Health dangers of flooding: Disease, injuries and mental health concerns | CNN Even after a hurricane’s immediate flooding threat goes away, residents could face a host of potential health problems from the water — and what it leaves behind. Jen Christensen CNN

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COVID numbers decline slightly across US; RSV, flu activity low Wastewater levels for COVID-19 remain high but are low for RSV and influenza. CIDRAP

In several weekly updates published today,  (Friday) the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said seasonal influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) activity are low nationally, and COVID-19 activity is elevated but declining. ...

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XEC, like countless others before it, is a part of the omicron family. The variant is closely related to KP.2, the strain targeted by the updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. And both XEC and KP.1 are descendants of the JN.1 strain, targeted by the updated Novavax vaccine.

“I think we have good reason to think that there will be substantial protection from the boosters that are available,” Hanage said.

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Four more health workers show symptoms after contact with Missouri bird flu patient Four additional healthcare workers in Missouri who were in contact with a bird flu patient developed mild respiratory symptoms but the virus was not confirmed in any of them, U.S. health officials said on Friday. Reuters Reuters

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Suicides steady near highest level recorded: CDC Suicides in the U.S. remained at about the highest level in history last year, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show. According to the provisional data, just more than… lirwin The Hill

According to the provisional data, just more than 49,300 suicide deaths were reported in 2023, though the number could increase if investigations are concluded.

Older people should take a new vaccine to protect them against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) Older people should take a new vaccine to protect them against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), according to new research from the University of Aberdeen and the MRC-University of Glasgow Center for ... University of Glasgow Medical Xpress

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Sequencing wastewater material may be the key to getting a grip on the H5N1 bird flu outbreak Opinion: It’s time to take a new approach to monitoring the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows. Torie Bosch STAT

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COVID-19 reinfection ups risk of long COVID, new data show People who had 2 COVID infections were more than twice as likely to report long COVID as those with 1 infection, and the risk rose with more reinfections. CIDRAP

A new survey study reveals that people who had two COVID-19 infections were more than twice as likely—and those who had three or more COVID-19 infections were almost four times more likely—to report long COVID as those with one infection.

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