The current measles outbreak has gripped US states like Texas and New Mexico leaving people worried whether it would become a new pandemic. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services as of February 21, 90 cases were diagnosed in the last month in the South Plains area, with at least 77 of them were reported in children and teens under 17.

Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly. The outbreak, which started spreading in late January, has resulted in multiple hospitalizations, with at least nine confirmed cases and three probable cases as of early February. Health officials caution that at least one in five infected individuals will have to be hospitalized, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Misinformation surrounding vaccines and with the new Trump administration anti-vaccine campaigs, has causing parents to hesitate or refuse vaccination.

Furthermore, the country down under Australia is also witnessing a surge in measles cases as health officials in Sydney have issued an urgent alert, urging residents to watch for measles symptoms after an infected individual visited several places in Sydney over the last seven days.

Authorities report that the traveller had returned from South East Asia where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles.

What Are The Symptoms Measles?

Key symptoms of measles include fever, a runny nose, sore eyes, and a cough. Typically, a red, blotchy rash appears three to four days later, spreading from the head down to the body. Symptoms can manifest between 7 and 18 days after exposure.

Anyone who experiences these symptoms after potential exposure should immediately contact their doctor or emergency department. It is crucial to call ahead before visiting to avoid potentially exposing others in the waiting room. Dr. Selvey also highlighted that ongoing measles outbreaks are occurring in various parts of the world, making awareness and prompt action essential.

Why It Is Important To Get Vaccinated?

According to CDC everyone should get the MMR vaccine. It protects you from measles, mumps, and rubella. Getting vaccinated helps stop these diseases from spreading. There are two safe MMR vaccines available. They work the same way, so it doesn't matter which one you get. Kids can also get a shot that protects against chickenpox too, but this is only for children.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

Kids Need Two Shots

All children should get two MMR shots. The first shot should be given when they are between 12 and 15 months old. The second shot should be given when they are between 4 and 6 years old. If needed, the second shot can be given earlier, but it must be at least 28 days after the first shot.

College Students Need to Be Protected

Students going to college or other schools after high school, need two shots if they are not already immune. The shots must be at least 28 days apart.

Adults Need at Least One Shot

Most adults need at least one MMR shot. Some adults need two shots, especially those who work in healthcare, travel a lot, or go to college. These people should get two shots, with 28 days between them.

Travelers Need to Be Extra Careful

Anyone traveling to other countries should make sure they are protected. Babies 6 to 11 months old should get one shot before traveling. Kids 12 months and older, teens, and adults need two shots, with 28 days between them.

Healthcare Workers Must Be Immune

People who work in healthcare should have proof that they are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella. If they are not immune, they need two MMR shots, spaced 28 days apart.

Women Thinking About Having Babies

Women who might get pregnant should talk to their doctor about the MMR vaccine. It's safe to get the shot while breastfeeding.

Scromting: the blend of two nightmares - screaming and vomiting. It sounds surreal, but it is as real as it could get. In an interview with the New York Post, Sydni Collins, 23, shared that she was "puking all morning." "I would let out yells or cries because nothing would come out. I was just dry heaving," she shares. This is how she ended up in the hospital with a feeding tube. What she was experiencing is called cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a debilitating condition that triggers episodes of relentless nausea, abdominal pain, and severe vomiting in chronic weed users. She has been smoking weed daily as a teenager, since she was 16.

In the US, there are more than 2.5 million teens and 1 in 10 of them are casual cannabis users, with an additional of 600,000 teens considered to be addicted to it. Emergency rooms in the country have seen a steady rise in CHS cases over the last decade. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have also added CHS in its official diagnostic codes.

In Collins story, she became the trendsetter, because during her first hospital visit, she did not receive the diagnosis. However, her inability to eat a full meal afterward is what led to 7 ER visits in just one month. When she was finally admitted, she was only 87 pounds. She shared she would be in fetal position on the beds for hours, because that was the only way her stomach did not hurt. This is when she was finally diagnosed with 'superior mesenteric artery syndrome', which is a rare digestive disorder.

Misdiagnosis is common because there had been an absence of a diagnostic code for CHS.

What Are Experts Saying?

Dr David Streem, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic's Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center told USA TODAY that he has treated a range of patients with CHS over the years. He said that the condition is so severe that even the strongest anti-nausea medication that are given to chemotherapy patients, like Ondansetron, did not stop it.

However, there is a debate on CHS patients, and marijuana advocates like Paul Armentano, who is the deputy director of cannabis reform organization NORML, tells USA TODAY that CHS is actually "very rare" and that a lack of research on the syndrome has led to its misunderstanding. Armentano says, "The very fact that we're rebranding what was known for two decades as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome as scromiting. Scromiting is clearly sensational." It is made up, non-scientific, and sensational, says the cannabis advocate.

What is CHS or Cannabionoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, also known as the slang Scromting?

It is a side effect of prolonged use of marijuana. This results in nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

As per Rome Foundation, a patients must meet the following criteria:

• Cyclical vomiting
• Presentation after prolonged marijuana use
• Relief of vomiting after the cessation of marijuana use

CHS was first reported in Australian medical literature in 2004. This is when a small study, published in BMJ analyzed 19 patients with cyclical vomiting after prolonged marijuana use.

While the research on what actually suddenly causes this syndrome is very limited, Armentano asks questions on if synthetic cannabis products, or a specific type of it leads to such a medical condition.

Stream said for treatment, IV drip of substance such as droperidol and haloperidol are often used in emergency rooms for CHS. Stream also said that Capsaicin, commonly referred to as hot pepper cream could also be rubbed on the abdomen for some temporary relief, along with hot showers or baths.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, despite her private nature felt like she had to share her breast cancer diagnosis. She is now reflecting on why she did that.

She was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in 2017 and on a Tuesday's episode of her podcast Good Hang, comedian Amy Poehler applauded her for sharing her diagnosis and treatment. Poehler told that "it was very helpful for a lot of people. It is not something you needed to share. You did."

On this, Julia said, “Well, I was kind of backed into a corner on that one because we had to shut our show down." The final season of her show Veep was halted during her breast cancer treatment. "It is funny how that worked out normally I would not have done that. I am very private. But because we had to shut Veep down for a year, I had to say it. 250 people were not going to be working," she said.

However, she did acknowledge that many people reached out to her, asking her about her experience and advice too and she was able to help. "There was something unbelievably comforting about being able to do that on the other side of this trauma. There is a lot to be said in self-soothing by soothing others. For real. I don’t mean to sound all Pollyannaish. I actually think it’s true," she said.

What Happened To Louis Dreyfus?

She was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in 2017 and underwent chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and breast reconstruction. It was in October 2018 when she had revealed that her cancer treatment was successful and that she was cancer-free.

During a conversation with journalist David Remnick at the New Yorker Festival in 2023, she opened up that her first reaction to her diagnosis was laughing. Well, because the night before, I had won an Emmy. And so, I came downstairs and … the Emmy was there. It was like on the dining room table. I'm coming down to get coffee. My cell phone rings, and it's my doctor saying, ‘Guess what, you have cancer,’” she said.

However, she revealed that despite such challenging times, she had the support of her family, including her husband Bill Hall, and her two sons, Henry and Charlie. “I have a very strong and supportive family, and for which I am eternally grateful. I was deeply terrified because who wouldn't be? I mean, all the tropes are true. You know, you get that call and it's like, ‘What, me? No, no, no.’ I mean, you can't imagine that something like that would happen to you," she said.

What Happens In Stage II Breast Cancer?

One of the most important part of a cancer diagnosis is to know what stage have you been detected at. Stage II breast cancer has cancer cells in a breast and/or in the lymph nodes near a breast. This could be further defined as stage IIA and Stage IIB, depending on other factors as followed:

Breast Cancer Stage IIA

Stage II A breast cancers are likely to have spread into the lymph nodes in the armpits. This is one of the first ways cancer starts to metastasize from its original location.

However, in this stage, no tumor in the breast is found yet, though the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the armpits. In case there is a tumor, it is in the breast for about 2 centimeters or smaller and the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. In case the tumor is 2cm to 5cm, and the cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes, it would still be considered breast cancer stage IIA.

Breast Cancer Stage IIB

This happens when the tumor is larger or the cancer cells have spread further into the lymph nodes than with stage IIA.

If the breast tumor measures 2cm to 5cm and the cancer cells are also found in the armpit lymph nodes, or if the tumor is more than 5cm and it has not spread to the lymph nodes, then it would be diagnosed as breast cancer stage IIB.

What Are The Common Symptoms Of Breast Cancer Stage II?

• A lump in the breast or the armpit
• Nipple discharge
• Dimpled skin on the breast
• Swelling or redness
• An inverted or flattened nipple
• Changes to the skin or a breast rash
• Changes to the size or shape of the breast
• Pain

While Delhi again woke up to a thick layer of haze on Tuesday, December 9, with the AQI remaining in "poor" and "very poor" categories as per the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi. A new Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) report released on December 6 noted that it is not Delhi, but Ghaziabad, which is the most polluted city in India, as of November 2025.

What Makes Ghaziabad The Most Polluted City In India?

Ghaziabad remained most polluted city in India, with a monthly average of PM2.5 or particulate matter 2.5 at the concentration of 224 µg/m³. This means Ghaziabad violated the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) on every day of the month as per the CREA's Monthly Air Quality Snapshot.

Of the entire month, the city experienced 19 "very poor" days, with 10 "severe" days and 1 "poor" day. In the list of top 10, Noida, Bahadurgarh, Delhi, Hapur, Greater Noida, Baghpat, Sonipat, Meerut and Rohtak also joined the list.

Of the 10 cities, six of them were from Uttar Pradesh, followed by 3 cities from Haryana and then Delhi. All cities except Delhi recorded PM2.5 levels higher than the previous year.

What About The Pollution Levels In Delhi?

The national capital ranked as the fourth most polluted city, recording a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 215 µg/m³ in November, about twice its October level of 107 µg/m³. The city experienced 23 ʻVery Poorʼ days, six ʻSevereʼ days, and one ʻPoorʼ day throughout November.

Despite widespread pollution, the contribution of stubble burning was comparatively lower this year, an average of seven per cent in November, down from 20 per cent last year. Peak contributions of stubble burning reached 22 per cent, significantly lower than 38 per cent recorded in the previous year.

The analysis drew on real-time continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) PM2.5 data.

“Despite a significant reduction in stubble-burning influence, 20 out of 29 NCR cities recorded higher pollution levels than the previous year, and many still did not register a single day within NAAQS limits. This clearly indicates that the dominant drivers are year-round sources such as transport, industry, power plants, and other combustion sources. Without sector-specific emission cuts, cities will continue to breach standards,” said Manoj Kumar, analyst at CREA.

CREA's previous report has highlighted that Delhi’s air pollution almost doubled in November, with average PM2.5 levels touching 215 micrograms per cubic meter. The city recorded 23 days of very poor air, six severe days, and only one poor day. Although stubble burning played a smaller role this year, contributing an average of 7 percent, the pollution remained dangerously high.

Across India, pollution trends were equally worrying. Nine of the ten most polluted cities saw higher pollution levels than last year. Ghaziabad was the worst affected, with PM2.5 levels at 224 micrograms per cubic meter.

According to CREA analyst Manoj Kumar, declining stubble burning shows some progress, but major year round sources such as transport, industry, power plants, and other combustion activities continue to drive the crisis. Without strong emission cuts in these sectors, pollution levels will keep breaching national standards.

Doctors Warn of a Deepening Health Emergency

In an interview with ANI, doctors from AIIMS described Delhi’s air quality as a medical emergency. Prof Dr Anant Mohan and Dr Saurabh Mittal from the Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine said the current situation is now putting vulnerable groups at serious risk, including pregnant women, unborn babies, newborns, and adults with heart or neurological conditions.

Dr Mohan warned that the impacts may be felt for generations. Since the particles are extremely small, they can pass from a pregnant woman to the fetus and interfere with growth. Babies exposed to such conditions in the womb are more likely to be underweight and may have weaker lungs as they grow. Some complications might show up only later in life.

Dr Mittal added that the effects of toxic air go far beyond respiratory illness. Prolonged exposure is increasing cases of breathlessness, lung inflammation, asthma attacks, and chronic conditions like COPD. Fine particulate matter is also entering the bloodstream, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The growing health concerns underline the need for immediate and coordinated action, making the work of the newly formed expert group even more urgent.

How To Read Delhi's AQI?

• 0-50: 'good'
• 51-100: 'satisfactory'
• 101-200: 'moderate'
• 201-300: 'poor'
• 301-400: 'very poor'
• 401-500: 'severe'