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As today is the first Monday of 2026, Americans across the country are settling back into their everyday routines after the busy holiday season. But many are also recovering from the fluor still suffering from it. Flu illnesses are surging across the country. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), positive influenza test results reached the highest levels of the season for the week ending December 27, 2025. The CDC publishes a weekly influenza surveillance report that details positive case counts, illness activity levels by state, and breakdowns of flu types. Due to the winter holidays, the CDCs latest weekly report was delayed. But the agency published its findings today, January 5, 2026. The report shows that 32.9% of samples tested positive for influenza. Positive influenza test results have continued to trend upwards in recent weeks. Influenza A H3N2 Super Flu cases are surging nationwide Fast Company previously wrote about the worsening spread of the so-called super flu. The most common influenza strain this season is the subclade K, which is a mutated version of H3N2, a subtype of the influenza A virus. According to CDC data, for the week ending December 27, a total of 994 influenza viruses were reported by public health laboratories. Of those, 971 were influenza A and 23 were influenza B. Of the 600 influenza A viruses that were subtyped, 91.2% were influenza A H3N2. For the same week, 33,301 patients were admitted to hospitals with influenza. Meanwhile, two influenza-related pediatric deaths were reported. One death occurred the week ending December 20 and one death occurred the week ending December 27. A total of nine influenza-related pediatric deaths have been reported this season. For the week ending December 27, activity levels were considered very high in more than half of the U.S. states. Activity levels were also very high in Puerto Rico. Screenshot via CDC. The states with the highest flu activity include: Alabama Alaska Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Idaho Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Ohio Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Vermont Virginia The CDC expects activity to continue for several weeks. What are the symptoms of the flu? Flu symptoms can vary from mild to severe. According to the CDC, these are the most common symptoms to be aware of: Fever Feeling feverish/having chills Cough Sore throat Runny or stuffy nose Muscle or body aches Headaches Fatigue (tiredness) Possible vomiting or diarrhea Its worth noting that not everyone with the flu gets a fever. If youre experiencing flu-like symptoms, the CDC recommends limiting contact with others. Total flu cases reach 11 million nationwide The CDC estimates that at least 11 million flu illnesses have occurred so far this season. The agency estimates that there have been 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths from the flu. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older who has not yet been vaccinated this season get an annual influenza vaccine.
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E-Commerce
The Trump administration has added seven countries, including five in Africa, to the list of nations whose passport holders are required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States. Thirteen countries, all but two of them in Africa, are now on the list, which makes the process of obtaining a U.S. visa unaffordable for many. The State Department last week quietly added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan to the list. Those designations took effect on Jan. 1, according to a notice posted on the travel.state.gov website. It’s the latest effort by the Trump administration to tighten requirements for entry to the U.S., including requiring citizens from all countries that require visas to sit for in-person interviews and disclose years of social media histories as well as detailed accounts of their and their families’ previous travel and living arrangements. U.S. officials have defended the bonds, which can range from $5,000 up to $15,000, maintaining they are effective in ensuring that citizens of targeted countries do not overstay their visas. Payment of the bond does not guarantee a visa will be granted, but the amount will be refunded if the visa is denied or when a visa holder demonstrates they have complied with the terms of visa. The new countries covered by the requirement join Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, which were all placed on the list in August and October of last year. Matthew Lee, AP diplomatic writer
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For years, pharmaceutical companies have been racing to develop a market-ready GLP-1 weight-loss pill to join the ranks of popular injectables. Today, Novo Nordisks oral version of Wegovy is officially available for purchase. The Wegovy pillwhich has been in clinical trials for over two years and was approved by the FDA on December 22is the first and only oral GLP-1 medication for weight loss in adults available in the U.S. According to a press release from Novo Nordisk, the pill hit the market on January 5 at more than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies and several popular telehealth providers. Per a KFF health tracking poll released in November, 1 in 8 Americans were already taking a GLP-1 medication for weight-loss. The new Wegovy pill likely represents an incoming era of even more widespread access to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. We know there are people who are interested in addressing their weight but have been waiting on the sidelines for a medicine that was right for them, Ed Cinca, Novo Nordisks senior vice president of marketing and patient solutions, said in the press release. For many of them, he added, the wait is over. As of this writing, Novo Nordisks stock is up about 4% since the announcement. Heres what to know about the companys new pill. How much does the Wegovy pill cost? Like the injectable version of Wegovy, its pill form will require a prescription from a doctor. Its available in multiple doses, including 1.5 milligrams (which is considered a starter dose, to help the body build up a tolerance), 4 mg, 9 mg, and 25 mg. Novo Nordisk says prices for self-pay patients will start at $149 per month for the 1.5 mg dose. The 4 mg dose will also be available for $149 per month through April 15, 2026, then $199 per month after. The highest dose of 25 mg will be available for $299 per month. Where is the Wegovy pill available? Starting today, the Wegovy pill is available at more than 70,000 pharmacies, including CVS and Costco, as well as telehealth providers like Ro, LifeMD, Weight Watchers, NovoCare Pharmacy (Novo Nordisks direct-to-patient service), GoodRx, and more. For its part, GoodRx (which is a healthcare company that provides coupons and savings to be applied in pharmacies) announced in its own press release that it will help consumers access the Wegovy pill at a variety of pharmacies for its lowest price of $149 per month at the 1.5 mg and 4 mg dosages. The news comes after GoodRx first joined forces with Novo Nordisk in September to offer the lowest-ever out-of-pocket prices for injectable Ozempic and Wegovy.
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