These States Have the Highest Number of COVID, Flu and RSV Cases Right Now Is yours on the list? Emily Laurence AOL

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CDC director says U.S. isn't yet near peak Covid or flu levels for the season This winter's pattern is different from that of last year, when Covid, flu and RSV all peaked around the same time, Dr. Mandy Cohen told NBC News. NBC News

The U.S. is seeing a "sharp increase" in flu levels right now, particularly in the south, Cohen said Wednesday in an interview. Covid cases also appear to be climbing nationally, she said, while cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, seem to have reached their highest point this season.

Vaccines reduce the risk of long COVID in children Nature - A study shows that US children who received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have some protection against developing long-lasting symptoms of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Hall, Shannon nature

Vaccinated children are less likely than unvaccinated children to develop long COVID, the myriad of symptoms that can last for months to years following a SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a forthcoming US study¹.

Your 2023 Climate Wins, Wrapped | Atmos

Your 2023 Climate Wins, Wrapped | Atmos This year’s climate extremes may give the impression that the planet is screwed, but climate experts say we’ve made record progress in 2023. Atmos Atmos

States are trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire Some states that stockpiled millions of masks and other personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic are now throwing the items away. AP News

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With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into the stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.

COVID- map shows 4 US states with highest positive cases Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releases graphics showing where infection rates are highest in the country. Newsweek

New data shows that people living in four states are still suffering the highest levels of COVID-19 infections in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska remain the worst-hit states as more people there have been diagnosed positive for the virus than elsewhere in the country.

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WHO designates JN.1 as separate COVID-19 variant of interest PAHO/Flickr cc CIDRAP

Due to its rapid growth and potential to add to the respiratory virus burden in Northern Hemisphere countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) today designated JN.1, part of the BA.2.86 SARS-CoV-2 lineage, as its own variant of interest.

Over the past month, the proportion of JN.1 viruses has rapidly increased, rising from 3.3% in early November to 27.1% by early December. Countries reporting the highest proportions include France, the United States, Singapore, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Why people still fall for fake news about climate change It was the hottest year in 125,000 years, and #climatescam is taking off. Kate Yoder Grist

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COVID-19 may raise risk of developing atrial fibrillation - UPI.com Add another post-COVID hazard to the list: Research suggests having the illness could raise risks for dangerous irregular heart beats. UPI

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