Situation Report

After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air' The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives. Jennifer Rigby Reuters

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COVID-19 caused 21% excess of respiratory infections last winter, analysis finds Adults aged 30 to 39 years had the highest cumulative incidence, with 208 infections per 100 people. CIDRAP

A new study based on German data shows that SARS-CoV-2 caused a 21% excess of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) during the winter of 2022-23. The study was published this week in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases and suggests COVID-19 will add a significant burden during cold and flu seasons. 

2023 was a record year for wind installations as world ramps up clean energy, report says The world installed 117 gigawatts of new wind power capacity in 2023, a 50% increase from the year before, making it the best year for new wind projects on record, according to a new report by the industry’s trade association. AP News

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The increase in wind installations “shows that the world is moving in the right direction in combating climate change,” the report said.

Bogus 'tax service specialists' duped business owners in latest Covid relief debacle, IRS says IRS officials say the Employee Retention Tax Credit program has been a magnet for unscrupulous promoters who filed a “tsunami of bad claims.” NBC News

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Congress said the Employee Retention Tax Credit would cost around $55 billion, but new estimates put the cost at $250 billion, and claims are still pouring in...