To heal America’s ills, outgoing surgeon general offers ‘parting prescription’: more community | CNN As US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy nears the end of his second term as the nation’s doctor, a final diagnosis of his patient suggests that a great deficiency of connectivity has led to a poor prognosis for America’s overall health and well-being. Deidre McPhillips CNN

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Biden Administration Bars Medical Debt From Credit Scores - KFF Health News The move, which comes less than two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office, represents a challenge to the new administration. khnnoaml KFF Health News

The rules ban credit agencies from including medical debts on consumers’ credit reports and prohibit lenders from considering medical information in assessing borrowers.

Extended Paxlovid May Help Some People with Long COVID An extended course of Paxlovid appears to help some patients with long COVID, according to a study by UCSF researchers that suggests this treatment option holds promise for some of those struggling with lasting symptoms. Extended Paxlovid May Help Some People with Long COVID | UC San Francisco

An extended course of Paxlovid appears to help some patients with long COVID, according to a case series by UC San Francisco researchers that suggests this treatment option holds promise for some of those struggling with debilitating symptoms.

Part-time Huntington Beach actor who solicited investments for phony COVID cure gets 8 years Prosecutors say Keith Middlebrook lied about being in business with Laker legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson in an attempt to bolster his credibility. gqlshare Orange County Register

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HMPV: What to know about China's human metapneumovirus cases Pictures from China, where cases of the virus are surging, have people worried on social media. BBC News

...HMPV is not like Covid-19, public health experts have said, noting that the virus has been around for decades, with almost every child being infected by their fifth birthday.

However, in some very young children and people with weakened immune systems, it can cause more serious illness. Here is what you need to know. ...

France reports first case of new mpox variant

The individual, located in Brittany, had been in contact with two people who had recently returned from Central Africa. French authorities said they were working to identify all contacts.

Sweden, Germany, Belgium and the U.K. have all reported cases, although there have been no major outbreaks outside Africa. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says the risk to the general population in Europe is low. 

Bird flu risk remains low after first US death, WHO says The risk to the general population from H5N1 bird flu remains low, a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Tuesday, following the first death of a patient from the virus in the United States. Reuters Reuters

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First US bird flu death is announced in Louisiana The first U.S. bird flu death has been reported. Louisiana health officials announced the death Monday of a person who had been hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms. AP News

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Are mask mandates making a comeback? Hospitalizations have spiked in major cities, including Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. sthomas The Hill

In Southern California, most hospitals never ended their mask mandates after the COVID-19 pandemic. But now, more mandates are returning. ...

Hospitalizations are up sharply in major cities, including Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.

Health officials are advising the immunocompromised to mask in public to prevent illness, and in Wisconsin, a major health care group is reinstating a mask mandate beginning next week.

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Why The U.S. Could Be Making The Same Mistakes With Bird Flu As It Did With COVID-19 The first severe human case of bird flu was recently reported in the U.S. Here are some ways the U.S. may be repeating the same mistakes as from the COVID-19 pandemic. Omer Awan Forbes

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Data show 7% rate of long COVID in college students About 7% of 428 Omicron COVID-19 survivors who were health-sciences students at a Saudi Arabian college reported persistent symptoms, notably loss of smell or taste, for more than 28 days. CIDRAP

About 7% of 428 Omicron COVID-19 survivors who were health-sciences students at a Saudi Arabian college reported persistent symptoms, notably loss of smell or taste, for more than 28 days.

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Flu emergency room visits now "very high" nationwide, CDC says Several Western states are seeing rates worse than last year's peak of flu season. CBS News

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Some of the highest levels of influenza are now in Western states, several of which have already topped the peaks recorded during the worst of last winter's flu season.

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