Coronavirus

Ars Technica reports: After an intense, detailed investigation, North Korea has determined what sparked an explosive outbreak of COVID-19 that has led to over 4.7 million “fevers” within its borders since late April. The culprit: “alien things” blown into the country from the South. According to a report from the official KCNA news agency, North Korea’s outbreak began in early …

The New York Times reports: New York City suddenly removed its color-coded coronavirus alert system this week just as newer Omicron subvariants are fueling another rise in cases and hospitalizations. Mayor Eric Adams and health officials quietly took down the city’s high profile alert system that warned New Yorkers when they were at a greater risk of catching the virus …

Via press release from the FDA: As we move into the fall and winter, it is critical that we have safe and effective vaccine boosters that can provide protection against circulating and emerging variants to prevent the most severe consequences of COVID-19. Following a thorough discussion on June 28, 2022, an overwhelming majority of the advisory committee voted in favor …

The Washington Post reports: Roughly 40,000 Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers remain unvaccinated against the coronavirus a week before the service’s deadline, according to Army data, highlighting the persistent struggle for commanders to bring soldiers under compliance. Soldiers in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard were given until this coming Thursday to receive the vaccine, seek an exemption …

The Associated Press reports: Nearly 20 million lives were saved by COVID-19 vaccines during their first year, but even more deaths could have been prevented if international targets for the shots had been reached, researchers reported Thursday. The effort, though marred by persisting inequities, prevented deaths on an unimaginable scale, said Oliver Watson of Imperial College London, who led the …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: Since COVID-19 vaccines first became available, Publix has played a major role in tackling the public health emergency in Florida by offering vaccines to adults and, later, children as young as 5. But the Lakeland grocery company says it will not offer the vaccine approved for children ages 4 and under “at this time.” Spokesperson …

Ars Technica reports: Among adults vaccinated against COVID-19, the odds of developing long COVID amid the omicron wave were about 20 percent to 50 percent lower than during the delta period, with variability based on age and time since vaccination. The finding comes from a case-control observational study published this week in The Lancet by researchers at Kings College London. …

Changing America reports: Researchers have developed a new type of blood test to check for potential COVID-19 immunity. How the test works is explained in a study published this week in Nature Biotechnology. The test, called dqTACT, requires the mixture of a small blood sample with peptides, essentially a chain of proteins, from the COVID-19 virus. Once the mixture takes …

NBC News reports: The Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines for young children, though the CDC still needs to sign off before shots can be administered. The Pfizer vaccine was authorized for children ages 6 months to 4 years, while the Moderna vaccine was authorized for children ages 6 months to 5 years, …

Politico reports: Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday railed against providing Covid-19 vaccines to young children, saying Florida will not provide state programs to administer vaccinations for toddlers or infants. DeSantis, speaking at a press conference in Miami, said that Covid-19 vaccines have not gone through enough testing and clinical trials to determine that they are effective. “I would …

NBC News reports: Deborah Birx, who served as Covid response coordinator under former President Donald Trump, will give her first public testimony about her time in the Trump administration. Birx is scheduled to provide testimony on June 23 at a hearing before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, led by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. The …

CNBC reports: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leader of the U.S. government’s Covid pandemic response effort, has tested positive for the coronavirus. Fauci, who is fully vaccinated and twice boosted against Covid, is experiencing mild symptoms, according to a statement Wednesday from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which he leads. “Dr. Fauci will isolate and continue to work …

CNN reports: The Biden administration is expected to announce Friday that the CDC will lift its requirement for travelers to test negative for Covid-19 before entering the US, according to a senior administration official. The move, which CNN was first to report, will go into effect for US-bound air travelers at midnight on Sunday. The CDC is lifting the restriction …

The Associated Press reports: The Novavax vaccine may be an acceptable option for some of the 27,000 service members who have sought religious exemptions from the mandatory vaccine. Military officials say many troops who refuse the shots cite certain COVID-19 vaccines’ remote connection to abortions. Laboratory-grown cell lines descended from fetuses that were aborted decades ago were used in some …

The Washington Post reports: A panel of independent vaccine experts recommended Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration authorize a coronavirus vaccine developed by the Maryland biotechnology company Novavax, paving the way for the fourth shot in the United States. The experts’ vote was 21 in favor of authorizing the Novavax vaccine, with one abstention. But it remained unclear when …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: A review of Florida’s COVID-19 case and mortality statistics produced by the state’s Auditor General found the amount of cases and deaths reported by the Department of Health were underreported due to data collection issues. The report, published on June 1, comes after a Florida Dept. of Health Office of Inspector General investigation concluded claims …

NBC News reports: Pharmacies, states, U.S. territories and federal agencies discarded 82.1 million Covid vaccine doses from December 2020 through mid-May — just over 11 percent of the doses the federal government distributed, according to data the CDC shared with NBC News. Two retail pharmacy chains, CVS and Walmart, were responsible for over a quarter of the doses thrown away …

From Elon Musk’s email to Tesla employees: Everyone at Tesla is required to spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office per week. Moreover, the office must be where your actual colleagues are located, not some remote pseudo office. If you don’t show up, we will assume you have resigned. The more senior you are, the more visible must …

The Guardian reports: Two million people in the UK are thought to be living with long Covid, data has revealed, the highest figure since official surveys began.While Covid can cause a period of acute illness, some people continue to experience symptoms, such as breathlessness, muscle aches and fatigue, for months or even years – a condition that has been labelled …

Axios reports: As one of America’s first big bets under Operation Warp Speed, Novavax’s COVID vaccine is notably late to the party as the Maryland biotech seeks a potential FDA emergency use authorization for its COVID shot. But company leaders say they see a clear runway to market success for its protein-based product — not only as a booster for …