Health News Roundup: Contagiousness may linger beyond five days; COVID-19 worse for vapers; Gilead withdraws use of Zydelig to treat two types of cancer and more

The CDC, an agency critics have accused of offering shifting and confusing guidance amid the pandemic, clarified on its website "that people can choose respirators such as N95s and KN95s, including removing concerns related to supply shortages for N95s." Okinawa, home to U.S. military bases, logs record COVID cases Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa reported record daily numbers of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, fueled by the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.


Reuters | Updated: 15-01-2022 18:36 IST | Created: 15-01-2022 18:29 IST
Health News Roundup: Contagiousness may linger beyond five days; COVID-19 worse for vapers; Gilead withdraws use of Zydelig to treat two types of cancer and more
Representative Image Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Contagiousness may linger beyond five days; COVID-19 worse for vapers

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Many people could still be infectious after 5-day quarantine

Gilead withdraws use of Zydelig to treat two types of cancer

Gilead Sciences Inc on Friday notified the U.S. health regulator of its decision to voluntarily withdraw the use of its drug Zydelig for two types of cancer - follicular lymphoma and small lymphocytic leukemia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the drug an accelerated approval in 2014 to treat relapsed follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and relapsed small lymphocytic leukemia along with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

China reports fewer coronavirus cases but Omicron spread unclear

China reported fewer new confirmed coronavirus cases for Jan. 14 than a day earlier, but details on the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant remained unclear ahead of the Lunar New Year travel season later this month. In a statement on Saturday, China's National Health Commission (NHC) reported 165 new confirmed coronavirus cases for Jan. 14, down from 201 a day earlier.

Australia nears Omicron peak as daily infections hover around records

Australia has likely neared the peak of its Omicron wave, authorities said on Saturday, but warned daily infections will linger near record levels for "the next few weeks" after more than 100,000 cases were reported for a fourth straight day.

Having limited the spread of the coronavirus through tough restrictions earlier in the pandemic, Australia is now suffering record caseloads from the Omicron variant. Most parts of the country have shifted to a strategy of living with the virus as they reached higher vaccination rates.

Philippines confirms community transmission of Omicron, cases hit record

The Philippine health ministry confirmed the local spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant around Manila on Saturday, as infections hit a record high for a third straight day. "We are seeing community transmission of the Omicron variant in the capital region," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a public briefing.

U.S. CDC urges Americans to wear 'most protective mask you can'

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday revised its guidance for Americans on wearing masks to protect against COVID-19, recommending donning "the most protective mask you can" while stopping short of advocating nationwide usage of N95 respirators. The CDC, an agency critics have accused of offering shifting and confusing guidance amid the pandemic, clarified on its website "that people can choose respirators such as N95s and KN95s, including removing concerns related to supply shortages for N95s."

Okinawa, home to U.S. military bases, logs record COVID cases

Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa reported record daily numbers of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, fueled by the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Okinawa, which hosts 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan, said it recorded 1,829 new coronavirus cases on Saturday.

UK's Johnson to scrap Plan B COVID restrictions - The Telegraph

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to lift Plan B COVID restrictions in England, the Telegraph reported on Friday, as government scientists warn on dropping of Plan B prematurely. COVID passports and work from home guidance are widely expected inside Whitehall to be lifted from Jan. 26 for England, the report said, adding that some rules on face masks may remain.

As Omicron fuels surge, U.S. students stage walkouts to protest in-person classes

Hundreds of students in Boston and Chicago walked out of classes on Friday in protests demanding a switch to remote learning as a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant disrupted efforts at returning to in-person education around the United States. In Chicago, the nation's third-largest school district, the walkout came two days after in-classroom instruction resumed for 340,000 students who were idled during a five-day work stoppage by unionized teachers pressing for tougher COVID-19 safeguards.

U.S. households can order 4 free COVID-19 tests starting Jan. 19 -White House

U.S. households can order four free at-home COVID-19 tests from the website COVIDTests.gov starting on Jan. 19 with shipping expected within seven to 12 days of ordering, the White House said on Friday. The batch of free tests are aimed at easing a shortage of COVID-19 tests across the country amid increased demand during the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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