CDC says long Covid has contributed to thousands of U.S. deaths The agency’s report comes as Congress is considering whether to fund research and treatment. POLITICO

More than 3,500 Americans have died due, at least in part, to long Covid, according to new data from the CDC. The agency’s findings underscore the potential severity of a condition that continues to impact millions but is still poorly understood and — in some cases — dismissed entirely.

China faces 'tough' zero-COVID exit, WHO says China is facing a "very tough" time as it dismantles its rigid "zero-COVID" policy and allows people to live with the virus, posing challenges preparing hospitals and ensuring people are sufficiently protected, the World Health Organization said. Reuters Reuters

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Ohio court: Insurance doesn't cover business COVID losses COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A commercial insurance policy doesn’t cover the income a business lost when the governor ordered a shutdown early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ohio Supreme Court said Monday in a decision consistent with multiple court rulings nationally weighing similar questions. AP NEWS

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The state’s high court found that the temporary presence of COVID-19 in a community or at a business and the temporary presence of an infected person don’t amount to a direct physical loss that might be covered.

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DeSantis calls for grand jury investigation of COVID vaccines  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is calling for a grand jury investigation into alleged “crimes and wrongdoing” related to COVID-19 vaccines and setting up Florida’s own Public Hea… jmueller The Hill

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The Case for Cautious COVID Optimism This Winter Several key factors mean that we're unlikely to face a major COVID-19 surge this winter, argue Drs. Michael Daignault and Monica Gandhi YahooNews

At this time last year and two years ago, daily new infections and covid-related hospitalizations were already accelerating at a fast clip. BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, the latest Omicron subvariants, came to comprise the majority of cases during a relative lull in the pandemic. Combined with a Thanksgiving Holiday that saw the most travelers since the pandemic started, there has been a steady increase in covid metrics.

POTS, a debilitating heart condition, is linked to Covid and, to a lesser degree, vaccines The nervous system disorder POTS is linked to Covid infection and to a lesser degree Covid vaccination. POTS has been associated with long Covid. YahooNews

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Most U.S. kids still haven’t received a flu or COVID vaccine. It’s helping fuel a tripledemic that’s slamming hospitals nationwide Last week 73%, of U.S. pediatric hospital beds were occupied, according to federal health data. YahooFinance

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Covid-19 vaccines have saved more than 3 million lives in US, study says, but the fight isn't over | CNN The Covid-19 vaccines have kept more than 18.5 million people in the US out of the hospital and saved more than 3.2 million lives, a new study says -- and that estimate is most likely a conservative one, the researchers say. Jen Christensen CNN

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Their study, published Tuesday, found that without Covid-19 vaccines, the nation would have had 1.5 times more infections, 3.8 times more hospitalizations and 4.1 times more deaths than it did between December 2020 and November 2022.

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Florida COVID data critic reaches agreement on felony charge FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A fired Florida health department data manager charged with illegally accessing state computers after she publicly accused officials of wanting to make COVID-19 statistics look less dire has reached an agreement with prosecutors that should result in the case being dropped. AP NEWS

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Jones, 33, received national attention in early 2020 when she sowed doubt about the information being reported by the state when Florida was an epicenter of the pandemic.

Urgent Need for Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccines This Viewpoint argues that the development of a distinctly improved generation of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is paramount to offering a greater breadth and depth of protection for a longer duration against COVID-19 disease. JAMA_current

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These are the most common COVID symptoms currently being reported, study finds Some of the “traditional” symptoms associated with COVID are becoming less prevalent, a new study found. bhoward The Hill

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