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One study predicts rising US cancer deaths, and another estimates the impact of cancer surgery delays.
In global news, China reports its first COVID-19 deaths in more than a year, and cases are rising in Europe.
Alcohol-related deaths increased by 25% in the United States during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study in JAMA based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics.
Researchers at a hospital in China found an 8.3% decline in antibiotic use among patients with non-COVID fever and respiratory symptoms during the pandemic, likely because of heightened awareness of viral pathogens, according to a study published late last week in the Journal of Infection.
Many local and state health officials report workplace violence such as threats.
Also, WHO experts say polio is still a global public health emergency.
During Omicron, those who got a booster had a 94% lower risk of severe outcomes.
Flu activity continued to rise in most of the nation last week, with three more pediatric flu deaths reported, but markers are still below epidemic baselines, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest update.
Even when insurance companies waived charges for COVID-19 hospitalizations, 10% of patients still had out-of-pocket costs of $2,000 or more for care that took place in the 6 months after they were released, finds a new study in the American Journal of Managed Care.
Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans
Japan saw a marked reduction in antimicrobial use (AU) in 2020 that's linked to the COVID-19 pandemic but could also reflect increased antimicrobial stewardship, according to a study yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.
The CDC researchers also find that mental health visits varied by race and ethnicity.
"The impact on the working population could be huge," one study author says.
Also, President Biden names a new White House COVID-19 coordinator to replace Jeff Zients.
Four-dose efficacy of mRNA vaccines against symptomatic Omicron COVID-19 infection is modest, according to a research letter yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine that described a small study in Israel.
Implementation of a touchless hydrogen peroxide decontamination system at an acute care hospital was associated with a significant reduction in Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) rates over a 10-year period, researchers reported today in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Rises in parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe led to the first global jump in cases in 5 weeks.
The study suggests that mental health effects aren't equal and that time spent bedridden is a key factor.
Ongoing analysis and modifications of crisis-standards-of-care scoring systems could help avoid creating more racial disparities.
Raising the number of states to report highly pathogenic avian flu in backyard flocks or commercial poultry this year to 15, federal and state officials today announced the first outbreak in Nebraska. In related developments, Missouri reported another outbreak in backyard poultry, and federal officials reported more H5 detections in wild birds, including the first in Ohio and Illinois.
Some experts warn of potential rises in the US based on wastewater surveillance data.
