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Hundreds of thousands of people may be infected annually by animals carrying coronaviruses related to the one that causes Covid-19 in China and Southeast Asia, according to a study emphasizing the ongoing pandemic threat from spillover events. An average of 400,000 such infections occur each year, most going unrecognized because they cause mild or no symptoms and aren’t easily transmitted between people, researchers with the EcoHealth Alliance and Singapore’s Duke-NUS Medical School said in a study released Thursday before peer review and publication. Still, each spillover represents an opportunity for viral adaptation that could lead to a Covid-like outbreak. (Gale, 9/14)

U.K. lawmakers on Tuesday outlined the government’s fall-winter plan to tackle the coronavirus crisis, detailing a series of policies aimed at averting the need for more lockdowns. It comes shortly after British officials gave the green light to offer Covid-19 vaccine boosters to vulnerable people and everyone aged over 50 years old six months after their second dose. (Meredith, 9/14)

The Mexican government said Tuesday it has successfully completed a three-month push to provide coronavirus vaccines to all adult residents of communities along its border with the United States. Mexico said that when it began the effort in June, it hoped the mass vaccinations would aid in lifting pandemic restrictions on non-essential travel across the border, something that has not yet occurred. (9/15)

The World Anti-Doping Agency announced Tuesday it would review the status of cannabis on its prohibited substances list, according to a press release from the agency. While cannabis will remain prohibited in 2022, any changes that stem from the agency's review would not take effect until the following year. This comes after the agency received "requests from a number of stakeholders," the release said. (Beals, 9/14)