US surgeon general declares US gun violence an urgent public health crisis | CNN Gun violence in the United States is an urgent public health crisis that demands the “collective commitment of the nation” to stop it, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says in a new advisory released Tuesday. Jen Christensen CNN

...

Latest XBB COVID-19 vaccine offers protection against hospitalization, deaths Today, JAMA Internal Medicine published a study calculating the protection offered by the latest Pfizer COVID-19 XBB vaccine compared to older vaccines against COVID-associated hospitalization and emergency department (ED) or urgent care (UC) visits.  CIDRAP

...

The authors compared outcomes among those who had received an updated XBB vaccine and those who had not received an XBB vaccine of any kind, regardless of prior COVID-19 vaccination or infection history.

USDA finds unusual twist: Bird flu moved from dairy cows to poultry in Michigan LANSING — A team of epidemiologists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have traced the H5N1 viral spread in Michigan to a single herd of dairy cattle ... The Blade

..

Pot use seems to contribute to more severe cases of COVID-19, study finds - UPI.com Among patients diagnosed with COVID-19, those who used marijuana had a higher risk of hospitalization and intensive care unit admission, a new study indicates. UPI

...

Study Confirms One Type of COVID Mask Is 'Significantly Better' Than Others They're not all the same. David Nield ScienceAlert

Of the four types of masks tested, the duckbill N95 mask came out on top: it blocked 99 percent of large particles and 98 percent of small particles from getting out into the air. Overall, 98 percent of the viral load was blocked by the N95.

Seasonal affective disorder strikes some in the summer. Climate change may make it worse. Story at a glance As climate change brings on hotter and hotter summers, health experts worry a type of depression called summer seasonal affective disorder could become more common.   People … Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech The Hill

...

Study suggests cancer patients should stay current on COVID-19 boosters Yesterday in Nature Communications a study shows cancer that patients who are up to date on vaccines and have received COVID-19 boosters are more protected against death and serious complications than unvaccinated patients. CIDRAP

...

Lab study: Sterilized reused respirators not effective enough against aerosolized particles Over 78% were dirty, rendering them unsuitable for sterilization, the authors say. CIDRAP

...