UK refuses to sign global vaccine treaty, The Telegraph reports Britain is refusing to sign the World Health Organization's (WHO) pandemic accord because the country says it would have to give away a fifth of its vaccines, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday. Reuters Reuters

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New COVID variants are a reminder of coronavirus reality Even with COVID at a low point, the virus is still circulating and evolving. Adriel Bettelheim Axios

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As much as the public wants to move on — and has moved on — from the pandemic, uncertainty about the coronavirus' evolution means those who remain the most vigilant can't fully shake the pandemic experience.

Project delays are holding back clean power installation, report says Delays in projects have caused clean power installations in the United States to fall behind on their expected start dates, according to a report published by American Clean Power Association on Tuesday. Reuters Reuters

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AstraZeneca withdraws Covid-19 vaccine citing low demand | CNN Business AstraZeneca is withdrawing its highly successful coronavirus vaccine, citing the availability of a plethora of new shots that has led to a decline in demand. Hanna Ziady CNN

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In a notice on its website, the European Medicines Agency also announced the withdrawal, which means that Vaxzevria is no longer authorized to be marketed or sold in European Union countries.

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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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What a US farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection | CNN A US farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows. Brenda Goodman CNN

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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.

Where seas are rising at alarming speed Seas in the Southern United States have risen dramatically since 2010. The extra water has upended life — flooding homes, choking septic systems and deluging roads. Washington Post

One of the most rapid sea level surges on Earth is besieging the American South, forcing a reckoning for coastal communities across eight U.S. states, a Washington Post analysis has found.

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.