Cancer diagnoses fell early in COVID pandemic, but many types eventually climbed again Roberto Jimenez / iStock CIDRAP

A pair of new studies documents initial drops—and, in some cases, rebounds—in cancer diagnoses in Canada and the United States in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Hurricane Idalia could become 2023’s costliest climate disaster for the US Analysts estimate the category 3 storm has already racked up a preliminary cost of $9.36bn, straining the insurance industry The Guardian

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Study links blood clots to brain fog after Covid

A recent UK study suggests that blood clots in the brain or lungs may explain some of the common symptoms experienced by people with "long Covid", including brain fog and fatigue. The study, which included 1,837 people admitted to hospital due to Covid, found that two blood proteins, fibrinogen and D-dimer, were associated with cognitive problems. It is estimated that 16% of these patients experience difficulties with thinking, concentrating, or remembering for at least six months.

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Explainer: Do I need to worry about COVID again? New data from scientists and vaccine makers Moderna and Pfizer /BioNTech suggests that a newer, highly mutated variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is not as alarming as some experts had feared when it was first detected several weeks ago. Deena Beasley,Julie Steenhuysen Reuters

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In the ICU, doctors see rise in Covid cases but less severe disease Hospitalizations from Covid are still happening, but in many instances, patients aren't getting as sick as in the early days of the pandemic. NBC News

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WHO airs concerns about global COVID trends Meanwhile, several more BA.2.86 sequences were reported, as Moderna notes reassuring lab findings against BA.2.86 for its updated vaccine. CIDRAP

At a briefing on global health issues today, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said there are concerning trends ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter, including rising deaths in parts of the Middle East and Asia and increased hospitalizations in multiple regions.

Earth just had its hottest summer on record, U.N. says, warning "climate breakdown has begun" "Climate breakdown has begun," U.N. chief says, adding: "The dog days of summer are not just barking, they are biting." CBS News

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Three lessons from Covid that could help global leaders prevent the next pandemic "If we wanted to, this could be the last pandemic. It's a political choice,” said Joanne Liu, a professor at McGill University’s School of Population and Global Health. Theresa Gaffney STAT

Everyone has things that, looking back, they would have done differently in the early days of 2020, had they known how the Covid-19 pandemic would tear across the globe. But those regrets may be particularly poignant for global leaders whose actions (or lack thereof) had direct impacts on how Covid-19 spread.

Moderna says updated COVID vaccine is effective against newer variant Moderna on Wednesday said clinical trial data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine will likely be effective against the highly-mutated BA.2.86 subvariant of the coronavirus that has raised fears of a resurgence of infections. Patrick Wingrove Reuters

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CDC says there are no plans to bring back mask mandates, even as Covid cases rise The CDC could sign off on the new Covid boosters as soon as Sept. 12. Will that be soon enough to ward off a winter surge? NBC News

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Our goal is to release and recommend the vaccine so that it can coincide as much as possible with the peak of the season," Dr. Nirav Shah, CDC's principal deputy director, said in an interview.

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More COVID-19 studies suggest BA.2.86 may be less immune-evasive than feared iLexx / iStock CIDRAP

Two more lab groups—one from Sweden's Karolinska Institute and the other from Harvard University—have reported results of antibody neutralization lab experiments, which suggest vaccination or previous infection offer some protection against the highly mutated BA.2.86 SARS-CoV-2 variant.

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UK regulator approves updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine The UK drug regulator said on Tuesday it has approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech that targets only the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant. Reuters Reuters

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