COVID-19, also called coronavirus disease, is a respiratory infection. It is caused by a virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or more commonly, SARS-CoV-2. Wuhan in China became the epicentre of this disease in 2019 and as the infection spread worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) labelled it as a pandemic. However, the number of cases has been on a steep decline in recent months.

In its latest update, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 6.6 per cent of all COVID-19 tests had a positive result for the week ending. This marks a drop from the 6.9 per cent test positivity rate the week before, which ended January 4. The Midwest had the highest rates of COVID-19 test positivity of any region, with Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin all seeing an 8.9 per cent rate of tests coming back positive. This region also saw the highest rates of test positivity the week before, albeit slightly higher at 9.2 per cent.

Which US Cities Are Worst Hit By COVID?

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska all had a 7.4 per cent test positivity rate, while Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont had a 6 per cent rate, and Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia (as well as D.C.) had a 5.9 per cent positivity rate.

In the middle, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington saw 5.4 per cent of COVID-19 tests come back positive, while Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming saw 5.3 per cent positivity rates and Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas 4.6 per cent.

The states with the lowest rates of COVID-19 tests coming back positive included New Jersey and New York at 4.1 per cent, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee at 3.7 percent, and Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada at 3.1 per cent.

Not only the coronavirus infection but respiratory diseases like flu and pneumonia peak in winter months. "Many respiratory virus illnesses peak during the winter due to environmental conditions and human behaviours," a CDC spokesperson said. "COVID-19 has peaks in the winter and at other times of the year, including the summer, driven by new variants and decreasing immunity from previous infections and vaccinations," he added.

Over 7 Million Cases Reported Worldwide

As of January 25, 2025, the global COVID-19 situation has shown significant improvement compared to the pandemic's peak years. As per the latest data by WHO, from the pandemic's onset until November 10, 2024, over 776.8 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 7 million deaths were reported across 234 countries. The majority of these fatalities occurred between 2020 and 2022, with increased immunity leading to a significant decrease in deaths in subsequent years. In the most recent four-week reporting period, from October 14 to November 10, 2024, 77 countries reported COVID-19 cases, totalling over 200,000 new cases—a 39% decrease compared to the previous 28 days. Additionally, 27 deaths were reported globally during this period, marking a 36% decline in new deaths.

Rougeole/Measles: Christmas is not even 10 days away and other festivities are also lining up. With the holiday season coming in, more cases of measles are likely to be added to the five which had already been recorded in Montreal.

"It's certain that the holiday season worries us, because we gather, we meet our families, we have more contact, and therefore more opportunities for transmission of the virus," said Dr. Paul Le Guerrier on QUB radio and television, broadcast simultaneously on 99.5 FM Montreal, Tuesday.

As per the medical advisor at Montreal's Regional Public Health Department, a surge in cases during this time of the year is conducive as there will be more gathering. In fact, "almost 95% of population would need to be vaccinated to prevent community transmission."

"At the end of secondary school, we reach levels of 86-88%. But we are not yet at the desired threshold," the doctor specifies.

Can Measles Be Prevented?

The spread could be curbed and a significant outbreak during the holiday season could be avoided, if vaccination is done in full flow. Public health department has sent letters to all schools in Montreal province. "If children do not have two doses of measles vaccine, [they are encouraged] to make an appointment or go see their family doctor to increase their vaccination coverage," explained Dr. Le Guerrier.

The public is also urged to keep a check of common signs and measles symptoms like:

• Fever
• Nasal congestion with runny nose
• Cough
• Conjunctivitis
• Eyes sensitive to light
• Widespread unease

Measles In Canada

The Global News reported that so far, Quebec has confirmed three measles cases linked to pediatric medical center in an off-island suburb of Montreal.

The first case was identified in early December, marking the province’s first measles infection since April. Health officials say people who visited the UP pediatric emergency centre in St-Eustache, Que., on the afternoon or evening of Nov. 28 may have been exposed.

So far this year, Canada has reported more than 5,300 measles cases, largely in Ontario and Alberta. Quebec recorded 36 cases during an earlier outbreak. The provincial government warns additional cases are likely and stresses vaccination as the strongest protection against the highly contagious disease.

Unique Symptoms Of Measles To Look Out For

Measles has a high transmissibility, and high measles immunity levels are required to prevent sustained measles virus transmission. This is why herd immunity for measles could be easily breached.

It easily spreads from one infected person to another through breathes, coughs or sneezes and could cause severe disease, complications, and even death.

Read: Unique Symptoms Of Measles In 2025 And How Long Does The Infection Last?

The most unique symptom or the early sign of measles in the Koplik spots. These are tiny white dots that look like grains of salt on red gums inside the cheeks that appear before the red rash starts to appear on a person's face and then the body.

Furthermore, the symptoms of measles are also characterized by the three Cs:

• Cough
• Coryza or runny nose
• Conjunctivitis or red and water eyes

The progression of the symptom comes in two stages, first is the prodromal stage or Days 1 to 4, where one would notice high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, sore throat, fatigue, and Koplik spots.

The second stage is called the rash stage or the days 5 to 10 or even more where rash start to appear on the hairline, and then it runs down the body. It lasts for several days and fades in the same order.

The first symptoms, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), appear 7 to 14 days after a measles infection. Often, it could also lead to ear infection, or even diarrhea. Though these complications happen in every 1 in 10 children or individual with measles.

Angelina Jolie, in an act of bravery, for what many women are often shamed, has revealed her mastectomy scars in a magazine photo shoot for Time France. Now 50, she said she chose to show the result of her preventative breast cancer operation because she was "moved" when other women shared their scars.

Jolie during the cover shoot of Time France said, "I share these scars with many women I love, and I am always moved when I see other women share theirs. I wanted to join them, knowing that Time France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention, and knowledge about breast cancer."

Angelia Jolie's Mastectomy Scars

The 50-year-old actress had a double mastectomy at the age of 37 in 2013. This was after she had discovered that she carried a faulty copy of BRCA1 gene, which had put her in the risk of cancer. The disease runs in her family, as her mother too died of ovarian cancer aged 56 in 2007. She had lost her grandmother and aunt to the same disease.

Now, the Oscar-winning actress has posed showing her double mastectomy scars for the first time so she could raise awareness. The cover photo could be seen with her wearing a low-cut sweater that reveals her scars on the cover photo. The magazine issue that will be published on December 18 will feature a full interview with more photos of her operation scars.

Back in 2015, she revealed in The New York Times article that she also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a preventative measure against developing cancer. She wrote that she had been planning this for "some time now" and that her "children will never have to say, 'Mom died of ovarian cancer'."

According to Cancer Research UK, around 7,600 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the UK, and about 4,100 die from it. The disease often shows few or no symptoms until later stages. Jolie, a mother of six, has long advocated awareness due to her family history, urging women to seek medical advice, stressing that knowledge empowers.

Also Read: More Than A Diagnosis: Cancer Survivors Share The Small Wins That Helped Them Heal

What is the BRCA1 gene?

The BRCA1 gene is a tumor suppressor gene that provides instructions for making a protein that helps repair damaged DNA and maintain the stability of a cell's genetic information.

Mutations in this gene significantly increase the risk of developing certain cancers, most notably breast and ovarian cancers, and also contribute to a higher risk of pancreatic and prostate cancers.

Cancer preventive surgery, also called prophylactic surgery, removes tissues or organs before cancer develops in high-risk individuals to significantly lower their chances of getting cancer, often targeting genetic predispositions (like BRCA mutations) or precancerous conditions (like colon polyps). It's a proactive measure for healthy people at elevated risk, aiming to prevent cancer before it starts, unlike curative surgery that removes the existing cancer.

What is a mastectomy?

A mastectomy is a type of breast cancer surgery that removes all of your breast tissue. Healthcare providers can use it to treat most types of breast cancer. Your provider may also recommend it if you have a high risk of developing breast cancer.

If you have breast cancer, removing the cancer cells is the best way to stop it from spreading. A mastectomy removes all the breast tissue where cancer cells are located. After a mastectomy surgery, you may need other cancer treatments to kill any remaining cancer cells in the surrounding tissue.

US is facing a flu outbreak and as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, an estimated 2.9 million people have gotten sick so far this season. Among them, 1,200 have also died. This is the 'worst' flu season, point out many experts. For US, the country is seeing a post-Thanksgiving spike in influenza, and saw an 8% increase in people testing positive for the flu.

Which Regions Are The Worst Affected By Flu In The US?

As of December 6, as per the latest national data, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, and Louisiana are currently experiencing "high" transmission of the virus.

An increase was also seen in Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Puerto Rico. These states are in the 'moderate' tier for flu cases.

New York City moved into the most severe category for 'very high' flu activity.

What Is Making This Flu Season The 'Worst'?

Much of this flu season is being driven by a new variant, a mutated subclade K, also known as the super flu. This is a subclade of H3N2 influenza, which is historically known for causing more hospitalization and deaths. The best line of defense is to get yourself vaccinated against the virus. “CDC recommends that every 6 months and older who has not yet been vaccinated this season get an annual influenza (flu) vaccine."

As of now, the CDC has distributed 127 million doses, however, things are expected to get worse before they get better.

Not Just US, UK Too Is Struggling With The K Strain Flu

Known as the superflu, this is H3N2 'subclade K'. It is a type of seasonal influenza A virus and people have not encountered much of it in the recent years. This is why there is less immunity against it. However, the National Health Service (NHS), UK, has already sent out a 'flu jab SOS' to vulnerable people.

NHS has confirmed that the super flu is circulating in England this year, and due to less immunity, it is making it easier to spread across people. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged people to get a flu jab. As per the early data, this year's vaccine has offered good protection despite the new strain.

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said that the major concern is that H3N2 is associated with a more severe illness and superflu could be "a very nasty strain of flu". He said that UK could be experiencing a "tidal wave" of illness.

Should You Get The Flu Jab Even If You Are Healthy?

Even if you are healthy, you should get the shot, say doctors. Vaccines are still working against the drifted influenza A (H3N2) subclade, also known as the super flu. The vaccines in high street chemists are sold for £20.

Anyone can be vaccinated, except for those who have a serious allergy to any of its ingredients or to the vaccine it self. The best way to know is to speak to the pharmacist and your GP.

For the vaccine to work, it usually takes up to 14 days. However, what is more important to not is that during the 14-day-long period, you are still vulnerable to catching the virus.