Author: Claudinne Miller
What you need to know about the U.S. bird flu outbreak
PBS Newshour The H5N1 strain of bird flu has left the U.S. reeling as it tries to manage the deadliest bird flu outbreak in history. The PBS NewsHour’s William Brangham joined Nicole Ellis to explain the significance of this avian flu, the severity of the outbreak, and how it will affect people across the country. What […]
Mar 14, 2023
Is the COVID-19 pandemic over? Here’s why the answer is political, social, scientific, and complex
Fast Company The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic three years ago today, but experts disagree about how and when pandemics end. It’s been three years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. So we know when the pandemic officially began. But what must happen for it to officially end? Who even makes the […]
Mar 14, 2023
The COVID booster state of play
Axios It’s been six months since many of us got the bivalent COVID booster, which means you may be wondering: Is it time for a new one? Catch up quick: Federal officials are considering a plan to do yearly one-dose boosters, similar to annual flu shots in the fall, with higher-risk groups eligible for at least […]
Mar 14, 2023
SARS-CoV-2 is associated with changes in brain structure in UK Biobank
(Nature) There is strong evidence of brain-related abnormalities in COVID-191,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13. However, it remains unknown whether the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection can be detected in milder cases, and whether this can reveal possible mechanisms contributing to brain pathology. Here we investigated brain changes in 785 participants of UK Biobank (aged 51–81 years) who were imaged twice using […]
Mar 14, 2023
8 dead skunks found in Vancouver and Richmond test positive for avian flu
CBC The skunks may have contracted influenza by scavenging wild birds, B.C. government says. Eight skunks found dead last month in Vancouver and nearby Richmond, B.C., have tested positive for avian flu. The B.C. government says it is the same strain of avian influenza associated with the outbreak that began in April 2022. The skunks were found […]
Mar 14, 2023
Too Little Sleep Could Make Vaccination Less Effective
(Neuroscience News) How strongly a vaccine protects you may depend on getting enough sleep in the days before and after inoculation, finds a new meta-analysis examining the relationship between sleep duration and the body’s response to vaccination. Link to study Sleeping fewer than six hours per night around the time of vaccination was associated with […]
Mar 14, 2023
Chile: The Ministry of Agriculture confirms the first case of avian influenza in a production plant
Chile Ministry of Agriculture The Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, specified that it is“a confirmed case in a commercial premises in the western sector ofthe Rancagua commune. The SAG has proceeded to control the area and inaddition, immediately and in compliance with the highest standards,the World Organization for Animal Health (OMSA) has been informed and,therefore, […]
Mar 14, 2023
Can you catch a hidden virus from a dog kiss or a cat cuddle?
NPR “Get ready for a silly question,” one reader wrote in response to our series on “hidden viruses” that jump from animals to people. “I love my pups very much – and I think they love me too because I get lots of kisses. Is that bad from a spillover virus perspective – for me […]
Mar 14, 2023
The mystery of Alice in Wonderland syndrome
(BBC) A surprising number of people experience symptoms of this curious condition, which is named after Lewis Carroll’s heroine, who changed size after eating and drinking Nine-year-old Josh Firth was in the car with his parents when he noticed something strange happening to the buildings on either side – they seemed to be getting bigger. […]
Mar 14, 2023
Flu Outbreak in China Intensifies as Infection Rises for Sixth Week
Bloomberg An influenza outbreak in China picked up intensity over the past week as a major city prepared to enforce pandemic-style lockdowns to curb the surge in infections. The positivity rate for flu jumped to 41.6% in the week beginning March 5 from 25.1% the previous week, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention […]
Mar 14, 2023