More Republicans Died Than Democrats after COVID-19 Vaccines Came Out The sharp divergence in excess death rates that emerged in the post-vaccine period "is pretty striking… and the magnitudes are quite large." Yale University Nextgov.com

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The study finds that excess deaths during the pandemic were 76% higher among Republicans than Democrats in two states, Ohio and Florida.

What’s more, the partisan gap in death rates increased significantly after vaccines were introduced.

Republican governors call on Congress to drop Biden's military vaccine mandate Republican governors are urging congressional leaders to end the Biden administration's military COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act. Chris Pandolfo AOL

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COVID hit HIV detection in Europe, threatens eradication progress The number of people in Europe with undiagnosed HIV has risen as testing rates fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, threatening a global goal of ending the disease by 2030, a report said. Reuters Reuters

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Long Covid may be ‘the next public health disaster’ — with a $3.7 trillion economic impact rivaling the Great Recession

Long Covid has affected as many as 23 million Americans. It may cost the U.S. economy $3.7 trillion, roughly that of the Great Recession, according to one estimate.

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Naturopath who sold fake vaccine cards gets nearly 3 years SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A naturopathic doctor who sold fake COVID-19 immunization treatments and fraudulent vaccination cards during the height of the coronavirus pandemic was sentenced in California on Tuesday to nearly three years in prison, federal prosecutors said. AP NEWS

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The case is the first federal criminal fraud prosecution related to fraudulent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination cards for COVID-19, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Two Chinese cities ease COVID curbs after protests spread The giant Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Chongqing announced an easing of COVID curbs on Wednesday, a day after demonstrators in southern Guangzhou clashed with police amid a string of protests against the world's toughest coronavirus restrictions. Brenda Goh,Martin Quin Pollard Reuters

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With no exit strategy from 'zero Covid' policy, China could face tsunami in cases, experts fear As the world watches the rare spectacle of protesters challenging China’s authoritarian leadership over its increasingly perplexing zero Covid policy, people who study the disease see threats ahead for China — and beyond. Helen Branswell STAT

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New COVID Boosters: What We Know About Them and Who Especially Needs One

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Adults who haven't gotten the new booster yet have options: You can choose either Moderna's or Pfizer and BioNTech's bivalent formulas. Adults who don't want either might be able to get Novavax as a booster instead. 

Here's what we know about the updated boosters.

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Britain is little better prepared for future pandemics - Former UK vaccine chief Britain is only marginally better prepared for another pandemic than it was for COVID-19, the former head of Britain's vaccine taskforce said on Wednesday, criticising how some structures that helped it emerge from the pandemic had been dismantled. Alistair Smout Reuters

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Most people with long COVID-19 face stigma, skepticism from others People with long COVID deal with months or years of punishing fatigue, mind-numbing brain fog or a frightening fight to take each and every breath. They can also face the skepticism of others, a new study finds. UPI

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Could Paxlovid treat long Covid? Major new study aims to find out Experts hope the antiviral may help those who have never fully recovered from Covid. NBC News

Paxlovid — the most widely-used medication that people can take at home to treat an active case of Covid — is now being studied as a potential treatment for those who have remained sick months or even years following infection.

New data: Screening for COVID at hospital entry of limited benefit

Screening nearly 1 million patients, visitors, and healthcare workers at the entrance of a large hospital for COVID-19 symptoms, exposures, or travel was of limited benefit at considerable cost, finds a Yale study published yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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