January 25

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, discusses the latest in COVID-19, a CDC shake-up, and the bird flu.

[reported that](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3828795-cdc-informs-staff-of-reorganization-after-pandemic-criticisms/) “The Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services and the Center for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support will be combined into a new agency entity called the National Center for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce. Most of the CDC is now reportedly set to report to the Immediate Office of the Director, away from what was called a “Community of Practice structure.” It was This might come to head with a [new strategy](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/01/23/1150032238/fda-considers-major-shift-in-covid-vaccine-strategy) that is being proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This week it was released that several changes would occur, from merging of offices to a new reporting structure. Those least likely to receive at least four doses were Black versus White adults (HR, 0.77), patients who previously had COVID-19 vs never-infected participants (HR, 0.71), and those receiving high-dose corticosteroids versus patients not taking these medications (HR, 0.88).” These findings underscore the importance of a tailored and agile approach to COVID-19 vaccines and interventions. [revealed](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html) a 30% decline in cases, with the daily average hovering around 45,000.