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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US respiratory virus infections rise, led by flu During Christmas week, respiratory virus activity continued a steady rise across much of the nation, with the largest spikes seen for flu. COVID-19 levels continue to climb from low levels, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity is still very high in many regions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates. CIDRAP

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Paxlovid tied to lower risk of hospital stay, heart problems, death in adults with kidney disease and COVID The antiviral drug nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) was linked to a lower risk of hospitalization within 30 days and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and death at 1 year in adults with COVID-19 and chronic kidney disease (CKD) or kidney failure, finds a study this week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. CIDRAP

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Opinion | Biden faltered on bird flu. Here’s how Trump can course-correct. The Biden administration’s bird flu response has been too slow. Now comes a test for Trump’s White House. The Washington Post

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5 things we know and still don't know about COVID, 5 years after it appeared Five years after the virus that causes COVID emerged in China it still holds some mysteries. The disease has killed an estimated 20 million people globally, according to the World Health Organization, and thousands are still dying every year. AP News

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Heat Is Claiming Mexico’s Young People - Inside Climate News Elderly people are at high risk from extreme heat. But in one of the fastest-warming countries in the Americas, the worst rates of heat deaths are hitting young adults and children. Derek Harrison Inside Climate News

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While scientists have long monitored vulnerable groups like the elderly during extreme weather events, new evidence reveals a startling trend: Younger workers have become one of the most at-risk groups for heat-related deaths over the past two decades.

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To Combat Phoenix’s Extreme Heat, a New Program Provides Sustainable Shade - Inside Climate News Arizona State University is leading an effort to create neighborhood shade plans for Phoenix communities and train the workforce needed to support green infrastructure across the metropolitan area. Derek Harrison Inside Climate News

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What virus is going around? The flu, COVID, norovirus – and don't forget RSV The risk of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is on the rise, along with that of other illnesses including the flu, stomach flu and COVID-19. Mike Snider USA TODAY

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