The pandemic has eroded Americans’ trust in experts and elected leaders alike, a survey finds.

As the coronavirus pandemic entered its third year, the American public had lost much of its trust both in public health experts and in government leaders, and was less worried than before about Covid-19, according to a survey conducted in early May and released Thursday by the Pew Research Center.

Confidence ratings for public health officials, like those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; for state and local elected officials; and for President Biden fell in a range from 43 percent to 54 percent in the survey — much lower than during the early stages of the pandemic.

Beijing mandates COVID vaccines to enter some public spaces TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The Chinese capital has issued a mandate requiring people to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before they can enter some public spaces including gyms, museums and libraries, drawing concern from city residents over the sudden policy announcement and its impact on their daily lives. AP NEWS

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BA.5, now dominant U.S. variant, may pose the biggest threat to immune protection yet The FDA recommended that Covid vaccine makers target two omicron subvariants — BA.4 and BA.5 — in new booster shots expected to come this fall. NBC News

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The coronavirus subvariant known as BA.5 accounted for nearly 54% of the country's Covid cases as of Saturday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A similar subvariant, BA.4, makes up 17% more.

Here are the states returning to pre-pandemic normal the fastest: analysis Story at a glance A Moody’s Analytics index has tracked the country’s economic recovery since the pandemic began based on 13 metrics, including the value of goods and services produced, e… Adam Barnes The Hill

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Study on monkeypox outbreak shows differing symptoms All but 3 of 52  patients had lesions and rashes on their genitals or anal regions. CIDRAP

A new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases found that the clinical profile in recent monkeypox cases is different than in past events, with fatigue and fever less common and genital skin lesions more likely.

World hunger rising as U.N. agencies warn of "looming catastrophe" World hunger levels rose again last year after soaring in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Ukraine war and climate change threatening starvation and mass migration on an "unprecedented scale" this year, according to U.N. agencies. Maytaal Angel Reuters

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US allows pharmacists to prescribe Pfizer's COVID-19 pill WASHINGTON (AP) — Pharmacists can prescribe the leading COVID-19 pill directly to patients under a new U.S. policy announced Wednesday that's intended to expand use of Pfizer's drug Paxlovid. The Food and Drug Administration said pharmacists can begin screening patients to see if they are eligible for Paxlovid and then prescribe the medication, which has been shown to curb the worst effects of COVID-19. AP NEWS

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