Plus: The Covid-19 headlines you need to know, a distraction, and something to read.
By Eve Sneider | 03.21.22 | Experts weigh in on BA.2, Hong Kong lifts some restrictions, and Austria brings back its indoor mask mandate. Here's what you should know: |  Headlines Experts project that BA.2 will cause an uptick in the US (CNBC) US health officials, including Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and former FDA head Dr. Scott Gottlieb, say the country should expect to see an increase in cases as BA.2, an emerging strain of the Omicron variant, gains traction. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently noted that BA.2 seems more transmissible than the original Omicron strain, but it doesn't look like the subvariant causes more severe illness. BA.2 is likely responsible for recent upticks in cases in China and parts of Europe and is thought to be behind 25 to 30 percent of new cases in the US. Hong Kong eases restrictions under the strain of its zero-Covid policy (Washington Post) Officials in Hong Kong have announced several moves to reopen the city even though cases are still on the rise, with total infections topping 1 million yesterday. Starting next month, flight bans implemented in January will be lifted for nine countries, including the US, and mandatory quarantine for returning residents will be reduced from 14 days in a hotel to seven. These changes reflect the growing strain created by Hong Kong's zero-Covid policy, which has led thousands of residents to relocate in the last two months. Austria reimposes an indoor mask mandate as cases increase (Politico EU) Austria's health minister recently announced that the country would be reinstituting its indoor mask mandate starting Wednesday, after lifting restrictions during the first week of March. The news comes as case counts increase, likely due at least in part to BA.2. Austria is the first EU country to reimpose restrictions during this wave, with officials admitting that earlier moves to ease them were premature. Other countries have pressed ahead: Germany eased most of its public health measures late last week, and Italy is considering gradually lifting its own provisions in the next few weeks. | | Whether they're trying to distract themselves or check on the safety of loved ones, many Ukrainians have spent recent weeks glued to their phones. For Vlad Ned, gaming has been a lifeline. But it has also produced a particular sense of gamer guilt. | | In 2018, the passage of bills in the House and Senate aimed to curb sex trafficking online. But Jillian C. York points out that "there is perhaps no single group that has been more heavily impacted by [these laws] than sex workers, for whom social media has in many ways made their jobs safer." | | Whether you're commuting to the office again or trying to spend more time in the spring sunshine, wireless headphones are a must. Here are a few of WIRED's favorites. | |
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