Study finds even low lead levels in US water are linked to lead poisoning among susceptible people

In a first-of-its-kind study, physician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) report that even lead levels below the EPA's threshold in household water may adversely affect individuals with chronic kidney disease.

In a nationwide, cross-sectional analysis of household water lead concentrations and blood characteristics in patients beginning dialysis therapy, the team's findings—published in JAMA Internal Medicine—suggested that levels of lead commonly found in U.S. drinking water may be associated with lead poisoning among susceptible individuals.

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Study examines surge in RSV cases after the COVID-19 pandemic

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The surge in RSV cases following the COVID-19 pandemic may have been, in part, caused by increased testing and changes to the RSV genome, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Nature Communications.

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COVID is rising in California. Here's how to protect yourself from FLiRT subvariants It's too early to know if FLiRT will be a major change in the COVID picture; so far impacts have been small. But officials are urging Californians to be prepared. Rong-Gong Lin II LA Times

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U.S. COVID Risk & Vaccine Tracker Covid Act Now has real-time tracking of your community's COVID risk level. Explore how Maryland is doing. Covid Act Now

Entering the state of interest provides data for the state and also by county. 

3 Things to Know About FLiRT, the New Coronavirus Strains A Yale Medicine expert discusses the FLiRT strains, two new COVID subvariants that emerged in in spring 2024. Yale Medicine

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Current COVID boosters offer good protection against severe outcomes but less so against JN.1 The current COVID-19 boosters targeting the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant are still offering solid protection against infection, hospitalizations, and death, but are somewhat limited in efficacy against illnesses caused by the JN.1 subvariant, now the dominant strain in the United States, according to a research letter yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. CIDRAP

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Bird flu infects third US dairy worker; Michigan set to expand testing A third U.S. dairy worker tested positive for bird flu after exposure to infected cows, and was the first to suffer respiratory problems, U.S. officials said on Thursday. Leah Douglas,Julie Steenhuysen,Tom Polansek Reuters

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A man who allegedly stole $6 billion in COVID relief was arrested The DOJ says YunHe Wang offered free VPN programs that infected millions of computers Quartz

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The DOJ’s statement claims that 911 S5 customers allegedly targeted certain COVID-19 relief programs. It says that 560,000 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims originated from compromised IP addresses, resulting in a loss exceeding $5.9 billion for the United States.

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WHO emergencies team faces funding crunch as health crises multiply The World Health Organization's emergencies department is facing “existential threats” as multiplying health crises have left it so short of cash that it needed emergency funds to pay staff salaries at the end of last year, an independent report said. Jennifer Rigby Reuters

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