Global News

[ad_1] Scientists in China have discovered a new wild coronavirus with the same mutation as animals that are believed to have spread COVID-19, proving that Sars-CoV-2 was not created in a lab, Daily Mail reported. The new bat coronavirus possesses a furin cleavage site — a crucial element in COVID-19's effectiveness — which has been a topic of debate, with some experts claiming it could only have been acquired through lab experiments. The newly discovered TyRo-CoV-162275 virus, which is up to 98% identical to coronaviruses found in pangolins, — the animal long suspected of passing COVID-19 to humans — has been criticised for supporting the “lab leak theory” The theory suggests that COVID-19-like viruses emerge in the wild and pass between species, despite studies showing that wild coronaviruses can acquire the structure naturally. Dr Kristian Andersen, a top Danish infectious disease expert, shared the new study on X, formerly known as Twitter, where he wrote: “The scie...

[ad_1] In this photo illustration, Abbott's at-home covid-19 rapid test kits are seen on display in Orlando. Paul Hennessy | LightRocket | Getty Images As Covid cases surge again in the U.S., Americans are digging out unused at-home tests that they stashed earlier on in the pandemic.  Many of those tests may have passed their expiration dates , but don't throw them away just yet.  The Food and Drug Administration has extended the expiration dates of many popular at-home test products, which means some of your old kits may still be safe to use. You can check by visiting a page on the FDA's website that lists expiration information for each test brand. "That's the first thing I would do before using an expired test or throwing it away," Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNBC. If the date has not changed, the FDA advises against using expired tests. Doing so increases the chance of an inaccurate tes...

[ad_1] A person receives a COVID-19 vaccination dose, during a free distribution of COVID-19 rapid test kits for those who received vaccination shots or booster shots, at Union Station on January 7, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images The U.S. Food and Drug Administration 's independent panel of advisors raised doubts about the need to "periodically" update Covid vaccines, noting that it's unclear if the virus is seasonal like the flu. Advisors on Thursday unanimously voted that new jabs for the fall should be monovalent — meaning they are designed against one variant of Covid — and target one of the omicron XBB strains . Those are now the dominant variants nationwide.  But the original voting question included language about whether the panel recommends a "periodic update" to Covid shots.  Dr. Peter Marks, head of the FDA's vaccine division, asked the panel's chair to strike the wording from the question after severa...

[ad_1] Hospitals face rising cases of respiratory illnesses - CBS News Watch CBS News Hospitals across the country are dealing with higher cases of COVID-19, the flu and RSV. The increase is being fueled in part by holiday travel and gatherings. Meg Oliver has the latest. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On [ad_2] Source link https://worldnews2023.com/health/hospitals-face-rising-cases-of-respiratory-illnesses/?feed_id=318341&_unique_id=66f2f177270a6

[ad_1] This is the largest difference in the US since 1996. The Researcher also pointed out that no one has systematically analysed why the gap between men and women has been widening since 2010. Research indicates that women in the United States can anticipate living almost six years longer than men, marking the widest life expectancy gap in decades. Disparities in deaths from COVID-19 and drug overdoses contribute to this gap, as revealed by a study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, published on November 13, 2023, in JAMA Internal Medicine. The authors note a life expectancy difference of 5.8 years in 2021, the largest in the US since 1996, compared to 4.8 years in 2010, the narrowest gap in recent years. The pandemic played a pivotal role in the widening gap between 2019 and 2021, with a disproportionate toll on men. Unintentional injuries and poisonings, primarily attributed to drug overdoses, accidents...

[ad_1] It may still  feel like summer , but the fall is quickly approaching — along with the risk of seasonal viruses. On " CBS Mornings " Monday, Dr. Céline Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, shared what you need to know about protecting yourself from COVID-19 , the respiratory illness RSV and the flu — three infections that raised concerns last winter about the threat of a " tripledemic ." The recommendations are especially important for those at high risk, including people who are elderly, pregnant or have chronic health conditions. Here's what you need to know:  Is there an RSV vaccine? There are a few prevention tools for RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus , an illness that typically causes cold-like symptoms but can sometimes be severe, especially for infants and older adults. "(There's) a vaccine for the elderly for people 60 and up,...

[ad_1] A GSK lab in London. Oli Scarff | Getty Images The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved an RSV vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline for use on adults ages 60 and older. The approval, the first ever globally by a regulatory body for an RSV vaccine , is a decisive victory for GSK in a race against drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna to bring to market a shot that targets the respiratory syncytial virus . Shares of GSK rose nearly 2% Wednesday following the approval. GSK's chief scientific officer Tony Wood said in a statement the decision "marks a turning point" in the company's effort to reduce the "significant burden" of RSV. The company will now focus on ensuring eligible older adults in the U.S. can access the vaccine "as quickly as possible," he said. GSK will also work toward regulatory review and approval of the shot in other countries. London-based GSK during an earnings presentation last week said it has "mil...

[ad_1] Travelers from China will need to test negative for COVID-19 before boarding flights to the U.S. starting next week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday. The testing requirement will apply to travelers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, and covers all passengers regardless of their nationality or vaccination status, the CDC said.  Americans should also "reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong, and Macau," the CDC now urges. In a  travel alert  published Wednesday, the agency cited "reports that the healthcare system is overwhelmed," along with the risk of new variants. Beyond masking while traveling in places like airports or planes, the CDC also recommends that Americans visiting China wear masks while indoors in public. The moves come amid a record wave of infections in China since it relaxed its "zero COVID" policy in early December. The Chinese government has ...