States are trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire Some states that stockpiled millions of masks and other personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic are now throwing the items away. AP News

...

With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into the stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.

COVID- map shows 4 US states with highest positive cases Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releases graphics showing where infection rates are highest in the country. Newsweek

New data shows that people living in four states are still suffering the highest levels of COVID-19 infections in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska remain the worst-hit states as more people there have been diagnosed positive for the virus than elsewhere in the country.

...

WHO designates JN.1 as separate COVID-19 variant of interest PAHO/Flickr cc CIDRAP

Due to its rapid growth and potential to add to the respiratory virus burden in Northern Hemisphere countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) today designated JN.1, part of the BA.2.86 SARS-CoV-2 lineage, as its own variant of interest.

Over the past month, the proportion of JN.1 viruses has rapidly increased, rising from 3.3% in early November to 27.1% by early December. Countries reporting the highest proportions include France, the United States, Singapore, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Why people still fall for fake news about climate change It was the hottest year in 125,000 years, and #climatescam is taking off. Kate Yoder Grist

...

COVID-19 may raise risk of developing atrial fibrillation - UPI.com Add another post-COVID hazard to the list: Research suggests having the illness could raise risks for dangerous irregular heart beats. UPI

...

3 million children lose Medicaid coverage Presented by CVS Health — Three million fewer kids have Medicaid coverage today compared to the end of the pandemic-era protections and beginning of the “unwinding” of coverage in April, according … emartin The Hill

...

Texas and Florida alone account for more than 1 million of the children who have lost coverage. The total decline for adults and children due to the “unwinding” process is now at approximately 7.8 million, the analysis found. ...

What to Know About the JN.1 Variant of SARS-CoV-2 | Time

...

The fact that JN.1 is responsible for a growing portion of infections suggests it is either more contagious or better at getting past our bodies’ immune defenses than previous iterations of the virus, the CDC says. But there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) has not labeled JN.1 a variant of concern—that is, a new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with potential for increased severity; decreased vaccine effectiveness; or substantial impacts on health care delivery.

...

Study shows long COVID worse for patients than 'long flu' wildpixel/ iStock CIDRAP

In the 18 months after a serious COVID-19 or seasonal influenza infection, patients are at a significant increased risk of death, hospital readmission, or health problems affecting a number of organs, though COVID patients are hit harder, according to a study published ...in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

...

EU countries destroy €4B worth of COVID vaccines – POLITICO

EU warns countries are off track for 2030 climate goal European Union countries are falling behind on their core climate change target and without stronger emissions-cutting policies risk missing the goal, the European Commission said on Monday. Kate Abnett Reuters

...