CDC says "pivotal discovery" about delta variant prompted new mask guidance and urges universal masking in some places
CBSN
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging local health authorities to consider heightened prevention strategies like "universal masking" for public indoor settings, particularly when it comes to large indoor gatherings with travelers. It cited new data from a delta variant outbreak in Massachusetts that led to hundreds of coronavirus infections — many among fully vaccinated travelers.
The CDC, in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, also published more details about the "pivotal discovery" that prompted federal health officials to ramp up their masking guidance earlier this week. Tests used to diagnose cases linked to the Massachusetts outbreak had similar "cycle threshold" values among both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated "breakthrough" cases, suggesting both groups could be carrying similar loads of the virus. "High viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and raised concern that, unlike with other variants, vaccinated people infected with Delta can transmit the virus," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.Almost four out of every 10 people in the United States live in a place where air pollution is considered bad enough to put their health at risk, the American Lung Association warned in its latest "State of the Air" report released on Wednesday. That proportion of people — about 39% of the population — had risen sharply since earlier rounds of pollutant data were analyzed for the annual report last year, and the trends were especially pronounced in certain parts of the country.
Between now and 2030, about 10,000 Americans will turn 65 every single day, highlighting a growing concern about the nation's preparedness for elder care often falling on the shoulders of their adult children. This has given rise to a term known as the "sandwich generation," defined as adults who find themselves caring for their aging parents while still raising their own children.
Washington — The Supreme Court is set to consider Thursday whether former President Donald Trump is entitled to sweeping immunity from federal prosecution for conduct that occurred while he was in the White House, thrusting the justices into election-year politics in a historic case with significant ramifications for his legal and political future.
A bottlenose dolphin was found shot to death on a Louisiana beach last month and now authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information that aids their investigation into the incident. NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement said the dead dolphin was found on West Mae's Beach in the state's Cameron Parish with multiple bullets lodged in its brain, spinal cord and heart.