in its weekly update on COVID-19 activity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said several markers of the virus were trending downward, including emergency department visits and test positivity.
Test positivity from September 24 to September 30 was 10.9%, down 1.2% from the previous week, and emergency department visits dropped to 1.6%, down 14.5% from the previous week. Deaths, however, while still at low levels, were up 3.8%.
...in JAMA Network Open, an observational Canadian study ties the antiviral drug combo nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) to a lower risk of hospitalization or death only in very high-risk COVID-19 patients with weakened immune systems.
...in JAMA Network Open, researchers provide new evidence that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2–associated sepsis among hospitalized adults is higher than previously thought, but deaths from the condition became less frequent as the pandemic progressed.
Most of the measures the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses to track COVID-19 activity declined last week, except for deaths, which are often a lagging indicator, according to the group's latest data updates. The levels reflect a recent drop in COVID activity, following several weeks of a slow summer rise from very low levels.
...the World Health Organization (WHO) posted its latest monthly update, which it cautions is based on limited data, with cases and deaths reported from only 96 countries and even fewer countries regularly reporting hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. It also said its assessments are limited by reduced testing and delays in reporting.
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