The New England Journal of Medicine research overwhelmingly found testing asymptomatic nursing home staff greatly reduced Covid-19 outbreak severity.

As kids head back to school, one can expect that they will start sharing their germs again. Some may have Covid, and others may have common colds or the flu, and now they may exchange their illnesses. So, doctors are recommending getting up to date on those vaccinations.

Following the Thanksgiving holiday, Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations appear to be on the rise again in Massachusetts. An increase of almost 90 percent has been observed in wastewater testing in the Boston area over the past two weeks. The Boston Public Health Department is urging people to stay healthy this holiday season by testing, masking, and getting updated Covid boosters and flu shots.

Who is up for a game of Covid Scrabble? Probably no one is, so experts recommend getting a bivalent booster, which may offer some protection against the latest variants.

Despite debates over whether or not the COVID pandemic has ended, there is no doubt that it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Regardless of any new vaccines, boosters or treatments available, COVID is likely to remain one of the top ten leading causes of death in the U.S. for some time to come. Much like with flu shots, COVID boosters are likely to be an annual affair.

Despite decreasing COVID hospitalizations and deaths, long COVID seems to be on the rise, and the high reinfection rate may be a contributing factor. It is estimated that 1 in 6 people have caught COVID more than once. Every day more people catch long COVID than recover from long COVID. Despite the pressing need for more understanding of long COVID, and to say nothing of its prevention, it isn't a global epidemiological priority.

Vaccinations, expanded access to Paxlovid, and overall attitudes toward COVID are discussed in this article.

True positive cases are underreported due to at-home tests, and some scientists believe the current wave of cases is the second largest of the pandemic, but laboratory-based P.C.R. testing capacity in July will be half what it was in March. Many testing sites have closed, making it even more important for those still testing to have access to rapid molecular testing to provide early diagnosis and treatment.

Experts fear that COVID cases will surge from the BA.5 variant this summer. The Omicron variant BA.5 is able to evade natural immunity provided by previous Covid infections, meaning actual transmission is likely to be very high as a result of COVID cases increasing by 10% and likely underreported by more than 20x.

WithSecure security consultant Ken Gannon discovered a vulnerability in some Bluetooth molecular testing platforms, where an app hacker with decent skills could reverse COVID test results from Positive to Negative and vice versa. When choosing a molecular diagnostic test, it is important to select one that provides secure results reporting through a QR code, such as the AscencioDx developed by Anavasi Diagnostics®.

According to the U.K. Health Security Agency, “the BA.2 subvariant has a different genetic sequence from the initial Omicron strain”, making “it harder to detect and classify in current PCR tests”. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that the AscencioDx® COVID 19 Molecular Diagnostic System can detect Omicron and its subvariants. Upon commercialization, the AscencioDx, by Anavasi Diagnostics®, will prove useful for the early detection and treatment of COVID-19.

Through President Biden's new "test to treat" program, pharmacies will be able to test and send home consumers who test positive with a free course of antiviral medication. COVID must be detected in its earliest stages for these antivirals to be most effective, so having access to fast, highly accurate molecular testing will be key. Point of Care Molecular testing provides the accuracy of lab-based PCR without the wait. Anavasi Diagnostics® just completed its clinical trials for its AscencioDx® COVID 19 Molecular Diagnostic System and will be submitting to the FDA shortly for an Emergency Use Authorization.

“… Laboratories that process COVID-19 testing samples are required to report results to the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS),a secure electronic reportable disease information system. … The National Association of County and City Health Officials represents nearly 3,000 county and city health departments across the country. The association’s CEO, Lori Tremmel Freeman says oversight becomes more difficult and nearly impossible to control with so many testing sites.”