Twenty-two people died in cholera outbreak post-quake in northwest Syria -civil defence The Syrian opposition-run civil defence said on Tuesday 22 people had died from an outbreak of cholera in the northwestern region in the aftermath of the devastating quake that hit Turkey and Syria. Reuters Reuters

...

84% of hospital COVID patients in Sweden still had symptoms at 2 years CIDRAP

The vast majority—84.2%—of COVID-19 survivors in a Swedish cohort reported persistent symptoms affecting daily life 2 years after hospital release, according to a follow-up study published late last week in The Lancet Regional Health Europe.

Hong Kong to lift one of the world’s longest Covid mask mandates The announcement that masks would no longer be required indoors or out ends the last major restriction the Chinese territory imposed during the pandemic. NBC News

...

Lee’s announcement at a news briefing Tuesday came a day after the neighboring Chinese territory of Macao eased its mask rule and will bring the financial hub closer to the life in pre-pandemic days.

...

A bipartisan approach to pandemic security? It's within reach A diverse group of pandemic warriors offer ways to better protect Americans from pandemic threats while at the same time reinforcing American values of freedom and democracy. Patrick Skerrett STAT

... Americans can achieve pandemic security through creative, pragmatic action that bridges political divides and provides community-focused options for public health protection. What’s needed is a concrete pathway for action that attracts support from Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and others....

What stays in Vegas: Tourist sewage may inflate community COVID prevalence CIDRAP

While SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance is a valuable way to measure disease prevalence and predict surges, a new study conducted in Las Vegas suggests that the tool may overestimate the true viral burden in areas with large influxes of tourists or commuters.

...

Bird flu situation 'worrying'; WHO working with Cambodia The World Health Organization is working with Cambodian authorities after two confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu were found among one family in the country. Jennifer Rigby Reuters

...

Not enough data to support multiple annual COVID boosters, U.S. CDC advisers say There is not sufficient evidence to recommend more than one COVID-19 booster shot a year for older people and those with weakened immune systems, an expert advisory group to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday. Aditya Samal Reuters

...

Pfizer/BioNTech apply for full FDA approval of updated COVID vaccine Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE said on Friday they filed an application to the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a full approval of their Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine. Reuters Reuters

...

Global COVID cases, deaths continue to drop CIDRAP

Monthly averages for new COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to decline steadily, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its latest pandemic update, though it cautioned that the trends are underestimated due to reduced testing and delayed reporting.

...

American Cancer Society warns about potential impact of missed screenings during Covid Without make-up visits, some patients may miss out on routine screenings detecting early-stage cancer or precancerous lesions. Angus Chen STAT

...While it’s good that people are resuming their regular visits, the data suggest people haven’t been making up for the missed screens earlier in the pandemic, said Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president of surveillance and health equity science at the American Cancer Society and the senior author on the study.

...