The U.S. should learn from past pandemics and specifically avoid one mistake made amid the 1918 influenza pandemic, according to an op-ed published Jan. 31 by The New York Times.
Category: Public Health
BA.2 severity likely same as original omicron strain; hospitalizations fall in Midwest, South — 7 COVID-19 updates
The omicron subvariant BA.2 appears to have the same severity as the original omicron strain, a World Health Organization official said Feb. 2.
The Advice to ‘Vaccinate and Test’ Isn’t Much Help to Parents With Kids Under 5
Many parents of children too young for vaccines are exhausted. Some feel isolated and even forgotten by those who just want to move on even as omicron continues to sweep through parts of the country.
At Nursing Homes, Long Waits for Results Render Covid Tests ‘Useless’
As omicron surges, more nursing homes are facing a double whammy: Lab tests are taking too long, and fast antigen tests are in short supply.
Some governors push for endemic shift in COVID-19 strategy
Some governors are pushing for a return to normal and urging federal officials to take a more endemic approach handling the pandemic, according to a Jan. 31 New York Times report.
This unexpected symptom appears to be tied to omicron
With its rapid emergence and wide range of symptoms, omicron appears to be tied to one symptom that wasn’t as frequently reported with past coronavirus variants.
Why some don’t want to confirm their COVID-19 diagnosis
Some physicians say they’re seeing more patients who want to avoid polymerase chain reaction testing for COVID-19 out of fear of the potential disruptions it could cause to their livelihoods, NPR reported Feb. 1.
Omicron subvariant’s transmissibility: 4 early findings
The omicron subvariant BA.2 is more transmissible than the original strain, though vaccinated people are less likely to spread it to others, according to a Danish study published Jan. 30 in the medical preprint server MedRxiv.
Will BA.2 impact omicron forecasts? 3 modeling takeaways
U.S. COVID-19 cases have been declining for more than two weeks, though that decline may slow as the BA.2 variant — a subvariant of omicron — becomes more widespread, according to a 14-day forecast from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic.
Colleges Struggle to Recruit Therapists for Students in Crisis
The need for mental health services on campus, which was already rising, has skyrocketed during the pandemic, with many students undergoing grave psychological crises. Colleges say they often lack the means to offer competitive salaries to therapists.
