US COVID levels drop, with few flu detections CDC wastewater tracking shows SARS-CoV-2 detections are now at the low level nationally. CIDRAP

COVID activity in the United States continues to decline, and seasonal flu markers show no upticks, according to the latest respiratory disease updates today from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccine uptake influenced by politics and socioeconomics, study finds COVID-19 vaccination rates have varied significantly based on partisanship and socioeconomic factors, with Democrats getting vaccinated faster and at higher percentages than Republicans and Independents. Fernanda Pires Medical Xpress

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Fourth person infected in California as bird flu outbreak spreads Two other people also in California's Central Valley are suspected of contracting avian influenza. Eduardo Cuevas USA TODAY

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Brain imaging reveals changes linked to long COVID Using ultra-powered magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford have demonstrated that COVID-19 infections can damage the brainstem, the brain’s "control center." The findings are published in Brain. CIDRAP

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Hurricane Milton could cost insurers up to $100 billion, analysts say Hurricane Milton could result in losses of up $100 billion for the global insurance industry, creating a surge in 2025 reinsurance prices that could boost some insurance companies' shares, analysts said on Wednesday. Carolyn Cohn,Noor Zainab Hussain Reuters

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Novavax gets EU authorization for updated COVID vaccine targeting JN.1 strain

The European Commission authorized Novavax's (NVAX.O)

FDA authorizes sale of first home COVID/flu combo test outside of emergency use The test joins other over-the-counter COVID-19/flu tests already available under emergency use authorization. CIDRAP

As the country heads into the respiratory illness season, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday its marketing authorization of the first over-the-counter (OTC) rapid-antigen COVID-19/flu combination test outside of emergency use authorization.