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Respiratory illness activity is elevated or increasing across most areas of the country, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some 38 states plus New York City are experiencing "high or very high" levels of respiratory illness activity, according to the CDC. Of those states, 21 are experiencing "very high" activity. Last week, 31 states were experiencing "high or very high" activity. (Benadjaoud, 1/8)

COVID-19 variant JN.1 is driving a rise in cases brought on by the winter months. In the beginning of December, the variant made up about 20% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Now, JN.1 accounts for about 60% of cases, according to federal health data from the last two weeks. (Guan, 1/8)

The Bay Area is seeing the highest levels of COVID-19 infections recorded in wastewater surveys since they began in mid-2022. But unlike previous waves of the pandemic, fewer people are becoming severely ill with the disease. Data collected by the public health company Verily indicate elevated concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 particles, the virus responsible for COVID-19, in nearly all Bay Area sewer sheds. Throughout December, these levels more than tripled in most cities, reaching highs at treatment plants in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Novato around Christmas day. (Vaziri, 1/8)

San Francisco has reported its first flu-related death of the 2023-24 respiratory virus season, public health officials announced Monday. Officials did not disclose the gender or age of the person who died, other than to say they were younger than 65 years old, had not gotten vaccinated and had preexisting medical conditions. The person died last week. Statewide, 126 Californians have died from the flu as of Dec. 30, the most recent date for which data is available, according to the California Department of Public Health. (Ho, 1/8)

Former chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci sat for a seven-hour closed-door meeting Monday, facing questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and offering his expertise on preparing for potential outbreaks in the future. The former government official last year agreed to two days of transcribed interviews back-to-back with the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. The first meeting Monday ran about an hour long. (Choi, 1/8)

Moderna Inc.’s sales for 2023 modestly beat analyst estimates as it eked out a bigger US market share for Covid shots, though the biotech giant reiterated a downbeat outlook for the year ahead. The company reported $6.7 billion in unaudited Covid vaccine sales ahead of its presentation Monday at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. That includes includes $6.1 billion from its coronavirus shots — which have a 48% market share in the US — and $600 million in deferred revenue related its work with GAVI, a global health initiative to boost immunization. (Langreth and Smith, 1/8)

Exercise is good for health, but it can be harmful for some long Covid sufferers, new research shows. Those experiencing debilitating crashes after strenuous activity — a condition known as post-exertional malaise — risk severe tissue damage from hardcore exercise, scientists in the Netherlands found. (Gale, 1/9)