More than 40% of Americans lied about COVID-19 risk during pandemic, study shows At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40% of Americans were untruthful about whether they had the virus or were ignoring safety precautions, a nationwide survey shows. UPI

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How bad will flu and Covid be this winter? Hospitals brace for rough season. How bad will flu and Covid be this winter? Hospitals are already busy and facing staffing shortages. YahooNews

Hospitals nationwide are preparing for a third winter with Covid — the first one that's also expected to include high levels of influenza and other respiratory illnesses that have simmered quietly in the background for the past two years.

This Is Now The Most Common Covid Symptom

Rising COVID levels in Europe especially affect seniors COVID-19 cases are up 14% compared to the previous week in Europeans ages 65 and older. CIDRAP

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The ECDC said the rise in cases is likely due to changes in population mixing following the summer break, with no indication that the rise is linked to changes in circulating SAR-CoV-2 variants.

Pre-existing illness strongest indicator of risk for severe COVID-19 in children ANAHEIM, Calif. — A study found that having a pre-existing comorbidity was the strongest indicator of risk for severe COVID-19 in children, according to data reported here.

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Vast majority of red-state seniors have been vaccinated, despite GOP vaccine resistance When the COVID-19 vaccine rolled out, Clyde Muchmore was ready to drive across Oklahoma to get it. “At the very, very first, all we knew was that a whole lot of people were dying,” recalled Muchmore, 80, of Oklahoma City. He scheduled a vaccine, he said, “on absolutely the first day I could.” Nearly half… YahooNews

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Telemedicine Was Made Easy During COVID-19. Not Any More Restrictions are returning to telemedicine, an area of medicine that exploded in popularity early in the pandemic. Tom Murphy NBC4 Washington

Telemedicine exploded in popularity after COVID-19 hit, but limits are returning for care delivered across state lines. ...

China imposes lockdowns as COVID-19 surges after holiday BEIJING (AP) — Chinese cities were imposing fresh lockdowns and travel restrictions after the number of new daily COVID-19 cases tripled during a weeklong holiday, ahead of a major Communist Party meeting in Beijing next week. AP NEWS

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The latest lockdown started Monday in Fenyang city in northern China’s Shanxi province after a preliminary positive case was found in citywide testing the previous day, state broadcaster CCTV reported. ...

Federal Covid Response Shrinks as New Funding Stalls in Congress The country risks a Covid spike this winter as congressional bickering prevents a new federal infusion of money to distribute vaccines and therapies, public health groups warn. BLaw

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Updated Covid-19 boosters are 'most important thing' Americans can do for their health today, official says | CNN About 11.5 million people in the United States have gotten an updated Covid-19 booster, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but more people need to prepare for fall and winter by getting their shots now, health officials said Friday. Carma Hassan CNN

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Complex state COVID vaccine guidelines tied to lower uptake People living in states with more complex guidelines were less likely to correctly indicate their eligibility. CIDRAP

Complex state COVID-19 vaccine eligibility guidelines lead to confusion about eligibility and may contribute to low uptake, according to a population-based study of US adults published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.

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From BQ.1.1 to XBB and beyond: How the splintering of Omicron variants could shape Covid's next phase “It’s a little bit like what we would expect to see over a couple years of flu, but crammed into about three months with SARS-CoV-2." Andrew Joseph STAT

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Covid is on the rise in some European countries.