COVID-19 infection in pregnancy may raise baby's risk of respiratory illness - UPI.com Babies born to COVID-infected mothers have triple the risk of developing a breathing disorder that normally affects preemies, a new study shows. UPI

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Researchers found that exposure to the coronavirus while in the womb increased a newborn's risk of respiratory distress syndrome by sparking an "inflammatory cascade" in the infants that affected their breathing. 

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Study: Vaccinated patients have lower risk of long COVID At 90-days post-infection, 8% of vaccinated cases were still reporting symptoms, compared with 27% of unvaccinated cases. CIDRAP

Today researchers from the University of Michigan published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases more evidence that being vaccinated against COVID-19 significantly reduces the risk of developing long COVID.

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‘On par with cancer and heart disease’: Experts, patients warn Congress about the burden of long COVID as the government blows through $1.15 billion without finding a cure There’s a strong argument to be made for the government to provide the funding–and then mostly get out of the way. Yahoo Finance

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WHO grants emergency listing for Corbevax COVID vaccine Non-exclusive licensing of the yeast strain by developers will allow others to develop effective, low-cost vaccines. CIDRAP

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved another COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use listing (EUL): Corbevax, a recombinant protein–based vaccine developed by scientists at Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.

How COVID-19 Vaccines and Infections Are Tweaking Our Immunity A study shows our immune systems may be getting better at protecting against new variants. TIME

Your immune system may be getting smarter every time you encounter COVID-19, a new study suggests. After getting vaccinated and infected, the immune system generates broader defenses against the virus, including against new variants.

Latest global COVID snapshot shows rising cases, drop in deaths Mateescu Mugur/iStock CIDRAP

Over the past month, global COVID-19 cases rose slightly, with a steady drop in deaths from the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest monthly update.

However, the group cautioned about interpreting the data, given that less than half of countries reported their COVID metrics during the latest reporting period, which covers December 11, 2023, to January 7.