What a US farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection | CNN A US farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows. Brenda Goodman CNN

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Dairy worker bird flu case shows need for protective gear, US CDC study shows The Texas dairy farm worker infected with H5N1 bird flu was not wearing respiratory or eye protection and had been exposed to cattle that appeared to have the same symptoms as those in a nearby farm with a confirmed outbreak of the virus, according to new details on the case released on Friday. Julie Steenhuysen Reuters

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2 new COVID variants called 'FLiRT' are spreading in the U.S. What are the symptoms? The new "FLiRT" COVID-19 variants, including KP.2, are spreading in the United States. Will there be a summer surge? Experts discuss KP.2 transmission, symptoms, and vaccines. Yahoo News

Respiratory virus season may be ending in the United States, but a new group of COVID-19 variants are circulating, sparking concerns about a potential summer wave.

Where seas are rising at alarming speed Seas in the Southern United States have risen dramatically since 2010. The extra water has upended life — flooding homes, choking septic systems and deluging roads. Washington Post

One of the most rapid sea level surges on Earth is besieging the American South, forcing a reckoning for coastal communities across eight U.S. states, a Washington Post analysis has found.

Study finds metformin reduces COVID-19 viral load, viral rebound

A team of University of Minnesota researchers found that metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, can decrease the amount of COVID-19 virus in the body and lower the chances of the virus coming back strongly after initial treatment. The study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Congo struggles to contain its biggest mpox outbreak | AP News

A new form of mpox that may spread more easily found in Congo's biggest outbreak Scientists say a new form of mpox detected in a mining town in Congo might more easily spread among people. AP News

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Peer support valuable intervention for health worker stress during COVID-19, study shows With healthcare worker (HCW) burnout one of the most pressing issues facing US clinicians, a new study in JAMA Network Open indicates that Stress First Aid, a peer-to-peer support intervention, improved the well-being of HCWs compared with usual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. CIDRAP

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UnitedHealthcare CEO says 'maybe a third' of US citizens were affected by recent hack | TechCrunch Two months after hackers broke into Change Healthcare systems stealing and then encrypting company data, it’s still unclear how many Americans were UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty finally gave an estimate of how many Americans were impacted by the hack on the company's subsidiary Change Healthcare. Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai TechCrunch

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Study: COVID vaccines not linked to seizures In the vaccine group there were 9 seizure events reported. CIDRAP

... a new meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials in JAMA Neurology finds no increase in seizures in the month following COVID vaccination. 

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The findings suggest that there is no difference in risk of seizure incidence among vaccinated individuals vs placebo recipients," the authors concluded. "However, the risk of seizure occurrence after SARS-CoV-2 infection seems to be relatively high."

Pasteurization inactivates H5N1 bird flu in milk, new FDA and academic studies confirm Extensive testing of pasteurized commercially purchased milk and other dairy products from 38 states found no evidence of live H5N1 bird flu virus. Megan Molteni STAT

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Hospitals no longer have to report COVID-19 hospitalization data, CDC says (wtvr.com)

Global survey shows COVID booster uptake in question A new survey of 23,000 adults in 23 countries taken in October 2023 finds a lower intent to get a COVID-19 booster vaccine (71.6%), compared with 2022 (87.9%). CIDRAP

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Moreover, 60.8% expressed being more willing to get vaccinated for diseases other than COVID-19 as a result of their experiences during the pandemic, while 23.1% reported being less willing. ...