- Japan considers downgrading Covid-19 to same level as seasonal flu – CNN: Japan is considering downgrading Covid-19 to the same category as seasonal influenza this spring. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed Health Ministry officials to discuss the move and review rules on face masks and other pandemic measures. Despite daily Covid-19 cases in Japan declining, the country still faces around 100,000 new infections a day.
- Japan to lower COVID-19 to flu status, further easing rules – ABC News: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced plans to downgrade the legal status of COVID-19 to the equivalent of seasonal influenza in the spring, which would relax mask wearing and other preventive measures and remove self-isolation rules. This would allow COVID-19 patients to seek treatment at any hospital instead of only specialized facilities.
- Japan to consider downgrading COVID-19 to less serious infectious … – Reuters: Japan is considering revising COVID-19 measures as early as this spring, downgrading the disease to a less serious category and relaxing guidance that people wear masks in public indoor places. The Prime Minister has instructed relevant ministers to consider the specific requirements for a reclassification that would put COVID-19 in the same category as seasonal flu, allowing infected people to no longer be required to isolate.
- As the pandemic enters its 4th year, there’s still much to learn about … – NPR: Dr. Eric Topol co-authored a paper on long COVID, which is estimated to affect at least 65 million people worldwide. He discussed the paper with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, providing insight into what we know about the condition.
- Trying to Stop Long COVID Before It Even Starts – The Atlantic: Two recent preprint studies suggest that two existing medications may be effective in preventing long COVID. These medications are hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, both of which are already available in pharmacies. Further research is needed to determine if these medications are effective in preventing long COVID.
- Only marginal benefit for wearing masks during big COVID surges … – Cosmos: Wearing well-fitted respirator style masks is still the best way to prevent spreading COVID-19 infection, but their effectiveness is limited when cases spike. Vaccination is the primary public health intervention to reduce infection. A new paper published in The Lancet Regional Health medical journal has found that long COVID may deal lasting damage to individuals and society.
- Know Your Legal Rights: Disability benefit hearings go remote … – Ashland Daily Press: If your Social Security Benefits or Supplemental Security Income application was denied, you have the right to appeal through the hearing process. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hearings have gone remote and if you do not show up for your hearing, you may need to provide a good cause as to why you did not appear.
- IL-6 Inhibitors, Antiplatelets Improve Survival of Critically Ill COVID … – Contagionlive.com: A large international study found that critically ill COVID-19 patients treated with interleukin-6 receptor antagonists had the highest probability of survival at six months among those receiving one or more interventions in six treatment groups. The study was part of the Randomized Embedded Multifactorial Adaptive Platform for Community Acquired Pneumonia (REMAP-CAP) trial.
- New COVID variant, XBB.1.5, may cause increase in deaths, hospitalizations – Oakland Press: A new COVID-19 variant, XBB.1.5, could lead to a mild increase in hospitalizations and deaths in Michigan. The bivalent booster shot gives good protection against the new variant, and it is responsible for about 14% of new cases in the Detroit area. It is expected to reach 70% in the area soon, and has caused a slight increase in deaths and hospitalizations on the East Coast.
- What to know about the new COVID-19 variant – Spectrum Health: People should follow the same precautions as they did with previous variants of the virus when it comes to the new COVID-19 variant XBB.1.5. This variant is more contagious, as it avoids antibodies, leading to more breakthrough infections. It is important to continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and wash hands regularly in order to reduce the spread of the virus.
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.
