Asia's COVID deaths surpass 1 million - Reuters tally Asia passed the grim milestone of 1 million coronavirus-linked deaths on Friday, a Reuters tally showed, as a spike in Omicron variant infections spreads across the region after starting in nations such as Japan and South Korea. Aparupa Mazumder,Lasya Priya M Reuters

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Kids show mysteriously low levels of COVID antibodies Nature - Children also seem to be able to clear SARS-CoV-2 from their bodies much quicker than adults can. Mallapaty, Smriti nature

Children infected with SARS-CoV-2 are less likely than adults to produce antibodies against the virus, despite having similar symptoms and levels of virus in their bodies, according to a small study in Australia¹.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Reuters Reuters

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Airline, transit mask mandates extended through April 18 - Roll Call The CDC will craft a revised policy framework for future mask use on public transportation, a Biden administration official said. Roll Call

The White House on Thursday announced it would extend the current federal mask mandate for passengers on airplanes and public transit for another month — the third extension of the mandate since it was imposed in January 2021.

Coronavirus wastewater data, CDC guidelines can give mixed signals on whether to mask The CDC continues to monitor community spread. But for many communities, there is a disconnect between what the surveillance data shows and what the new guidelines suggest. Deidre McPhillips, CNN CNN

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Study: COVID infections on uptick in older adults in England LONDON (AP) — Coronavirus infections appear to be rising in older adults in England, with cases remaining at a high level despite a broad decline since a peak in January, according to a government-commissioned study published Thursday. AP NEWS

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The REACT COVID-19 monitoring program, which looked at almost 95,000 home swab tests taken in February, showed that around 1 in 35 people in England was infected with the virus during the period and infections were rising among those aged 55 and older.

Pfizer launches trial to test Covid pill in children Pfizer's pill, called Paxlovid, is already authorized for use in people ages 12 and up. NBC News

Pfizer announced Wednesday that it has started a clinical trial testing its Covid-19 antiviral pill in children as young as 6.

The drugmaker said it aims to enroll approximately 140 participants in the trial, which will look at whether the drug, called Paxlovid, can safely treat Covid in children who are at risk of becoming severely ill. ...

There may be a new COVID variant, Deltacron. Here's what we know about it. The newly identified Deltacron COVID-19 case, created by the combination of the Delta and Omicron variants, is not widely spread. Here's what we know. Mike Snider USA TODAY

A potential new COVID variant, a combination of the Delta and Omicron variants – you can call it "Deltacron" – has been identified.

OSHA to boost healthcare inspections to prepare for COVID variants The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday said it is increasing inspection of hospitals and nursing facilities that treat COVID-19 patients over the next few months to prepare for the potential emergence of new variants of the virus. Daniel Wiessner Reuters

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