- New Highly Transmissible COVID-19 Subvariant Detected in Austin … – AustinTexas.gov: Travis County’s COVID-19 Community Level has risen to medium, meaning that Austin Public Health’s Risk-Based Guidelines advise masking in many circumstances. Additionally, a new omicron subvariant XBB.1 has been reported in variant surveillance samples from the Travis County area.
- Risk level raised as ‘highly transmissible’ COVID-19 subvariant detected – KXAN.com: A new variant of COVID-19, called omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, has been reported in Travis County, Texas. This is in addition to the COVID-19 Community Level being listed as medium risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- New COVID-19 omicron variant in Central Texas; Austin Public … – Austin American-Statesman: A new subvariant of COVID-19, XBB.1, has been found in Travis County. This variant is more transmissible than the original virus and has been seen in other parts of Texas.
- Could low-dose lithium treat long COVID? UB launches clinical trial … – University at Buffalo: A new clinical trial at the University at Buffalo is testing low-dose lithium as a potential treatment for long COVID symptoms. The placebo-controlled trial is double-blind, meaning neither the patient nor the physician knows if the patient has received lithium or an inactive placebo.
- Massachusetts pandemic SNAP benefits to end in February – WWLP.com: The extra benefits from SNAP that were available because of COVID-19 are ending in February. The last payment will be on March 2. These benefits were created in March 2020 to help families during the pandemic. If you need help, the state has created a webpage with other resources.
- UAMS study finds 1 in 4 adults experienced loss due to COVID – Hot Springs Sentinel: One in four adults in the US have experienced the death of a close friend or family member due to COVID-19, according to a study. This loss can lead to complicated grief and increased health problems.
- Omicron XBB.1.5 is rising in U.S. though revised CDC data shows slower increase than previously reported – CNBC: The CDC revised its estimate of how much the omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant is circulating across the U.S. It is now 27.6% of sequenced Covid cases nationally. This variant is spreading at a faster pace than other versions of Covid-19.
- ‘Kraken,’ the ‘most transmissible’ COVID variant yet, could spawn even more immune-evasive variants, new study says – Fortune: The new variant of COVID-19, called Kraken, is more efficient at hijacking cells and may be more difficult to escape immunity.
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.
