Wastewater testing has found polioviruses genetically tied to a case that left an unvaccinated Rockland County, N.Y., resident paralyzed this summer in at least five of the state’s counties, according to a new CDC report.
Category: Public Health
Cumulative flu hospitalization rate hits 13-year high
The CDC estimates there have already been nearly 7,000 flu hospitalizations in the U.S. this season, according to estimates in its latest FluView report. Not since the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic have cumulative hospitalizations been so high this earl…
Open Enrollment for Marketplace Health Plans Is Soon. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Consumers may find relief in some key changes made by Congress and the Biden administration, although other issues remain unsettled.
Readers Boo Medical Debt and Viral Threats in Winning Halloween Haikus
We unmask the winner and runners-up in KHN’s fourth annual Halloween haiku competition — plus the original artwork they inspired as a special treat.
Jha: Bivalent boosters still effective as ‘escape variants’ gain traction
The White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator is optimistic bivalent boosters will offer protection against omicron “escape variants” BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, which now account for nearly 30 percent of U.S. infections.
Public health success hinges on connecting vision with funding, Harvard panelist says
Connecting the vision between funding and implementation regarding public health solutions can help implement change, according to one of the Cambridge, Mass.-based Harvard School of Public Health panel of practitioners collaborating on public health s…
US COVID-19 admissions tick up: 10 CDC findings
COVID-19 hospitalizations increased slightly this week after nearly two months of decline, while omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 — dubbed ‘escape variants’ for their immune evasiveness — continued to gain prevalence nationwide, according to the CDC…
Flu positivity rate, hospitalizations on the rise: 7 FluView notes
More than 2,300 patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza were admitted to a hospital for the week ending Oct. 22, according to the CDC’s latest FluView report.
Man killed by flesh-eating bacteria after Hurricane Ian
A man who traveled to Florida from Michigan to help with hurricane repairs died Oct. 11 after contracting a flesh-eating bacterial infection found in warm saltwater, The Washington Post reported.
Despite Katie Couric’s Advice, Doctors Say Ultrasound Breast Exams May Not Be Needed
When Katie Couric announced she had breast cancer, she urged women to get a mammogram — and, if they have dense breasts, to get supplemental screening by ultrasound. But medical experts point out that ultrasound and other auxiliary screenings haven’t been proven to do more than regular mammography in reducing mortality.
