A total of 3,927 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations were reported between October 1, 2017 and December 30, 2017. The overall hospitalization rate was 13.7 per 100,000 population. 

The highest rate of hospitalization was among adults aged ≥65 years (56.6 per 100,000 population), followed by adults aged 50-64 (15.4 per 100,000 population) and children aged 0-4 years (9.9 per 100,000 population). Among 3,927 hospitalizations, 3,538 (90.1%) were associated with influenza A virus, 363 (9.2%) with influenza B virus, 12 (0.3%) with influenza A virus and influenza B virus co-infection, and 14 (0.4%) with influenza virus for which the type was not determined.

More at source: CDC

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Mental health counsellors often recommend that clients clean their home environments every day. Dirt and squalor can be symptoms of unhappiness or illness. But cleanliness is not only about mental health. It is the most basic practice that all forms of Japanese Buddhism have in common. In Japanese Buddhism, it is said that what you must do in the pursuit of your spirituality is clean, clean, clean. This is because the practice of cleaning is powerful.

Of course, as a monk who is dedicated to spiritual life, I recommend Buddhist concepts and practices. But you don’t have to convert to a new religion to learn from it. Many people’s associations with the word “religion” may include a set of rules to regulate people’s values and actions; the creation of an irrational transcendent entity; or the idea of a crutch for people who cannot think for themselves. In my view, though, a respectable religion does not exist to bind one’s values or actions. It is there to free people from the systems and standards that order society. In Japanese characters, the word “freedom” is written as “caused by oneself”.

More at source: The Guardian

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The new year will bring somewhat fatter paychecks to many Americans, with more than three dozen states and cities counties raising their minimum wage.

The federal minimum wage remains unchanged at $7.25 per hour, where it has stayed since 2009.

But many states and cities have raised their minimum hourly pay above the federal rate, including the 18 states and 19 cities that have set increases for 2018, according to a report by the National Employment Law Project.

In most of the 18 states hiking their minimum hourly rates today, the increases are the result of either legislation or recent voter-approved ballot measures, and range from 35 cents in Michigan to $1 in Maine, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Other states will have smaller automatic increases that adjust the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation.

More At Source: ABC

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- As the temperatures drop, we hear about flu cases going up, and after a week of holiday travel, officials say it could get worse.

Indiana is one of 23 states already listed in the ‘"widespread flu activity" category, according to the Center for Disease Control.

With so many people coming into contact with germs at gas pumps and on planes this week, officials expect more states will be added to that list. Updated numbers are expected on Friday.

While flu season peaks during the cold months, doctors say the illness isn’t caused by the cold itself. They say more people get sick in the winter because the cold temperatures force us indoors, where we’re surrounded by more people and more germs.

More at source: CDC

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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — It’s that time of year. You’re having holiday parties. Friends, family are coming over and staying with you. You prepare by cleaning up around the house. You think you’re good, but wait until you see some of the nastiest, germ-ridden places inside your house.

The first place right at the front door.

“So you’re doorknobs basically get touched by every single person that goes in and out of the home. What your’re going to want to do is at least wipe them down with an antibacterial, either a spray or a wipe,” says Kate Henley with Two Maids and a Mop.

Don’t forget the doorknobs around your house especially leading into the bathroom. Including the handle to that porcelain throne!

“Which was the most disgusting to you,” we ask homeowner Sally Monceaux.

“The remote. Cause that’s an everyday thing we use,” she says.

More at source: WFLA

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For the past three years, Collins, a custodian, has been collecting and distributing clothes, school supplies, even food for the school's homeless students.

  "These are our babies," Collins said. "They just want to learn. I just want to take care of them. Some of them sleeping in cars, some in hotels." 

Collins said she was called to care for the kids while she was on her early shift three years ago. The students, she said, were dropped off early and hungry with no where to go. 

But it's the loss of her son, killed during a home invasion, that also motivates her mission. 

Video & More At Source: WLTX

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Happy Holidays to Our Members and Friends! All of us at IJCSA wish our members and friends a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018! 

IJCSA Offices Will Be Closed For The Holidays - 12/22 To 12/25 & 12/29 To 1/1 

How we picked

Since 2013, we’ve tracked 121 models (though many are now discontinued). Then, we prioritized some baseline specs:

• A brush roll. Robot vacuums don’t have much suction, so they need a brush roll to boost their cleaning performance. Most models have one and sometimes two rolls, but the cheapest bots are suction-only.
• An edge-cleaning brush. Usually, this is a spinning brush that sweeps debris into the path of a robot vacuum’s intake.
• Functional customer support in the US. Most brands are good or even great in this regard, but a few low-cost brands don’t even have an English-language website or American phone number to call. We skipped them.

More At Source: Forbes

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The operator of a janitorial service that cleaned the Alamodome has been convicted in an invoice scam that led to more than $500,000 in overcharges.

Federal investigators say 54-year-old Geoffrey Comstock was convicted Wednesday in San Antonio of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud.

The case involves the Alamodome, a multipurpose domed sports and special events facility operated by the city of San Antonio.

Authorities say Comstock owns the Frio Nevado Corp. and had an Alamodome janitorial contract from 2002 to 2016. Investigators say bogus invoices, submitted since mid-2014, were paid by the city.

Comstock faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.

More at source: KSAT.com

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More at source: TodayOnline 

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