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Alaska’s flu season continues to worsen, epidemiology reports show

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Alaska’s flu season continues to worsen, epidemiology reports show



HINES, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 24: Lalain Reyeg administers a COVID-19 booster vaccine and an influenza vaccine to Military veteran Gary Nasakaitis on the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital on September 24, 2021 in Hines, Illinois. As we speak, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky endorsed a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 65 years and older, these with underlying medical situations or those that work in high-risk conditions. (Photograph by Scott Olson/Getty Pictures)

Alaska’s flu season is worsening with no indicators of leveling off, the newest surveillance report from the Alaska Division of Well being confirmed on Wednesday.

This week, the Anchorage Each day Information reported that unusually excessive charges of flu and respiratory syncytial virus are filling pediatric items at hospitals throughout the state, and the weekly flu report signifies no change within the scenario.

“Primarily based on this week’s flu snapshot, you possibly can see that the speed remains to be going up precipitously, and there’s no signal of it leveling off,” mentioned Dr. Joe McLaughlin, Alaska’s state epidemiologist.

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This season is unusually early and hard-hitting by historic requirements; Alaska’s flu season usually runs from October by means of Could, peaking in February, however the variety of laboratory-confirmed flu circumstances started rising in late October and has already handed the February 2019 peak of the final pre-pandemic flu season.

This week’s nationwide flu-tracking report has but to be revealed by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, however as late as final week, the CDC rated Alaska’s influenza stage as “low” in comparison with different states, one other signal that situations right here might worsen earlier than they enhance.

“We all know that the influenza an infection charges had been the very best early on within the Southeastern a part of the US,” McLaughlin mentioned, “after which they regularly made their manner westward and northward. We’re the furthest west and the furthest northern state in the US, and so it might be that the worst of the flu season remains to be forward of us.”

If there may be optimistic information, McLaughlin mentioned, it’s that this yr’s flu vaccine seems to be a great match for probably the most generally circulating strains of flu.

“Which means when you’ve been vaccinated, your possibilities of getting influenza an infection — when you’re uncovered — go down. After which when you do wind up getting a breakthrough an infection, you’re usually going to get a milder an infection that’s going to final a shorter time period, and will probably be related to decrease threat of hospitalization and dying,” McLaughlin mentioned.

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Alaska’s flu vaccination dashboard, revealed by the Division of Well being, reveals solely 20% of Alaska residents at the very least 18 years outdated have been vaccinated for the flu this yr.

“We’re presently seeing very low charges of vaccination in opposition to influenza, in addition to the COVID booster. And we’re nonetheless seeing numerous hospitalizations, and sadly, many preventable deaths because of COVID throughout the nation,” McLaughlin mentioned.

He mentioned that antiviral medicines can be found with a prescription if somebody is contaminated, however prevention remains to be vital, significantly throughout the holidays.

He advises skipping vacation events when you’re feeling ailing and utilizing the strategies that labored throughout the COVID pandemic — carrying masks, social distancing, avoiding people who find themselves sick.

“Fortuitously, our COVID charges are a lot decrease now than they had been final vacation season. In order that’s a very good factor. However we do nonetheless have plenty of different respiratory pathogens circulating, and we have now very excessive hospitalization charges, particularly amongst kids. So it’s going to proceed to be vital throughout this vacation season for individuals to stay vigilant and protecting and attempt to do what they will to guard themselves and their family members from getting a respiratory an infection,” he mentioned.

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Alaska Beacon is a part of States Newsroom, a community of stories bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: information@alaskabeacon.com. Comply with Alaska Beacon on Fb and Twitter.





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Alaska

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Gets Fired For Twerking On The Job

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Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Gets Fired For Twerking On The Job


A flight attendant’s viral TikTok video ended up costing her job. Nelle Diala, who was working as a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines for over six months was reportedly fired from her job after recording a twerking video while at work, the New York Post reported. After losing her job for “violating” the airline’s “social media policy”, Diala set up a GoFundMe page for financial support. The twerking and dancing video, posted by Diala on her personal social media account, went viral on TikTok and Instagram. The video was captioned, “ghetto bih till i D-I-E, don’t let the uniform fool you.”

After being fired, Diala reposted the twerking video with the new caption: “Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive. What’s wrong with a little twerk before work, people act like they never did that before.” She added the hashtag #discriminationisreal.

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According to Diala’s GoFundMe page, she posted the “lighthearted video” during a layover. The video was shot in an empty aircraft. She wrote, “It was a harmless clip that was recorded at 6 am while waiting 2 hours for pilots. I was also celebrating the end of probation.”

“The video went viral overnight, but instead of love and support, it brought unexpected scrutiny. Although it was a poor decision on my behalf I didn’t think it would cost me my dream job,” she added.

Also Read: To Wi-Fi Or Not To Wi-Fi On A Plane? Pros And Cons Of Using Internet At 30,000 Feet

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Talking about being “wrongfully fired”, she said, “My employer accused me of violating their social media policy. I explained that the video wasn’t intended to harm anyone or the company, but they didn’t want to listen. Without warning, they terminated me. No discussion, no chance to defend myself-and no chance for a thorough and proper investigation.”

The seemingly “harmless clip” has led Diala to lose her “dream job”. She shared, “Losing my job was devastating. I’ve always been careful about what I share online, and I never thought this video, which didn’t even mention the airline by name, would cost me my career. Now, I am trying to figure out how to move forward.”






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Federal funds will help DOT study wildlife crashes on Glenn Highway

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Federal funds will help DOT study wildlife crashes on Glenn Highway


New federal funds will help Alaska’s Department of Transportation develop a plan to reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife on one of the state’s busiest highways.

The U.S. Transportation Department gave the state a $626,659 grant in December to conduct a wildlife-vehicle collision study along the Glenn Highway corridor stretching between Anchorage’s Airport Heights neighborhood to the Glenn-Parks Highway interchange.

Over 30,000 residents drive the highway each way daily.

Mark Eisenman, the Anchorage area planner for the department, hopes the study will help generate new ideas to reduce wildlife crashes on the Glenn Highway.

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“That’s one of the things we’re hoping to get out of this is to also have the study look at what’s been done, not just nationwide, but maybe worldwide,” Eisenman said. “Maybe where the best spot for a wildlife crossing would be, or is a wildlife crossing even the right mitigation strategy for these crashes?”

Eisenman said the most common wildlife collisions are with moose. There were nine fatal moose-vehicle crashes on the highway between 2018 and 2023. DOT estimates Alaska experiences about 765 animal-vehicle collisions annually.

In the late 1980s, DOT lengthened and raised a downtown Anchorage bridge to allow moose and wildlife to pass underneath, instead of on the roadway. But Eisenman said it wasn’t built tall enough for the moose to comfortably pass through, so many avoid it.

DOT also installed fencing along high-risk areas of the highway in an effort to prevent moose from traveling onto the highway.

Moose typically die in collisions, he said, and can also cause significant damage to vehicles. There are several signs along the Glenn Highway that tally fatal moose collisions, and he said they’re the primary signal to drivers to watch for wildlife.

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“The big thing is, the Glenn Highway is 65 (miles per hour) for most of that stretch, and reaction time to stop when you’re going that fast for an animal jumping onto the road is almost impossible to avoid,” he said.

The city estimates 1,600 moose live in the Anchorage Bowl.



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Flight attendant sacked for twerking on the job: ‘What’s wrong with a little twerk before work’

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Flight attendant sacked for twerking on the job: ‘What’s wrong with a little twerk before work’


They deemed the stunt not-safe-for-twerk.

An Alaska Airlines flight attendant who was sacked for twerking on camera has created a GoFundMe to support her while she seeks a new berth.

The crewmember, named Nelle Diala, had filmed the viral booty-shaking TikTok video on the plane while waiting two hours for the captain to arrive, A View From the Wing reported.

“I never thought a single moment would cost me everything,” wrote the ex-crewmember. TikTok / @_jvnelle415

She captioned the clip, which also blew up on Instagram, “ghetto bih till i D-I-E, don’t let the uniform fool you.”

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Diala was reportedly doing a victory dance to celebrate the end of her new hire probationary period.

Unfortunately, her jubilation was short-lived as Alaska Airlines nipped her employment in the bum just six months into her contract.

The fanny-wagging flight attendant feels that she didn’t do anything wrong.

Diala was ripped online over her GoFundMe page. GoFundMe

Diala has since reposted the twerking clip with the new caption: “Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive. What’s wrong with a little twerk before work, people act like they never did that before.”

The new footage was hashtagged #discriminationisreal.

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The disgraced stewardess even set up a GoFundMe page to help support the so-called “wrongfully fired” flight attendant until she can land a new flight attendant gig.

“I never thought a single moment would cost me everything,” wrote the ex-crewmember. “Losing my job was devastating.”

“Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive,” Diala wrote on TikTok while reacting to news of her firing. “What’s wrong with a little twerk before work, people act like they never did that before.” Getty Images

She claimed that the gig had allowed her to meet new people and see the world, among other perks.

While air hostessing was ostensibly a “dream job,” Diala admitted that she used the income to help fund her “blossoming lingerie and dessert businesses,” which she runs under the Instagram handles @cakezncake (which doesn’t appear to have any content?) and @figure8.lingerie.

As of Wednesday morning, the crowdfunding campaign has raised just $182 of its $12,000 goal.

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Diala was ripped online for twerking on the job as well as her subsequent GoFundMe efforts.

“You don’t respect the uniform, you don’t respect your job then,” declared one critic on the popular aviation-focused Instagram page The Crew Lounge. “Terms and Conditions apply.”

“‘Support for wrongly fired flight attendant??’” mocked another. “Her GoFund title says it all. She still thinks she was wrongly fired. Girl you weren’t wrongly fired. Go apply for a new job and probably stop twerking in your uniform.”

“The fact that you don’t respect your job is one thing but doing it while in uniform and at work speaks volumes,” scoffed a third. “You’re the brand ambassador and it’s not a good look.”

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