12-3 Since the start of October, CDC officials estimate, there have been 78,000 flu hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths nationally. RSV and COVID are also circulating.

12-5-22 Amid the current surges of respiratory viruses including COVID, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky urged the public to wear masks again.

12-8-22 A study that examined mask use in California found that those who claimed to always wear a cloth mask in indoor public settings were 56 percent less likely to test positive for the coronavirus than those who did not. When people constantly wore surgical masks, the protection increased to 66 percent, and when they wore N95 or KN95 masks, it was 83 percent.

12-10-22 The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has issued a health advisory recommending that residents wear masks at all times when they are at indoor public spaces regardless of their vaccination status, citing an increase in respiratory viral illnesses and the high levels of hospitalizations being reported. People who are pregnant, older than 65, have weakened immune systems or are not up to date on their vaccines should consider avoiding large indoor gatherings and asking those around them to mask as well when gathering together.

12-23 The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that those who had less than 10 minutes of physical activity a week were 91% more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 and 291% more likely to die from it than those who were consistently active (over 150 minutes of physical activity per week).