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Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are together driving a national wave of respiratory illnesses. Covid, flu and RSV can be difficult to distinguish, since they share many common symptoms. But a loss of taste and smell is more commonly associated with Covid than with flu or RSV. Flu symptoms tend to develop more suddenly than those of Covid or RSV. To reduce the length of flu symptoms, though, doctors usually prescribe Tamiflu or one of three other approved treatments.

☆ White House's Jha: Social media platform owners should consider role in COVID misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha joins Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Owners of social media platforms should consider their personal responsibility regarding health disinformation, and the public should choose reputable sources to trust, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha said on Tuesday. "You can decide to trust America's physicians, or you can trust some random dude on Twitter. Those are your choices," Jha said at a White House press briefing. Jha was answering a question on Twitter allowing politicians and others who spread COVID vaccine misinformation back onto the platform under the leadership of new owner Elon Musk.

WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. health official celebrated and vilified as the face of the country's COVID-19 pandemic response, used his final White House briefing on Tuesday to denounce division and promote vaccines. True to form, Fauci used his final press briefing to strongly encourage Americans to get COVID vaccines and booster shots, and touted the effectiveness of masks, all of which became partisan totems in the United States. NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci joins White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. November 22, 2022. He made his first appearance at the White House press briefing in 2001, according to the broadcaster C-SPAN. Democrats accused Trump of presiding over a disjointed response to the pandemic and of disregarding advice from public health experts including Fauci.

☆ Dr. Anthony Fauci to give likely final Covid briefing as top White House health official
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci addresses the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, January 21, 2021. Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday will give what is expected to be his last public briefing on the Covid-19 pandemic as the White House chief medical advisor. He will give an update alongside Dr. Ashish Jha, head of the White House Covid task force. They are expected to encourage people to get their Covid boosters and flu shots as soon as possible. Public health officials have repeatedly warned that the U.S. will likely face another wave of Covid this winter as people travel and gather for the holidays.

☆ Children’s health leaders call for emergency response as respiratory viruses continue to spread across the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And health care systems nationwide continue to feel the strain of a respiratory virus season that has hit earlier and harder than usual. There have been about 8 flu hospitalizations for every 100,000 people this season – rates typically seen in December or January. While the Covid-19 emergency declaration remains in place, the federal government has not made a formal emergency declaration around children’s health care. HHS and the CDC are in regular contact with health care leaders and providers, actively monitoring situational needs and ready to provide assistance on a case-by-case basis, an HHS spokesperson told CNN. They also urge all those eligible to get their flu and Covid-19 vaccines, along with other routine vaccinations.

☆ Omicron BQ variants resistant to antibody treatments are quickly becoming dominant in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Omicron subvariants resistant to key antibody treatments will soon make up a majority of new Covid infections in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many people with moderate or severely compromised immune systems take an antibody cocktail called Evusheld to protect them from severe disease. This leaves people with compromised immune systems increasingly vulnerable as these subvariants become dominant. White House Covid response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha has blamed Congress for failing to pass additional funding for the nation's pandemic response. President Joe Biden last month altered people with compromised immune systems that they face a special threat from Covid this winter.

☆ Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Get your updated Covid-19 shot now, health officials warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, people who are eligible for an updated Covid-19 vaccine booster but still haven’t received the shot will need to roll up their sleeves Thursday to get as much protection as possible before the holiday. After getting the updated Covid-19 vaccine, that biological process can take about 10 to 14 days. Health officials say it’s fine to get the updated Covid-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same time. The vaccine candidate contains components of the companies’ updated Covid-19 booster and their investigational flu vaccine. Moderna is also developing a combined flu and Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and another combination vaccine targeting flu, Covid-19 and RSV.

☆ New RSV vaccines may soon put an end to rough seasons
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The monoclonal antibody, Synagis, is given monthly during RSV season to protect preemies and other high-risk babies. In the failed RSV vaccine trial, the chemical the researchers used to deactivate the virus denatured its proteins – essentially flattening them. Four companies have RSV vaccines for adults in the final phases of human trials: Pfizer and GSK are testing vaccines for pregnant women as well as seniors. Janssen, Pfizer and GSK each appear effective at preventing infections in adults for the first RSV season after the vaccine. The vaccines for pregnant women are meant to get newborns through their first RSV season.

☆ Omicron subvariants resistant to key antibody treatments are increasing every week in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Two omicron subvariants that are resistant to key antibody treatments are on the rise in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It now represents about 50% of infections in the U.S., down from 60% the week prior, according to the data. President Joe Biden this week cautioned people with compromised immune systems that they were particularly at risk this winter because antibody treatments are not effective against emerging subvariants. Jha has said the boosters should offer better protection than the old shots because these subvariants are descended from BA.5, which is contained in the updated vaccines. "It is reasonable to expect based on what we know about immunology and the science of this virus that these new vaccines will provide better protection against infection, better protection against transmission and ongoing and better protection against serious illness," Jha told reporters in September.

☆ FDA says two studies showing omicron boosters weren't much better than old Covid shots were too small to come to any conclusions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. The Food and Drug Administration said two studies this week showing that the new omicron boosters weren't that much better than the old shots were too small to come to any real conclusions. The antibody responses were slightly higher with the omicron boosters, though the studies concluded the difference wasn't significant. The studies are of public interest because there's very limited human data on how the omicron BA.5 boosters perform right now. The FDA also looked at data directly on the BA.5 shots that came from animal studies.

☆ Omicron subvariants are resistant to key antibody treatments, putting people with weak immune systems at risk of Covid
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Emerging omicron subvariants are resistant to key antibody treatments for HIV patients, kidney transplant recipients and other immunocompromised people, making them particularly vulnerable to Covid this winter, the White House warned this week. While this may be true for the general population, it is not the case for people with weak immune systems. Evusheld is an antibody cocktail authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent Covid in people ages 12 and older who have moderately or severely compromised immune systems. Evusheld, made by AstraZeneca , has helped fill a gap in protection for those with weak immune systems who cannot mount a strong response to the vaccines. Jha acknowledged at the White House on Tuesday that the U.S. has dwindling treatment and prevention options for people with weak immune systems as Covid evolves.

☆ Dr. Jha: A 'tripledemic' could hit the U.S., but 'we're not powerless against it'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A "tripledemic" also involving flu and RSV may soon unfold, says Dr. Ashish Jha. But there's good news: "We're not powerless against it," Jha, the White House's Covid response coordinator, said in a Tuesday interview with CBS News. Jha pointed to the widely available vaccines targeting two of the three respiratory viruses: the flu shot and the new omicron-specific Covid booster. "If people went out and got their vaccines, we could really get through this without getting into a lot of trouble," Jha said. Getting those shots is the key to combatting all three viruses because it'll help keep hospital beds open for potential patients across the country, Jha added.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will get the updated Covid-19 shot Tuesday after he delivers remarks about the pandemic and the administration’s efforts to get people in the U.S. boosted, a White House official said. It has been more than three months since Biden contracted the coronavirus, which is how long health experts recommend waiting before getting another shot. The White House is focused on reaching those at the highest risk of infection, including senior citizens. Top Biden administration officials have warned in recent weeks about a possible winter surge, particularly as more people head indoors. The White House Covid -19 coordinator, Dr. Ashish Jha, has stressed that timing is also a key factor, pushing people to ideally get their boosters before Halloween to have the best protection possible by the holidays.

☆ Quick and stealthy new Covid-19 variants are poised to drive a winter surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A flurry of new Covid-19 variants appears to be gaining traction globally, raising fears of a winter surge. As the US moves into the fall, Covid-19 cases are dropping. But virus experts fear that the downward trend may soon reverse itself, thanks to this gaggle of new variants. Lumped together, the variants accounted for almost 1 in 3 new Covid-19 infections nationwide last week, according to the latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The updated bivalent booster vaccines and antiviral drugs like Paxlovid are expected to continue to be protective against severe outcomes from Covid-19 infections caused by the new variants.

☆ People of color face higher risk of flu hospitalization as U.S. faces potentially severe season, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

People of color are hospitalized with the flu at far higher rates than white Americans, according to a large multi-year study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations were 80% higher among Black adults than white adults, 30% higher among Native Americans, and 20% higher among Hispanics, according to CDC data. Vaccination rates were lower among people of color than white adults. During last year's flu season, vaccination coverage among white adults was 54% compared with 38% among Hispanics, 41% among Native Americans and 42% among Black adults. "Don't wait — get your new flu shot and your new Covid shot today.

☆ White House Covid czar calls on seniors to get omicron booster now
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Dr. Ashish Jha, head of the White House Covid taskforce, said everyone older than 50 and senior citizens in particular need to get an omicron booster as soon as possible. The elderly have faced the high risk of falling seriously ill with Covid since the beginning of the pandemic. Younger people should also get a booster this fall even though they're at lower risk of getting seriously ill from the virus, Jha said. The FDA and CDC rapidly authorized the omicron shots for children as young as 5 years old last week. But the CDC, in a study published last April, said the risk of myocarditis is higher after a Covid infection.

☆ Omicron BA.5 is declining in the U.S. as emerging variants gain ground, CDC data shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Omicron BA.5 has splintered into several new but related variants that include BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BF.7. In the U.S., omicron BA.5 makes up about 68% of all new infections, down from about 80% at the beginning of October. But Jha said the new omicron boosters that the U.S. started rolling out last month should provide better protection than the first-generation vaccines against these emerging variants. The boosters target BA.5 and the emerging variants are all omicron and most descend from BA.5. Pfizer and BioNTech on Thursday published the first human data from their BA.5 shots.

☆ The side effects to expect after getting an Omicron booster — and what happens if you get a flu shot at the same time
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Andrea Michelson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Side effects of the latest COVID-19 booster are similar to those associated with previous doses. Health officials say it's safe to get your flu shot and COVID booster shot at the same visit. You can get a COVID-19 booster and a flu shot at the same timeThe CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 12 top off their COVID protection with a bivalent booster shot this season, especially if it has been more than two months since their previous dose. With the flu season approaching as well, some people may opt to get their boosters and flu vaccines in one visit. In a press conference in September, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha said, "God gave us two arms—one for the flu shot and the other one for the COVID shot."

☆ U.S. is tracking several omicron subvariants, but new boosters should offer protection, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha speaks to reporters during a press briefing with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the White House on July 25, 2022 in Washington, DC. The U.S. is tracking several coronavirus omicron subvariants that more easily evade immunity, but the new booster shots should protect against them, a top health official said on Tuesday. Health officials are closely watching the subvariants because they render many treatments ineffective, said Dr. Ashish Jha, head of the White House Covid task force. But the new booster shots available in the U.S. should provide a much higher degree of protection against the variants because they all descend from omicron BA.2 or omicron BA.5, Jha told reporters at the White House. The Biden administration had to shift money around to find funding to stockpile the new booster shots.

☆ Risk of Covid death almost zero for people who are boosted and treated, White House Covid czar says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"If you are up to date with your vaccines and if you get treated if you have a breakthrough infection, your risk of dying from Covid is now close to zero," Jha told reporters at the White House. More than 300 people are still dying every day from Covid on average, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials are expecting Covid infections to increase in November through January as they have every fall and winter since the pandemic began, Jha said. But it's difficult to predict whether the U.S. will face another major Covid surge because the virus continues to evolve, he added. "Don't wait — get your new flu shot and your new Covid shot today," Jha said.

☆ Less than 2% of U.S. adults have gotten updated Covid booster shots
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Aria Bendix | Aria Bendix Is The Breaking Health Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

At least 4.4 million people have received an updated Covid booster since the start of the month, according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC signed off on updated versions of Pfizer’s and Moderna’s booster shots on Sept. 1, and pharmacies and other vaccination sites began administering the new shots around Labor Day weekend. As of Tuesday, the U.S. had shipped more than 25 million bivalent booster doses to tens of thousands of sites. Some pharmacies reported shortages of Moderna's updated booster earlier this week. Biden administration officials have pointed to the updated boosters, however, as a critical step to pushing the U.S. out of the pandemic.

☆ Covid will be a leading cause of death in the U.S. indefinitely, whether or not the pandemic is 'over'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Aria Bendix | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Shannon-Pettypiece-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

But disease experts said debating whether the pandemic is over overshadows a more important concern: the reality that Covid will remain a leading cause of death in the U.S. indefinitely. Since April, Covid deaths have stayed relatively flat, at a weekly average of around 300 to 500 per day. Predicting Covid's future death tollThe Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, or IHME, a research organization at the University of Washington that regularly models Covid deaths, predicts a decline in Covid deaths over the next two months. Covid death numbers could also fall if hospitals stop routinely testing people for the virus. Murray estimated that half of annual Covid deaths may fall into that category.

☆ 1 in 3 workers fear they'll catch Covid by returning to the office—here's how to keep yourself healthy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A recent Gallup poll found that one in three U.S. workers are "very" or "moderately" concerned about Covid exposure at work. Stay up-to-date on your Covid vaccinesStaying up-to-date on your vaccines is the best way to protect yourself from Covid. That means completing your primary series and receiving the booster shots you're eligible for. You'll need to be at least two months out from your last dose of any Covid shot, the CDC says. Have completed your primary series, but are immunocompromisedHave completed your primary series and are in an area with a substantial or high level spread of Covid.

REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - What is the status of COVID-19 now that President Joe Biden has told the CBS 60 Minutes news program the pandemic is over in the United States? The United States is still operating under the public health emergency, first declared in January 2020. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expected to renew that designation in October but then let the public health emergency expire in January 2023. read moreWorld Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week that the "end is in sight" for the pandemic, but still urged nations to maintain their vigilance. The United States has just begun a new COVID vaccination campaign with boosters tailored to the Omicron variant that leading infectious disease doctor Anthony Fauci compared to the annual flu vaccination efforts.

☆ U.S. travel industry urges White House to lift COVID restrictions, mask mandate
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Travel Association on Tuesday urged the White House to lift COVID-19 travel restrictions and repeal a mandate requiring masks on airplanes and in other transit modes by April 18, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The White House did not immediately comment. The travel industry also wants the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to end "avoid travel" advisories for all vaccinated individuals and urged the Biden administration to avoid the future "use of travel bans from specific countries." In total, the CDC urges Americans to avoid travel to about 120 countries and territories. The mask requirements have resulted in significant friction on U.S. airplanes.

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