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We are now on the cusp of flu season, and Americans this year are being strongly encouraged to get the influenza vaccine to avoid what doctors are calling the twin-demic. The collision of flu season with the COVID-19 pandemic is putting healthcare's infrastructure to the test. “We really need to be aware when flu and COVID hit at the same time which they will do this fall and winter, that we need to be prepared to respond in real-time,” health systems expert Dr. Julie Swann said.

The United States has just passed the dark milestone of 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, with many experts warning of the possibility of hundreds of thousands more dead and gravely ill in the months ahead. The country has also experienced enormous economic and social upheaval, with millions forced into unemployment, hunger, and homelessness. In the absence of a vaccine, the interventions policies that are known to stop the spread of the coronavirus—like stay-at-home orders and school closures—have also upended the course of normal life.

Computer algorithms and machine learning are helping students succeed in math. Some experts see such efforts as a crucial next step in education.

Let's look at a standard N95 mask to understand why the U.S. is so dependent on overseas suppliers for personal protective equipment (PPE). It has several individual components: filter, shell, coverweb, nose clip, nose foam, and straps. Each of those requires raw materials, chiefly polyester, polypropylene, and aluminum.

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