If it seems like more people around you are sneezing and sniffling, it’s not your imagination. This is one of the most common times of year for the common cold. Signs of the common cold include sneezing, a runny nose, headache, a sore throat, coughing and nasal congestion. Ever try to sleep with a runny nose? Not fun. Typically, these symptoms last about a week, which is a long time to be feeling crummy.

Whooping cough or pertussis is showing signs of re-emergence around the world, and more so in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently reported that whooping cough levels have returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels and were six times higher in 2024 than in 2023, and the levels in 2025 are also elevated.

It’s officially here: cold and flu season. As soon as those temperatures drop and we retreat more and more into our homes, the chance of transmitting these viruses increases. According to the American Lung Association, anywhere between five and 20 percent of people in the United States get the flu every year.

While the days of drying our hands on that funky, half-stained, communal woven towel on a roller are over—whew!—it’s still tricky to tell what’s the safest way to dry off. Paper towels can be tossed after using, so that’s a plus. Then again, dryers these days seem to be loaded up with germ-busting tech. Should you wait (and wait) while the blower shoots mystery air your way … or pick paper and never look back?

After almost a two-day meeting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has voted 8-3 to overturn the nearly 35-year-old recommendation to vaccinate newborn babies against hepatitis B within 24 hours of birth. The group says to wait two months instead.

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