COVID map update: major shift in U.S. states with highest rates A new cluster of states across the country has seen a significant spike in the recorded COVID-19 cases. Newsweek

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For the week ending August 31, the CDC reported that 16.3 percent of all COVID-19 tests performed in the U.S.—excluding at-home test results—were coming back positive. This is a 0.4 percent decrease from the previous week, but the infection rates have not been evenly distributed across the country.

The below map illustrates the distribution of positive tests in the U.S., divided into 10 Health and Human Service regions.

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Corruption review finds 'red flags' in more than 130 Covid contracts An anti-corruption charity finds significant concerns in £15.3bn worth of contracts awarded during the pandemic. BBC News

An anti-corruption charity says it has identified significant concerns in contracts worth over £15.3bn awarded by the Conservative government during the Covid pandemic, equivalent to one in every £3 spent.

Transparency International UK found 135 “high-risk” contracts with at least three red flags - warning signs of a risk of corruption.

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ACA Enrollment Platforms Suspended Over Alleged Foreign Access to Consumer Data - KFF Health News Federal regulators provided more specifics about why they suspended two private sector Affordable Care Act enrollment sites, including concerns about potential overseas accessing of consumer data and suspicions of involvement in Obamacare enrollment and switching schemes. The companies reject the assertions. khnkit KFF Health News

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Teen brains 'aged' during Covid lockdowns, new research suggests Brain scans show that girls were especially affected by the loss of social interaction. NBC News

Covid lockdowns, such as school closures, canceled sports activities and stay-at-home orders, prematurely aged teen brains by as much as four years, researchers from the University of Washington found. 

New report: COVID more severe, longer-lasting than other respiratory diseases Healthcare workers (HCWs) with COVID-19 had more severe symptoms that lasted longer than those with other respiratory diseases, and a higher proportion met the World Health Organization (WHO) or UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) definitions of long COVID, according to a report published in Viruses and Viral Diseases. CIDRAP

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26% of homeowners say they are financially unprepared for extreme weather events, new survey finds | CNN Business The United States is in the midst of both hurricane and wildfire season. And US homeowners are likely keeping their fingers crossed that they and their families will be spared — not just physically, but also financially. Jeanne Sahadi CNN

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White House announces rule that would cut insurance red tape over mental health and substance use disorder care | CNN The Biden administration announced a final rule on Monday meant to expand access and lower costs for care for mental health and substance use disorders. Most provisions in the rule will apply to group health plans and health insurance issuers for plan years starting January 1 or after. Carma Hassan, Jamie Gumbrecht CNN

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Offices, long-distance shared transport, some activities tied to COVID spread In the first 2 years or more of the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of infection was higher in open-space offices, long-distance trains, convenience stores, taxis, airplanes, and nightclubs and during take-away food delivery, carpooling with relatives, and attending concerts, suggests a case-control study of various work, leisure, and other spaces in France. CIDRAP

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Senior Biden administration officials said Friday that the United States is preparing for the possible arrival of a more severe version of mpox, which has taken off in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries in Africa resulting in more than 600 deaths there.

US COVID activity remains elevated as some indicators decline Though most indicators showed downward trends, deaths were up compared to the previous week. CIDRAP

The nation's COVID activity remains high, but there are more signs of decline in many areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates.

Test positivity showed another small decline and is at 16.4% nationally, but is higher in the Midwest and Middle Atlantic. Emergency department visits declined 10.2% from the previous week, but are still at the moderate level in some of the southeastern states....