How the CDC will track disease from travelers

Plus more health news | Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Health Matters]( [How the CDC will track viruses over the holiday season]( By Alice Park Senior Health Correspondent All signs point to a busy holiday travel season, as COVID-19 restrictions have lifted and more people are vaccinated and feel comfortable squeezing into close quarters on planes, trains, and automobiles. But COVID-19, not to mention other respiratory diseases like flu and RSV, are still a threat, and for a number of reasons, data about their spread is currently pretty limited. Since 2021, the CDC has asked passengers arriving in the U.S. on international flights to voluntarily provide nasal samples to screen for COVID-19, and that program will now include screening for flu and RSV as well. The travelers’ program is proving to be a robust source of information about important infectious diseases, says its director, Dr. Cindy Friedman. We discussed the its track record, and her plans for increasing its usefulness. - For now, it will screen for COVID-19, flu and RSV at four major airports—JFK in New York, San Francisco International, Logan in Boston and Dulles in Washington, D.C. - Friedman isn’t just relying on the kindness of passengers to provide samples; the program also collects wastewater from planes to provide more data on viruses that could be entering the country. - Eventually, Friedman says the program will look for about 30 pathogens that can cause illness in people, including those that can contribute to croup and pneumonia. [READ MORE]( Share This Story What Else to Read [People With Disabilities in Gaza Face Additional Barriers in the War]( By Mallory Moench People with disabilities in Gaza are suffering disproportionate harm in the Israel-Hamas war, international aid organizations warn. [Read More »]( [Column: The Biggest Myths About Motherhood in the Animal Kingdom]( By Lucy Cooke Maternal instinct is a long-standing myth that belittles the complexities of motherhood, writes Lucy Cooke. [Read More »]( [Why Ultra-Processed Foods Are So Bad for You]( By Tara Law Recent research finds that highly processed food may pose health risks. [Read More »]( [How to Survive on Less Sleep]( By Abigail Abrams It's possible to train your body to need less sleep, some research has found. But it won't work for everyone. (Originally published in 2017.) [Read More »]( [Feeling Lonely in Your Relationship? Here’s What to Do About It]( By Candice Jalili Loneliness is not just an emotion reserved for those who are alone. [Read More »]( ONE LAST READ [Artillery soldiers are suffering from mental health trauma]( Researchers widely agree that athletes who experience repeated head traumas can develop a degenerative brain disease known as CTE. A New York Times investigation by David Philipps suggests troops who repeatedly fire high-powered artillery may be at risk for similar outcomes, with some soldiers returning from war experiencing mental health issues, nightmares, panic attacks, and hallucinations that neither doctors nor the military can fully explain. [Read More »]( If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, [click here](. Today's newsletter was written by Alice Park and Jamie Ducharme, and edited by Oliver Staley. [Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.]( [Subscribe to TIME]( TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via [Facebook]( | [Twitter]( | [Newsletters]( [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS]( TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508 Questions? Contact health@time.com Copyright © 2023 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.