COVID-19 digital contact tracing worked — heed the lessons for future pandemics Nature - For all the controversy over decentralized contact-tracing apps, data show that these privacy-preserving tools saved thousands of lives during the pandemic. National and international... Salathé, Marcel nature

...To harness this potentially transformative tool in future, policymakers and other stakeholders must heed the evidence — and the lessons — now emerging from its use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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New COVID jabs are coming — who should get them? Nature - Countries rolling out updated vaccines weigh whether to restrict them to high-risk individuals. Kozlov, Max nature

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Study: Low-income communities benefit most from COVID vaccination CIDRAP

... in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a study analyzing vaccination data in 81 communities in Los Angeles County finds that the vaccine had a greater impact on COVID-19 infections in lower-income communities than in their higher-income counterparts.

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Pandemic 'fear of missing out' had mental health consequences for older adults, study shows During the COVID-19 pandemic, fear of missing out (FOMO) on social activities may have negatively affected the mental health of adults at high risk of serious disease, according to a new study from Rice ... Amy McCaig

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EU announces deal with Pfizer, others to reserve vaccines for future pandemic The European Commission has contracted Pfizer and several European companies to reserve capacity to make up to 325 million vaccines per year in case of a future global health emergency, it said on Friday. Maggie Fick Reuters

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Global COVID markers show few hot spots as XBB.1.16 overtakes XBB.1.5 CIDRAP

Some countries continue to report high COVID-19 burdens, reflected mainly in hospitalization and death data, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest weekly update. ..

US CDC OKs use of new Pfizer, GSK vaccines for RSV in older adults The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday signed off on the use of new vaccines from Pfizer and GSK to prevent severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in older adults. Reuters Reuters

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Warming causes more extreme rain, not snow, over mountains. Scientists say that’s a problem A new study says climate change is turning major snowfalls into more extreme rain over mountains, somehow worsening both dangerous flooding like the type that devastated Pakistan last year and long-term water shortages. AP News

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It’s past time to address the problem of indoor air quality. A new technology can help Indoor air quality is a public health issue. Torie Bosch STAT

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Early studies from China in 2020 suggested people with certain blood types—specifically blood type A—might be at greater risk for getting infected—while those with type O may be protected against infection. Some small studies confirmed the connections, while others did not, leaving public health experts agnostic about how important blood type might be as a potential risk factor for COVID-19.