COVID Omicron variant infection deadlier than flu, studies suggest CIDRAP

Two new studies suggest that COVID-19 Omicron variant infection is deadlier than influenza, with one finding that US veterans hospitalized with Omicron in fall and winter 2022-23 died at a 61% higher rate than hospitalized flu patients, and the other revealing that Israeli adults hospitalized with flu were 55% less likely to die within 30 days than those admitted for Omicron in the 2021-22 flu season.

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New frequency comb breathalyzer detects COVID-19 with excellent accuracy JILA researchers have upgraded a breathalyzer based on Nobel Prize-winning frequency-comb technology and combined it with machine learning to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection with excellent accuracy in 170 ... Science X

...Their achievement represents the first real-world test of the technology's capability to diagnose disease in exhaled human breath. Their study on this topic was published in the Journal of Breath Research.

Analysis: Researchers need to settle on universal long-COVID definition CIDRAP

A literature search and analysis of 295 long-COVID studies finds that only 35% used agency-established definitions of the condition, which the authors said complicates comparison of findings, translation into clinical management, and cost-effectiveness assessment.

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Pandemic preparedness strategies must go beyond vaccines Monoclonal antibodies can fill a critical gap to help stop the next infectious disease outbreak from becoming the next pandemic. Science Translational Medicine

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Once a pathogen of pandemic potential has emerged, an effective response that relies on medical countermeasures (e.g., prophylactic, therapeutic, and diagnostic technologies) must be deployed at scale immediately. Thus, medical countermeasures need to be readily available for use at the first signals that a pathogen of concern has surfaced.

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Global COVID markers fall, though cases rising in several countries CIDRAP

The World Health Organization (WHO) in its weekly pandemic update said yesterday that COVID-19 cases and deaths declined over the last month, but added that levels are rising in 31% of countries, especially in two world regions.

Cases rise in India and the Middle East

Also, the WHO on March 30 added one more variant under monitoring to its list, XBB.1.9.1.

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Utility Dive Trendline on The Energy Transition to Renewables Inside the rapidly changing world of The Energy Transition to Renewables. Access the Utility Dive Trendline Utility Dive

The U.S. energy sector is undergoing a fundamental transition to a cleaner and more distributed future. Increasingly favorable economics, corporate commitments, and state and federal actions, like the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act, are all spurring the deployment of renewable energy resources.

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Study: US COVID-19 Outcomes Tied to State Characteristics and Policies Numbers of deaths and infections from COVID-19 varied up to almost 4-fold across the 50 states, even when factors like age and comorbidities were taken into account, according to an analysis of outcomes between January 1, 2020, and July 31, 2022. JAMA_current

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India asks states to ramp up testing as COVID-19 cases climb India's federal government asked states to identify emergency hotspots and ramp up-testing for COVID-19, after the country recorded its highest daily case count since September, a Reuters tally showed on Friday. Reuters Reuters

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Covid on surfaces may be significant spreader as scientists 'rebalance the pendulum' Covid spreads significantly through contaminated hands and surfaces in households, a new study suggests, as researchers warned too much focus has been given to airborne transmission. Yahoo News

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Facts largely ineffective in countering conspiracy theorists, research says - UPI.com Conspiracy theories have become more prevalent than ever, and according to researchers, combatting conspiracies with factual evidence is largely ineffective in quashing conspiracy beliefs. UPI

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WHO warns new Omicron spinoff XBB.1.16 is 'one to watch,' but hasn't shown to be more severe | CNN The World Health Organization is monitoring the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, which has been identified in about two dozen countries. Deidre McPhillips CNN

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WHO calls for action to protect, support and expand global health force Ahead of its 75th anniversary on Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for countries to both address inequities in care and protect the workers who provide it, many of whom are burned out from the COVID-19 pandemic. UN News

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Tedros reported that since the onset of the pandemic, more than one in three health and care workers have suffered from anxiety and depression, and around half have experienced burnout. 

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Healthcare workers: Keep hospital mask mandate The group says the Covid picture in Massachusetts is not as bright as official figures suggest -- due to non-reporting of home tests and asymptomatic infections. Yahoo News

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Wednesday, the Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity held a virtual press conference calling on Governor Maura Healey to keep in place mandatory mask requirements for patients, visitors and practitioners at all healthcare facilities, including dental offices.

“Why is this so important? Well, Covid is airborne,” said Lara Jirmanus, MD, a primary care physician. “It spreads through the air like smoke.”

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