Medical Health Cluster

Pandemic

An expert’s take on what omicron tells us about the state of the pandemic

Researchers at Mayo Clinic and around the world continue to monitor the omicron variant and study how it behaves. Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, who has decades of experience in the field of infectious diseases, offers some insight into what the emergence of omicron tells us about […]

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Impact of Hospital Strain on Excess Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, July 2020–July 2021

Summary What is already known about this topic? COVID-19 surges have stressed hospital systems and negatively affected health care and public health infrastructures and national critical functions. What is added by this report? The conditions of hospital strain during July 2020–July 2021, which included the presence of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) […]

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Global Progress Against Measles Threatened Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

The largest increase in unvaccinated children in 20 years and critical gaps in disease surveillance increase risk of measles outbreaks, putting lives at risk: WHO, CDCWhile reported measles cases have fallen compared to previous years, progress toward measles elimination continues to decline and the risk of outbreaks is mounting, according […]

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How an outbreak became a pandemic: a chronological analysis of crucial junctures and international obligations in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic

Understanding the spread of SARS-CoV-2, how and when evidence emerged, and the timing of local, national, regional, and global responses is essential to establish how an outbreak became a pandemic and to prepare for future health threats. With that aim, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response has developed […]

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Pandemic lessons from India: inappropriate prioritisation for vaccination

We welcome Reddy’s editorial on covid-19 in India,1 but want to emphasise one further issue: how India’s national government has inappropriately prioritised people for covid-19 vaccination. In January 2021, India’s vaccination programme began with health professionals and “frontline workers.” In March, it was extended to people aged 60 or over and […]

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