'Cold-like' symptoms could indicate you have the XBB.1.5 Covid variant - what to look for Symptoms of the XBB.1.15, or Kraken, variant of COVID-19 have so far been reported as similar to those of Omicron. MSN

...

The sub-variant of Omicron has now been identified in 70 countries, including the UK.

Global COVID vaccine acceptance rose 5% from 2021 to 2022 CIDRAP

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance climbed from 75% in 2021 to 79% in 2022 in 23 countries representing nearly 60% of the global population, finds a survey published yesterday in Nature Medicine.

...

In eight countries, however, vaccine hesitancy increased (range, 1.0% in the United Kingdom to 21.1% in South Africa). And nearly 1 in 8 of all respondents (12.1%), particularly those aged 18 to 29 years, said they were hesitant to receive a booster dose (range, 1.1% in China to 28.9% in Russia).

...

House GOP to focus COVID panel on virus origins, pandemic spending Republicans have significantly retooled the focus of the House panel investigating the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, a move that aligns with the new majority’s over… nweixel The Hill

...

Federal COVID aid OK'd to pay for roads, natural disasters JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — State and local governments will soon gain new flexibility to spend billions of federal coronavirus relief dollars on things not directly related to the pandemic, including new roads and bridges and aid to people affected by wildfires, floods and other natural disasters. AP NEWS

...

Sanders tells Moderna planned COVID vaccine price hike is ‘unacceptable corporate greed’ Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is calling on Moderna not to quadruple the price of its COVID-19 vaccine, saying Tuesday that the plan amounts to “unacceptable corporate greed.” In a Tuesda… nweixel The Hill

...

More US schools institute mask mandates as COVID cases rise More schools -- including in Massachusetts and Michigan -- are implementing mask mandates as COVID-19 cases rise across the country. ABC News ABC News

...

Cries for help pour into 988 mental health, suicide line HYATTSVILLE, Md. (AP) — When Jamieson Brill answers a crisis call from a Spanish speaker on the newly launched national 988 mental health helpline, he rarely mentions the word suicide, or “suicidio” AP NEWS

...

Brill works in one of more than 200 call centers fanned out around the country tasked with answering an uptick in calls day and night from people considering suicide or experiencing a mental health emergency.

CDC Director to Unveil Big Changes in Effort to Restore Public Trust After a nearly yearlong review of the CDC's pandemic response, Rochelle Walensky prepares to shake up its operations and culture. Riley Griffin Bloomberg.com

...

Biden team eyes end of Covid emergency declaration and shift in Covid team The Biden administration wants to lift the yearslong emergency declaration for the pandemic. But first, it needs to manage the latest Covid threat. YahooNews

...

'COVID Isn't Over': Here's What Experts Expect The COVID-19 Pandemic To Be Like This Year With the rise of highly transmissible variants including XBB, experts warn COVID is far from over. But there are new tools to help and more research is underway. YahooNews

...

Confirmed COVID-19 cases are currently nowhere near where they were during the last two winters in the U.S., but they are expected to rise. The current numbers reported are also believed to be lower than they actually are since more people are testing at home.

WHO backs mask wearing on long flights as new Omicron variant spreads Countries should consider recommending passengers wear masks on long-haul flights to counter the latest Omicron subvariant of COVID-19 given its rapid spread in the United States, World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Tuesday. Natalie Grover Reuters

...