CDC probes if bird flu mutations impact vaccine stockpile The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating whether the U.S. stockpile of bird flu vaccines is still well matched to the virus after discovering recent mutations. Medical Xpress

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Covid hospitalisations surge as new variant spreads across UK The North East has seen the highest hospital admission rates at 8.12 per 100,000, UKHSA says Alexander Butler The Independent

Covid hospitalisations have surged across Britain at an “alarming” rate as a new variant of the virus emerged, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned.

US COVID levels drop, with few flu detections CDC wastewater tracking shows SARS-CoV-2 detections are now at the low level nationally. CIDRAP

COVID activity in the United States continues to decline, and seasonal flu markers show no upticks, according to the latest respiratory disease updates today from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccine uptake influenced by politics and socioeconomics, study finds COVID-19 vaccination rates have varied significantly based on partisanship and socioeconomic factors, with Democrats getting vaccinated faster and at higher percentages than Republicans and Independents. Fernanda Pires Medical Xpress

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Brain imaging reveals changes linked to long COVID Using ultra-powered magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford have demonstrated that COVID-19 infections can damage the brainstem, the brain’s "control center." The findings are published in Brain. CIDRAP

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Novavax gets EU authorization for updated COVID vaccine targeting JN.1 strain

The European Commission authorized Novavax's (NVAX.O)

FDA authorizes sale of first home COVID/flu combo test outside of emergency use The test joins other over-the-counter COVID-19/flu tests already available under emergency use authorization. CIDRAP

As the country heads into the respiratory illness season, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday its marketing authorization of the first over-the-counter (OTC) rapid-antigen COVID-19/flu combination test outside of emergency use authorization.