CDC post asking Americans to mask up for flu season draws ire from social media users
5 months, 1 week ago

CDC post asking Americans to mask up for flu season draws ire from social media users

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The best way to reduce your risk from seasonal flu is to get a flu vaccine but preventive actions like taking steps for cleaner air or wearing a mask are two additional ways you can protect yourself and others this fall,” the CDC said. “P**s off.” A third user tried to get the attention of the platform’s Community Notes contributors, who work to provide context on “potentially misleading posts.” And, another hit at the effectiveness of this year’s flu shot, citing a recent article in USA Today that detailed research finding this season’s trivalent influenza vaccine reduced the risk for hospitalization by 34 percent. “Masks can also protect wearers from breathing in infectious particles from people around them.” Many people had fairly partisan reactions to mask recommendations during the height of the Covid pandemic. Some social media users hypothesized that the CDC’s posts could be in response to recent human cases of H5N1, which is colloquially known as bird flu.

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History of this topic

Where is the flu surging across the US? Hospitals restrict access as cases spike
2 months, 1 week ago

Where is the flu surging across the US? Hospitals restrict access as cases spike

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “As we see more and more children in the hospital and more and more in …

I’m taking my health seriously this winter – here’s why we all should
2 months, 2 weeks ago

I’m taking my health seriously this winter – here’s why we all should

The Independent  

This month, I’m going for a chest X-ray and a blood test. And I’m able-bodied – so my experience of sometimes needing to take time off sick and finding that it’s not really acceptable, or simply not possible, is the tip of the iceberg compared to what many disabled people face every day when it comes to requesting adjustments, flexible …

New Report Reveals You're Most Likely To Catch A Cold In These 10 Cities
2 months, 2 weeks ago

New Report Reveals You're Most Likely To Catch A Cold In These 10 Cities

Huff Post  

Illustration: HuffPost; Photo: Getty Images A new report says certain population, weather and health factors make it more likely that you'll catch a cold. The factors include high population density, where virus spread can be blamed partly on crowding; poor air quality, which can impact respiratory health; a large population of children under 14 ; certain weather patterns that could …

How America lost control of bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic
3 months ago

How America lost control of bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic

Salon  

Keith Poulsen’s jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. “I don’t know if the bird flu will become a pandemic, but if it does, we are screwed.” To understand how the bird flu got out of hand, KFF Health News interviewed nearly 70 government officials, farmers and farmworkers, …

How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic
3 months ago

How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic

CNN  

Keith Poulsen’s jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. “I don’t know if the bird flu will become a pandemic, but if it does, we are screwed.” To understand how the bird flu got out of hand, KFF Health News interviewed nearly 70 government officials, farmers and farmworkers, …

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster

LA Times  

Bird flu outbreaks at dairy farms are sparking fears of a major threat to human health. To the editor: As a retired public health and emergency medicine physician, I want to thank you for your recent articles about the bird flu, most recently those articles by Times reporters Susanne Rust and Melissa Gomez. The combination of a mutating and potentially …

'Be prepared': CDC convenes bird flu outbreak meeting where it tells state health officials to get ready for more human cases
11 months, 2 weeks ago

'Be prepared': CDC convenes bird flu outbreak meeting where it tells state health officials to get ready for more human cases

Daily Mail  

State health officials have been told to prepare for more human cases of bird flu, amid fears the virus could jump to people. At the meeting, they also emphasized that the risk to the public was still low — but said health officials should be prepared for the potential of more cases. It was attended by local health leaders including …

Mask mandates reinstated by local officials across the country as Covid-19, respiratory illnesses spread
1 year, 2 months ago

Mask mandates reinstated by local officials across the country as Covid-19, respiratory illnesses spread

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Local officials across the US are reinstating mask mandates in hospitals …

More hospitals are requiring masks as flu and COVID-19 cases surge
1 year, 2 months ago

More hospitals are requiring masks as flu and COVID-19 cases surge

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — More U.S. hospitals are requiring masks and limiting visitors as health officials face an expected but still nasty post-holiday spike in flu, COVID-19 and other illnesses. “What we’re seeing right now, in the first week of January, is really an acceleration — of flu cases, in particular,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease …

More hospitals are requiring masks as flu and COVID-19 cases surge
1 year, 2 months ago

More hospitals are requiring masks as flu and COVID-19 cases surge

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More U.S. hospitals are requiring …

How to stay safe this holiday with new Covid sub-variant cases on the rise
1 year, 3 months ago

How to stay safe this holiday with new Covid sub-variant cases on the rise

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. These vaccines will also make your illness less severe if you do get sick.” The …

Are masks for the birds? We field reader queries about this new stage of the pandemic
1 year, 9 months ago

Are masks for the birds? We field reader queries about this new stage of the pandemic

NPR  

Are masks for the birds? Note: Although Paxlovid got full approval from the Food and Drug Administration on May 25, Michael Ganio, senior director of pharmacy practice and quality at the Asssociation of Health System Pharmacists, says the rules of the emergency authorization still apply since U.S. supply of the drug was purchased by the government before the approval and …

Wearing masks did ’little to nothing’ to help curb Covid spread, study reveals
2 years, 1 month ago

Wearing masks did ’little to nothing’ to help curb Covid spread, study reveals

Live Mint  

Face masks have done ‘little to nothing’ to curb the Covid-19 transmission, a new scientific review titled “Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses” suggested. It conducted research on the findings of 78 randomized controlled trials to find out whether the physical interventions, including face masks and hand wash, limited the spread of respiratory diseases. “Wearing …

Covid Restrictions creep back into American life - as Michigan and Massachusetts begin Mask Mandates
2 years, 2 months ago

Covid Restrictions creep back into American life - as Michigan and Massachusetts begin Mask Mandates

Daily Mail  

Hundreds of thousands more students across the US have been placed under Covid restrictions as schools and colleges bring back mask and testing mandates. It means more than 600,000 students are living with Covid rules — despite little evidence that they reduce transmission — after students in New Jersey and Pennsylvania were also put under mask mandates last week. Superintendent …

Health officials are urging masks again amid high COVID, flu levels
2 years, 3 months ago

Health officials are urging masks again amid high COVID, flu levels

LA Times  

With COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory diseases circulating widely in Los Angeles County and elsewhere, many officials are urging residents to use a familiar tool to help thwart transmission: masks. As case rates rise, “your chance of catching COVID during your routine activities — grocery shopping, eating out, running errands, going to work — will increase,” according to Los …

Now CDC calls for people to wear masks over Christmas to stop spread of FLU and RSV
2 years, 3 months ago

Now CDC calls for people to wear masks over Christmas to stop spread of FLU and RSV

Daily Mail  

RSV may finally be starting to slow with case and test positivity figures dropping The CDC reports more than 30,000 confirmed flu cases last week, a new high Nearly all US states are recording 'very high' levels of flu circulation this week America's leading health officials are now recommending masking to prevent the spread of RSV and the flu this …

Masking up, testing, sanitizing: Staying safe this Thanksgiving with COVID-19, flu and RSV
2 years, 4 months ago

Masking up, testing, sanitizing: Staying safe this Thanksgiving with COVID-19, flu and RSV

LA Times  

Chip Margelli and Janet Margelli deep-fry a turkey at Bolsa Chica State Beach last Thanksgiving. “And then I also think about, for the sake of our youngest Californians and other vulnerable Californians who could get severely sick after a respiratory illness, how important it is to gather in ways that might reduce risks of getting sick yourself or spreading infection …

Should I start wearing a mask on public transport again?
2 years, 5 months ago

Should I start wearing a mask on public transport again?

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

With California hit by new coronavirus wave, time to start wearing masks? Limit gatherings?
2 years, 10 months ago

With California hit by new coronavirus wave, time to start wearing masks? Limit gatherings?

LA Times  

As California contends with another resurgence of the coronavirus, what should residents consider doing to protect themselves from infection? “With all of the unknowns around these new variants, it is sensible to take the simple step of putting back on the mask when you’re indoors,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director. But regardless of a region’s level, “individuals …

WA Premier Mark McGowan says masks and restrictions unlikely to return ahead of winter
2 years, 10 months ago

WA Premier Mark McGowan says masks and restrictions unlikely to return ahead of winter

ABC  

Western Australia will gamble on riding its first wave of COVID-19 into the flu season without restrictions, and it's a sensible approach, according to some epidemiologists. Key points: The Premier says it's better for COVID cases to peak sooner rather than later The Premier says it's better for COVID cases to peak sooner rather than later An epidemiologist agrees restrictions …

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say
2 years, 10 months ago

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 cases are increasing in the United States — and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned Wednesday in urging areas hardest hit to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking. “Prior increases of infections, in different waves of infection, have demonstrated that this travels across the country,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC …

A third of U.S. should be considering masks, officials say
2 years, 10 months ago

A third of U.S. should be considering masks, officials say

LA Times  

Coronavirus infections are on the rise in the United States and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned Wednesday as they urged the hardest-hit areas to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking. “Prior increases of infections, in different waves of infection, have demonstrated that this travels across the country,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, …

CDC reiterates need for masks on planes and trains amid fears of rising Covid cases
2 years, 10 months ago

CDC reiterates need for masks on planes and trains amid fears of rising Covid cases

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy US health officials have …

CDC extends travel mask requirement to May 3 as COVID rises
2 years, 11 months ago

CDC extends travel mask requirement to May 3 as COVID rises

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is extending the nationwide mask requirement for airplanes and public transit for 15 days as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was extending the order, which was set to expire on April 18, until May 3 to allow more time to …

CDC extends travel mask requirement to May 3 as COVID rises in US
2 years, 11 months ago

CDC extends travel mask requirement to May 3 as COVID rises in US

Al Jazeera  

Omicron subvariant BA.2 infections increase as US approaches one million deaths in the coronavirus pandemic. The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it is extending the nationwide mask requirement for public transit and air travel for 15 days as it monitors an increase in COVID-19 cases in the United States. Airlines for America, a trade group, on Wednesday in a …

Americans ease up on masks, virus safeguards, poll finds
3 years ago

Americans ease up on masks, virus safeguards, poll finds

LA Times  

Mask wearing is mixed at an MLS soccer match in Seattle. Many Americans have taken significant steps back from once-routine coronavirus precautions, with less than half now saying they regularly wear masks, avoid crowds and skip nonessential travel. “But my fear is something new will happen.” Experts say the coronavirus isn’t going away, and most Americans recognize the virus will …

Some people aren't ready to stop masking, but it can be tough to go against the grain
3 years ago

Some people aren't ready to stop masking, but it can be tough to go against the grain

NPR  

Some people aren't ready to stop masking, but it can be tough to go against the grain Enlarge this image toggle caption Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images Like everyone else, Devin Golden is thrilled omicron is in retreat. "I know a lot of people have stopped wearing their masks," says Golden, 33, of Palm Bay, …

America’s new dystopian normal
3 years ago

America’s new dystopian normal

Al Jazeera  

The United States has all but declared the COVID-19 pandemic over and done with. Two years ago, I predicted that the US as a “failing state” would do the bare minimum to protect ordinary people, and would sell the idea that despite the evidence, Americans can lead “normal lives” in the middle of a pandemic. Nearly 80 million Americans have …

COVID pandemic: Pentagon says masks 'no longer required indoors'
3 years ago

COVID pandemic: Pentagon says masks 'no longer required indoors'

India TV News  

Highlights The Pentagon on Mar 2 announced that "masks are no longer required indoors" at the building The decision was made per new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The CDC last week eased its mask recommendation for most Americans The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that "masks are no longer required indoors" at the building. The decision …

Some Americans welcome new CDC mask guidance. Others are wary
3 years, 1 month ago

Some Americans welcome new CDC mask guidance. Others are wary

LA Times  

Patrons take off their masks inside Philippe’s restaurant in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. J.B. Pritzker said that the statewide school mask mandate will be lifted Monday in response to the new guidance, although Chicago Public Schools officials said they will continue to require masks “to maintain health and safety measures.” Los Angeles on Friday began allowing people who are …

Washington officials to assess new mask guidance from CDC
3 years, 1 month ago

Washington officials to assess new mask guidance from CDC

Associated Press  

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington’s March 21 date to lift the statewide mask mandate remains in place for now as state officials review new guidance Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says people in most places can safely take a break from wearing facial coverings. Jay Inslee, said in an email Friday that the office has not …

CDC: Many healthy Americans can take a break from masks
3 years, 1 month ago

CDC: Many healthy Americans can take a break from masks

Associated Press  

Most Americans live in places where healthy people, including students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new U.S. guidelines released Friday. CDC’s previous transmission-prevention guidance to communities focused on two measures — the rate of new COVID-19 cases and the percentage of positive test results over the previous week. With many Americans already taking off …

Florida’s new coronavirus guidance: ‘Buck the CDC’
3 years, 1 month ago

Florida’s new coronavirus guidance: ‘Buck the CDC’

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo on Thursday announced new coronavirus policy recommendations that discourage mask-wearing and push physicians to use off-label medications to treat the virus. “We are empowering health care practitioners to follow science, not Fauci’s status quo.” The announcement came a day before President Joe Biden’s administration is expected to …

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday
3 years, 1 month ago

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings. The change comes as nearly all U.S. states that had put in place indoor mask-wearing mandates for the winter …

New US COVID guidelines allow most Americans to go mask-free
3 years, 1 month ago

New US COVID guidelines allow most Americans to go mask-free

Al Jazeera  

New US coronavirus masking policy is broken down into three risk categories based on hospital capacity and cases. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dramatically eased its COVID-19 guidelines for when people should wear masks indoors, a move that means 72 percent of the US population will reside in communities where indoor face coverings are no …

CDC says Americans can now go unmasked in many parts of the country
3 years, 1 month ago

CDC says Americans can now go unmasked in many parts of the country

NPR  

CDC says Americans can now go unmasked in many parts of the country The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday it is relaxing its mask guidance for communities where hospitals aren't under high strain. Enlarge this image toggle caption Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images "As the virus continues to …

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday
3 years, 1 month ago

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday

LA Times  

The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against coronavirus transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings. In Los Angeles County, the CDC’s new guidance could affect the decision on when a local indoor public mask mandate would …

More virus rules fall as CDC hints at better times ahead
3 years, 1 month ago

More virus rules fall as CDC hints at better times ahead

Associated Press  

The nation’s leading health officials said Wednesday that the U.S. is moving closer to the point that COVID-19 is no longer a “constant crisis” as more cities, businesses and sports venues began lifting pandemic restrictions around the country. Philadelphia officials on Wednesday said the city’s vaccine mandate for restaurants was immediately lifted, though indoor mask mandates remain in place for …

Abcarian: Masks may be going away. I'll use mine to fight the flu
3 years, 1 month ago

Abcarian: Masks may be going away. I'll use mine to fight the flu

LA Times  

This is how the mask mandate is going in our house: On Monday, the sixth-grader, who wore her surgical mask all day at school, including when she ran a mile in P.E., came home and plopped onto the couch to start her Mandarin homework. Gavin Newsom dramatically described as a “date with destiny,” the state was scheduled to drop its …

Federal health officials say they will soon update COVID-19 masking guidance
3 years, 1 month ago

Federal health officials say they will soon update COVID-19 masking guidance

LA Times  

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, shown testifying before Congress in November, told reporters on Wednesday that her agency would soon issue new guidance on mask-wearing. Federal health officials said Wednesday that they will soon update their guidance on mask wearing, even as several states have recently dialed back mandates requiring people to wear face coverings while indoors. In a White …

More COVID-19 rules fall as CDC hints at better times ahead
3 years, 1 month ago

More COVID-19 rules fall as CDC hints at better times ahead

LA Times  

Customers eat at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia on Feb. 16, 2022. The nation’s leading health officials said Wednesday that the U.S. is moving closer to the point that COVID-19 is no longer a “constant crisis” as more cities, businesses and sports venues began lifting pandemic restrictions around the country. Philadelphia officials said Wednesday the city’s vaccine mandate for …

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US
3 years, 1 month ago

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US

Associated Press  

As the omicron wave of the coronavirus subsides, several U.S. states including Nevada, New York and Illinois ended mask mandates this week for indoor settings, while others lifted requirements at schools. Steve Sisolak said the requirement for masks in public places would be lifted “effective immediately.” State casino regulators quickly followed with an order eliminating the mandate for casinos “unless …

Covid: Fauci says US is almost past 'full-blown' pandemic phase and restrictions will wind down
3 years, 1 month ago

Covid: Fauci says US is almost past 'full-blown' pandemic phase and restrictions will wind down

Daily Mail  

President Joe Biden’s administration doubled down on wearing face masks - even though eight Democratic governors have rolled back COVID restrictions, cases and hospitalizations have plummeted and one of America's closest allies England has completely scrapped all rules. ‘Our guidance is consistently has consistently been this: when you are in a high transmission area, which is everywhere in the country, …

California will lift mask mandate for vaccinated residents in indoor public places next week
3 years, 1 month ago

California will lift mask mandate for vaccinated residents in indoor public places next week

LA Times  

Masks will still be required for unvaccinated residents indoors and for everyone in select settings such as hospitals and nursing homes or while aboard public transit. With the Omicron coronavirus surge rapidly receding, California will lift its universal mask mandate for indoor public places next week, state officials announced Monday. While this move doesn’t mean face coverings will be a …

Will virus be ‘over’? Most Americans think not: AP-NORC poll
3 years, 2 months ago

Will virus be ‘over’? Most Americans think not: AP-NORC poll

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Early in the pandemic, Ryan Wilson was careful to take precautions — wearing a mask, not really socializing, doing more of his shopping online. “It’s frustrating, but what can you do about it?” Many Americans agree that they’re going to “be stuck with it forever” — or, at the least, for a long time. And although boosters provide …

Unlikely that people will move around with masks on forever, says Anthony Fauci on 'new normal'
3 years, 2 months ago

Unlikely that people will move around with masks on forever, says Anthony Fauci on 'new normal'

Firstpost  

Fauci said there is a great deal of ‘disinformation’ around and that is entirely destructive to a comprehensive public health endeavour New Delhi/Davos: Warning that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and Omicron would not be the last variant, global health experts on Monday said a lot would depend on transmissibility and severity of the next mutants of the …

US officials recommend shorter 5-day quarantine for Covid patients
3 years, 3 months ago

US officials recommend shorter 5-day quarantine for Covid patients

Hindustan Times  

US health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine. And the agency said isolation time could be cut to five days, or even fewer, if there are severe staffing shortages. The CDC’s isolation and quarantine guidance has confused the …

Coronavirus FAQ: It's cold and flu season — and COVID season! How do I stay unsick?
3 years, 4 months ago

Coronavirus FAQ: It's cold and flu season — and COVID season! How do I stay unsick?

NPR  

Coronavirus FAQ: It's cold and flu season — and COVID season! It's certainly true that the flu did not spread much last year: Just.2% of respiratory specimens from clinical labs and public health departments participating in national disease surveillance tested positive for flu during the 2020-2021 season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared to between 26.2% …

Nearly HALF of people say the COVID-19 crisis is getting worse
3 years, 7 months ago

Nearly HALF of people say the COVID-19 crisis is getting worse

Daily Mail  

Americans are feeling pessimistic about the future of the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time in several months, a new poll finds. Conducted by Gallup, the survey found a sharp decline in people who feel the country's coronavirus situation is getting better, from 89 percent in June to only 40 percent in July. Only 40% of Americans believe the COVID …

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