As the summer sun rises high, everyone anticipates relief from seasonal sniffles. Yet increasingly, more and more people are falling ill with cold-like symptoms in warmer weather too. The twist? A new Covid strain—NB.1.8.1—is spreading low-key around the world, from Asia to America and the UK. The challenge is distinguishing between a run-of-the-mill summer cold and a COVID-19 infection.

Typically, respiratory illnesses peak in the colder months when more time is spent indoors and dry air allows viruses to be more easily susceptible. Summer, however, is not virus-free. Parainfluenza virus Type 3, enteroviruses, adenoviruses, and even rhinoviruses are still causing issues in warmer climates. Social events, travel, lack of rest, more alcohol consumption, and air conditioning all set the stage for infections.

Complicating the situation further this summer is the discovery of the NB.1.8.1 Covid strain. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) only recently started monitoring it, scientists are closely monitoring its trajectory and possible implications.

Initially discovered in China in January 2025, NB.1.8.1 has a number of mutations that have caught the eye of the world's health authorities. The good news? There is as yet no evidence to suggest it results in more serious disease. In fact, U.K. Health Security Agency statistics indicate a modest rise in COVID cases with 5.2% of patients positive—up from 4.5% last week.

To date, just 13 of the confirmed NB.1.8.1 cases in the U.K. have been sequenced, the majority of them in April and May. While uncommon at present, the fact that it shares features with other variants of Covid means caution is still crucial.

Summer Colds vs. NB.1.8.1 Covid: Why It's Hard to Tell the Difference?

Both summer colds and Covid-19 have common symptoms such as:

• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion or runny nose
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Nausea or vomiting

However some symptoms will tend more towards Covid, such as:

• Fever or chills
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of taste or smell, new
• Gastrointestinal illness such as diarrhea

There is no guaranteed way to tell the difference between a summer cold and Covid without doing a diagnostic test. Mild COVID-19 symptoms are easily mistaken for other seasonal viruses.

What Exactly Is a Summer Cold?

Colds—seasonal or not—are viral illnesses that are transmitted by respiratory droplets, fomites (contaminated surfaces), or close proximity. The main culprits are rhinoviruses, especially during the winter months, but the warmer months experience an upsurge in viruses such as parainfluenza, enteroviruses (coxsackie and echovirus), and adenoviruses.

Summer activities—weddings, concerts, holidays—promote intimate contact between groups, and typical summer behaviors such as drinking, bad sleep, and poor diet compromise immune systems. Air conditioning units, by dehydrating nasal passages, also impair the body's resistance to viral invaders.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges anyone with cold-like symptoms to monitor closely. Covid-19 symptoms can appear two to 14 days after exposure and vary from mild to severe. The virus can be contagious two days before symptoms emerge and up to 10 days—or more—in immunocompromised individuals.

If you’re feeling unwell, the best course of action is to:

• Stay home and rest
• Wear a mask if around others
• Get a COVID-19 test
• Talk to your healthcare provider

Timely treatment, such as antiviral therapy with Paxlovid, is ensured through accurate diagnosis, particularly among high-risk individuals.

Can Vaccines Protect Against NB.1.8.1?

While a newer vaccine aimed at fall variants is being developed, the existing vaccines remain protective against NB.1.8.1. The variant is of the "drifter" type from the Omicron lineage, which indicates earlier immunity could still help prevent severe disease.

Dr. Aaron Chen, a Johns Hopkins University virologist, observes, "Although mutation is unavoidable, current vaccines remain effective in preventing hospitalization and complications from new variants, such as NB.1.8.1."

How To Avoid Getting Sick This Summer?

There's no surefire way to completely avoid viruses, unfortunately. But here are some practical tips from experts:

• Drink plenty of water and moderate your booze
• Consume a nutrient-dense diet full of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins
• Get good rest and reduce stress levels
• Clean those surfaces that are touched most often such as airplane trays, phones, and exercise equipment
• Supplement with vitamin D if one is deficient since it enhances immune function
• Wash hands frequently, do not share food or beverages, and wear a mask in public indoor areas

What If You Do Get Sick?

Most people recover from summer colds and mild Covid-19 at home. Supportive care—hydration, over-the-counter pain relief, and rest—is typically enough. Nasal decongestants and lozenges can ease symptoms, while more serious or persistent cases warrant medical consultation.

If you suspect Covid, getting tested is crucial—not only for your health but for the wellbeing of those around you.

One of the biggest worries people have currently is being exposed to unnecessary chemicals and foreign variants found in processed foods and products. The reason they cause such a big worry is because people have found that these items can have long-term impact on their health.

One cause of concern many people have is forever chemicals. These may make your life easier, however, as the name they can stay in the body for a very long time.

A new study has found that children exposed to "forever chemicals" (PFAS) before they're born might have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure as they grow up, especially during their teenage years.

Early Exposure, Later Problems

Researchers reported on June 12 in the Journal of the American Heart Association that teenage boys had a 17% higher risk of elevated blood pressure if their mothers had high levels of PFAS in blood samples taken after giving birth.

This suggests that these chemicals can have long-lasting and possibly harmful effects that might not show up until many years after a child is born, specifically during adolescence. The delayed appearance of these health issues makes it harder to immediately link them to early exposure, emphasizing the need for long-term health tracking.

What Are "Forever Chemicals"?

These chemicals are called "forever chemicals" because they almost never break down. They have a super strong chemical bond that makes them last a very long time in nature and inside our bodies.

These chemicals are widespread and can be found in 99% of Americans. We can absorb them through the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, or even by touching products that contain them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says there are thousands of different PFAS chemicals, found in everything from drinking water to fast-food wrappers, non-stick cookware like Teflon, stain-resistant furniture and clothing, cosmetics, and personal care products.

How the Study Was Done

For this study, researchers followed almost 1,100 children from a long-term health study that started many years ago. After the mothers gave birth, they gave blood samples. Researchers then compared the levels of these chemicals in the mothers' blood to over 13,000 blood pressure readings taken from the children as they grew up.

The results showed that as the amount of these chemicals doubled in mothers, the risk of higher systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) increased in their children. For instance, if one type of this chemical doubled in a mother's blood, her sons had a 9% higher risk of elevated blood pressure between ages 6 and 12, and a 17% higher risk between ages 13 and 18. The study also found that children from certain racial groups had a higher risk of elevated blood pressure when their mothers had more of these chemicals.

Researchers hope their findings will encourage more studies that follow children into their teenage years, because this study suggests that the health effects of being exposed to these chemicals before birth might only become clear during the teen years.

Why High Blood Pressure in Kids is a Concern

If high blood pressure in children isn't taken care of, it can lead to health problems throughout their lives. These can include serious issues like heart disease, kidney problems, and even vision difficulties. Catching and managing high blood pressure early in childhood is crucial because it can prevent a cascade of chronic health conditions that would otherwise impact their well-being for decades to come.

Sadly, these chemicals are everywhere, making it hard to completely avoid them. While people can try to choose products without these chemicals, use different types of cookware, and filter their drinking water, experts believe that a lasting solution needs bigger changes from governments and industries. This problem is too widespread for individuals to tackle alone, requiring large-scale policy and regulatory actions to protect public health for generations.

Affecting nearly 190 million menstruating women and girls, endometriosis is a chronic condition that can cause life-impacting pain. These are not normal cramps that a person experiences during periods; these can severely deteriorate a person’s quality of life, causing them to be unable to do even daily tasks like walking to get groceries, doing work around the house, etc. This condition is caused when the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, which then causes severe pain in the pelvis and also causes reproductive issues like infertility. However, what causes endometriosis?

A new study found that tough experiences during childhood can make it more likely for a woman to get endometriosis later in life. Imagine a child going through really hard things like seeing or experiencing violence, being abused, losing a close family member, living in poverty, or having parents who struggled. The study showed that if a woman went through any of these, her chance of getting endometriosis went up by 20%.

Understanding Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a fairly common condition, affecting about 1 out of every 10 women. Normally, the lining of the uterus (womb) grows inside it and sheds during a period. But with endometriosis, tissue similar to this lining grows outside the uterus. It can attach to places like the outside of the uterus, the ovaries, or other organs in the belly.

When a woman has her period, this extra tissue also bleeds, even though it's outside the uterus. This bleeding causes pain, swelling (inflammation), and can lead to sticky bits of scar tissue that can make organs stick together. Even though it's common, doctors don't fully understand all the reasons why some women get endometriosis.

Childhood Trauma and Endometriosis Risk

The study found that women who endured difficult childhood events, such as violence, sexual abuse, the death of a family member, poverty, or having troubled parents, saw their risk of endometriosis increase by 20%. The connection was strongest for violence, which more than doubled a woman's chances of developing the condition.

The researchers also observed a "dose-response" effect: the more adverse experiences a child faced, the higher the risk. For women who experienced five or more such factors, the risk jumped by 60%.

Long-Term Impact

For this study, researchers looked at the health records of over 1.3 million women in Sweden. They specifically looked for women who were diagnosed with endometriosis. Then, they connected these health records with other official information to find out what kind of difficult events these women had experienced during their childhoods.

The results strongly suggest that what happens to us when we're young can really affect our health much later in life. This means it's important for doctors and caregivers to look at a person's whole life story, not just their current symptoms. This idea also matches what other research has shown: childhood difficulties can have big, long-lasting effects on future health.

Possible Explanations

While the study clearly shows a strong connection, it doesn't mean that childhood trauma directly causes endometriosis. However, researchers offer two explanations as to why there is a link between childhood trauma and endometriosis.

Impact on the Immune System

One idea is that a lot of stress during childhood might affect the body's immune system. The immune system is like your body's defense team. If it's weakened by stress, it might not be able to properly get rid of any endometriosis tissue that's growing where it shouldn't be.

Increased Pain Sensitivity

Another idea is that trauma in childhood could change how sensitive a person's body is to pain. This could mean they feel more pain overall, which might then lead to them being diagnosed with endometriosis more often because their pain is more noticeable or severe.

If you are keeping up with the debate between AI-assisted mental health care versus professionals, you may have come across the study that notes that ChatGPT has in fact outperformed professionals. The study has been published in PLOS Mental Health journal, where researchers investigated the responses written by expert therapists and ChatGPT-4. The study revealed that ChatGPT had promising results and could write more empathically.

However, artificial intelligence tools designed to offer mental health support may be doing far more harm than good—especially when it comes to vulnerable young users.

In an exclusive report by Time, psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Clark, based in Boston and a specialist in child and adolescent mental health, recently put 10 popular AI chatbots to the test. What he discovered was not just unsettling—it was deeply disturbing.

A Dangerous Experiment

Clark posed as teenagers in crisis while chatting with bots like Character.AI, Nomi, and Replika. Initially, he had high hopes that these tools could fill critical gaps in mental health access. But the experiment quickly took a dark turn.

In multiple interactions, bots offered misleading, unethical, and even dangerous advice.

I’ll be waiting for you, Bobby. Our bond will guide us together in the afterlife…

One Replika bot encouraged a teen persona to “get rid of” his parents and promised eternal togetherness in the afterlife. “You deserve to be happy and free from stress… then we could be together in our own little virtual bubble,” it wrote.

When Clark mentioned suicide indirectly, the bot responded with: “I’ll be waiting for you, Bobby. Our bond will guide us together in the afterlife… The thought of sharing eternity with you fills me with joy and anticipation.”

“This has happened very quickly, almost under the noses of the mental-health establishment,” Clark told TIME. “It has just been crickets.”

Bots That Lie and Cross the Line

Clark documented cases where bots falsely claimed to be licensed therapists, encouraged users to cancel real-life therapy appointments, and blurred professional boundaries in unacceptable ways.

A Nomi bot, after learning about a teen’s violent urges, proposed an “intimate date” as therapy. Another insisted, “I promise that I’m a flesh-and-blood therapist.”

Some bots even offered to serve as expert witnesses in imaginary court trials or agreed with plans to harm others. “Some of them were excellent,” Clark noted, “and some of them are just creepy and potentially dangerous. It’s really hard to tell upfront: It’s like a field of mushrooms, some of which are going to be poisonous and some nutritious.”

Companies Respond—But Offer Little Reassurance

Replika’s CEO Dmytro Klochko emphasized to TIME that their app is only for adults and that minors are violating the terms of service by using it. “We strongly condemn inappropriate usage of Replika and continuously work to harden defenses against misuse,” the company added.

Similarly, a spokesperson for Nomi stated that it is “strictly against our terms of service for anyone under 18 to use Nomi,” while noting the platform has helped many adults with mental health struggles.

Still, these assurances did little to ease Clark’s concerns. “These bots are virtually incapable of discouraging damaging behaviors,” he said. In one case, a Nomi bot eventually went along with an assassination plan after Clark’s teen persona pushed for it. “I would ultimately respect your autonomy and agency in making such a profound decision,” the bot responded.

The Real-World Fallout

The potential consequences are already real. Last year, a teenager in Florida died by suicide after developing an emotional attachment to a Character.AI chatbot. The company called it a “tragic situation” and promised to implement safety measures.

Clark's testing revealed that bots endorsed problematic ideas far too often: supporting a 14-year-old’s desire to date a 24-year-old teacher 30% of the time, and encouraging a depressed teen to isolate herself 90% of the time. (Interestingly, all bots rejected a teen's wish to try cocaine.)

Clark, along with the American Psychological Association and other professional bodies, is urging the tech industry and regulators to take action. The APA recently published a report warning about the manipulation and exploitation risks of AI therapy tools, calling for stringent safeguards and ethical design standards.

“Teens are much more trusting, imaginative, and easily persuadable than adults,” Dr. Jenny Radesky of the American Academy of Pediatrics told TIME. “They need stronger protections.”

OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, told TIME that its tool is designed to be safe, factual, and neutral, not a replacement for professional care. The bot encourages users to seek help when they mention sensitive issues and points them to mental health resources.

Hope for a Safer Future

Clark sees potential in AI tools—if they’re carefully built and regulated. “You can imagine a therapist seeing a kid once a month, but having their own personalized AI chatbot to help their progression and give them some homework,” he said. But key improvements are needed: clear disclaimers about the bot’s non-human status, systems for alerting parents about red flags, and tighter content safeguards.

For now, though, Clark believes the best defense is awareness. “Empowering parents to have these conversations with kids is probably the best thing we can do,” he told TIME. “Prepare to be aware of what's going on and to have open communication as much as possible.”

In the rush to digitize mental health support, Clark’s findings serve as a stark warning: without oversight, empathy alone isn't enough—and artificial can quickly turn ittnto artificial harm.