World Health Organization officials have said that while infections due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus are subsiding in some countries, they do not expect that it will be the last variant to appear. New COVID-19 infections have risen by 20% worldwide over the past week, the agency said.

Joint Base San Antonio officials are evaluating next-generation wireless technology for telemedicine use as part of a Department of Defense effort to establish a secure 5G core environment. The 5G technology offers much greater bandwidth than 4G, making it possible to increase connectivity speeds and connect many more electronic devices.

Tricare members are not included under the presidential administration's recently announced plan to cover home COVID-19 test costs. Currently, testing for Tricare enrollees is only covered for patients who are symptomatic and have a doctor's order, who are asymptomatic but have had prolonged exposure to the virus, who are scheduled for surgery, or who are overseas and have a need for testing.

The VA announced that US Veterans now will be able to identify as nonbinary or transgender in their official medical records. In a statement, VA secretary Denis McDonough called the decision "essential for their general well-being and overall health" and said it would help the agency better serve Veterans' needs in the future.

Mental health disorders continue to increase worldwide and are a leading cause of disease burden, a report published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry stated. Researchers examined 12 mental health disorders and their relationship to quality of life across a 30-year period from 1990 to 2019.

Research published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology found that Veterans in rural areas are less likely to get an annual low-dose CT lung cancer screening exam. "Veterans face additional barriers to care, such as a limited access to affordable and convenient health care, concerns about social exclusion and stigma, and unmet basic needs for self and family, that may prevent them from pursuing health-seeking behavior such as lung cancer screening," researchers wrote.

Due to recent surges in COVID-19 and AMSUS's ongoing efforts to mitigate health and safety risks for our in-person attendees, the decision has been made to pivot from the in-person portion of the Annual Meeting to a 100% virtual meeting, 22 - 25 February, with access to content until 31 March. To learn more and to register for the 2022 AMSUS Virtual Annual Meeting, visit the AMSUS Annual Meeting section of our website. If you don't already receive AMSUS emails to receive timely news about the 2022 AMSUS Annual Meeting and other opportunities, create an account to subscribe now.