Health

CIA director tests positive for COVID-19

CIA Director William Burns tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, a day after meeting with President Joe Biden, the intelligence agency said.

Burns wore an N-95 mask at his meeting with the president and practiced social distancing, it added.

Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.

“Their interaction is not considered close contact as defined by CDC guidance, and Director Burns is sharing the news of his positive test out of an abundance of transparency,” the CIA said in a statement.

Burns, 65, was fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid and tested positive in a routine PCR test.

He is experiencing mild symptoms and plans to work from home, returning to the office once he has isolated for five days and tested negative.

Biden, at 79 the oldest person to hold the US presidency, got a second booster shot on Wednesday.

Despite strict precautions at the White House, several people who interact with Biden or been close to him have recently tested positive for the coronavirus, raising concerns for his health.

Biden got the extra booster a day after regulators authorized a fourth dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines for people 50 and older, as authorities warn of a possible new wave driven by the BA.2 variant.

Health

Europe: Report highlights direct link between pandemic and childhood obesity

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased obesity in school-aged children in Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) office for the region said in a new report issued on Wednesday, sounding the alarm for action.

Health

‘Just in case’ use of antibiotics was rife during COVID-19, says UN health agency

Antibiotics saw “extensive overuse” globally among hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the pandemic without improving clinical outcomes, while also potentially exacerbating the already serious and growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Health

Teen alcohol and nicotine use in Europe is up, WHO urges preventive measures

Substance use is on the rise among teenagers in Europe, Central Asia and Canada and girls now match or even exceed boys when it comes to smoking and drinking, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report on Thursday.