- California’s COVID-19 student vaccine mandate, on hold since April, is dropped: California’s student COVID-19 vaccine mandate has been dropped, after being put on hold in April. Gov. Gavin Newsom had announced the policy in October 2021, but it was pushed back to July 1, 2023 due to an exemption for personal beliefs.
- This winter’s U.S. COVID surge is fading fast, likely thanks to a ‘wall’ of immunity – NPR: The winter COVID-19 surge in the U.S. appears to be fading without reaching the levels of severity that were feared. Dr. David Rubin from the PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia believes that the worst is over, due to early flu and RSV outbreaks, the most contagious omicron subvariant, and people acting like the pandemic was over.
- U.S. House plans vote to end foreign air traveler COVID vaccine mandate | Reuters: The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote next week on a bill that would end the requirement for most foreign air travelers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Biden administration has not lifted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination requirements, which currently require adult visitors to the United States who are not citizens or permanent residents to show proof of vaccination before boarding their flight. The bill was introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie.
- U.S. plans to stop buying Covid shots for the public this fall. Here’s what that means for you: The U.S. will stop providing free Covid shots to the entire country and shift vaccine distribution to the private market as soon as early fall, making it more expensive for insurers and uninsured Americans. HHS has said that the fall would be a natural time to transition to a private market.
- White-tailed deer harbouring COVID-19 variants thought to be nearly extinct in humans: study: Researchers from Cornell University have found evidence that white-tailed deer may be a reservoir for COVID-19 variants of concern, including Alpha, Delta and Gamma. The study raises questions about whether deer could reintroduce nearly extinct variants back into the human population.
- Study finds one habit can significantly lower your odds of getting sick from COVID-19: COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased in the new year, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
- Wildlife study during COVID-19 shutdown showed increased animal activity – KGW: Researchers at Washington State University studied the effects of humans on wildlife in Montana’s Glacier National Park during the COVID-19 shutdown. They found that even low impact hikers were perceived as a threat, and that animals tended to move away from areas with human activity.
- Vaccinated mothers pass COVID-19 antibodies to infants via breast milk, study shows: The University of Florida conducted a study to follow up on their 2021 research that found evidence of antibodies against the coronavirus.
- Massive study sheds light on the psychological consequences of COVID-19 distress among workers: A new study has found that the stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19 is having a significant impact on the mental health of employees. A meta-analysis of workers’ psychosomatic strain related to COVID-19 was conducted to better understand the psychological consequences of the pandemic, and the results showed an increase in stress and anxiety.
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.
