Medical Testing

U.S. to begin testing travelers from Rwanda for Marburg virus

Tue, 2024-10-08 11:14 — mike kraft

CDC to begin testing travelers from Rwanda for deadly Marburg virus Because of an outbreak of Marburg virus, travelers who have visited the African country recently will be screened for symptoms at three airports. NBC News

...Starting mid-October, airline passengers who have been in Rwanda in the last 21 days will have their travel to the United States rerouted” to one of three airports: Chicago O’Hare, JFK in New York and Washington Dulles in suburban Virginia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement Monday.

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WHO approves first mpox test for quick diagnosis

Mon, 2024-10-07 11:07 — mike kraft

Mpox in Africa: WHO approves first mpox test for quick diagnosis Lack of testing and delays in getting the results have made curbing the virus's spread harder. BBC News

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the first diagnostic test for mpox where the results can be immediately known, saying it could prove pivotal in helping to stop the rising global cases of the deadly virus.

The new PCR test enables the detection of the mpox DNA taken from skin lesion swabs.

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Bird flu: US investigating potential human-to-human bird flu transmission in Missouri

Wed, 2024-10-02 10:30 — mike kraft

US investigating potential human-to-human bird flu transmission Health authorities in the U.S. are studying seven people who developed influenza symptoms after being exposed to a Missouri bird flu patient, raising the possibility of the first human-to-human transmission ... Medical Xpress

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Six were health care workers who encountered the first American known to be infected with bird flu without previous exposure to a sick animal, and the other was a close household contact of the patient. All developed mild respiratory symptoms after their exposure.

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COVID home test results can enhance disease tracking--survey

Wed, 2024-10-02 10:24 — mike kraft

Survey: COVID home test results can enhance disease tracking At least one household member and six healthcare workers who encountered the index case-patient are being investigated after showing symptoms of viral infection. CIDRAP

Online nonprobability survey estimates suggest that 54 million US COVID-19 infections went uncounted in official records after home tests were widely deployed and institutional testing waned starting in February 2022. ...

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Birds flu: Four more health workers show symptoms after contact with Missouri bird flu patient

Fri, 2024-09-27 17:31 — mike kraft

Four more health workers show symptoms after contact with Missouri bird flu patient Four additional healthcare workers in Missouri who were in contact with a bird flu patient developed mild respiratory symptoms but the virus was not confirmed in any of them, U.S. health officials said on Friday. Reuters Reuters

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Americans can start today to ordering free COVID tests from the government

Thu, 2024-09-26 10:03 — mike kraft

Americans can once again order 4 free at-home COVID tests from the federal government Starting Thursday, Americans can order four free at-home COVID tests from the federal government ahead of respiratory virus season. ABC News ABC News

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U.S. will provide free COVID-19 tests later this month. Date not announced yet

Wed, 2024-09-25 09:42 — mike kraft

Free COVID-19 tests are coming back for fall 2024. Here's how to get them. The government has already disbursed more than 900 million free at-home COVID-19 tests, and will be reopening its free test kit portal. CBS News

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, has not yet said when it will start taking orders again for the at-home COVID-19 tests through the COVIDTests.gov website. It only instructs visitors to "come back to place your order in late September 2024."

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U.S. COVID activity continues to decline in some regions

Mon, 2024-09-23 09:50 — mike kraft

US COVID markers show more declines Wastewater levels are still high, but like other markers are showing a downward trend. CIDRAP

US COVID activity continued to decline in many areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates. ...

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Wastewater surveillance could be even better for detecting pathogens --National Academies report

Mon, 2024-09-16 12:04 — mike kraft

National Academies: Wastewater surveillance could be even better for detecting pathogens A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report recommends five actions to transition the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS)—developed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic—to a forward-looking version for both endemic and emerging pathogens. CIDRAP

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The Academies recommended five steps to more robust NWSS that could better support public health, including better readiness for future pandemics:

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U.S. COVID activity cases remain elevated but some indicators decline

Mon, 2024-09-16 10:03 — mike kraft

US COVID activity remains elevated, though some markers decline Wastewater levels are still high, but some indicators such as hospitalizations trended downward. CIDRAP

...Other indicators, however, showed small declines, including test positivity, which was at 14.9% last week, down 1.6% from the previous week. Levels are highest in the central states, which include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Emergency department visits declined last week but are still at the moderate level in a few southeastern states.

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