Erika Edwards
NBC News
Bethesda, MD, United States
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Past articles by Erika:
Flu is spreading fast across most of the U.S., CDC reports. Older adults and children are most at risk.
Respiratory illness is "elevated" across the country as some pharmacies report shortages of the prescription antiviral Tamiflu, which protects against severe flu complications. → Read More
Covid deaths and hospitalizations are falling in the U.S.
Even as new omicron strains take over, Covid is no longer driving a majority of patients into the hospital. Still, doctors worry the virus could re-emerge as immunity wanes. → Read More
Meditation as effective as medication for anxiety, study finds
Practicing mindfulness meditation was shown to be as helpful for anxiety as taking a daily pill, new research shows. → Read More
FDA warns of animal tranquilizer in illicit drug supply
Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, is increasingly being detected in heroin and illicit fentanyl, the FDA warns. Overdoses can't be reversed with Narcan. → Read More
Flu hospitalizations hit decade high amid early viral surge
Flu, RSV and other respiratory viruses are spreading earlier in the season after two years of unusually low circulation. → Read More
Alcohol deaths spiked among middle-aged adults, especially women, during pandemic
Drinking too much has been increasingly killing Americans for nearly two decades. The pandemic accelerated those deaths. → Read More
CDC confident Ebola outbreak in Uganda can be contained
Experts say the risk to Americans is low, but health care providers have been advised to be aware of symptoms of the illness. → Read More
Taking a break from the news can improve mental health, study finds
You're reading this, sure. But is it best for your psyche? Maybe not. → Read More
Two powerful drugs are making their way into the illicit drug supply
An animal tranquilizer called xylazine and powerful synthetic opioids called nitazenes are increasingly linked to overdoses. → Read More
Signs of heart disease may be more subtle in women than men
In a review paper, the American Heart Association spells out how symptoms of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems differ in women and men. → Read More
Bacterium that can cause deadly infections found in U.S. soil and water for the first time
The bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, was previously found only in Southern Asia, Africa and Australia. Infections can lead to a possibly fatal illness called melioidosis. → Read More
Covid hospitalizations double since May, driven by BA.5
The highly contagious omicron subvariant now accounts for more than half of new infections in the U.S. → Read More
In searching for biological origins of obesity, Louisiana lab goes back to the beginning of life
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana — the only lab in the world equipped to measure metabolism in infants — hopes to reveal the origins of obesity. → Read More
Brain fog, other long Covid symptoms can last more than a year, study finds
The new research is the longest follow-up study of the neurological symptoms among long Covid patients. → Read More
CDC investigating more monkeypox cases
CDC is investigating another four suspected monkeypox cases in the U.S. One case was confirmed last week. The U.S. has sufficient vaccines in the stockpile. → Read More
Still a mystery: No new clues in the apparent uptick in kids' hepatitis
Cases of explained hepatitis in children has risen to 180, with 6 deaths, the CDC said Friday. An adenovirus is the leading suspect, but the cause remains unclear. → Read More
CDC issues alert for rare liver damage in children
The CDC has issued a health alert for unusual cases of severe hepatitis in children. Several cases have been identified in Alabama and North Carolina. → Read More
Covid cases are down. Unfortunately, stomach flu outbreaks are up.
As Covid restrictions are lifted, people are gathering more, which could be behind an uptick in stomach bugs. → Read More
Flu cases tick upward as Covid restrictions ease
The flu didn't surge back this season, but doctors remain concerned about what could happen in the fall as our flu immunity fades. → Read More
BA.2 version of omicron is rising in the U.S., but experts remain optimistic
The recent omicron wave may protect against another major Covid surge. → Read More