As respiratory virus season’s effect on the nation’s healthcare system wanes, 26 states are still seeing high levels of activity, according to the CDC’s latest update, which reflects data through the week of Feb. 24.
Category: Public Health
CDC drops 5-day COVID-19 isolation guidance
The U.S. is seeing fewer hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 with the addition of more tools to manage it, like vaccines and medication. In updated respiratory virus guidance published March 1, the CDC stated “it is no longer the emergency that i…
Weight loss drugs not a solution to rising obesity rates: WHO researchers
There are now more than 1 billion people are now classified as ‘obese’ worldwide, according to a March 1 update from the World Health Organization. But the rise of anti-obesity medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro should not be considered a solution, …
How a Friend’s Death Turned Colorado Teens Into Anti-Overdose Activists
High school students in Colorado are pushing for a change they say is necessary to combat fentanyl poisoning: ensuring students can’t get in trouble for carrying the overdose reversal drug naloxone wherever they go, including at school.
Flu shot effectiveness data is in: What to know
Preliminary estimates show the flu vaccine is offering moderate protection against severe illness and hospitalizations this season, according to a new CDC report.
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Alabama’s IVF Ruling Still Making Waves
Lawmakers in Congress and state legislatures are scrambling to react to the ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos created for in vitro fertilization are legally children. Abortion opponents are divided among themselves, with some supporting full “personhood” for fertilized eggs, while others support IVF as a moral way to have children. Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Riley Griffin of Bloomberg News, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews University of Pittsburgh law professor Greer Donley, who explains how a 150-year-old anti-vice law that’s still on the books could be used to ban abortion nationwide. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Ultra-processed foods linked to 30+ adverse health conditions
Consuming more ultra-processed foods has been directly linked to more than 32 adverse health conditions including several cardiometabolic conditions, mental disorders, and mortality outcomes, new research published Feb. 28 in the British Medical Journa…
CDC recommends spring COVID booster
CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, has approved a recommendation from the agency’s advisory committee for adults over 65 to receive an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose this spring.
TikTok sparks misinformation, fears about 'mysterious virus' spread
Multiple videos have been circulating on TikTok with individuals claiming to be sick with a ‘mysterious virus’ after testing negative for three of the most prevalent viruses currently in circulation across the U.S.: COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncyt…
CDC updates suicide reporting guidance
When public health officials notice or suspect a cluster of suicides trending in a certain area, the CDC suggests that they use three key steps to properly classify these matters.
