Tag Archives: CDC

CDC Warns Of Meningitis Outbreak Among FL Gay Men

Via press release from the CDC: There is a large, ongoing outbreak of meningococcal disease in Florida, primarily among gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men, including those living with HIV. There have also been cases reported in the state over the last few months, including multiple cases in college students. At this time, there is no evidence …

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CDC Drops COVID Travel Warning For Cruise Ships

USA Today reports: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped its risk assessment of cruise travel Wednesday after more than two years of warning travelers against the dangers of contracting COVID-19 on a cruise amid the pandemic. “CDC is removing the COVID-19 Cruise Ship Travel Health Notice,” spokesperson Dave Daigle, spokesperson for the health agency, told USA TODAY. The …

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Senate Votes To Overturn Air Travel Mask Mandate

Roll Call reports: The Senate voted 57-40 to overturn a federal requirement that passengers on U.S. airplanes and other modes of public transportation wear masks. The Congressional Review Act measure, introduced by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is the latest salvo in a fight between congressional Republicans and the Biden administration over public health requirements related to the pandemic. Despite the …

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CDC: At Least 140 Million Americans Have Had COVID

Ars Technica reports: An estimated 140 million people in the US—around 43 percent—have had COVID-19, according to the latest analysis by the CDC using data from the end of January. The estimate of people infected with COVID-19 is nearly double the CDC’s cumulative tally of cases reported at the end of January, which totaled around 74 million. These numbers are …

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CDC Eases Indoor Mask Guidance For Parts Of Country

CBS News reports: Americans in parts of the country deemed to have “low” levels of the disease — currently about 29.5% of the population — no longer need to wear masks indoors, according to the CDC’s new framework. Residents of counties at “medium” risk — around 42.2% of the country’s population – should wear masks if they are at heightened …

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New COVID Cases Continue Sharp Decline In US

The Associated Press reports: Average daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are continuing to fall in the U.S., an indicator that the omicron variant’s hold is weakening across the country. Total confirmed cases reported Saturday barely exceeded 100,000, a sharp downturn from around 800,850 five weeks ago on Jan. 16, according to Johns Hopkins University data. In New York, the number …

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CDC Inches Down Travel Warning Against Cruises

The Washington Post reports: The CDC says taking a cruise now presents a lower risk than it did at the end of 2021 — at least in some cases. On Tuesday, the public health agency lowered its travel health notice for cruises from Level 4 to Level 3, which indicates covid-19 levels on ships are “high” rather than “very high.” …

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CDC Study: Gays And Lesbians Have Higher Vax Rates

ABC News reports: Gay and lesbian adults are more likely to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 than heterosexual adults, federal officials said Thursday. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 85.4% of gay and lesbian Americans above age 18 had received at least one vaccine dose as of October 2021. By comparison, 76.3% of heterosexuals …

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Unvaxxed 97X More Likely To Die Than Those Boosted

USA Today reports: As the U.S. inches up to a 64% vaccination rate for the entire population, only 42% of those eligible for a booster have gotten the extra shot, and experts aren’t sure what will move the needle, so to speak. Perhaps this will win over some converts: Fully vaccinated Americans are 14 times less likely to die of …

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Omicron Hospitalizations 23X Higher For Unvaxxed

The Hill reports: Unvaccinated adults were 23 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 during the omicron wave than adults who were vaccinated and boosted, according to a new study that further highlights the importance of coronavirus vaccination and booster shots. The study, released Tuesday, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found by far the highest …

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CDC Adds Multiple Countries To “Do Not Travel” List

Reuters reports: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday advised against travel to a dozen countries because of high rates of coronavirus infection, including Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Ecuador, Kosovo, Philippines and Paraguay. The CDC now lists nearly 130 countries and territories with COVID-19 cases as “Level Four: Very High.” It also added Anguilla, French Guiana, Moldova …

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Unvaxxed Seniors 49X More Likely To Be Hospitalized

The Hill reports: Unvaccinated adults ages 65 and older are nearly 50 times more likely to be hospitalized than seniors who have received a full COVID-19 vaccine and a booster shot, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data show that unvaccinated seniors and older are 49 times more likely to go to …

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State Dept Issues “Do Not Travel” Warning For Canada

NBC News reports: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. State Department on Monday advised against travel to neighboring Canada because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases as the Omicron variant spreads. The CDC elevated its travel recommendation to “Level Four: Very High” for Canada, telling Americans they should avoid travel, while the State Department …

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CDC: Some Eligible For Fourth Shot Starting Next Week

The New York Times reports: Some people with a weakened immune system can get a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine as early as this coming week, according to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that were updated last week. The C.D.C. endorsed a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for moderately or severely immuno …

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CDC Reports Record Pediatric COVID Hospitalizations

The Associated Press reports: The omicron-fueled surge that is sending COVID-19 cases rocketing in the U.S. is putting children in the hospital in record numbers, and experts lament that most of the youngsters are not vaccinated. “It’s just so heartbreaking,” said Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious-disease expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It was hard enough last year, but now …

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CDC: “Avoid Cruise Travel, Regardless Of Vax Status”

NBC News reports: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday issued an advisory urging all travelers — vaccinated and unvaccinated — to avoid cruise ship travel amidst a record-breaking Covid surge driven by the omicron variant in many states across the United States. “Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants,” the …

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CDC Investigates 68 Cruise Ships After COVID Reports

The Insider reports: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now investigating or observing almost 70 cruise ships following COVID-19 outbreaks aboard the vessels, according to the agency’s update on Monday. According to the CDC’s website, 68 ships have either met the agency’s “investigation threshold” of crew or passengers COVID-19 outbreaks, or a health department has alerted the …

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CDC Shortens COVID Isolation Period To Five Days

The Associated Press reports: U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the …

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Omicron Variant Now Makes Up 73% Of New US Cases

The Associated Press reports: Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday. The CDC numbers showed nearly a six-fold increase in omicron’s share of infections in only one week. In much of the country, it’s even …

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CDC Panel Recommends MRNA Vaccines Over J&J

Roll Call reports: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisers voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine take a back seat to Moderna and Pfizer shots, when possible, due to risks of adverse side effects. Serious clotting events, specifically thrombosis with thrombocytopenia, or TTS, are a rare but serious side effect of the Johnson …

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