Is a covid and flu twindemic on the horizon? – MIT Technology Review

As the weather cools in the Northern Hemisphere, and people increasingly mix indoors, we can expect cases to rise, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, told journalists at a press briefing on Wednesday. Its not just the UKseveral countries in Europe are already seeing increases in covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Another cause for concern stems from the viruss ability to evolve. The omicron variant is still responsible for the vast majority of cases globally. But the WHO is monitoring more than 300 omicron subvariants, all of which are considered to be of concern. As Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHOs covid-19 technical lead, said at the same briefing: We will continue to see waves of infection because we will be living with this virus.

Tech Review has been covering covid-19 since the pandemic began. Here are a few recent pieces from the archive:

Ever had your mind go blank? Brain scans show our brains can enter a neural state that makes it impossible to tap into our thoughts. (PNAS)

Doctors are discovering new, ultra-rare blood group systemsand have just described a 44th. (Wired)

Rapid antigen tests for covid-19 have paved the way for other home test kitscovering everything from flu to kidney disease. (Neo.Life)

The US shortage of Adderallprescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsyis biting, with affected people saying their lives have been turned upside down. (Vice)

Were becoming increasingly nearsighted. Myopia will affect half of the worlds population by 2050, partly because were spending more time reading indoors. (BBC Future)

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Is a covid and flu twindemic on the horizon? - MIT Technology Review