NYC COVID cases up 250% in 2 months — and this variant's harder to duck The increases is driven by the new FLiRT variant. Gothamist

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New York City data shows an average of 687 cases of COVID reported per day during the week ending on June 22, 250% higher than the amount reported two months prior. That same week, there was an average of 53 COVID-related hospitalizations each day — primarily involving older adults — and one death, according to city data. ...

Study reveals new factor associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 in people with obesity (medicalxpress.com)

Study suggests regular vaccine boosts may help immunocompromised fight COVID-19 People who have received solid organ transplants and take immunosuppressant medications to prevent rejection are among those most susceptible to the damaging effects of COVID-19, including breakthrough ... Science X Medical Xpress

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CDC looks to expand capacity to test for H5N1 bird flu in people A top CDC official said the agency is looking to increase the number and types of tests that can detect H5N1 infections in people. Megan Molteni STAT

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Health officials in the Florida Keys issue a dengue fever alert (nbcnews.com)

A dengue fever alert has been issued in the Florida Keys following two confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne illness.

The local warning comes a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a national advisory about the increased risk of dengue virus infections in the United States.

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COVID trend reaches "high" levels across western U.S. The CDC says it is too early to say if this year's summer COVID-19 surge has arrived. Alexander Tin CBS News

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New ADHD diagnoses doubled during COVID-19, study suggests New diagnoses of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Finland doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the largest increase in females aged 13 to 30 years, University of Helsinki researchers report in JAMA Network Open. CIDRAP

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"Individuals with ADHD are often challenged by executive dysfunction, including impairment in organizing, setting schedules, and emotion dysregulation such as lowered tolerance for frustration." 

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Jury fines BlueCross for firing worker over COVID-19 vaccine mandate | Chattanooga Times Free Press

A Tennessee jury has awarded a former research scientist at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee $687,000 in back pay and damages after she was fired in 2021 for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Following a three-day jury trial in Chattanooga last week, a federal jury decided BlueCross failed to provide reasonable accommodation for Tanja Benton, who did most of her work from home and claimed a religious exemption to the company's vaccine mandate.

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Biden administration proposes rule for workplaces to address excessive heat President Joe Biden's administration is proposing a rule aimed at addressing excessive heat in the workplace, as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories due to blistering temperatures. AP News

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