The leaders asked lawmakers for oversight hearings and to restore funding for critical public health programs.
Plaque growth can lead to a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and other life-threatening cardiovascular events for as long as 1 year.
Post-exertional malaise, or exercise intolerance, was seen in 36% of those with long COVID.
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PAHO is tracking a rise in dengue serogroup 3 activity, which could raise the risk of severe illness as countries approach the peak of the season.
Children with previous COVID-19 infection have a 25% to 28% higher risk of developing new gastrointestinal tract symptoms for up to 2 years than kids who did not have COVID-19.
Test positivity topped 30%, with steady rises in emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
An estimated 68,315 hospitalizations, 13,108 ICU admissions, and 5,301 in-hospital deaths may have been prevented.
Immunity after infection with pre-Omicron strains was 81%, regardless of symptoms, compared with 54% for Omicron.
Overall, 45.8% of COVID-19 hospital admissions and 51.2% of admissions for other respiratory viruses received at least one dose of antibiotic from March 2020 through December 2023.
President Javier Milei says the WHO promoted "endless quarantines" without scientific support during the pandemic.
In total, 5% of dogs and 13% of cats tested positive for COVID-19 on polymerase chain reaction, and 25% and 36%, respectively, had SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies.
In 2023, 1.4% of children surveyed had ever experienced long-COVID symptoms.
Using scarce resources and staff on questionable measures could distract from evidence-based methods such as vaccination and antiviral therapy, the authors say.
