Author: Claudinne Miller
CDC says JN.1 variant accounts for about 86% of COVID cases in US
Reuters The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday estimated COVID subvariant JN.1 to account for about 85.7% of cases in the United States, as of Jan. 19. The agency said JN.1 remains the most widely circulating variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country and globally. There is no evidence at present that […]
Jan 23, 2024
Bird Flu Has Made a Terrifying Leap That’s Devastated Argentina’s Seal Populations
ScienceAlert Almost 96 percent of Southern elephant seal pups across Argentina born in 2023 have met a tragic end as a highly contagious strain of avian influenza continues to wreak havoc on wildlife. The scale of mortality sparks concerns that the H5N1 strain is now capable of mammal-to-mammal infection. “The sight of elephant seals found dead or dying along […]
Jan 23, 2024
You can still be contagious with COVID if you have a negative test — here’s why
NBC News As the nation experiences what many experts believe is the second-largest wave of COVID infections since the pandemic started, many Americans will be checking to make sure they don’t have the respiratory illness. COVID testing guidelines and what we know about how long you’re contagious have changed since the start of the pandemic. So we […]
Jan 23, 2024
Paxlovid helps prevent severe illness from COVID. Why don’t more people take it?
Yahoo News With the current COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. at more than 1.1 million and new evidence that COVID infections can damage the brain, heart and lungs, it’s clear that the disease is more than “just a bad cold.” Paxlovid, which is a combination of two drugs (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), can lower the risk of severe symptoms […]
Jan 23, 2024
Can’t stop coughing? Persistent cough has made this virus season exhausting.
Washington Post Some doctors say lingering coughs are worse than usual this winter. Others say post-pandemic patients are just more aware of coughing. Coughs are common during every winter virus season. But this year it seems like more people than usual are complaining about a cough that just won’t go away. Cathy Conger, 60, who […]
Jan 23, 2024
Why diphtheria is making a comeback
NPR It had been over 30 years since the last case of diphtheria was seen in Guinea. So when patients began showing up six months ago with what looked like flu symptoms — fever, cough and sore throat – doctors weren’t alarmed. Until the children started dying. That’s when they realized that this longtime scourge, […]
Jan 23, 2024
Alarming 30-fold rise in measles in Europe – WHO
BBC There was an “alarming” 30-fold increase in measles cases in Europe last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. Health chiefs are warning that cases are still rising and “urgent measures” are needed to prevent further spread. More than 30,000 people were infected in 2023, compared to 941 during the whole of 2022. The […]
Jan 23, 2024
New Study Finds Potential Cause of Long COVID Symptoms—Experts Explain
Prevention Researchers say this could lead to diagnostic tests and treatments. Long COVID has mystified the medical community for years, making it a tough condition to diagnose, let alone treat. However, a growing body of research has found more information on what may be behind long COVID, with the hope of eventually finding an effective treatment. Now, a […]
Jan 23, 2024
Why Americans may be at risk of heart problems as COVID, flu spread: Expert
ABC News As a surge of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19 and influenza, continue to spread across the United States, experts are warning it could lead to a rise in cardiovascular complications. Weekly COVID hospitalizations are currently sitting at 32,861 for the week ending Jan. 13, lower than the week before but similar to levels seen in […]
Jan 23, 2024
Why are measles cases popping up across the United States?
CNN Nearly a dozen cases of measles have been reported in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Georgia in recent weeks, according to local health departments. International travel, coupled with declining global vaccination rates, is probably behind this spate of cases, experts say. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has confirmed at least nine cases of measles over the past […]
Jan 23, 2024