Public Health

Seasonal influenza activity is on the rise in the U.S., with an uptick in both flu-related emergency department visits and laboratory-confirmed cases, according to a Dec. 6 CDC report. 

New projections for U.S. life expectancy forecast a slight increase by 2050, though the nation is expected to fall behind many other nations in global health rankings, according to research published Dec. 5 in The Lancet.

During Thanksgiving week, the CDC recorded 364 whooping cough infections, surpassing the previous record of 228 cases the same week in 2010. 

University Hospitals St. John Medical Center in Westlake, Ohio, has confirmed that a patient previously receiving treatment under isolation after arriving from Tanzania with flu-like symptoms has been cleared and is no longer in isolation.

The Association of Science & Technology Centers (ASTC) reports that there are over 400 Science Museums across the World that are actively involved in progressing healthcare in some manner. 

CMS has reached agreements with bluebird bio and Vertex Pharmaceuticals for their FDA-approved gene therapies for sickle cell disease — Casgevy and Lyfgenia, respectively. 

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia expanded its food insecurity program by providing families of patients with six months of produce and/or a week of prepared meals, WHYY reported Dec. 2.

Federal efforts to prevent fraud in the ACA marketplace are yielding positive results, but new restrictions aimed at curbing fraud may complicate the 2024 open enrollment period, KFF Health News reported Nov. 25. 

HHS has issued a final rule that removes clinical research requirements for kidney and liver transplants from donors with HIV to recipients with HIV. 

Flu activity is showing a slight increase across the U.S. as seasonal influenza begins to circulate more widely, according to the CDC.