• 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 early in the season.
  • 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 solutions Oct. 26, as reported by The Harvard Crimson.
  • 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's COVID-19 data tracker weekly review published Oct. 28.
  • 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. 
  • Tuberculosis cases rise for first time in years: WHO

    Tuberculosis infections, including those that are drug-resistant, increased globally in 2021 for the first time in years, according to an Oct. 27 report from the World Health Organization.
  • WHO identifies 19 fungal 'priority pathogens'

    For the first time, the World Health Organization released a list of fungal "priority pathogens" that have emerged as significant public health threats. The list can be found here.
  • 6 updates on 'escape variants' BQ.1 and BQ.1.1

    Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 — dubbed "escape variants" for their immune evasiveness — are steadily gaining prevalence in the U.S. and now account for more than 16 percent of all COVID-19 cases confirmed nationwide, CDC data shows.
  • US aims to boost Ebola testing capacity as Uganda outbreak grows

    The U.S. is working to expand its Ebola testing abilities to prepare for the possibility that the virus could make its way into the country, CBS News reported Oct. 25. 
  • Healthcare systems account for 4% of global CO2 emission, study says

    Healthcare systems account for more than 4 percent of carbon dioxide emissions on a global average basis, according to an Oct. 24 report from the World Economic Forum.
  • Kids make up a third of flu hospitalizations: CDC

    Hospitals are already seeing predictions of a severe flu season unfold, with 1,674 flu patients admitted to hospitals nationwide for the week ending Oct. 14. Kids account for more than 30 percent of flu hospitalizations, the CDC told NBC News in an Oct. 24 report. 
  • White House ramps up efforts to promote omicron booster

    President Joe Biden will receive his updated omicron COVID-19 booster Oct. 25 and launch several efforts aimed at getting more Americans to do so ahead of the holiday season, according to the White House. 
  • CDC tallies 6 monkeypox deaths: 3 updates

    Health officials in Illinois, Maryland, New York and Nevada are the latest states to report deaths in residents who tested positive for monkeypox, CBS News reported Oct. 21. 
  • HHS awards $21 million to 13 hospitals to fight emerging special pathogens

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response awarded $21 million to 13 healthcare facilities to help fight against special pathogens, like COVID-19. 
  • CDC eyes oral polio vaccine not used in 20 years to halt New York outbreak

    The CDC is considering the use of a novel oral polio vaccine that uses a live virus strain to stop an outbreak in New York, agency officials told CNBC in an Oct. 21 report. The vaccine has not been used in more than two decades. 
  • 'Escape variants' account for 16% of US COVID-19 cases: 10 updates

    Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 — dubbed 'escape variants' for their immune evasiveness — are gaining prevalence and now account for more than 16 percent of all COVID-19 cases confirmed in the U.S., according to the CDC's COVID-19 data tracker weekly review published Oct. 21.
  • More than 1,600 people hospitalized for flu last week: 7 FluView notes

    For the week ending Oct. 15, 1,674 patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza were admitted to a hospital, according to the CDC's latest FluView report. 
  • CDC's push for quicker public health messaging faces obstacles

    The CDC's new plan to accelerate its response to health threats and simplify public messaging is already facing roadblocks, Politico reported Oct. 21
  • COVID-19 hospitalizations rise in New York as BQ.1 spreads

    Health experts are carefully watching COVID-19 trends in New York amid signs the nation will face a winter surge. The state has seen an increase in hospitalizations over the last month. 

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