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fungus

CDC Says a Deadly Fungal Infection Is Spreading in the US at an ‘Alarming’ Rate

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning that a drug-resistant and potentially deadly fungus is spreading rapidly at an “alarming rate” through U.S. health care facilities.

A study conducted by the CDC found that Candida auris has now been detected in more than half of U.S. states. Cases nationwide nearly doubled between 2020 and 2021 from 756 to 1,471 before increasing to 2,377 in 2022. The majority of cases tested were immune to antifungal treatment.

C. auris poses little threat to healthy people but can cause serious illness or death in those with compromised immune systems or those who use medical devices like ventilators or catheters.

The CDC has called the fungus an “urgent antimicrobial resistance threat.” It can spread from “contact with affected patients and contaminated surfaces or equipment.” Common symptoms include fever and chills that do not improve with treatment.

Dr. Meghan Lyman, chief medical officer of the CDC’s mycotic diseases branch and the report’s lead author, told NBC the increase in cases “in the most recent years, are really concerning to us.” She stated the CDC has “seen increases not just in areas of ongoing transmission, but also in new areas.”

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Identifying the fungal infection can be challenging because most patients present with advanced illness and confirmation of infection requires a laboratory test. Moreover, while a significant number of patients with invasive infections die, it can be difficult to assess the exact role C. auris played in these deaths.

According to the CDC data, which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, infection by C. auris was first reported in the United States in 2016. The most rapid rise in cases was observed from 2020 to 2021.

The growing number of cases resistant to echinocandins, the most widely prescribed antifungal medication for the infection, is raising the most concern.

Poor infection prevention in health care facilities and better screening efforts have contributed to the increase in reported cases, according to the CDC. The additional strain on health care and public health systems during the pandemic may have also exacerbated the spread of the fungus.

The Mississippi Department of Health has been fighting a growing outbreak of infections. A lead epidemiologist in the state, Dr. Paul Byers, told NBC there had been ongoing transmission at two long-term care facilities. Cases have also been identified at several other facilities in the state.

“Unfortunately, multi-drug resistant organisms such as C. auris have become more prevalent among our highest risk individuals, such as residents in long-term care facilities.”

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Dr. Byers told NBC in an email at least 12 people have been infected with C. auris since November, with four “potentially associated deaths.”

The CDC reports that the fungus can be found both on the skin and throughout the body. The healthy population is not in danger, but about a third of those infected with C. auris die.

The CDC examined information from state and local health departments on C. auris infections and asymptomatic but contagious “colonized” individuals from 2016 to 2021. Between 2019 and 2020, infections increased by 59%. The following year, there was a 95% increase. The number of people “colonized” increased by 21% in 2020 and 208% in 2021.

Dr. Waleed Javaid, an epidemiologist and director of infection prevention and control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York, called the findings “worrisome.”

“But we don’t want people who watched ‘The Last of Us’ to think we’re all going to die. This is an infection that occurs in extremely ill individuals who are usually sick with a lot of other issues.”

One of the challenges in preventing the fungus spread in hospital ICU units is that C. auris can colonize not only people who come into contact with the fungus but also patient rooms.

“By its nature, it has an extreme ability to survive on surfaces. It can colonize walls, cables, bedding, chairs. We clean everything with bleach and UV light.”

norovirus

CDC Warns Stomach Bug Cases Are Up 30% 

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of the norovirus, commonly referred to as the stomach bug, are rising across the country.

This flu season, there have been 225 reports of norovirus outbreaks in the US between August and January within the 14 states that provide norovirus data to the CDC. These outbreaks mark a 30% rise in cases when compared to last year’s 172 reported outbreaks. 

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Norovirus is defined as a contagious virus that causes painful stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. 

According to the CDC, “everyone is susceptible to the infection, whether by coming into contact with a sick person, consuming contaminated food or water, or touching contaminated surfaces and then putting hands in their mouth. Infections typically occur between November and April.”

“Norovirus can be found in your vomit or feces even before you start feeling sick. The virus can also stay in your feces for two weeks or more after you feel better.”

This is why we all should wash our hands for at least 20 seconds, which noted that hand sanitizer can be ineffective in killing norovirus,” CDC says.

“You can use hand sanitizers in addition to hand washing, but hand sanitizer is not a substitute for washing your hands with warm water and soap,” the CDC says.

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Young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised are at the highest risk of infection. While infections can be deadly, cases of that extreme are pretty rare. Around 900 Americans are killed by the Norovirus every year; mainly amongst the elderly population. 

Norovirus is also responsible for around 465,000 emergency room visits every year; mostly in young children. 

The bathroom is a prime spot to contract the virus, as people often “get norovirus by accidentally getting tiny particles of feces or vomit from an infected person in your mouth,” the CDC says. 

“You can shed billions of norovirus particles that you can’t see without a microscope. Only a few norovirus particles can make other people sick.”

“People are most contagious when they are displaying symptoms — particularly when still vomiting and in the initial period after recovering from illness.

There is no treatment for norovirus infections. If sick, the key is hydration,” the CDC says.

“If you have norovirus illness, you should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid lost from vomiting and diarrhea,” the CDC added.

monkeypox

CDC Says Monkeypox Is Unlikely To Be Eradicated Anytime Soon

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According to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, domestic transmission of the monkeypox virus is unlikely to be eliminated anytime soon.

The CDC said the virus’s spread has slowed but is likely to continue for years. In August, daily infections peaked at more than 400 cases a day. Now the agency reports fewer than 150 cases a day.

The decline in cases is due to vaccines becoming more accessible and the public becoming more knowledgeable about how to avoid infection. Immunity has also likely increased within the most impacted group, which is men who have sex with other men.

The disease is spread between people during close contact, most commonly through sex. Monkeypox is usually not fatal, but it causes those infected to get painful blisters all over their body. At least two people have died from the disease.

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Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health officials, told CNN that people with compromised immune systems should be most cautious.

“These few deaths – whether or not they’re fully attributable to monkeypox or people died with monkeypox – they likely wouldn’t have died if they didn’t have some of these underlying conditions or their bodies weren’t already compromised.”

We currently have the most monkeypox cases worldwide, with more than 24,000 cases reported across 50 states. The Biden administration declared a public health emergency earlier this August when cases were highest. The declaration helped allocate more resources to testing, vaccinations, treatment and community outreach to stop the spread of the virus within the U.S.

The Jynneos monkeypox vaccine has been administered to more than 684,000 people. The CDC believes the virus will continue to spread mainly among men who have sex with other men, but anyone can catch the virus through close contact with someone infected. So far, 29 children and 408 women have also caught the virus.

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Within the reported cases, 75% of patients reported having male-to-male contact, but that number has decreased over time. The CDC says the decline may be due to missing data rather than a change in the transmission pattern of the virus. However, more than 90% of infections are still among males.

The outbreak could start spreading among the U.S. population through other forms of contact, but no country with infected populations has found a significant spread outside men who have sex with other men.

Marc Lipsitch, director of science in the CDC disease forecasting center, told The Associated Press that the disease is still a continuing threat.

“It’s in many geographic locations within the country. There’s no clear path in our mind to complete elimination domestically.”

The virus is endemic in parts of West and Central Africa and was mainly transmitted through contact with infected animals until May. If the U.S. animal population gets infected, it could also spread quickly among people in the future. The CDC is still learning which species of animals can get monkeypox.

The agency cannot predict the number of people who may get infected with the virus. However, it believes the number of cases will continue to decline over the next several months.

covid

Following Unanimous Vote, CDC Recommends Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine

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On Tuesday, a panel of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) outside vaccine advisors voted to recommend the use of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccination for those 18 and older.

“Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, which will be available in the coming weeks, is an important tool in the pandemic and provides a more familiar type of COVID-19 vaccine technology for adults,” the CDC said in a statement.

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Novavax’s vaccine had previously been authorized by U.S. regulators last week, but the CDC’s approval was the final obstacle for it to become available. The agency stressed the importance of multiple options and flexibility for the public.

67.6% of the American population is fully vaccinated, with 79.1% having received at least one dose. However, the CDC stated there are still between 26 million to 37 million adults who have yet to receive a single dosage.

“If you have been waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine built on a different technology than those previously available, now is the time to join the millions of Americans who have been vaccinated,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said.

“With COVID-19 cases on the rise again across parts of the country, vaccination is critical to help protect against the complications of severe COVID-19 disease.” 

The Novavax vaccine is particularly interesting because of how it works in contrast to other COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccines are trained to recognize the virus’ outer coating, the spike protein. Vaccines like Moderna and Pzifer give the body genetic instructions on how to replicate the spike protein.

In contrast, instead of telling the body how to make spike protein copies, the Novavax vaccine delivers copies, made in a lab and packaged into nanoparticles, straight to the body that will help the immune system to respond to the vaccine.

One of the ingredients used in this process is adjuvant. The CDC noted vaccines using protein subunits “have been used for more than 30 years in the United States, beginning with the first licensed hepatitis B vaccine” and later with influenza and whooping cough.

According to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report, the vaccine was found to be 90% effective against mild, moderate, and severe disease in Novavax’s Phase 3 trial, which involved 30,000 participants.

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While that study was done before the Delta and Omicron waves, leaving the vaccine’s efficiency against the subvariants unknown, the company also possesses a COVID-19 Omicron vaccine that currently sits in Phase 3.

The hope is that the Novavax vaccine will present familiarity and assurance to those who haven’t received a dosage due to the mRNA technology utilized being unfamiliar.

It’s anyone’s guess as to if that play will work, but more vaccinations of any kind will undoubtedly help to continue curbing a pandemic that’s once again seeing surges in the warm summer months. The country is currently averaging 127,000 new cases per day.

The Novavax vaccine’s initial quantity will be scarce, the Biden Administration told states, which will be unable to start requesting shipments until next week. Additionally, not all providers will carry the vaccine. Given the timeline presented, the Novavax vaccine should start seeing use sometime in August.

Florida Officials Investigating U.S.’ Third Possible Monkeypox Case

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Florida health officials are currently investigating what they call a “presumptive” monkeypox case, which would make it the third possible case in the U.S. as the disease continues to see afflictions worldwide.

According to a press release by the Florida Department of Health, the investigation is being led by the Florida Department of Health in Broward County (DOH Broward), along with the Bureau of Public Health Laboratories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The release noted the infection is related to international travel, while the person remains in isolation. DOH Broward — which is conducting epidemiological investigations to notify possible exposures — has not identified any additional cases.

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On May 20, two days before the announcement of the investigation, the CDC issued a health advisory regarding recent cases in the United States. The first monkeypox case was identified on May 18, when the Massachusetts-based patient displayed skin lesions that had several features — firm, well circumscribed, and umbilicated — relating to the disease. A man in New York City is also being monitored for exhibiting a Monkeypox consistent illness.

Across the globe, more and more countries are seeing cases popping up. There is now 190 confirmed or suspected cases across 16 countries where the disease is not normally found. Spain confirmed the capital of Madrid had 30 cases Monday, while Germany has four confirmed cases.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) lead advisor Dr. David Heymann called the outbreak a “random event,” stating it could have been amplified by sexual activities at two raves in Europe.

“We know monkeypox can spread when there is close contact with the lesions of someone who is infected, and it looks like sexual contact has now amplified that transmission.”

A zoonotic endemic discovered back in 1958, Monkeypox has historically circulated throughout central and west African countries. However, the recent transmission of cases through sexual contact is different from past cases that have been transmitted through wild rodents and primates.

According to the CDC, symptoms of Monkeypox always include the characteristic rash, which can be followed by fevers, malaise, muscle aches, and lymphadenopathy. With recent cases including lesions in the genital and perianal regions, it could be mistaken for sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis or herpes.

Researchers believe the human-to-human transmission of Monkeypox is through “inhalation of large respiratory droplets,” rather than contact with bodily fluids or indirect contact through clothing. It can also enter through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth.

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Still, the illnesses caused by Monkeypox are mild, while no deaths related to the cases have been reported thus far. In recent times, the fatality rate of Monkeypox has hovered around 3% to 6%.

Additionally, those who catch the virus usually recover over two to four weeks. Those factoids have contributed to the lack of concern by leaders like President Joe Biden, who commented on Monkeypox during his press conference in Tokyo Monday.

“I just don’t think it rises to the level of the kind of concern that existed with COVID-19, and the smallpox vaccine works for it,” Biden said, adding that the U.S. has enough of the vaccine to deal with any potential outbreaks. The response was more laid back than Biden’s previous comments on Monkeypox, where he called it something “everyone should be worried about.”

Similar to COVID-19 protocols, the WHO advised those who contract Monkeypox and are showing symptoms to remain isolated and avoid contact, and for anyone around the infected individual to wear a mask while thoroughly cleaning hands surfaces.

Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine 

FDA Places Strict Limits On Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine 

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week that it is limiting the emergency use authorization of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine for individuals 18 and older. The vaccine is now available for adults who don’t have access to other vaccinations and for adults who aren’t able to receive the other Covid-19 vaccine for personal medical reasons. 

The FDA released a statement in which they detailed the changes and why they’re being made. They explained that the change is being implemented due to the rare risk of a dangerous clotting condition known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after receiving the vaccine. 

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“We’ve been closely monitoring the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and occurrence of TTS following its administration and have used updated information from our safety surveillance systems to revise the EUA,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in the statement. 

“We recognize that the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine still has a role in the current pandemic response in the United States and across the global community. Today’s action demonstrates the robustness of our safety surveillance systems and our commitment to ensuring that science and data guide our actions.”

The agency also confirmed that the updated authorizations apply to booster doses as well. The FDA also emphasized that the benefits of the J&J vaccine outweigh the risks for certain individuals as well. 

In their statement, they wrote that individuals who had a severe allergic reaction to an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna), have personal concerns over mRNA vaccines, or don’t have access to mRNA vaccines should definitely receive the J&J jab. 

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 18.7 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the US, and of all the Americans who are currently fully vaccinated, about 7.7% got the J&J vaccine. 

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The CDC’s vaccine advisory committee issued their own statement on Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, saying it “makes a preferential recommendation for the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines over the Janssen adenoviral-vectored COVID-19 vaccine in all persons aged  ≥ 18 years in the United States.”

Both the CDC and FDA have made these statements mainly due to TTS concerns. When rare clotting events began appearing in the initial periods of vaccination in the US, Johnson & Johnson made a statement emphasizing their commitment to giving Americans a safe and effective vaccine. 

“The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority. We are aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our COVID-19 vaccine. … We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.”

The FDA released data that showed around 60 cases of TTS since the J&J vaccine began its distribution, nine of those unfortunately were fatal. 

The FDA emphasized, however, that the risk for TTS is extremely rare. Current data shows that there’s about three cases of TTS for every million doses administered. 

Symptoms of TTS can appear within one to two weeks after vaccination, and they include shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling, persistent abdominal pain, neurological symptoms like headaches or blurred vision, and red spots appearing under the skin at the site of vaccination.

BA.2 Subvariant Nows Makes Up 72% Of New COVID-19 Cases

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Another day, another COVID-19 subvariant that could once again send safety protocols back into full effect. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Nowcast, the BA.2 strain made up 72.2% of cases within the U.S. from March 27 to April 4. Other members of the Omicron family include BA.1.1, which made up 25%, and B.1.1.529, making up a miniscule 2.5%.

Of course, the subvariant isn’t just making waves in the States. Across the globe, Omicron accounted for 99.8% of COVID-19 cases within the last week, with BA.2 making up 93.6% of that. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), BA.2 is now dominant within all six of its regions and in 68 countries where data sequencing is available.

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Among the countries that have been most hit by the subvariant include the U.K. — which saw over 225,000 new cases on March 21, the most for them in a single day since early January — Germany, where over 3 million new cases have occured between March 24 to April 6, and Italy, which had close to two million cases in that same span.

As Scientific American notes, BA.2 is vastly different from its predecessors in terms of its genetics. While BA.2 shares many of the 60 mutations BA.1 ended up acquiring that were not in the original SARS-COV-2 virus, BA.2 possesses 28 unique mutations of its own. It also holds the dubious honor of being 30% to 50% more contagious than BA.1.

Still, despite the strong push of the highly-transmissible subvariant in the U.S. and world, health experts like Dr. Christopher Murray maintain that Americans shouldn’t be worried of another possible outbreak that could take improvements two steps back.

Speaking to NBC News, Murray — a University of Washington professor of health metrics sciences — said that he would not be “hugely concerned” with BA.2, and explained he expects it to remain at low levels as the weather warms up over the next few months.

“Right now we’re in this period where immunity is high and we’re heading into the summer and transmission tends to be a bit lower, so the combination should lead in the Northern Hemisphere to pretty low levels after the BA.2 wave.”

Indeed, despite the 72% mark, BA.2 hasn’t made a surge in cases. April 6 saw over 49,000 new cases, but the country has steadily remained around a seven-day average of 29,000 to 30,000 for nearly a month. That’s a significant improvement over the seven-day averages from December to late February, which ranged from 100,000 to 800,000. Meanwhile, the seven-day average for daily deaths has dropped from 1,059 on March 16 to 558 on April 6.

If projections like Murray’s hold true, it would be the first time a COVID-19 subvariant has taken over as the dominant strain in the U.S. without causing an uptick in cases. Of course, there may be several factors at play for why cases haven’t statistically increased just yet, one being that the government is no longer offering free tests for uninsured.

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Another possible reason why is that Americans have built up an immunity, with the latest CDC seroprevalence survey showing that around 95% of the population have some level of combined infection and vaccine-induced seroprevalence. 43% are estimated to have antibodies from just past infections, though attempting to build up protection this way certainly wouldn’t be recommended.

Of course, just because a country-wide outbreak might not occur doesn’t mean specific areas wouldn’t be at risk of severe case rises, some experts told Today. People that live in an area with high population density, along with a low vaccination rate, should be more precautious than those who live in an area with a low population density or higher vaccination rate.

CDC Adds No New Destinations To Highest Travel Risk Category, Though Airfare Set To Rise

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For the first time in months, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not added any new destinations to its “very high” COVID-19 travel risk category. The absence of additions is a welcome sight to a category that currently contains 115 destinations, which includes hot tourist spots like France, Turkey, and Spain.

The last addition to the “very high” category came on March 21, when Madagascar — the world’s fourth largest island, located off the coast of Africa — was included. It’s just one of two total destinations added to the CDC’s fourth level since March 14, the other being the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

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The CDC has four levels of COVID-19 travel risk: level four, or “very high”; level three, or “high”; level two, or “moderate”; and level one, or “low.” Level three currently has 33 destinations, level two has 14 destinations, and level one has 36 destinations. Destinations are ranked based on the amount of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over the last 28 days.

There weren’t zero changes across the board when looking at the four categories altogether. Level three saw five countries added Monday — which includes Bosnia, Peru, and Qatar — while level two had six new destinations added. Among those are the popular Bahamas, which have seen a 129% search increase this year when compared to 2019.

As CNN Travel notes, the amount of level four countries has seen a droppage of over two dozen the last several weeks. The surging Omicron variant contributed to a high rise in winter, with 22 countries being added to level four on Jan. 18. In late February, the total level four destinations hovered around 140. Still, level four currently contains more countries than the other three levels combined.

Another positive CDC development is their lifting of the travel advisory for cruise ships, marking it the first time this has happened since the pandemic began. The CDC moved the advisory to the highest level in late December before moving it down a category in February. There are currently 34 cruise ships that have no reported cases, and 69 cruises that are below the CDC’s threshold for investigation.

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While the outlook for travel on all fronts is gradually improving, one area that isn’t a ray of sunshine are costs. According to Hopper, international airfare costs from the U.S. currently match 2019 costs at $810/round-trip. However, predictions suggest they’re set to rise to $940/round-trip in June, a 15% jump from current prices and 5% rise from 2019 costs.

Meanwhile, U.S. domestic travel is taking a greater beating with $330/round-trip airfare, a 7% rise from 2019 costs. Domestic will continue to see spikes, with predictions calling for a 10% increase ($360/round-trip) through May. Both domestic and international airfare are expected to decline into the fall.

The increase in ticket prices can be contributed as a fight to offset costs due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which has resulted in jet fuel prices of $3.07/gallon, the highest totals since January 2014 and up 40% from January 2022’s $2.20/gallon, Hopper noted.

Those dollar signs won’t be detering passengers, however. According to a joint report by Trip.com and the World Travel & Tourism Council, 70% of leisure travelers in major countries plan to spend more on travel in 2022 than in the past five years. The report also found that the important factor for travelers is getting the best value for their money.

U.S. Opens Second COVID-19 Boosters For Americans 50 And Up

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On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized an extra dosage of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for Americans 50 and up — plus certain younger age groups that are higher risk for COVID-19 — given that it’s been four months their last vaccination.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s director Dr. Rochelle Walensky discussed the additional booster, stating how anyone who was boosted during the recent Omicron surge — which saw a peak of over 1.1 million new cases in a single day in January — was much less likely to either be hospitalized or die.

“During the recent Omicron surge, those who were boosted were 21-times less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those who were unvaccinated, and 7-times less likely to be hospitalized.”

Walensky added that the new dosage is “especially important” for those 65 and up. Still, while the Center has assured the second booster will give extra protection to those more susceptible to the virus, it didn’t go so far as to say the new shot is a necessary precaution that should be taken as soon as possible.

The FDA’s vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks explained that regulators set the age at 50 because that’s when chronic conditions that increase COVID-19 risks begin to appear. People between the ages of 50 to 64 have accounted for around 18% (182,663) of all COVID-19 related deaths since 2020.

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Prior to this authorization, the FDA only allowed a fourth dosage for immune-compromised as young as 12. Those who have already received a fourth shot will also be eligible for a fifth, though it has to be a Pfizer shot for those ages 12 to 17. Only adults 18 and older can receive a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccination.

Meanwhile, anyone who received J&J’s vaccination — which only requires one initial dosage instead of two — and a booster can receive either a Pfizer or Modern shot, which are preferred in most situations by the CDC. While a J&J user can get their first booster only two months after the vaccination (instead of the standard five), they must wait four months for their third like their two counterparts.

Currently, 77.5% (255 million) of the U.S. population has received at least one vaccination dosage, while 66% (217 million) are fully vaccinated. 29.6% (97 million) have received a booster through the first seven months of it being administered.

The second booster comes at an uncertain and critical time in a pandemic that’s now entering its 25th month. Hope certainly abounds: cases in the U.S. are significantly down after the Omicron surgance, with Mar. 29 seeing just 25,628 new cases (29,351 seven-day average), while daily cases haven’t reached over 100,000 in over a month.

Still, time may play a factor in where trends go from here. Original vaccinations are becoming less and less effective against new variants — which continue to pop up and threaten another spike — giving boosters that much more value.

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Most concerning is the Omicron “stealth” subvariant BA.2, which the CDC said is now dominant in the U.S. after it accounted for 55% of COVID-19 cases that have undergone genetic sequencing. The subvariant made up just 1% of sequenced cases back in early February.

White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci previously said that though Americans could see an uptick in cases due to BA.2, he doesn’t expect another surge. Other countries haven’t been so fortunate, with BA.2 causing outbreaks in the U.K. (which saw daily counts double in the last two weeks, along with a 11.5% rise in hospitalizations over the last seven days), Germany, and China.

Another potential issue is the funding behind the fourth dosage, should it become necessary, with the federal government having run out of money to pay for the testing and treatment of uninsured Americans. Moderna previously applied for a second booster for the general population earlier this month, though it did so to provide the CDC “flexibility” when recommending what groups should be eligible.

US Unlikely To End Covid Testing Rules For International Travel 

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Throughout the past month many countries have made international travel a lot easier as the Covid-19 pandemic continues around the world. Vaccinated travelers have found it much easier to book and experience travel again, however, US travelers returning from abroad must still present negative Covid-19 test results before they’re able to safely return.

The US Virgin Islands became the latest territory to announce that vaccinated travelers no longer need to provide a negative test upon arrival, a move that other international countries, like the UK, have had in place for nearly a month. 

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According to the US Centers for Disease Control And Prevention’s (CDC) last updated guidance for international travel, which was made in December, the US requires all incoming travelers over the age of 2 to submit a negative Covid test taken within one day of departure from a foreign country in order to enter the US. 

It’s become much easier to find at-home Covid-19 tests in the US, which will allow travelers to have greater access to testing in order to go abroad and return safely. The US government’s international travel guidance allows at-home tests as an accurate result for re-entry into the country. 

The provision within the guidelines also provides a list of approved at-home tests that travelers can take before and after traveling abroad. The CDC accepts Ellume, Quered, and BinaxNow at-home tests, which are some of the most commonly sold brands throughout the US. 

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The CDC also requires that the tests are supervised by a live attendant via a video call. BinaxNow tests can even be purchased through the website eMed, which will provide an at-home test shipped directly to your home prior to your trip with instructions on how to take it with live video guidance. 

In a statement to the media, a CVS spokesperson said the company’s stores “have the ability to meet our customers’ needs with at-home test kits both in store and at CVS.com,. We have simplified the digital process so customers can order and pick up a test kit with no up-front, out-of-pocket cost or the need to submit a claim to insurance.”

Walgreens said it “worked diligently with our suppliers to ensure we have enough supply to meet customer demand at nearly all locations.”

While other countries may continue to lift certain Covid-19 protocols for international travel, the US is unlikely to follow suit anytime soon, as it is one of the nation’s with the highest rate of infection.