- COVID-19: World Scrambles on China Travel Policies – Foreign Policy: China has criticized other countries’ COVID-19 travel restrictions, calling them “politically motivated” and saying they are “discriminatory.” China has begun to reopen after shutting down due to the pandemic. Israel’s national security minister has come under fire for comments he made about the country’s Arab citizens. A new study has found a link between climate change and an increase in domestic violence.
- Long Covid: Here’s what we know so far – Sciencenorway: The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has released a new summary of research on the long-term effects following a Covid-19 infection. The most common symptoms are changes in taste and smell, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. Problems with concentration and memory are more common among those who have had Covid than in the general population.
- Long COVID Clinical Trials May Offer Shortcut to New Treatments – WebMD: With no proven treatments for long COVID, millions of Americans may be wondering whether it’s worth it to try something they’ve never considered before: a clinical trial. Dozens of clinical trials are already underway or starting soon, many of which are aided by $1.5 billion in funding from the National Institutes of Health. But it may take years for these trials to prove which drugs, devices, and behavioral therapies are safe and effective.
- EEOC: Company settles ADA suit over refusing remote work for … – HR Dive: COVID-19 may have changed how teleworking is viewed as an accommodation under the ADA, but the ADA’s principles are still intact. An employer doesn’t have to automatically grant an employee’s accommodation request to continue teleworking if the employer can effectively address the need with another accommodation.
- B.C. officials report 5 cases of new COVID-19 subvariant that’s spreading rapidly in U.S. – CBC.ca: B.C. health officials are watching a new, likely more transmissible Omicron subvariant that is spreading south of the border. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the XBB 1.5 subvariant accounts for more than 40 per cent of new cases in the country, having caused 1.3 per cent of new cases only a month ago. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says XBB 1.5 was identified in about five people in B.C. before Christmas, and she expects that number to rise.
- What we know about XBB.1.5, the dominant COVID variant in the US – Fox 56 News: The U.S. has a new dominant COVID variant, the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. XBB.1.5 makes up roughly 40% of U.S. COVID cases, the CDC reports. It is most prevalent in the Northeast, making up about 75% of COVID cases from Maine south to New York and New Jersey.
- New COVID Variant XBB.1.5: What It Is, Symptoms and What You Should Know – NBC Chicago: A new COVID variant, XBB.1.5, is beginning to take hold in the U.S. It is a highly contagious “recombinant” variant that spawned from two different BA.2 variants, and is related to the XBB variant, which was previously behind a COVID surge in Singapore.
Daily News Pulse for April 05, 2023
April 5, 2023
Summary: The domestic box office is close to reaching pre-pandemic levels, with mid-budget films helping to bring moviegoers back. Research has found that diabetes is a major factor in the severity of COVID-19 cases. The US government is planning to authorize booster doses of the vaccine for high-risk populations.
