Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don’t Meet Them. - KFF Health News The staffing regulation was disparaged by the industry as unattainable. Patient advocates say it doesn’t go far enough. Labor unions welcomed the requirement. khnerich KFF Health News

The Biden administration finalized nursing home staffing rules Monday that will require thousands of them to hire more nurses and aides — while giving them years to do so.

US respiratory virus activity continues to tail off Wastewater COVID detections declined to the minimal level and are highest in the Midwest. CIDRAP

Respiratory virus activity from flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continues to decline across most of the country, with only two jurisdictions—North Dakota and Wyoming—reporting high activity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in updates today. ...

Hospitalizations continue to decline, but overall deaths were up slightly.

Dengue cases top 5.2 million in the Americas as outbreak passes yearly record, PAHO says | CNN Dengue cases are surging in the Americas, with cases reported topping 5.2 million as of this week, surpassing a yearly record set in 2023, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Michael Rios CNN

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Long COVID patients show immunological improvement two years after infection Biomarkers for long COVID that were present in patients at eight months have largely resolved by 24 months among a cohort of people who contracted COVID-19 during Australia's first wave. Science X Medical Xpress

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Study Finds Adult Vaccination Programs Deliver 19x Returns - Health Policy Watch The research, carried out by the Office of Health Economics (OHE) and funded by IFPMA, revealed that adult vaccination programs can deliver a return of up to Health Policy Watch

Amidst the anticipated increase in vaccine-preventable diseases as the global population ages, a first-of-its-kind study has underscored the dual benefits of adult immunization programs.

COVID-19 booster immunity lasts much longer than primary series alone, study shows

A new study coming out of York University's Centre for Disease Modelling in the Faculty of Science shows that immunity after a COVID-19 booster lasts much longer than the primary series alone. These findings are among other—sometimes "unintuitive"—revelations of how factors like age, sex and comorbidities do and don't affect immune response.

The work is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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