Monthly excess mortality across counties in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, March 2020 to February 2022 Excess mortality estimates show increases in rural mortality during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Science Advances

... Despite the initial concentration of mortality in large metropolitan Northeastern counties, nonmetropolitan Southern counties had the highest cumulative relative excess mortality by July 2021. These results highlight the need for investments in rural health as the pandemic’s rural impact grows.

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Covid-19 inquiry hears poorest were worst hit during pandemic The Covid inquiry is told people from less well-off backgrounds were more likely to be hospitalised. BBC News

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Early indicators hint at US COVID-19 uptick CIDRAP

Though COVID has held at very low levels late spring and into summer, some early indicators show signs of rising activity, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In other developments, the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) fleshed out more details about when the updated COVID-19 vaccine will roll out and how federal health officials will ensure that uninsured and underinsured people can receive their doses.

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CDC facing major funding cuts, with direct impact on state and local health departments | CNN The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is poised to lose about $1.3 billion in funds as a result of last month’s federal debt ceiling negotiation that were initially allocated through Covid-19 supplemental funding, the agency shared with CNN. Deidre McPhillips, Brenda Goodman CNN

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How a Combination of Covid Lawsuits and Media Coverage Keeps Misinformation Churning Even as the covid-19 pandemic wanes, litigation — whether about vaccines, masks, or a range of other public health policies made during the pandemic — isn’t about to end. khnkit KFF Health News

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Even as covid-19 wanes, lawyers representing the health care sector predict their days in court aren’t about to end soon. A group of litigators and media companies, among others, are eyeing policy changes and even some profits from yet more lawsuits.

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Biden making $20 billion available from 'green bank' for clean energy projects The Biden administration is making available $20 billion from a federal “green bank” for clean energy projects such as residential heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations and community cooling centers. AP News

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US government tells vaccine makers to price updated COVID shots reasonably COVID vaccine makers should price their updated shots for the fall at a reasonable rate that would reflect the benefits they received through government investments, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Thursday. Reuters Reuters

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A bipartisan opportunity to strengthen America’s pandemic security Congress must reauthorize the essential PAHPA framework and enact a disciplined set of sensible reforms now. Torie Bosch STAT

In 2006, when many Americans had barely heard the word “coronavirus,” Congress passed the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), a landmark, bipartisan legislative framework that has successfully steered our nation’s biosecurity policy ever since.

Ambulance personnel felt high stress during pandemic CIDRAP

In a study this week in PLOS One, researchers describe the mental health impact of the pandemic on ambulance personnel, showing through the findings of six studies that as many as 92.2% felt a psychological burden while working during COVID-19

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