“Midlife women often juggle caregiving, careers, and hormonal shifts that can strain the immune system,” Boden-Albala says. “Maintaining a strong baseline of health through proper sleep, exercise, nutrient-rich food and stress reduction can support immune resilience.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a new COVID variant is spreading across the country. The variant is officially named XFG but is being called Stratus. It was first found in Southeast Asia in January, and at the time was 0% of cases in the U.S., but by the end of June, it was about 14% of cases, the CDC said.