Cough-Cold and Flu

ATLANTA  — Incidence of influenza is elevated in all but one of 10 HHS Surveillance Regions for the week ended Dec. 31, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported. The end of the year marked the third week influenza activity was above the national baseline level of 2.2% as activity levels continue to climb.

There were several pockets of high influenza activity, including throughout New York City, Puerto Rico and 10 states  (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah).

PITTSBURGH  — Mylan on Monday acquired the cold-fighting Cold-Eeze brand from ProPhase Labs in a deal valued at $50 million.

LAS VEGAS  — Dave Challis, RB VP innovation, is bringing RB's Healthier Tomorrow Challenge to CES through Indiegogo in an effort to bring to bear RB's industry expertise, business connections and mentorship to the kind of technology innovators eager to create the next industry disruptor.

WASHINGTON — The results of the 2016 National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey released earlier this week determined the percentage of teens using over-the-counter cough medicine containing dextromethorphan to get high remains at 3%.

When first reported by Monitoring the Future in 2006, teen OTC cough medicine abuse was at just under 6%.

DEERFIELD, Ill.  — Walgreens on Thursday launched its first Flu Index for the 2016-17 season, a weekly report that ranks the top markets and states for flu activity in the U.S. It's the third year for Walgreens' Flu Index, and this year will include Puerto Rico for the first time.

NEW YORK -- Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) do not  believe coughing is an indicator of sickness. In fact, there are more Americans who are inclined to believe that ghosts (47%) and aliens (43%) are real than there are Americans who acknowledge that a cough is a harbinger of a cold or flu, according to a recent Harris Poll commissioned by Pfizer's Robitussin brand.