As the Omicron subvariant Kraken (XBB.1.5) climbs to 66% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., a newer subvariant may be challenging its reign: Orthrus (CH.1.1), named after Greek mythology's two-headed dog monster.

Recent research has linked the fungus Candida to COVID-19, suggesting this pathogen may have more influence on our lives than we realize.

It has become increasingly clear that COVID-19 negatively impacts the cardiovascular system. As researchers uncover more data, staying informed about how the virus could affect your heart is important for your short-term and long-term health.

With 14 mutations in addition to BA.2s, including 9 in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and 5 in the N-terminal domain (NTD), the XBB sublineage is comparable to the antigenic drift made by the initial Omicron variant from its predecessors one year ago.

The threat of emerging Omicron variants has underscored the need to examine our current testing tools, specifically rapid antigen tests (RAT).

Flow Health continues to adhere to the CDC's interim guidance for COVID-19 testing and isolation, requiring daily health checks and PCR testing for all employees.

Hospitals and clinics need more sophisticated and robust diagnostic tools to properly manage and mitigate the surge of new and existing pathogens in circulation.

The presence of viral or bacterial infection combined with COVID-19 poses a serious threat to our health, particularly those in high-risk groups. Considering the similarities in how respiratory illnesses spread and their symptoms, proper testing to provide an early diagnosis and treatment of these infections is critical. ‍

Flow Health now offers combination PCR testing for‍ Influenza A/B and COVID-19 at no cost with any insurance.

Addressing these new variants, namely the most recent Omicron variants, demands constant surveillance and the use of high-quality real-time polymerase chain reaction tests (RT-qPCR) with RNA extraction and genotyping abilities.

The rapid and simultaneous emergence of variants with both evolutionary advantages and recombination patterns point toward the potential of more highly transmissible variants of concern.

With a continuous stock of highly accurate COVID-19 PCR tests on hand, people can quickly respond to exposure or symptoms, take the appropriate actions to help stop the spread, and can seek early health interventions.

I will throw out a hypothesis: one could almost say that Long COVID or as I call it “Post-COVID-19 Syndrome” is an autoimmune disease where the antibodies that develop after an acute infection target the body instead of the virus. It's a scary thought I know, what is scarier is for us to ignore the possibility that this virus is here to stay, but perhaps in different forms of other diseases.

Signal Diagnostics, a Los Angeles based CLIA laboratory and wholly owned subsidiary of Flow Health has validated and launched the Ortho Clinical Diagnostics COVID-19 antibody test.

We all know that COVID-19 is putting a huge strain on the entire healthcare system. Hospitals are overrun with acute cases for COVID-19. The ability to test and detect COVID-19 is crucial to understanding how the virus is spreading and what steps are needed to contain this ever growing pandemic.