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Worldwide, at least 65 million people have long COVID, and that is likely an underestimate, finds a review article published late last week in Nature Reviews Microbiology. ... The researchers said that the number of affected COVID-19 survivors was based on the estimated global rate of 10% of infected people and the more than 651 million documented cases. They cited the lack of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test availability at the beginning of the pandemic and the high false-negative rate of rapid antigen tests as reasons for suspecting an undercount. (Van Beusekom, 1/18)

People who have been both previously infected and vaccinated against Covid-19 get long-lasting protection against severe disease and hospitalization, a large international study found. The combination prevented more than 97% of severe disease or hospitalization for up to 12 months after infection or initial immunization, whichever was most recent, according to a report from the World Health Organization. (Meghjani, 1/18)

So-called “hybrid immunity”—from vaccination and infection—offers better protection against severe disease and hospitalization from COVID than immunity from infection alone, according to a new study published in The Lancet. The study provides public health officials and policy-makers with recommendations on priorities when running vaccination campaigns, and on the potential frequency of booster shots going forward. The World Health Organization, which collaborated on the study, touted it Wednesday for “demonstrating the advantages of vaccination even after people have had COVID-19.” (Prater, 1/18)

The weekly rate of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus peaked in early December, new CDC data shows. The CDC unveiled two data dashboards Jan. 17 that track emergency department visits and hospitalizations for COVID-19, flu and RSV. (Bean, 1/18)

Florida is reporting nearly triple the number of daily COVID-19 infections as it was in the weeks before Thanksgiving. A holiday spike was expected, says epidemiologist Jason Salemi with the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health. But a new subvariant of the virus could also fuel more infections. (Colombini, 1/17)

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and is experiencing mild symptoms from the virus, the U.S. central bank said in a statement. Powell, who turns 70 next month, is up to date on his COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, and is working remotely while isolating at home, the Fed said. (Saphir, 1/18)

Google searches, Twitter posts and other online activity usually used to cull data for advertisers could also be used as an early warning system for COVID-19 surges, according to a team of scientists from Northeastern University. (Vaziri and Beamish, 1/18)

Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) launched a House Republican effort Tuesday to officially declare an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The measure could set up a symbolic vote similar to the one the Senate took last year that President Joe Biden would likely veto. (Reed, 1/18)

Mark Sklansky, a pediatric cardiologist at UCLA, has not shaken a hand in several years. The last time he did so, it was only “because I knew I was going to go to the bathroom right afterwards,” he told me. “I think it’s a really bad practice.” From where he’s standing, probably a safe distance away, our palms and fingers are just not sanitary. “They’re wet; they’re warm; they’re what we use to touch everything we touch,” he said. “It’s not rocket science: The hand is a very good medium to transmit disease.” (Wu, 1/18)