- Post-Pandemic, Covid-19 Testing Labs Are Under FCA Microscope – Bloomberg Law: Clinical labs are facing increased scrutiny from federal investigations and prosecutions following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has released a report and data brief detailing the government’s enforcement road map, which includes investigations and enforcement actions related to unnecessary services, fraudulent billings, and kickbacks to induce patient referrals. The number of COVID-19 tests performed by US labs has been high due to the virus.
- Hot Topics in IPC: January 25, 2023, COVID-19, CDC Shake-Up … – Infection Control Today: COVID-19 cases have declined across the US in the last two weeks, with a 30% drop in cases and 12% test positivity. Most states are reporting double-digit drops in cases, except for Illinois, Kentucky, the US Virgin Islands, and Alaska which have seen increases. Despite this milder winter surge, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths were still avoidable and devastating.
- What’s next for COVID-19 vaccines? Scientists and regulators chart … – Science: Regulators and scientists are debating the near-term future of COVID-19 vaccines, including how often booster doses should be given and who should receive them. Vaccines may need to be updated as new variants emerge, and people who have had COVID-19 multiple times may need different doses.
- As COVID Infections Continue, Long COVID Numbers Rise … – American Council on Science and Health: COVID has already killed 1.1 million Americans and is currently causing around 4,000 deaths per week. Even those with mild infections can experience long-term symptoms, which are more common in non-hospitalized patients who had a mild acute illness.
- How can hospitals brace for the financial hit of long COVID? – Wolters Kluwer: Many people have declared the pandemic to be over as Omicron-associated variants become more common, but millions are still struggling with long COVID, which involves symptoms that persist for at least two months and cannot be attributed to another diagnosis.
- “It’s time for action. We have a lot of work ahead of us”: researchers … – World Health Organization: Dr. Merel Hellemons and her colleagues at the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam set up a post-COVID-19 clinic to chart how 650 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 from the first and second wave in 2020 were recovering. They noticed that many patients were unable to return to work and suffered from various symptoms, such as cognitive issues, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
- Signs of progress: interpreters combat misinformation among … – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: Oluwatobi Onaniyi, a sign language interpreter in Lagos, took action to stop the spread of misinformation among the hearing-impaired community after a middle-aged hearing-impaired woman from the Idumota area died days after being vaccinated against COVID-19. She was motivated by her parents, both of whom were deaf.
- Long COVID Has Never Been Taken Seriously. Here’s Where It Left … – TheTyee.ca: I developed mild COVID-19 symptoms in late March 2020, but they never went away. I spent the first year of the pandemic getting sicker and sicker, until I became mostly housebound. Desperate for help, I was passed from doctor to doctor until I was finally diagnosed with post-COVID syndrome.
- Call for long Covid to be recognised as a disability, support … – Stuff: A new study from Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington has revealed that Māori, Pasifika and disabled people have been disproportionately affected by the impacts of Covid-19. The research calls for long Covid to be recognised as a disability to ensure people can access financial and practical support.
- Roche, TIB Molbiol develop PCR test to detect Omicron sub-variant – Medical Device Network: Roche and its subsidiary TIB Molbiol have developed a new Covid-19 PCR test, VirSNiP SARS-CoV-2 Spike F486P, to detect and differentiate the XBB.1.5 Omicron sub-variant. The test runs on the cobas z480 and LightCycler 480 II real-time PCR platforms using throat and nasopharyngeal swabs, sputum, saliva, or gargle solution. It is intended to help researchers track the virus lineage and understand its impact on public health.
Daily News Pulse for March 13, 2023
Summary: Princeton students have seen an overall improvement in course satisfaction since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, many people are still wearing masks despite the government’s easing of guidelines.
