US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say NEW YORK (AP) — An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year, a never-before-seen milestone that health officials say is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and a more dangerous drug supply. AP NEWS

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Overdose deaths have been rising for more than two decades, accelerated in the past two years and, according to new data posted Wednesday, jumped nearly 30% in the latest year.

Why Spain has avoided Europe's COVID surge With over 2.2 million new cases and more than 28,000 deaths over the past week and many countries hitting never-before-seen highs for infections, Europe is now COVID-19’s global epicenter. YahooNews

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In the week since international travelers were welcomed back to the United States, airlines, nonprofit organizations and travel groups have finally seen an uptick in the digital health passes they had hoped travelers would use since their launch.

American Airlines has been seeing a nearly 10 percent increase in its VeriFLY app usage for travel since the Nov. 8 lifting of U.S. entry restrictions, said spokeswoman Rachel Warner. Tech research firm Apptopia noticed a 5 percent increase in downloads of these kinds of apps from the week before the travel ban was lifted, according to Thomas Grant, the company’s director of equity research.

Travel industry experts credited this rise to the new flood of international travelers.

Why Health-Care Workers Are Quitting in Droves About one in five health-care workers has left medicine since the pandemic started. This is their story—and the story of those left behind. Ed Yong The Atlantic

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Cases surge in new COVID hot spots of Michigan, Minnesota Hospitals in Michigan and Minnesota on Tuesday reported a wave of COVID-19 patients not seen in months as beds were filled with unvaccinated people and health care leaders warned that staff were being worn down by yet another surge. AP NEWS

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