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Currently, America is experiencing its worst flu season since 2009, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a matter of fact, the CDC says there are so many cases that this season is now classified as being high severity for all age groups. Thats the first time a flu season has acquired that designation since the 201718 season. Still, some states are faring better than others. Heres what you need to know about the current 202425 flu season and where outbreaks are the worst. 16,000 dead from flu so far The 202425 influenza season is having a significant impact on the health and well-being of Americans. According to the CDCs latest US Influenza Surveillance Report for the week ending February 8, 2025, the flu this season has accounted for: 29 million illnesses 370,000 hospitalizations 16,000 deaths The CDC’s report also reveals that during the most recent week, 31.6% of people tested came back positive for influenza, and 50,382 people were hospitalized for the illness in the most recent week alone. The flu has historically been particularly dangerous to the elderly, but sadly, this season, the illness is also hitting infants and children hard. The CDC says that in the past week alone, there were 11 influenza-associated pediatric deaths, bringing the total number of pediatric deaths for the season to 68. “Based on data available this week, this season is now classified as a high severity season overall and for all age groups (children, adults, older adults) for the first time since 20172018,” the CDC says. What states are being hit hard the worst? While respiratory illnesses seem to be running roughshod across the country, some states have it worse than others. The CDCs Outpatient Respiratory Illness Activity Map classifies respiratory illness rates into five categories: very-high, high, moderate, low, and minimal. 36 states and the District of Columbia are currently listed in the very-high category, including: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Nine states are classified in the high category: Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Two states are classified in the moderate category: North Dakota and Utah. One state is classified in the low category: Alaska. And two states are classified in the minimal category: Hawaii and Montana. Screenshot via CDC: Week ending February 08, 2025 How can I protect myself against the flu? Its impossible to fully protect yourself from the flu. However, the CDC says the best way you can protect yourself is by getting the flu vaccine. Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season, especially people at higher risk, the agency notes. Other steps you can take to decrease your likelihood of getting the flu are to avoid those who are sick with the illness and to wash your hands. You can check out the CDCs full list of recommendations here.
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E-Commerce
A new app makes hiring security as simple as ordering an Uber. A viral TikTok with 11.2 million views reads, POV we just ordered bodyguards to pick us up from the airport. In the video, two influencers summon a pair of Protectorsprivate security in black SUVsto Newark Airport after flying in from Los Angeles for New York Fashion Week. Another clip follows: Everything we did with our bodyguards today. They get picked up from their hotel, stop for matcha, attend a runway show, and shopall accompanied by four bodyguards. @fuzzandfuzz uber could neverrrr #nyc #bodyguard #nycgirl #airportlife #uber Just A Girl – No Doubt The videos are savvy marketing for Protector, a soon-to-launch app promising on-demand personal security for the general public. These ads are working bc I have never in my life pre-downloaded an app, one commenter wrote. Another added, As soon as this app is available, Im booking. Launching Tuesday in New York City and Los Angeles, Protector charges $200 per hour for a bodyguard and a driver, with prices climbing based on the clients needswhether extra guards, a full motorcade, or high-level security measures, according to the apps 25-year-old founder and CEO, Nick Sarath. Ultra high-profile individuals like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have dedicated full-time protection teams, but for most people, navigating security options is more challenging than it should be, Sarath told The New York Post this week. Clients can customize nearly every detail, from their Protectors attire (business formal, business casual, or tactical casual) to their ridechoosing between Cadillac Escalades and Chevy Suburbans. The Protectors themselves are elite professionals with backgrounds in Air Force Pararescue, SWAT, Navy SEAL teams, and Special Operations Forces. The bodyguards are selected based on their years of experience and specialized units in which theyve served, Sarath added. All are licensed to carry concealed weapons and remain armed on duty. Beats waiting around for a taxi.
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E-Commerce
A lone anglerfish has captured the internets heart. Usually found 6,500 feet under the sea, this black seadevil was filmed by marine researchers in Tenerife swimming towards the waters surface on January 26. The shark conservation NGO Condrik Tenerife called the black, razor-toothed creature “a legendary fish that few will ever have the privilege of observing alive,” when sharing their footage on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by David Jara Boguá (@jara.natura) Tragically, the fish died just hours after being spotted, making its final swim all the more poetic. This scientific discovery has since spread across social media and sparked an emotional outpouring for this six-inch fish. I just found out about the angler fish and Im sobbing, one TikTok creator posted. Close your eyes and just imagine for one minute just ONE minute and be her. The feeling he had seeing a light other than her own and then leaving this world, another TikTok post reads, before speculating as to why the fish was so far from home. Was she sick? Scared? A bet? Or was she just lonely like most of us and had nothing to lose. Grief? the post continues. The bravest thing Ive ever seen! @robynkay46 Oh I cant quit crying! #brave #angler #fish #ocean #spain #amazing #sad #ocean #trending #fypage #fyp #fy #f #2025 #record #history #wildlife #news Outro – M83 There are a number of more realistic but less romantic theories for why the black seadevil was so close to the surface. Researchers speculate that a predator may have swallowed the fish and later regurgitated it at a shallower depth, or that it was caught in an upward-moving column of warm water Either way, the internet has taken the fishs story and ran with it. One TikTok user even used AI to create a Finding Nemo-style animation about the fishs final swim that has since gained 44.1 million views. That was someones baby, one commenter wrote beneath the video. One little fish that touched the hearts of thousands, commented another. A third added: I wonder if she knows how much she is loved up here. Someone get Pixar on the phone.
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E-Commerce
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