As the Omicron COVID variant begins spreading across the country there have been 3 additional cases reported in Boston according to the Boston Public Health Commission.  All three were described as “young adults” that experienced mild symptoms and have not required hospitalization according to the BPHC report.  None of the three were fully vaccinated.  The addition of the three recent positive Omicron COVID variant tests brings the Massachusetts total to four.  The first positive test in the state was a female in her 20s who tested positive earlier this month.  According to officials, she was fully vaccinated.

With cold and flu season upon us and COVID looming it is impossible to self-diagnose whether you just have a running nose or something more serious.  On a personal note, I have been experiencing cold symptoms for a couple of days so I visited my primary care physician where I received a quick swab in each nostril and was tested for both flu and COVID.  The tests came back negative which was a source of relief and allowed treatment from a source of knowledge without hoping and guessing.

The CDC recently released information on the most common symptoms of the Omicron variant and they are similar to the original COVID-19 virus.  According to the CDC, the symptoms for the Omicron variant are cough, fatigue, congestion, and runny nose.  If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms you should get tested as soon as possible.

Although the new Omicron variant is not causing mass hospitalizations and to date no deaths in the U.S. it is making its way across the country.  According to the CDC, 79% of the current cases have infected people who have been fully vaccinated, 14 of those people also have received a 3rd booster shot.  Another great reason to wear a mask when inside a public place.

For more information click on this link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

READ ON: See the States Where People Live the Longest

Stacker used data from the 2020 County Health Rankings to rank every state's average life expectancy from lowest to highest. The 2020 County Health Rankings values were calculated using mortality counts from the 2016-2018 National Center for Health Statistics. The U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey and America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2019 data were also used to provide demographics on the senior population of each state and the state's rank on senior health care, respectively.

Read on to learn the average life expectancy in each state.

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