U.S. hospitals are reporting a concerning increase in an invasive version of severe strep infections. Two young children in Colorado have died from the illness and hospitals in Arizona, Texas and Washington are seeing more cases than usual for this time of year. The invasive strep can cause respiratory problems that may seem similar to RSV and COVID. The CDC says it is monitoring the spread to figure out why it is moving across the US and the UK.

Cold and flu medications are flying off drugstore shelves and some of the best-known brands are sold out. Amazon and the big drugstore chains say they are working with manufacturers to get restocked, and they expect to be able to meet demand. Sales of cough and cold medications at U.S. retailers rose 35% in the four-week period ended Dec. 3 compared with the same period a year ago, and spending on throat sprays and lozenges increased 56% compared to a year ago.

A new study shows that cancer screenings only detect 14% of cases. The study points out that in some parts of the country, far more people detect their cancers on their own, and that for some cancers, such as prostate cancer, the majority of cases are detected by routine screenings. Experts say the study may be telling us that the screenings we are using — when we use them — are not as effective as they should be.