Public Health

A past COVID-19 infection was associated with an 84 percent lower risk of reinfection among more than 25,000 healthcare workers in the U.K., according to a study published April 9 in The Lancet. 

Michigan cannot rely on COVID-19 vaccinations alone to rein in rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the state, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, said during an April 12 news briefing.

The World Health Organization warned global COVID-19 cases are "growing exponentially," with more than 4.4 million new cases reported in the last week, CNBC reported April 12. 

Of the more than 80 million people fully vaccinated in the U.S., a tiny portion are developing breakthrough COVID-19 infections. While experts have confirmed these cases are rare, their exact incidence rate is still unclear, reports The Washington Post.

Hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been left sitting on shelves as some states aren’t ordering all of the weekly shots allotted to them, The Washington Post reported April 10.

Thirty percent of Medicare beneficiaries are near-poor and may experience what is called a Medicaid coverage "cliff," according to a study in Health Affairs. 

The nation's seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases has increased since March 20, while deaths have fallen for 12 weeks, according to the CDC's COVID Data Tracker Weekly Review published April 9. 

The U.S. has called on health systems to create and implement their own strategies to administer COVID-19 vaccines as equitably and efficiently as possible. Health systems must continue to refine these efforts, while still maintaining positive momentum with their vaccination…

On April 8, more than 73,000 COVID-19 vaccine slots were open on Mississippi's scheduling website, up from 68,000 April 6, reports The New York Times.

The CDC director declared racism a "serious public health threat" and announced new initiatives the agency is taking to address health inequities in an April 8 statement.