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Flu and RSV outbreak cancels Christmas events and closes schools early ahead of the holidays READ MORE: States bring back face mask rules as doctors warn of 'quad-demic' By ALEXA LARDIERI U.S. DEPUTY HEALTH EDITOR DAILYMAIL.COM and SADIE WHITELOCKS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 19:04, 23 December 2024 | Updated: 19:09, 23 December 2024 e-mail 1 View comments More than a dozen states have been upgraded to a status of 'high' or 'very high' levels of respiratory virus activity, with some forced to close schools and cancel holiday events. Oregon and Louisiana are seeing very high levels of the flu , Covid, RSV and other respiratory illnesses for the week ending December 14, the latest data available. While California , Idaho , Nevada, Arizona , New Mexico, Kansas , Arkansas , Alabama , Tennessee, Georgia, New Jersey, Washington, DC and New York City are reporting high levels. The number of states at either of these levels is double from the week prior, with experts saying illnesses are rising quickly. And in some states, hospitals are reinstating mask rules in hopes of curbing the spread. Dr William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, which is dealing with a respiratory illness spike in the Nashville area, told the East Bay Times: 'Flu has been increasing, but just this last week has exploded.' Alabama was the newest state to be upgraded this week and the state had to cancel classes for three days at one school in Limestone County as the district fights a flu outbreak. Sugar Creek Elementary School announced it had 'been monitoring the amount of sickness among students and staff' and decided to close for three days 'to give our students and staff a chance to recover and stop the spread.' Additionally, the school postponed a holiday event until next month 'due to the high number of illnesses in our school and community.' Children and seniors are at particular risk for severe illness from flu, RSV or Covid Christmas festivities in Hartselle, Alabama were also postponed 'due to so many of our vendors being under the weather.' In a social media post, the organizers said: 'Due to multiple vendors having the FLU...we feel it’s best to CANCEL THE Rocky Acres Christmas Market!!! We are so sorry for any inconvenience!!!' Read More Terrifying quad-demic could ruin your Christmas gatherings, warn health chiefs Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) medical officer Wes Stubblefield said the state's number of flu-like illnesses continues to surge. He told local Fox 54: 'This year, our numbers have started to rise pretty dramatically over the last two to three weeks. We don't know where the peak will end. But it's safe to say that the flu is here, and everyone needs to be prepared.' Nationally, lab tests for positive influenza cases have risen nine percent and 9,000 people have been hospitalized during the past week. Doctors visits for the flu have risen four percent and two more deaths from the virus were reported this week. Thus far for the 2024-2025 flu season, the CDC estimates there have been nearly 2million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations and 1,000 deaths. Experts partly attribute the highly active start of flu season to lower vaccination rates. As of December 7, only 41 percent of both adults and kids had received a flu shot. The flu is not the only virus driving respiratory illness activity rates. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, is also picking up. Each year in the US, RSV leads to approximately 2.1million outpatient visits among children younger than five years old, though this is likely an undercount because many people with the virus don't seek medical treatment. One way officials estimate the spread of a virus is through wastewater testing, and levels of RSV being detected in wastewater are on the rise. Wastewater monitoring by the CDC can detect viruses spreading within communities earlier than lab testing of patient samples can and even before people who are sick visit a doctor. It can also detect infections without symptoms. The overall RSV activity level in wastewater is currently 'low,' but has seen a sharp increase over the last several weeks. During the two weeks between November 30 and December 14, national wastewater levels of RSV activity increased 160 percent, according to the CDC. Activity was marked as 'very high' in Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Missouri, Louisiana, Washington, DC, and Maryland during the week of December 8 to 14. The above graph shows the nationwide activity of RSV detection levels in wastewater The above map shows the activity of RSV detection levels in wastewater in each state The CDC estimates 22,000 to 45,000 people were hospitalized with RSV during from October 1 to December 7. It is also estimated the virus has caused 980 to 2,300 deaths. Meanwhile, the numbers are even higher for Covid, with up to 120,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths. In light of the growing numbers, the CDC says immunizations are the best way to prevent serious illness from Covid, RSV and flu. Everyone aged six months and older is advised to be up to date with the most recent Covid vaccine, while the flu vaccine is recommended annually, each season. For RSV, there are two options recommended to protect infants and one is recommended for a small group of young children aged eight to 19 months who are at increased risk for severe RSV. RSV vaccines - given as single doses - are recommended for all adults ages 75 and older and adults ages 60 to 74 who are at increased risk. Older residents in nursing homes are at heightened risk of severe illness and death from any one of the three viruses due to their weakened immune systems. During the 2021-2022 flu season, the death rate for people 65 years and older was around 7.4 per 100,000 population, compared to 0.1 per 100,000 people among those aged 18 to 49 years. If you have received an RSV vaccine already, the CDC says you do not need to get another RSV vaccine at this time. Along with getting vaccinated, the CDC recommends mask wearing 'during periods of increased acute respiratory infections in the community'. It adds: 'Coughing patients and anyone suspected of having influenza should wear a mask at all times until they are isolated in a private room. '[However] no recommendation can be made at this time for mask use in the community by asymptomatic persons, including those at higher risk for complications, to prevent exposure to influenza viruses.' Share or comment on this article: Flu and RSV outbreak cancels Christmas events and closes schools early ahead of the holidays e-mail Add comment
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Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times, Chief executive officers have exited from U.S. companies in 2024 at a greater pace than ever before, with businesses increasingly opting to appoint interim leaders as replacements, according to global outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. As of November, 1,991 CEOs have departed from their companies, “the highest total on record,” according to a Dec. 20 report from the company. “It has surpassed the previous record of 1,914 CEO exits that occurred in all of 2023. It is up 16% from the 1,710 exits that occurred during the same period last year.” Amid a jump in executive departures, companies were found to be appointing more interim leaders. Last year, interim replacements for CEOs were at seven percent, this year it has gone up to 13 percent. “ The current landscape has a lot of uncertainty baked in, and companies are responding by putting temporary leaders in place. This can act as a trial run to see how the leader navigates current challenges,” Challenger, Gray & Christmas Senior Vice President Andrew Challenger said. “It’s much less disruptive to replace an interim head if things do not appear to be working out, not only the company and its employees, but also to analysts and shareholders.” Entities in the government/non-profit sector saw the highest number of exits year-to-date at 438 departures, followed by health care/products, technology, entertainment/leisure, financial, services, and hospitals. State-wise, California topped the list with 223 CEOs departing, followed by New York, Texas, and Florida. Besides stepping down, some of the top reasons executives gave for leaving their positions included retirement, pursuing new opportunities, or transitioning to a different position within the company. Back in September, Andrew Challenger suggested that economic changes were a key factor for the rising number of exits. “Economic uncertainty tends to drive leadership decisions and several indicators suggest not only is the labor marketing softening, but the market overall may be heading for a downturn,” he said. “Companies are cutting costs across the board, as well as pivoting to new procedures, operations, and in some cases products, in light of new technologies. It’s an ideal time for new leaders to ascend.” The Challenger report comes as Pat Gelsinger, the chief executive of Intel, resigned from his post earlier this month after leading the tech giant for four years. Under his tenure, the company saw several quarters of revenue declines as well as net losses. Intel also failed to create any significant impact in the AI chip space during these years. Following Gelsinger’s exit from the company, Intel’s shares surged. Earlier in March, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun stepped down after the company got entangled in a scandal over quality issues. A door panel of a Boeing plane blew off mid-air during a flight in January, triggering concerns about safety regulations followed by the company. This also attracted increased government scrutiny. In addition to Calhoun, two more senior Boeing executives resigned from their posts at the time. In January, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares left his post following disappointing sales numbers in North America. According to a report by leadership advisory company Russell Reynolds Associates, more companies are appointing CEOs from within their business than from outside. The report analyzed data from leading global stock indexes. “Globally, of the 178 CEOs appointed in 2023, 77 percent were internal hires,” it said while adding that such appointments had hit an “all-time high” last year. The trend is driven by several factors, including views that an internal candidate is lower risk and lower cost and that such promotions are “more likely to inspire and encourage current staff.” “Additionally, boards want to send a message that they have been doing their job by constantly and effectively planning for successions. This means unplanned emergencies as well as systemic future planning have been effectively prepared for.” Internally appointed executives were found to have served 1.4 years longer on average. In addition, external hires were more likely to be fired from their posts, the report said.
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The Social Democrats have had “a positive day” as they look set to grow their representation in the Dail parliament. Party leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a baby girl on polling day, is well placed to retain her seat in the highly competitive constituency of Cork South-West. The Social Democrats, founded in 2015, won six seats in the 2020 election with around 3% of first preference votes. The exit poll after Friday’s General Election put the party on 5.8%, which would give them the most support of the smaller groups in the Dail. Social Democrats Wicklow candidate Jennifer Whitmore said she was “feeling great” as she arrived at the count centre in Greystones on Saturday. “It’s been a really positive result so far. Obviously, a little bit to go yet, but it’s looking really good,” she said of tallies that put her on 14% support and in line for the third of four seats in the constituency. “I think even across the country it’s looking good for the Soc Dems. “I’m hearing really positive things from all the different count centres, so it looks like our six TDs will hopefully be returned, and then we could be in contention for a number of other seats as well, so it’s a really positive day for us.” Asked whether the party would be willing to enter government formation talks with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, Ms Whitmore said: “There’s still a while to go. “We’re in contention for a number of seats, but we’ll wait until we get them delivered and then we’ll be thinking about talking to the others.” Asked if she was worried by how support for the Green Party looks to have dropped after being a junior government partner, Ms Whitmore said small parties “can often bear the brunt of being in government”. “I think that’s why we were really clear that we set out our five deal-breakers, because we wanted to be very upfront with the public to say ‘if we do go into government, here is what we will be able to achieve’. “We didn’t want to over-promise, and we didn’t want to give people the impression that we were going to do things that we weren’t going to be able to get. “So we were really clear and very transparent in saying, ‘these are the five things that we would achieve if we go in’, and hopefully that will stand to us in the negotiations.” She said that Ms Cairns, who became leader last March, would remain involved in the party over her maternity leave, with deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan stepping in. Mr O’Callaghan said on Saturday his party’s “red lines” were not intended to rule them out of being in government with Fianna Fail or Fine Gael. “This is about defining our negotiations and talks with the parties once the election counts are over,” he said. On a common platform for left-wing parties to negotiate from, Mr O’Callaghan said: “We certainly intend on talking to the Labour Party and other parties over the coming days and weeks, that’s our intention.” The Social Democrats were co-founded by Roisin Shortall and Catherine Murphy in July 2015 – along with then-independent TD Stephen Donnelly, who later joined Fianna Fail and became health minister. Asked about the difficulty facing Mr Donnelly to keep his seat in Wicklow, Ms Whitmore said it was always going to be “a dogfight” for the “highly contested” fourth and final seat in the constituency. “When I was going around on the doors, I was getting a lot of positive feedback from people. People weren’t really talking about other parties or mentioning other candidates. “So I think it wasn’t clear from that what was going to happen, but I think the fourth seat was always going to be the really messy one.”
( MENAFN - IANS) Mumbai, Dec 25 (IANS)Rating: 4.5/5The Varun Dhawan-starrer 'Baby John', which released on Wednesday, is more than just a film. It offers a cinematic experience that cements Varun's position as one of Bollywood's finest this year. The film features a perfect blend of emotions, action, music, and masala entertainment with a message. This movie is a complete mass family entertainer. It is directed by Kalees, the film reflects Atlee's signature touch of grandeur and emotional depth, delivering a narrative about women safety that strikes a chord with the audience. From the makers of Jawan, Kabir Singh, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Baby John carry forwards the legacy of good cinema. The movie is produced by Murad Khetani, Priya Atlee and Jyoti Deshpande. This is undoubtedly Varun Dhawan's career-defining performance. He brings his A-game, delivering a nuanced portrayal of a loving father and a fierce protector as a police officer Satya. His on-screen chemistry with Zara, playing his daughter, is heartwarming. Zara is a revelation, her innocence and charm light up the screen, making the father-daughter bond the emotional backbone of the film. Varund Dhawan and Rajpal Yadav's camaraderie brings in humour and fun moments to the film. Jackie Shroff's commanding presence as the antagonist is a show-stealer. As always, his effortless portrayal of the character adds depth to the narrative. Keerthy Suresh is brilliant and does complete justice, Wamiqa Gabbi also shines, her action scenes are also good. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan also appears in a cameo at the end. His presence lights up the screen like never before. Thaman's background score is nothing short of spectacular, elevating every scene to new heights. The tracks Nain Matakka, Bandobast will make you groove. Kalees has done utmost justice to the story, blending larger-than-life moments with intimate emotions. The film's theme, which revolves around child trafficking, a topic close to everyone's heart, is handled with sensitivity, stirring conversations long after the credits roll. A gripping narrative filled with humor, action, and heart-tugging moments works hugely in the film's favour. Stellar performances, especially from Varun Dhawan and Zara along with Jackie Shroff's killer screen presence adds up to the narrative. 'Baby John' is a complete entertainer that ticks every box-emotions, music, action, laughter, and more. It's a film that not only raises the bar for Varun Dhawan but also sets new standards for Bollywood cinema. A must-watch this holiday season. 'Baby John' is presented by Jio Studios, A For Apple, Cine1 Studios. The film is running in cinemas near you. MENAFN24122024000231011071ID1109028648 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Kmani Doughty had 17 points in Indiana State's 83-80 victory against Iona on Saturday. Doughty shot 5 of 9 from the field, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 7 from the line for the Sycamores (4-4). Jaden Daughtry added 16 points while going 6 of 9 and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line while they also had six rebounds and three steals. Josiah LeGree shot 5 for 8, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc to finish with 14 points. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.