Category: Public Health

Flu activity remains high as descent begins: 5 notes

The nation’s worst flu outbreak in more than a decade is slowing down, though flu activity remains high overall, according to the CDC’s latest FluView report. 

New omicron subvariant on path to dominance, data suggests

Omicron subvariant XBB is encroaching on BQ.1 and BQ.1.1’s dominance, CDC data shows, as it accounts for 18.3 percent of U.S. cases and makes up more than 1 in 2 infections in the Northeast. 

CDC alerts clinicians on severe strep A increase

The CDC issued a health advisory Dec. 22 to alert the medical community of a rise in severe strep A infections among children. 

How flu admissions compare to past seasons

The 2022-2023 flu season is well underway, with the U.S. seeing the highest hospitalization rates in more than a decade.

NIH, Sheba Medical Center create pandemic research institute 

The National Institutes of Health is partnering with Sheba Medical Center in Israel to create a pandemic research institute, the organizations said Dec. 22.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Covid Response Coordinator Speaks

Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Click here for a transcript of the episode. Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House covid-19 response coordinator, is the guest for a wide-ranging interview on this week’s […]

BF.7: 5 notes on the subvariant fueling surge in China

Global health experts are closely monitoring COVID-19 activity in Beijing where the highly transmissible omicron subvariant BF.7 is fueling a surge in cases.

Though 'tripledemic' rages on, RSV peaks, better outlook for next winter 

While the respiratory “tripledemic” continues to slam emergency rooms and children’s hospitals, there are two glimmers of hope on the horizon, according to a Dec. 22 report in The New York Times. 

US life expectancy at 25-year low, CDC says

Last year, the average life expectancy for Americans shortened by over seven months, according to new CDC data. 

‘Caged … For No Fault of Your Own’: Detainees Dread Covid While Awaiting Immigration Hearings

Covid remains a threat for the roughly 30,000 people in the country’s network of immigration facilities. But ICE continues to flout its own pandemic protocols, an extension of the facilities’ poor history of medical care.