A new COVID-19 variant‚ JN.1‚ has taken the title of the most prevalent variant of the virus in the US‚ and also worldwide‚ according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).“JN.1 remains the most widely circulating variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States and globally‚” states their latest report. In fact‚ as of January 20‚ the variant makes up almost 86 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the US‚ per the latest CDC figures.The highly mutated strain is a descendant of Omicron – specifically the “Pirola” variant‚ BA.2.86 – and was first detected in the States back in September. By the end of October‚ it was responsible for less than 0.1 percent of SARS-CoV-2 viruses but has been on the rise ever since."Most likely‚ if you're getting COVID right now‚ you're getting this particular variant mutation‚" Eyal Oren‚ a director and professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health at San Diego State University‚ told NPR.Among the reasons for this latest surge of JN.1‚ Oren added‚ is the virus's rapid evolution: "our immune systems have not been able to keep up."What are the symptoms of JN.1?It’s thought that JN.1 presents similarly to previous variants. According to the CDC‚ these symptoms include:Fever or chillsCoughShortness of breath or difficulty breathingFatigueMuscle or body achesHeadacheLoss of taste or smellSore throatCongestion or runny noseNausea or vomitingDiarrheaHowever‚ there has been some evidence that people are reporting slightly different COVID symptoms this season‚ including trouble sleeping and anxiety.  Should we be concerned?The fact that JN.1 has become so dominant could be taken as evidence that it’s more transmissible than previous variants‚ or better at evading the immune system. However‚ the CDC assures that “currently there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease.”Still‚ COVID-19 infections‚ hospitalizations‚ and deaths have been elevated in recent weeks‚ especially in the eastern half of the country. People are advised to take the usual precautions by wearing masks‚ avoiding crowds‚ staying in when sick‚ and washing their hands.The CDC recommends staying up to date with this season’s vaccinations for both COVID-19 and flu‚ which they say are “well-matched to the viruses that are most common and should offer good protection”.“Current COVID-19 vaccines are expected to increase protection against JN.1‚ as they do against other variants‚ by helping prevent severe illness.”The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice‚ diagnosis‚ or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Swab‚ swirl‚ drop – then pray there’s only one line. Nearly four long years after COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic‚ many of us are familiar with the routine of lateral flow tests (LFTs) for the virus. But that time has also seen new variants pop up‚ including JN.1‚ which is now the most prevalent in the US and worldwide. Knowing whether or not you have the virus can still come in pretty handy‚ which begs the question: are existing LFTs still able to pick such new variants up?How lateral flow tests workShort answer – yes. The longer answer involves which part of the virus is actually being detected by the LFT and how SARS-CoV-2 mutates.With environmental pressures‚ the virus that causes COVID-19 is constantly mutating over time in order to continue thriving in the population. Many variants of the virus have emerged from mutations in the spike protein‚ the part of a virus that mediates its entry into host cells‚ where it then begins to replicate.But it’s not the spike protein that the vast majority of LFTs are looking for; it’s another type of structural protein called a nucleocapsid‚ or N-protein‚ which makes up the protective capsule that surrounds the viral genome. N-proteins don’t tend to mutate as much as spike proteins do‚ meaning that tests should still be able to pick them up.“There’s always this fear that we’re going to have some mutation that’s now going to make the tests not work‚ but so far that’s not really the case‚” said Dr Susan Butler-Wu‚ a clinical pathologist at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California‚ speaking to NBC News.Why might a test be negative?Though that may well change in the future‚ in the meantime‚ there are a number of reasons why a test might not work even if someone does have COVID-19. One of them is testing before the virus has replicated enough to be detected. “If you look at viral kinetics … on average‚ it usually takes three‚ four or five days for the virus to go from being very low levels to getting high enough for any test to pick up‚” immunologist and epidemiologist Dr Michael Mina explained to CNN‚ adding that this hasn’t changed much with newer variants.The CDC currently recommends that if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19‚ but don’t have any symptoms‚ to wait for at least five full days after exposure before taking a test. If you have symptoms‚ it’s suggested to take a test immediately. In both circumstances‚ if that test comes back negative‚ it’s advised to take another LFT after 48 hours‚ or get a PCR test.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice‚ diagnosis‚ or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

In Argentina‚ 44-year-old Leda Bergonzi‚ known as the Healer of Rosario‚ is gaining popularity. Having become a well-known healer in the country‚ the former seamstress and mother of five children won the attention not only of her compatriots‚ but also of the Catholic Church in Argentina. Argentina’s history is rich in religious healers‚ but none have achieved such heights as Leda Bergonzi. As an ordinary woman‚ she realized that she had the gift of healing from God and decided to use it for charitable purposes. The Catholic Church supports her‚ calling the Healer Rosario phenomenon part of an internal movement within the church. Leda stands out not only for her unusual gift‚ but also for her informal clothing style – skinny jeans‚ T-shirts and high-top sneakers make her recognizable. She attracts crowds‚ spending her days in her hometown of Rosario healing people from ailments ranging from paralysis to cancer. Her meetings resemble evangelistic services with music‚ blessings and miracles. However‚ this is not just a show – hundreds of testimonies of people she has healed and the support of the Catholic Church give Leda credibility. It attracts not only practicing Catholics‚ but also those who have long departed from the faith. Every week‚ up to 20‚000 people flock to Rosario to receive Leda’s blessing. Lines for her events sometimes exceed a mile‚ and people are willing to wait more than 12 hours to see Healer Rosario. In addition to her singing‚ which is rumored to have a healing effect‚ Leda touches the forehead of the afflicted‚ saying something mysterious. The consequences of this are varied – from inner peace to fainting. There was the 21-year-old woman who was paralyzed and intubated. The 66-year-old former truck driver who lost his voice two years ago. A 56-year-old who gradually lost his vision. They rode buses from across the country‚ camped out overnight and waited in line for hours. Then‚ one by one‚ on crutches and in wheelchairs‚ holding babies and carrying photographs of relatives far away‚ they approached the woman they hoped would heal them. And one by one‚ they started to faint. At the front of a packed warehouse‚ 44-year-old Leda Bergonzi placed her hand on each of their foreheads and whispered into their ears. As she blessed them‚ some grabbed onto her‚ sobbing uncontrollably. Others collapsed into her arms or dropped onto the concrete floor. Members of her team stood by‚ ready to catch people as they fell. “I told myself‚ I’ll go with all my faith and give it a try‚” said Jorge Fernández‚ a 56-year-old former bricklayer who lost his vision after a traffic accident in 2019 and had traveled to Bergonzi’s ceremony for the sixth time. “Thanks to God and Leda’s touch‚ I started seeing again‚” reports washingtonpost.com. Leda Bergonzi travels through the countries of South America‚ attracting the attention of not only believers‚ but also the curious. She is frugal with her finances and donates food to those in need. Leda says she is simply following God’s call. Some see it as salvation and an opportunity to bring millions of people back to the church‚ while others fear that a focus on miracles could harm the interests of the church. The post An Argentinian woman claims to have the gift of healing appeared first on Anomalien.com.

There’s a saying that dogs are man’s best friend‚ and anyone who has a furry companion can attest to the truth in these words. The joy they show when we come home‚ their silent companionship during quiet moments‚ and even their slobbery kisses are all signs of their boundless love. These expressions of affection are... The post Woman rescues abandoned dog and received emotional and heartfelt ‘thank you’ in the car appeared first on Animal Channel.

We love a good limited edition keyboard‚ and SteelSeries once again provides the good with this White x Gold design that adds style and class to any gaming setup. Better still‚ SteelSeries is once again using the Apex Mini Pro as the product‚ so the quality on display is incredible. The catch? It's $379.99. Despite its smaller form factor‚ the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is one of the best gaming keyboards on the market today. Its Omnipoint mechanical switches offer responsiveness that can challenge even the speediest optical competitors. Continue reading This White x Gold keyboard is beautiful‚ but only 250 are being made MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

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Yesterday‚ Apple released the iOS 17.4 beta. While all the attention has turned to the upcoming changes for iPhone users in the European Union‚ this new operating system update also brings important features to users elsewhere. For example‚ one of the most popular requests from users‚ new emojis are coming with iOS 17.4. Over 100 new figures will be available in March‚ and you can see them here. Despite that‚ MacRumors found more details about Apple's CarPlay overhaul‚ which includes eight new apps that will be available with this iOS 17.4 update. The publication's contributors‚ Aaron Perris and Steve Mosser‚ made the discovery. Once cars start using the new CarPlay experience‚ they will discover the following new apps: Auto Settings: Manage paired iPhones and adjust vehicle settings Car Camera: Display the vehicle's rear-view camera feed Charge: For EVs‚ the app will display battery level‚ charging status‚ time remaining to fully charge the battery‚ etc Climate: Control the vehicle's climate controls within CarPlay‚ and adjust the A/C temperature or heating system Closures: Displays vehicle warning symbols and if any door is open Media: With this app‚ you can access FM and AM radio stations. MacRumors doesn't know how SiriusXM will be available‚ but users will be able to choose from a list of music genres Tire Pressure: The app shows the air pressure for each of the vehicle's tires‚ in addition to tire warnings Trips: Provides a variety of driving-related data‚ such as vehicle's average speed‚ fuel efficiency‚ total time elapsed‚ distance traveled on a trip‚ and more. Lastly‚ MacRumors discovered the new CarPlay experience with iOS 17.4 beta 1‚ which has a new "Goodbye" screen after the drive shuts off the vehicle. Interestingly‚ these iOS 17.4 CarPlay changes were spotted a few days after a report showed that Apple's initiative to build its own car is at another make-or-break point. Don't Miss: Apple Car reportedly cuts key driverless features as release target slips to 2028 The post 8 new apps from Apple’s CarPlay overhaul were just found in iOS 17.4 beta appeared first on BGR. Trending Right Now: Groundbreaking new solar panels can generate electricity in the dark

Signs are growing that North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un is preparing for a lethal military attack against South Korea in the upcoming months‚ according to U.S. officials‚ who said they do not see an impending threat of a full war on the Korean Peninsula.