A new COVID variant, BA.2.75, has been detected in the UK and several other countries. But the data we have at the moment doesn’t suggest there’s any reason to panic.
President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21, 2022, but was reportedly feeling well enough to work and take calls, as seen in this photo released by the White House.
Adam Schultz/The White House via AP
According to a letter from Biden’s doctor, the president has a runny nose, mild fatigue and a slight cough. The letter also noted that Biden began taking an antiviral drug the morning he tested positive.
The FDA’s authorization of COVID-19 shots for children ages 6 months to 4 years will bring relief for millions of parents. Pending CDC endorsement, shots for this group will be available within days.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in wastewater testing to monitor the spread of the virus. But historical cases show that targeted surveillance can further marginalize vulnerable populations.
Global Justice campaigners in London stand by fake coffins to highlight global COVID-19 deaths. If pharma companies waived intellectual property rights, it would be easier for low- and middle-income countries to access COVID-19 vaccines.
(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Ronald Labonte, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Waiving patent rights on COVID-19 vaccines and drugs is still crucial to ensure access globally, but the waiver on the table at the June World Trade Organization meeting doesn’t do the job.
The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective against severe illness leading to hospitalization and death in all age groups, including children ages 5 to 11.
Scientists are working on intranasal COVID vaccines. Not only are these vaccines delivered differently – but they also target a different part of our immune system.
The direct effects of COVID-19 disease on pregnant women, newborns and children are acknowledged. But the indirect effects of the pandemic have been equally devastating.
Researchers can test blood samples taken for other reasons to see if patients have previously had COVID-19.
Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Your blood can hold a record of past illnesses. That information can reveal how many people have had a certain infection – like 58% of Americans having had COVID-19 by the end of February 2022.
Over 800 sites across the US report coronavirus data from sewage to the CDC. Here’s how this kind of surveillance system works and what it can and can’t tell you.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand