Author: Claudinne Miller
Covid’s winter surge is poised to exceed summer peak
(Stat News) The number of people in the United States hospitalized with Covid-19 is about to surpass the figure reached during this summer’s spike, federal data show, as a confluence of factors — from the continued evolution of the coronavirus to holiday gatherings — drives transmission. Notably, the number of people hospitalized with Covid — roughly 40,000 — […]
Jan 3, 2023
Omicron offshoot XBB.1.5 could drive new Covid-19 surge in US
(CNN) For weeks, scientists have been watching a slew of Omicron descendants duke it out for dominance of Covid-19 transmission in the United States, with the BQs – BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 – seeming to edge out all the others to claim a slight lead. The result has been a gradual rise in cases and hospitalizations […]
Jan 3, 2023
Severe COVID-19 increases the risk of schizophrenia
(Psychiatry Research) The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 invades the central nervous system, impacting the mental health of COVID-19 patients. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to assess the potential causal effects of COVID-19 on schizophrenia. Our analysis indicated that genetic liability to hospitalized COVID-19 was associated with an increased risk for schizophrenia (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: […]
Jan 3, 2023
How deadly will China’s covid surge get?
(Washington Post) How fast is the virus spreading? How long will the surge last? Will it spawn a new variant? Experts weigh in on what the science can reveal. When China ended the drastic lockdowns and restrictions that were in place for the past three years, it triggered a surge of cases and deaths in […]
Jan 3, 2023
EU Moves Toward Requiring Covid Tests for Passengers From China
(Bloomberg) The European Union is moving toward an approach to the rampant Covid outbreak in China that may include masks and pre-flight testing requirements on flights from the country. EU health advisers agreed Tuesday on a draft opinion that includes masking recommendations and increased wastewater monitoring, while also suggesting a discussion on Covid testing, according […]
Jan 3, 2023
Do China’s COVID vaccines do the job?
(NPR) As COVID spreads rapidly through China, rumors circulate about the effectiveness and safety of the Chinese-manufactured vaccines. But what does the scientific data actually say about these shots? China is in the midst of a huge COVID surge. The country rolled back COVID restrictions last month. Now scientists estimate China could be facing more […]
Jan 3, 2023
China media plays down COVID severity as WHO seeks detail on variants
(Reuters) State media in China played down the severity of a surge of COVID-19 infections ahead of a briefing on Tuesday by its scientists to the World Health Organization, which was hoping for a “detailed discussion” on the evolution of the virus. China’s abrupt U-turn on COVID controls on Dec. 7, as well as the […]
Jan 3, 2023
Bodies Pile Up in China as Covid Surge Overwhelms Crematoriums
(Bloomberg) For five days the elderly Chinese lady’s corpse lay decomposing in the Shanghai house she shared with her family before a hearse finally arrived to take away her remains. “We’re lucky it’s the cold winter time,” a relative said last week at Shanghai’s Longhua Funeral Home, recounting the ordeal as the family waited their […]
Jan 3, 2023
Antibody drugs could target infectious diseases
(Washington Post) At a malaria research conference five years ago in Senegal, scientist Timothy Wells presented an overview of medicines on the horizon, ending with a few slides focused on an outlandish idea. Wells proposed that monoclonal antibody drugs — a class of high-price medicines that has transformed the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases — had […]
Jan 3, 2023
A Look Back at Science’s 2022 Breakthroughs
(NIH) Happy New Year! I hope everyone finished 2022 with plenty to celebrate, whether it was completing a degree or certification, earning a promotion, attaining a physical fitness goal, or publishing a hard-fought scientific discovery. If the latter, you are in good company. Last year produced some dazzling discoveries, and the news and editorial staff […]
Jan 3, 2023