Millions suffer from long Covid — and it costs them $9,000 a year in health-care expenses, on average

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David Cutler, an economist at Harvard University who projected the $3.7 trillion economic cost of long Covid, estimates the individual medical costs of the disease to be about $9,000 a year, on average. However, typical costs can range from roughly $3,700 up to almost $14,000, Cutler said.

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China eases virus controls amid effort to head off protests BEIJING (AP) — More Chinese cities eased anti-virus restrictions and police patrolled their streets Thursday as the government tried to defuse public anger over some of the world’s most stringent COVID measures and head off more protests . AP NEWS

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NYC public employees among 19 accused of pandemic aid fraud NEW YORK (AP) — Nineteen people including 17 New York City and New York state public employees were charged in a federal complaint unsealed Wednesday with submitting fraudulent applications for funds intended to help small businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic. AP NEWS

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New Banana-Derived Therapy Is Effective Against All Known Coronaviruses and Flu Strains The potential therapy was derived from a banana protein. A study published on January 13th, 2020 touted the development of a potential therapy that may be used to fight all known strains of the flu. One week later, the first laboratory-confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 triggered the two-and-a-half-ye Colin Collins SciTechDaily

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West Virginia to end COVID-related emergency order in 2023 CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Republican Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday that West Virginia's state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic will end at the start of the new year. The state of emergency has been in effect since March 16, 2020. AP NEWS

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Most U.S. states have now ended COVID-19-related emergency orders, or have orders in place that will expire in the coming weeks and months.

More Republicans Died Than Democrats after COVID-19 Vaccines Came Out The sharp divergence in excess death rates that emerged in the post-vaccine period "is pretty striking… and the magnitudes are quite large." Yale University Nextgov.com

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The study finds that excess deaths during the pandemic were 76% higher among Republicans than Democrats in two states, Ohio and Florida.

What’s more, the partisan gap in death rates increased significantly after vaccines were introduced.

Republican governors call on Congress to drop Biden's military vaccine mandate Republican governors are urging congressional leaders to end the Biden administration's military COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act. Chris Pandolfo AOL

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COVID hit HIV detection in Europe, threatens eradication progress The number of people in Europe with undiagnosed HIV has risen as testing rates fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, threatening a global goal of ending the disease by 2030, a report said. Reuters Reuters

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Long Covid may be ‘the next public health disaster’ — with a $3.7 trillion economic impact rivaling the Great Recession

Long Covid has affected as many as 23 million Americans. It may cost the U.S. economy $3.7 trillion, roughly that of the Great Recession, according to one estimate.

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Naturopath who sold fake vaccine cards gets nearly 3 years SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A naturopathic doctor who sold fake COVID-19 immunization treatments and fraudulent vaccination cards during the height of the coronavirus pandemic was sentenced in California on Tuesday to nearly three years in prison, federal prosecutors said. AP NEWS

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The case is the first federal criminal fraud prosecution related to fraudulent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination cards for COVID-19, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Two Chinese cities ease COVID curbs after protests spread The giant Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Chongqing announced an easing of COVID curbs on Wednesday, a day after demonstrators in southern Guangzhou clashed with police amid a string of protests against the world's toughest coronavirus restrictions. Brenda Goh,Martin Quin Pollard Reuters

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With no exit strategy from 'zero Covid' policy, China could face tsunami in cases, experts fear As the world watches the rare spectacle of protesters challenging China’s authoritarian leadership over its increasingly perplexing zero Covid policy, people who study the disease see threats ahead for China — and beyond. Helen Branswell STAT

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