The U.S. is seeing a double-digit increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations as new highly transmissible omicron strains circulate nationwide. 

Basilisk. Centaurus. And now, Kraken. As the omicron strain has splintered off into what seems like endless sublineages, the technical numerical names have become increasingly difficult to commit to memory, making way for unofficial nicknames like Basilisk, Centaurus and now, Kraken. 

In the wake of criticism over its "delayed and inconsistent response" to COVID-19, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, is moving forward with a new initiative — the CDC Moving Forward project — that will overhaul "top-to-bottom" the fundamental workings of the agency, according to Bloomberg. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published new guidance on the treatment of obesity in children ages 2 and older, its first update on the topic in 15 years. 

Heading into the second week of the new year, experts have their eye on COVID-19 as respiratory syncytial virus and the flu continue to recede. 

The emergence of the highly transmissible omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 should serve as a wake-up call for the U.S. to reinvest in new vaccines, therapeutics and surveillance efforts, Eric Topol, MD, founder and director of Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego, wrote in a Jan. 8 op-ed for The Washington Post.

The CDC has lowered its estimate of omicron subvariant XBB.1.5's prevalence in the U.S., now saying the highly transmissible strain accounts for about 28 percent of COVID-19 cases. 

Flu activity remains high, but continues to decline in most parts of the country, the CDC's latest FluView report shows. 

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is the latest to report a rise in severe strep A infections, according to a Jan. 5 report from CBS affiliate WWMT. 

The omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is gaining dominance in the U.S., though its prevalence still varies greatly by region. 

New Jersey has set aside $15 million for healthcare facilities that offer a full spectrum of reproductive care to use for facility upgrades and security enhancements. 

Health officials are keeping a close eye on omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 due to its rapid growth in the U.S. 

Flu deaths are rising slower than during the last three seasons, preliminary data from the CDC suggests.

Loss of taste and smell were once the hallmark symptoms of COVID-19. Nearly three years later, physicians have seen a number of other strange symptoms reported by patients during or shortly after a bout with COVID-19, as well as conditions linked to treatments and vaccines. 

In one week, the prevalence of XBB.1.5 — an offshoot of omicron subvariant XBB — more than doubled in the U.S., according to the latest CDC estimates. 

As flu activity continues its descent from an unusually early and strong season, the past week saw a flu hospitalization rate four times higher than the same week each year since 2010, according to the CDC's FluView report. 

A "startling" surge in diabetes diagnoses among American youth is predicted by 2060, according to a Dec. 29 CDC report.

Less than 25 percent of neonatal intensive care units across the U.S. screen for universal social determinants of health, according to a study published Nov. 1 in Hospital Pediatrics.

COVID-19 hospitalizations appear to be leveling off in the U.S. after a steady month of growth, though it's still unclear how the holiday season may affect this trend.

Beginning Jan. 5, travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau will be required to test negative for COVID-19 before boarding flights headed to the U.S., the CDC said in a Dec. 28 announcement. The move comes as concern mounts over a growing surge of cases in China.