China 'under-representing' true impact of Covid outbreak, WHO says | CNN The World Health Organization has accused China of "under-representing" the severity of its Covid outbreak and criticized its "narrow" definition of what constitutes a Covid death, as top global health officials urge Beijing to share more data about the explosive spread. Simone McCarthy CNN

... WHO executive director for health emergencies Mike Ryan said the numbers released by China “under-represent the true impact of the disease” in terms of hospital and ICU admissions, as well as deaths.

The Symptoms Of COVID Variant XBB That Doctors Are Seeing Right Now Pay attention to these common signs of infection. YahooNews

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Because XBB is relatively new, scientists are still working to figure out if and how the variant behaves differently from other recent variants. Though XBB’s symptoms are expected to be on par with past omicron infections, doctors say they are seeing some issues becoming more prevalent than others.

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Africa CDC says Uganda's Ebola outbreak is coming under control Africa's top public health body said on Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in Uganda was coming under control, as it had been 39 days since the last confirmed case of the virus had been reported in the country. Reuters Reuters

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XBB.1.5 may be 'most transmissible subvariant of Omicron to date,' scientists warn | CNN Health experts voiced concern Wednesday over the rapid growth of the new Omicron sublineage XBB.1.5, advising the public to stay informed but not alarmed as they work to learn more. Brenda Goodman CNN

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COVID-19 enters 4th year with successes, but new threats CIDRAP

As the pandemic enters its fourth year, the world is in a better place with managing the disease but still faces threats from inequities for accessing tools to battle COVID-19, intense transmission in several countries, and the emergence of another highly transmissible Omicron subvariant, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

In a related development, the WHO today shared details about its virus evolution advisory group's assessment of viruses circulating in China and said the experts are also assessing the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant, which is quickly becoming dominant in the United States.

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EU recommends pre-flight testing of passengers from China, wastewater testing in airports European Union government officials recommended on Wednesday that passengers flying from China to the EU should have a negative COVID-19 test before they board, as Beijing plans to ease travel restrictions despite a wave of new COVID infections. Reuters Reuters

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2022 was the worst for many US hospitals. The aftershocks will last for years. Constant health crises have made it impossible for some hospitals to plan for the future. Patients will pay the price. Dylan Scott Vox

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Public Health Agencies Try to Restore Trust as They Fight Misinformation As public health departments work on improving their message, the skepticism and mistrust often reserved for covid-19 vaccines now threaten other public health priorities, including flu shots and c… khnkytjaw Kaiser Health News

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New Covid strain is the most transmissible yet, WHO says The global health body is now trying to figure out how severe the sub-variant is. POLITICO

The coronavirus Omicron strain XBB.1.5, which has become the dominant strain in the U.S. in just a matter of weeks, could drive a new wave of cases, a World Health Organization official told reporters Wednesday.

“We are concerned about its growth advantage, in particular in some countries in Europe and the Northeast part of the United States, where XBB.1.5 has rapidly replaced other circulating sub-variants,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead.

Experts urge domestic action against winter COVID surge Much of the U.S. is in the throes of a winter COVID-19 surge with cases poised to eclipse last year’s summer peak, driven by new variants, waning immunity and holiday gatherings.   The co… tlejeune The Hill

... public health experts are expressing frustration that instead of focusing on mitigation measures including masking and improved ventilation, U.S. officials have turned their attention towards China.

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