Eight in 10 people in China caught Covid since early December, say officials Reported death toll surges to 72,000 after zero-Covid restrictions lifted; some experts estimate 1m deaths the Guardian

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US adults cite misbeliefs about eligibility, immunity for not getting COVID booster The most-cited reasons for not getting new COVID-19 boosters were lack of awareness about eligibility and overestimations of their own existing immunity. CIDRAP

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After participants were given information on eligibility and availability, 67.8% of those who hadn't gotten a booster said that they would pursue one; a survey 1 month later showed that 28.6% of these participants had done so.

CDC is talking to airlines about wastewater testing in planes. New reports support that strategy. Analyzing airplane sewage could help scientists track new Covid variants entering the U.S., or identify novel pathogens. NBC News

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The U.S. has been monitoring for the coronavirus in wastewater since the CDC launched its National Wastewater Surveillance System in September 2020. But that testing mainly involves wastewater from households or buildings, not samples from airports or planes.

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Navajo Nation rescinds mask mandate on vast reservation The Navajo Nation has rescinded a mask mandate that's been in effect since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Friday, fulfilling a pledge that new tribal President Buu Nygren made while campaigning for the office. AP NEWS

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Health experts still learning about omicron subvariant, now dominant in Northeast As a version of COVID-19’s omicron variant —the XBB.1.5 subvariant — grows more prevalent in some parts of the U.S., health experts say it likely escapes immune protection better than previous muta… kwadington The Hill

More than 80 percent of coronavirus cases in the Northeast are now due to XBB.1.5.

Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 makes up nearly half of U.S. COVID cases- CDC The fast-spreading Omicron XBB.1.5 is estimated to make up nearly half of U.S. COVID-19 cases, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed on Friday, putting it on track to become the dominant subvariant in the country. Reuters Reuters

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U.S. FDA proposes shift to annual COVID vaccine strategy The U.S. health regulator on Monday proposed the use of one dose of the latest updated COVID-19 shot annually for most people, similar to the influenza immunization campaign, as it moves to simplify the country's vaccination strategy. Reuters Reuters

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Currently, people in the United States need to first get two doses of the original COVID vaccine spaced a few weeks apart, followed by a booster a few months later. ...

Study of airplane wastewater shows COVID-19 travel restrictions failed Tests of toilet tank water from flights entering the United Kingdom helped Welsh scientists determine that steps meant to keep the COVID-19 virus from traveling among countries appear to have failed. UPI

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China reports big jump in COVID hospitalisations - WHO China reported a large jump in COVID-19 hospitalisations in the week through to January 15 to the highest since the pandemic began, according to a weekly report published by the World Health Organization on Thursday. Reuters Reuters

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Here’s How Long You’re Contagious With The Latest COVID Variant It can be hard to know if you’re putting others at risk, but there are rules you can follow to help protect those around you. YahooNews

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Long story short, you are likely contagious for about 10 days after symptoms begin. You should isolate for the first five days and wear a mask on at least days six through 10.

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Is it time for a reality check on rapid COVID tests? At-home rapid tests have become a staple of COVID-19 precautions, but some experts worry that people are relying too much on these tests and that's creating a false sense of security. NPR

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How often do you need a COVID booster shot? Yearly, new data suggests. Yale researchers have found people need annual COVID-19 booster shots to prevent or slow down outbreaks. Here's what to know. YahooNews

Healthy people should get annual COVID-19 boosters to prevent widespread outbreaks, a new study from Yale University suggests.

Yearly shots provide just enough frequency to prevent huge outbreaks, while not putting an undo burden on people.

Lack of vaccination, severe illness tied to higher risk of long COVID CIDRAP

A US military study suggests that people who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 and those with moderate or severe infections are at significantly higher risk for persistent symptoms for 1 to 6 months.