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As Covid and flu hospitalizations have climbed in the weeks since Thanksgiving, White House’s Covid-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said families will be safer at upcoming holiday gatherings if they get their updated vaccines. (Capoot, 12/18)

“We’re at a point where it’s safe to gather, but you still have things to do,” Jha said — insisting, as officials in the Biden administration have before, that the proper tools exist to manage the virus. “If you don’t do those things, obviously things can get much worse.” Those measures include testing, treatment and taking the updated booster; people who haven’t gotten a Covid-19 shot in the last six months should get the newest booster, Jha said. (Olander, 12/18)

According to Dr. Matthew Eldridge, chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento: Gathering outdoors is safer than indoors; if there is an indoor gathering you want the space to be well ventilated - open doors and windows, run HVAC systems, and install high-quality air filters. Properly worn masks remain an effective option to reduce the risk of respiratory viral infections. (Pinedo, 12/17)

She just turned down another holiday invitation the other day, this one for an end-of-the-year party at a local brewery, because sometimes when Courtney Lewis is mingling at a business function where brews and spirits are being served, the earthy, buttery, sugary aromas spark a strong physical reaction: She wants to drink. (Gutierrez, 12/19)

Just like Christmas candy, kids could get too much of a good thing when it comes to screen time during the school holiday break. The St. Joseph Health Department is reminding families to set limits on how much time kids spend using electronic devices. The average 8- to 10-year-old spends six hours a day on screen time and four hours watching TV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Simone, 12/18)

Spending extra time with your parents enables you to notice changes in an aging loved one’s condition that may require attention. Even subtle changes can be cause for concern. (Rose, 12/18)

As the coronavirus pandemic approaches its third full winter, two studies reveal an uncomfortable truth: The toxicity of partisan politics is fueling an overall increase in mortality rates for working-age Americans. In one study, researchers concluded that people living in more conservative parts of the United States disproportionately bore the burden of illness and death linked to covid-19. The other, which looked at health outcomes more broadly, found that the more conservative a state’s policies, the shorter the lives of working-age people. (Johnson, 12/16)