While US has already reported record breaking flu cases, with hospitalizations and deaths continuing to rise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the flu activity may not have peaked yet. Around 40,000 people were admitted to the hospital with flu during the week ending with January 3. The CDC published the data that showed around 10% more than the 36,000 hospitalizations from the week before. There were 12 flu hospitalizations for every 100,000 people in the US last week.

CDC has also noted that vaccination "has been shown to reduce the risk of flu and its potentially serious complications". However, only 130 million doses of vaccine have been distributed, which covers less than 40% of the US population.

While the CDC data showed an increase in flu-like activity, and that the records have reached the highest since the initiation of the agency's tracking around 30 years ago, some indicators this week have fallen. CDC says that this does not mean the season has reached its peak, rather the downtick "could be due to changes in healthcare seeking or reporting during the holidays." CDC says more flu cases may come in the weeks ahead.

The Worst Flu Season Could Become Worse

This year's flu came after the flu vaccination was made, which means the current vaccination does not align with the mutation, however, experts have pointed out that it still continues to offer protection against the illness. This season's flu is a mutation of H3N2 or influenza A, called the subclade K, or what people are calling 'super flu'.

This is the culprit in rising flu cases, globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) on its website said that K variant marks "a notable evolution in influenza A (H3N2) viruses". Some are also questioning the effectiveness of this season's influenza vaccine against the strain.

The flu virus is highly contagious and spreads easily in crowded places, especially during the colder months.

In some cases, the infection can progress to the lungs, which could lead to complications like bronchitis or pneumonia. Yale Medicine too notes that this virus could attack the respiratory system, including throat, nose, and lungs.

What Are The Common Symptoms This Season For The Flu?

K variant causes more intense flu symptoms, they include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose

Are The Old Vaccines Effective Against This New Variant?

"The vaccine remains the most effective means to prevent disease. We still want to encourage people to get the vaccine," said Professor Antonia Ho, Professor and Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the University of Glasgow. Experts have stressed enough on the immunity that one can receive from the vaccine that that these flu jab remain the best defense against the flu, even though the current strain circulated may have drifted away from the strain included in this year's jab.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also show that vaccines is performing as expect, despite the emergence of subclade K.

A smartphone app called Are You Dead? has rapidly climbed the charts in China, striking a chord with young adults who live alone in fast-growing urban centres. The app asks users to regularly confirm that they are still alive, and in recent weeks it has become the country’s most downloaded paid application.

Its stark idea may sound unsettling, but that very premise appears to be what draws people in. Beyond its novelty, the app reflects a deeper issue, showing how living alone, along with rising mental health concerns, is increasingly being viewed as a public health issue.

What Is Are You Dead?

An app named “Are You Dead?” hardly sounds inviting at first glance. Still, for many people who live by themselves, it has turned out to be more comforting than alarming. Its strength lies neither in flashy features nor complex technology, but in how plainly it speaks to a fear most people keep to themselves.

The app, known as Sileme in Chinese, was launched in May and has already become the most downloaded paid app in the country. It is designed for those who live alone and worry about what could happen if they fall ill, meet with an accident, or suddenly collapse with no one nearby to help. For users without close family or regular social contact, this fear is not abstract. It is part of everyday life.

The idea behind the app is straightforward. Users are required to check in every two days by tapping a large button to confirm they are okay. If they fail to do so, the app alerts a pre-selected emergency contact, signalling that something may be wrong.

When it first launched in May last year, the app attracted little attention. That changed dramatically in recent weeks, as large numbers of young people living alone in Chinese cities began downloading it.

On the Apple App Store, the app is described as a “lightweight safety tool designed for people who live alone, offering quiet protection through regular check-ins and emergency contact features to make solo living feel safer.”

Who Is Are You Dead For?

Are You Dead? refers to itself as a “safety companion” for people who live alone, whether due to work, education, or a personal preference for living independently. It is aimed at those vulnerable to social isolation, including students, working professionals, and older adults living by themselves in cities. According to the Chinese media outlet Global Times*, China may have as many as 200 million single-person households by 2030, underlining why digital tools like this are finding a ready audience.

How Living Alone Can Lead To Increased Health Concerns

Living alone can affect health in several ways, mainly through loneliness and reduced social contact. These factors are linked to higher risks of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, weakened immune function, and even early death. Living alone can also influence daily habits, increasing the likelihood of falls, poor nutrition, smoking, and unsafe alcohol use, particularly among older adults, while making it harder to manage existing health conditions.

When people think about staying healthy, they usually focus on diet, exercise, and sleep. The role of social connection in protecting health is often overlooked. Loneliness, and the rise in stress hormones like cortisol that often comes with it, can quietly take a toll on the body.

“We clearly understand how sitting too much, smoking, and obesity contribute to chronic disease,” says psychologist Amy Sullivan, PsyD. “Loneliness should also be seen as a risk factor for long-term health problems.”

Health risks linked to loneliness include:

• High blood pressure.
• Cold and flu.
• Cardiovascular disease.
• Stroke.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Dementia.
• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Suicide and self-harm.
• Premature death.

“We know how stress affects the body, and loneliness is a powerful form of stress,” adds psychologist Adam Borland, PsyD, as cited by the Cleveland Clinic. “When people feel lonely, they are less likely to care for themselves properly, and that can eventually lead to serious health problems.”

Been feeling a certain tightness across your chest, wheezing or coughing uncontrollably? Your lung health may be at risk

Dr Killol Patel, a board certified pulmonologist in New Jersey, explains that respiratory symptoms are common when running in cold weather due to a lack of moisture in the air and lung spasms.

He said: "The moist lining of your nose and mouth normally warms and moistens inhaled air before it goes to the lungs. But when it’s dry and cold and you’re breathing fast during exercise, the air may not get as conditioned.

"That can lead to not only coughing and wheezing, but trouble catching your breath, chest tightness and the urge to cut your run short."

The lungs have a defensive natural protective mechanism known as bronchospasm which activates whenever the organ detects a sense a potential irritant or damage. "When you breathe in air that’s dry and cold, your lungs may spasm as a means of protection. They think there’s something noxious in the air," he elaborated.

Those suffering from respiratory issues such as exercise-induced asthma or have irritated or inflamed airways may experience worse symptoms of bronchospasm, Dr Patel warns.

The expert said: "In those cases, your lungs are already on edge, so there’s no buffer. Exercising in the cold, dry air can take you over the edge more quickly. Your heart may then start racing, and your body tells you to stop. Mucus may also build up to clog your airways."

What Can You Do To Protect Your Lungs?

Dr Patel advises staying warm and dry through moisture-wicking layers for comfort. The expert adds that runners should consider covering their nose and mouth with a scarf or mask as they start moving.

“It creates a small bubble of warmer air to breathe,” Dr. Patel says. (Once you acclimate, however, you may not need it anymore, he adds.)

He also recommends hydrating well before starting a run as dehydration can make you "more prone to bronchospasms, especially people with asthma".

Dr Patel suggests avoiding smoggy routes and dirty areas as pollution as well as germs can further amplify symptoms and worsen the situation. “If it’s cold on top of that, [poor air quality] can make breathing and symptoms worse,” he told Hackensack Meridian Health.

A 2023 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology study suggests that when the temperature inside the nose drops in cold weather, it may hamper the nose’s first-line, natural defense mechanism against viruses that cause upper respiratory infections and make the body more prone to illnesses.

Do Breathing Exercises Help?

• Warm up your airways
• Inhale through your nose rather than your mouth
• Slow down your pace and focus on rhythmic breathing

Lastly, Dr Patel advises avoiding tobacco smoke and air pollutants (both indoors and out) and getting regular health checkups.

Dementia patients in the United States continue to be prescribed stimulant medications known to carry serious risks, despite long-standing safety warnings, according to new research. The study, set to be published January 12, in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA, highlights ongoing concerns around medication use in older adults with cognitive decline.

While overall prescribing of these drugs has fallen over the years, the decline has not been even. Among all Medicare beneficiaries, usage dropped from 20 percent to 16 percent over the nine-year study period. Yet individuals with cognitive impairment remain more likely to receive these medications, even though they are particularly susceptible to harmful side effects.

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a significant decline in mental function that interferes with daily life. It affects memory, thinking, and reasoning, and can also influence mood, behavior, and personality. Dementia is not a single illness but a syndrome caused by different conditions, most commonly Alzheimer’s disease.

Symptoms tend to worsen gradually, making everyday activities such as communication, decision-making, and self-care increasingly difficult. While there is no cure, certain treatments can help manage symptoms, according to the National Institute on Aging.

“Although the downward trend in prescribing was a positive sign, by 2021, more than two-thirds of patients who were still receiving these medications had no clear clinical reason documented for their use,” said senior author Dr. John N. Mafi, associate professor-in-residence of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, as per Scitech Daily. “This points to persistently high levels of prescribing that may be unnecessary and potentially harmful.”

He added, “Compared to patients with normal cognitive function, older adults with cognitive impairment were more likely to be prescribed these drugs, even though they face a greater risk of adverse effects. These findings highlight major gaps in care quality and safety that affect millions of older Americans.”

Unsafe Medications Being Prescribed To Dementia Patients

For the study, researchers linked survey information from the Health and Retirement Study with Medicare fee-for-service claims data. They reviewed prescribing patterns for potentially inappropriate central nervous system, or CNS-active, medications between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2021. Older adults were divided into three groups: those with normal cognition, those with cognitive impairment without dementia, and those diagnosed with dementia.

The medications assessed were grouped into five categories: antidepressants with strong anticholinergic effects, antipsychotics, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics.

Higher Use Among Those With Cognitive Impairment

Clear differences emerged across the three cognitive groups. CNS-active medications were prescribed to 17 percent of older adults with normal cognition. This figure rose to nearly 22 percent among those with cognitive impairment but no dementia. Among individuals living with dementia, about one in four received these medications.

Looking more closely at specific drug types among all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, trends varied. Benzodiazepine use declined from 11.4 percent to 9.1 percent. Prescriptions for non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, commonly used to treat sleep problems, dropped sharply from 7.4 percent to 2.9 percent. In contrast, antipsychotic use increased from 2.6 percent to 3.6 percent. Rates of anticholinergic antidepressant prescribing remained unchanged at 2.6 percent throughout the study period, while barbiturate use saw a slight decrease from 0.4 percent to 0.3 percent.

Signs of Progress Alongside Ongoing Concerns

Prescriptions backed by a clear clinical justification declined slightly, from 6 percent in 2013 to 5.5 percent in 2021. At the same time, prescriptions considered likely inappropriate fell more noticeably, dropping from 15.7 percent to 11.4 percent. Much of this improvement was linked to reduced use of benzodiazepines and sleep medications, along with fewer inappropriate prescriptions overall.

The researchers acknowledged several limitations. The analysis did not include data from Medicare Advantage plans, some clinical details such as agitation may not have been captured, and the study focused on how frequently these medications were prescribed rather than how long patients remained on them.

“CNS-active medications can be appropriate in certain situations,” said Dr. Annie Yang, a scholar in the National Clinician Scholars Program at Yale University, as per Scitech Daily, who led the study while training as a UCLA internal medicine resident. “But it is essential for older patients and their caregivers to work closely with their doctors to confirm that these drugs are truly necessary. When they are not, care teams should explore other treatment options and consider whether it may be safe to gradually reduce or discontinue the medication.”