Health Highlights: Dec. 15, 2022​

White House 'winter preparedness' plan revives free at-home COVID test program. Responding to a new surge in cases, officials said households will be eligible for 4 free test kits. Other initiatives are aimed a curbing the impact of rising rates of respiratory infection. Read more

Gene therapy gel offers hope against rare blistering disease. Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa causes blistering that leads to painful open wounds. But in a trial, wounds completely closed for 67% of participants getting the gel vs. 22% of those given a placebo. Read more

U.S. deaths fell in 2022, but they are still higher than before the pandemic. Deaths are expected to remain about 13% higher than 2019 numbers, new report finds. Read more

Caring for kids and aging parents: The 'sandwich' generation is under strain. Caregivers of both the old and the young are much more likely to struggle with money problems, emotional trouble and exhaustion, researchers found. Read more

Gun homicides rose sharply during pandemic. Black men were most impacted by gun homicides, while white men were most affected by gun suicides, a new report finds. Read more