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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

COVID-19: Fast-Spreading JN.1 Variant Now Accounts For 86 Percent Of US Cases COVID-19: Fast-Spreading JN.1 Variant Now Accounts For 86 Percent Of US Cases
Covid-19: Fast-Spreading JN.1 Variant Now Accounts For 86 Percent Of US Cases There's a new dominant variant of COVID-19 in the United States, and it's way ahead of the rest of the pack. JN. 1, a highly contagious off-shoot of the Omicron strain, now makes up around 86 percent of COVID cases in the United States after accounting for less than 5 percent of infections nationally in early November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. It's also the most dominant across the globe. JN.1 cases in the US have doubled over the last month.  In late December, it caused 44 percent of cases in the US, after making up around 22 percent of inf…
'Tripledemic' Concerns Grow As Surge In Flu Activity Strikes Amid Ongoing RSV, COVID-19 Cases 'Tripledemic' Concerns Grow As Surge In Flu Activity Strikes Amid Ongoing RSV, COVID-19 Cases
'Tripledemic' Concerns Grow As Surge In Flu Activity Strikes Amid Ongoing RSV, Covid-19 Cases Concerns of a so-called "Tripledemic" are growing amid the most widespread flu activity nationwide at this point in the season in over a decade while respiratory illnesses, particularly among children, are straining hospitals as COVID-19 is still an ongoing issue.  "There’s no scientific definition for this term," according to Yale Medicine. "It simply refers to a collision of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), flu, and COVID-19 to the extent that it might overwhelm hospital emergency departments." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, so far this season…
COVID-19: Here's Name Of New Booster Targeting Omicron Strain, What To Know, How To Get Vaccine COVID-19: Here's Name Of New Booster Targeting Omicron Strain, What To Know, How To Get Vaccine
Covid-19: Here's Name Of New Booster Targeting Omicron Strain, What To Know, How To Get Vaccine Health experts are recommending the use of updated COVID-19 booster vaccines to protect people from the most prevalent subvariants of the virus currently circulating. The newly-approved boosters are officially named "bivalent vaccines" that target the original strain of COVID-19 and what is now the predominant subvariant of Omicron, BA.5., according to a report from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with Dr. David Tweardy, the head of the Department of Infectious Diseases. “The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating C…
First Case Of Rare, Potentially Deadly 'POW' Virus Confirmed In CT First Case Of Rare, Potentially Deadly 'POW' Virus Confirmed In CT
First Case Of Rare, Potentially Deadly 'POW' Virus Confirmed In CT The Connecticut Department of Public Health is reporting the first confirmed case of the tick-borne Powassan (POW) virus infection in the state. State health officials issued an alert on Wednesday, May 4 advising that a Windham County man between the ages of 50 and 59 has contracted the virus after becoming ill in the fourth week of March. Related story - Maine Man Dies After Contracting Rare 'POW' Virus From Tick Bite, CDC Says Tests performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Laboratory in Fort Collins, Colorado, confirmed the presence of antibodies to the POW virus…
Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Strain Found In Backyard Flock In CT Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Strain Found In Backyard Flock In CT
Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Strain Found In Backyard Flock In CT Connecticut officials have confirmed that a serious strain of bird flu was found in a non-commercial backyard flock in the state. Samples from a flock in New London County tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to an announcement from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, March 2. The department said avian influenza doesn't present an immediate public health concern, and there haven't been any human cases of this strain in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said recent detections of this strain among…
COVID-19: Students, Parents Hold Anti-Mask Rallies At State Capitol COVID-19: Students, Parents Hold Anti-Mask Rallies At State Capitol
Covid-19: Students, Parents Hold Anti-Mask Rallies At State Capitol Students, parents, and anti-mask advocates gathered at the Connecticut state Capitol as part of a pair of rallies held ahead of the start of the 2022 legislative session. On Wednesday, Feb. 9, the group gathered to express dismay about children being forced to wear masks inside school buildings, citing harm being done to students' mental health. Instead, the crowd is calling for it to be a personal choice about whether or not a student or staff member has to mask up in Connecticut schools. The rally comes at the outset of the legislative session, and days after Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont…
COVID-19: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tests Positive COVID-19: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tests Positive
Covid-19: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tests Positive New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who grew up in Northern Westchester County and now represents parts of the Bronx and Queens, has tested positive for COVID-19. "She is experiencing symptoms and recovering at home," Ocasio-Cortez's office said in a statement released early Sunday evening, Jan. 9. "The congresswoman received her booster shot this fall, and encourages everyone to get their booster and follow all CDC guidelines." The 32-year-old Ocasio-Cortez, a 2007 graduate of Yorktown High School, recently returned from a trip to Florida. A photo of her dining outdoors in Miami m…
COVID-19: CT School District Extends Winter Break For Students COVID-19: CT School District Extends Winter Break For Students
Covid-19: CT School District Extends Winter Break For Students A school district in Connecticut is extending winter break for students as it assesses a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases. The announcement by the Westport School District came on Friday afternoon, Dec. 31. The district said it will extend the winter break by one day for all students and that Monday, Jan. 3 will not be a school day for students. All faculty and staff will report on Monday. "This will enable the district to work collaboratively to develop a range of responses to the changing conditions over the coming weeks," Westport Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice said …
COVID-19: Large Holiday Gatherings Are Not Safe — Even With Booster, Fauci Says COVID-19: Large Holiday Gatherings Are Not Safe — Even With Booster, Fauci Says
Covid-19: Large Holiday Gatherings Are Not Safe — Even With Booster, Fauci Says The nation’s top infectious disease expert is cautioning Americans against hosting large holiday parties or gatherings due to the increasing threat of the Omicron COVID-19 variant of the virus, even if precautions are taken. Dr. Anthony Fauci said that it's reasonable for Americans vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 can be with family over the holidays but attending large gatherings is not safe, even for those who received a booster dose. Fauci’s statement comes as the country is facing a winter surge of new COVID-19 infections amid the spread of the Omicron variant. “There are many …
COVID-19: These Will Be Key Signs When End To Pandemic Is Coming, CDC Director Says COVID-19: These Will Be Key Signs When End To Pandemic Is Coming, CDC Director Says
Covid-19: These Will Be Key Signs When End To Pandemic Is Coming, CDC Director Says The COVID-19 pandemic is now nearly two years old, and there's still no end in sight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says there are two key signs to look for down the line that are key indicators when the time comes that it does finally wind down. The first is a manageable number of hospitalizations, and the second is a significant drop in the number of daily deaths, she said in an interview with ABC News. To get there, Walensky emphasized the importance of relying on strategies that have proven to be effective, namely vaccines and mask…
COVID-19: American Federation Of Teachers President Calls For Full School Reopenings In Fall COVID-19: American Federation Of Teachers President Calls For Full School Reopenings In Fall
Covid-19: American Federation Of Teachers President Calls For Full School Reopenings In Fall The head of the second-largest teachers union in the United States is calling on a full return to five-day-a-week in-person learning at all schools in the fall, declaring that her organization was “all-in.” In an address posted on social media, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers said that with more and more Americans becoming eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, it is imperative that schools fully reopen for students and staff during the next academic year. “Conditions have changed,” she said. "We can and we must reopen schools in the fall for in-person te…
COVID-19: Vaccine Rivalry? Comparisons Between Moderna, Pfizer Doses Can Get Heated COVID-19: Vaccine Rivalry? Comparisons Between Moderna, Pfizer Doses Can Get Heated
Covid-19: Vaccine Rivalry? Comparisons Between Moderna, Pfizer Doses Can Get Heated Are you Team Moderna or Team Pfizer? A good-natured rivalry has been brewing between those receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine versus the Pfizer vaccine as more doses have been made available to the majority of the public. Since Americans began receiving their initial doses of the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, photos of vaccination cards and celebratory videos of successful shots have flooded social media, with some on both sides taking playful jabs at the other in the process. Related story - COVID:19: COVID-19: Brand-New Study Compares Side Effects Of Pfizer, Moderna Va…
COVID-19: Cases Of More Contagious South African Strain Have Now Been Reported In These States COVID-19: Cases Of More Contagious South African Strain Have Now Been Reported In These States
Covid-19: Cases Of More Contagious South African Strain Have Now Been Reported In These States The more transmittable COVID-19 variant from South Africa continues to make the rounds across the country, with newly confirmed cases of the strain being reported throughout the Northeast. The South African COVID-19 strain has now been reported in nine states, including New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, and one territory, as the country works to vaccinate as many people as possible to prevent the spread of the virus. Other states reporting confirmed cases of the South African strain include: California; Texas; Illinois; Virginia; South Carolina; Maryland; The District of Col…