Study: HHS's COVID vaccine campaign saved $732 billion in averted infections, costs The US Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS's) COVID-19 vaccination campaign saved $732 billion by averting illness and related costs during the Delta and Omicron variant waves, with a return of nearly $90 for every dollar spent, estimates a study by HHS and the research firm Fors Marsh. CIDRAP

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Dairy worker bird flu case shows need for protective gear, US CDC study shows The Texas dairy farm worker infected with H5N1 bird flu was not wearing respiratory or eye protection and had been exposed to cattle that appeared to have the same symptoms as those in a nearby farm with a confirmed outbreak of the virus, according to new details on the case released on Friday. Julie Steenhuysen Reuters

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2 new COVID variants called 'FLiRT' are spreading in the U.S. What are the symptoms? The new "FLiRT" COVID-19 variants, including KP.2, are spreading in the United States. Will there be a summer surge? Experts discuss KP.2 transmission, symptoms, and vaccines. Yahoo News

Respiratory virus season may be ending in the United States, but a new group of COVID-19 variants are circulating, sparking concerns about a potential summer wave.

Study finds metformin reduces COVID-19 viral load, viral rebound

A team of University of Minnesota researchers found that metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, can decrease the amount of COVID-19 virus in the body and lower the chances of the virus coming back strongly after initial treatment. The study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.