If you were flying in and out of the US this time last year, you would have been faced with a labyrinth of regulations. You would have been expected to be well versed in your destination's Covid-19 rules: Knowing your red zones from ambers, PCRs from RATs, and having your Covid certificates and vaccine passports. But on Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it will no longer maintain a country-by-country list of travel advisories related to Covid-19, noting that fewer countries are testing or reporting Covid cases themselves.
While many have been traveling freely for some time, the move signals the latest message from the US government: How you approach Covid-19 is on you. Speaking of the decision, CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen says we have entered "a phase in the pandemic where people need to make their own decisions based on their medical circumstances as well as their risk tolerance when it comes to contracting Covid-19."
The CDC will now only post country-specific notices if there is a concerning coronavirus variant or other situation that warrants it. But it still recommends getting tested no more than three days before travelling -- and to not to do so if the result is positive.
The CDC move comes after President Joe Biden's claim that the pandemic is "over," but the US is not yet in the clear. The country could be facing a "twindemic" this fall as Covid-19 and flu are expected to spike simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong is also enjoying the fruits of its new freedoms after loosening some of the world's most stringent travel restrictions more than two years into the pandemic. Last week, Hong Kong's new chief executive John Lee dropped mandatory quarantines for new arrivals in an attempt to revitalize the country's economy, prompting some early signs of success. Some of the world's biggest banks have now committed to participate in a long-awaited summit in Hong Kong, with the city seeking to reaffirm its status as a global financial hub. CEOs from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and HSBC, as well as top executives from UBS, BlackRock and JP Morgan, are on the program, which starts November 2 and includes some 200 attendees.
In other travel-related news, Qatar announced its Covid-19 policy ahead of the 2022 World Cup, which kicks off in November. Participants and fans attending the event will not require proof of vaccination, but will have to present a negative PCR test no more than 48 hours before their flight to the country. Those who test positive for the virus during their stay will have to isolate for five days -- which could lead to some of the sport's biggest stars missing key games, as was the case during the European Championships last year.
But as countries across the world attempt to get back to normal, millions are still struggling with the long term effects of the virus. A new study on the broader effects of Covid found some 5% of global Covid-19 survivors have developed long-lasting taste and smell problems. Researchers found an estimated 15 million people may still have problems perceiving odors, while 12 million may struggle with taste.
The long-term effects of these sensory defects are not trivial: Experiencing food to be flavorless can cause appetite and enjoyment of life to plummet, which past studies show can lead to nutritional deficits, cognitive decline and depression. These senses can keep us safe as well as healthy. Without smell, you might miss telltale signs of fires, natural gas leaks and other dangers.
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