Connect with us

Published

on

XBB.1.5 is the most prevalent, transmissible COVID-19 variant in the country right now, and the strain is affecting children and adults.

Heres what you need to know about the symptoms of this variant in children.What are the COVID symptoms of the XBB.1.5 variant in children?

The COVID symptoms of the XBB.1.5 variant are similar to other strains.

They include fever, sore throat, muscle aches, exhaustion, nausea, cough and sinus congestion, according to Dr. Stephanie Silvera, a professor of public health at Montclair State University.

Silvera added there are additional respiratory symptoms that can range from no difficulty breathing to low oxygen levels that require medical attention.

The symptoms that a person has will depend on a number of factors, including vaccination and booster status, previous infection, and overall immune function and health, which are influenced by comorbidities and other factors, Silvera said.How do the symptoms of the XBB.1.5 COVID variant differ from other strains?

The current strains of COVID-19 have some differences from those strains that emerged early in the pandemic.

At that time, many people experienced loss of taste and loss of smell as their main symptoms.

Most studies and experts say loss of taste and loss of smell are not common symptoms in XBB.1.5.

However, Dr. Tanya Altman, a pediatrician and author, told HuffPost that she has noticed children tend to have less of an appetite when sick and ask for more flavorful or spicy foods after they recover, which to me suggests their taste may not have fully recovered yet.Does the XBB.1.5 COVID variant affect children more than adults?

Children are not necessarily affected by the variant itself more than adults.

However, how well they are protected against COVID-19 in general can affect how their bodies react to the virus.

Children are less likely to be vaccinated and boosted, and being in schools, they are in crowded indoor spaces often with poor ventilation and air exchange. So, they are at greater risk for exposure, particularly since mask mandates have been lifted, Silvera said.Should kids be wearing masks in schools again?

Although many schools have lifted mask mandates leaving children more at risk, it is up to the family as to whether their kids should wear masks in the classroom.

According to CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen, if a family is perfectly healthy and people are not wearing a mask while going to work and socializing outside the house, it will probably not make a difference if the child is wearing a mask in school.

However, if a family member is immunocompromised, then that family might want to take more precautions to protect each other, Wen added.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Sabrina Carpenter hits out at ‘evil and disgusting’ White House video featuring her song

Published

on

By

Sabrina Carpenter hits out at 'evil and disgusting' White House video featuring her song

Sabrina Carpenter has hit out at an “evil and disgusting” White House video of migrants being detained that uses one of her songs.

“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” the pop star posted on X.

The White House used part of Carpenter‘s upbeat song Juno over pictures of immigration agents handcuffing, chasing and detaining people.

It was posted on social media on Monday and has been viewed 1.2 million times so far.

President Trump‘s policy of sending officers into communities to forcibly round up illegal immigrants has proved controversial, with protests and legal challenges ongoing.

Mr Trump promised the biggest deportation in US history, but some of those detained have been living and working in the US for decades and have no criminal record.

Carpenter is not the only star to express disgust over the administration’s use of their music.

More on Sabrina Carpenter

Olivia Rodrigo last month warned the White House not to “ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda” after All-American Bitch was used in a video urging undocumented migrants to leave voluntarily.

Read more from Sky News:
Pope urges Trump not to oust Venezuelan president by force

Government delays Chinese ‘super embassy’ decision

In July, English singer Jess Glynne also said she felt “sick” when her song from the viral Jet2 advert was used over footage of people in handcuffs being loaded on a plane.

Other artists have also previously hit out at Trump officials for using their music at political campaign events, including Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Ozzy Osbourne and The Rolling Stones.

Continue Reading

Business

Thames Water debt pile rises further despite return to profit

Published

on

By

Thames Water debt pile rises further despite return to profit

Cash-strapped Thames Water has revealed a further rise in its debt pile while recording a return to profit on the back of inflation-busting hikes to bills.

The UK’s largest supplier said the 31% rise to customer bills since April had allowed it to increase capital investment by 22% to £1.3bn amid demands it improve performance in preventing sewage spills and stopping leaks.

Thames Water said it recorded a 20% drop in pollution incidents over the six months to the end of September, and leakage performance was holding steady despite the “extremely dry summer”.

Money latest: How much is a fair restaurant tip?

While waste complaints dipped by 11%, according to the company, there was a 42% surge in the number of customers complaining about the hike to bills.

Thames Water revenue rose 42% on the same period last year to £1.9bn, helping a return to profit after tax of £328m on the back of a £190m loss during April-September 2024.

More from Money

The company said profitability was damaged by higher debt serving costs.

Its debt pile was recorded at £17.6bn – a rise of 5%.

The results were released against the backdrop of continuing talks involving the government and regulators over a proposed rescue deal by major Thames Water creditors.

Their consortium is known as London & Valley Water.

It effectively already owns Thames Water under the terms of a financial restructuring agreed early in the summer but regulator Ofwat is yet to give its verdict on whether the consortium can run the company, averting the prospect of it being placed in a special administration regime.

Without a deal the consortium, which includes investment heavyweights Elliott Management and BlackRock, would be wiped out.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

August: Is Thames Water a step closer to nationalisation?

Ofwat, which is to be scrapped under a shake-up of industry oversight, has been leading scrutiny of London & Valley’s operational plan and proposed capital structure.

The prospective deal would write off billions of pounds of the company’s debt and inject billions in fresh equity, in return for an adjustment in the regulator’s approach to future financial penalties.

Thames sees the creditors’ proposal as the only viable solution.

Despite huge hikes to household bills – allowed across England and Wales to bolster aging infrastructure including storm overflows – the company says its financial turnaround has been hampered by record fines for things like sewage leaks and bonuses to retain key staff.

Sky News revealed on Tuesday that its remuneration committee will meet next week to decide whether to proceed with nearly £2.5m in retention payments to 21 senior managers.

Read more from Sky News:
Reeves hit by Labour rebellion
The Bank of England’s take on ‘elevated’ risks

Thames Water chief executive Chris Weston said the company had made good progress on its operational and transformation targets.

“This progress has all been achieved as we also manage the recapitalisation of the business. We continue to work closely with stakeholders to secure a market-led solution that we believe is in the best interests of our customers and the environment.

“This in turn will allow the transformation of Thames to continue, a programme that will take at least a decade to complete and will restore the infrastructure and operations of the company.”

Continue Reading

Business

FIFA backs away from dynamic pricing for all World Cup 2026 tickets

Published

on

By

FIFA backs away from dynamic pricing for all World Cup 2026 tickets

FIFA has backed away from using dynamic pricing for all 2026 World Cup tickets amid concerns about the cost of attending the tournament in North America.

The organisers insisted they always planned to ring-fence tickets at set prices to follow your own team.

But the announcement comes just days ahead of Friday’s tournament draw in Washington DC, which Donald Trump plans to attend.

Fans will have to wait until Saturday to know exactly where and when their teams will be playing in next summer’s tournament.

Scotland will be one of the teams in the tournament, held in North America and Mexico
Image:
Scotland will be one of the teams in the tournament, held in North America and Mexico

Variable pricing – fluctuating based on demand – has never been used at a World Cup before, raising concerns about affordability.

England and Scotland fans have been sharing images in recent days of ticket website images highlighting cost worries.

But world football’s governing body said in a statement to Sky News: “FIFA can confirm ringfenced allocations are being set aside for specific fan categories, as has been the case at previous FIFA World Cups. These allocations will be set at a fixed price for the duration of the next ticket sales phase.

“The ringfenced allocations include tickets reserved for supporters of the Participating Member Associations (PMAs), who will be allocated 8% of the tickets for each match in which they take part, including all conditional knockout stage matches.”

FIFA says the cheapest tickets are from $60 (£45) in the group stage. But the most expensive tickets for the final are $6,730 (£5,094).

There will also be a sales window after the draw from 11 December to 13 January when ticket applications will be based on a fixed price for those buying in the random selection draw.

It is the biggest World Cup with 104 matches after the event was expanded from 32 to 48 teams. There are also three host nations for the first time – with Canada and Mexico the junior partners.

The tournament mascots as seen in Mexico in October. Pic: Reuters
Image:
The tournament mascots as seen in Mexico in October. Pic: Reuters

Read more from Sky News:
Pope urges Trump not to oust Venezuelan president by force

Government delays Chinese ‘super embassy’ decision

FIFA defended using fluctuating pricing.

“The pricing model adopted for FIFA World Cup 26 reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts on a daily basis, soccer included,” FIFA’s statement continued.

“This is also a reflection of the treatment of the secondary market for tickets, which has a distinct legal treatment than in many other parts of the world. We are focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing but also prospective fans.”

The statement addressed the concerns being raised about fans being priced out of attending.

FIFA said: “Stadium category maps do not reflect the number of tickets available in a given category but rather present default seating locations.

“FIFA resale fees are aligned with North American industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors.”

Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales could also still qualify.

Continue Reading

Trending