during the pandemic. Janakee Chavda Pew Research Center

...

Indoor air is full of flu and COVID viruses. Will countries clean it up? Nature - The current pandemic has focused attention to the importance of healthy indoor air and could spur lasting improvements to the air we breathe. Lewis, Dyani nature

...

EU watchdog: Not enough safeguards on pandemic recovery fund BRUSSELS (AP) — Insufficient checks and safeguards on how EU member countries spend a massive aid program designed to help them bounce back from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are creating possibilities for fraud and mismanagement, the bloc's financial watchdog warned on Wednesday. AP NEWS

...

Pfizer ready to launch RSV vaccines for older adults, pregnant women in US, Europe U.S. drugmaker Pfizer is ready to launch its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for both older adults and pregnant women in the United States and Europe later this year, executives said on Thursday. Maggie Fick Reuters

...