☕ Gooood morning!

Rise and shine, Nurse Report family–we’re like that elevator button that skips everyone else’s floor to go straight to yours. No awkward small talk or eye contact for you! 

This week, we’re Reporting Live on:

👛 Say Sayonara to Sky-High Late Fees: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is putting its foot down on high credit card late fees, possibly saving folks billions of dollars annually.  But remember, punctuality in payments is still your BFF to keep that credit score sparkling. 💳✨

💓 The record-breaking heart: Meet Bert Janssen, the Guinness World Record breaker with a heart that's kept him going for an astonishing 39 years and 100 days.

🦠 The TikTok "Mystery Virus" Debunked: Our weekly TikTok misinformation bust brings you the lowdown on the so-called "mystery virus." Spoiler alert: It's likely just the common cold!

Let’s get into it.

👋 Goodbye, Gouging: Credit Card Late Fees Get a Haircut

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is ~allegedly~ going to dramatically limit how much credit card companies can charge for late payment fees.

Under the new regulation, the largest credit card companies will be restricted to charging a max late fee of $8– a big drop from the current $32 average. 

😲 The change is estimated to save people about $10 billion annually.

This regulation is part of a broader initiative to fight “junk fees” and predatory financial practices typically directed toward lower-income consumers. 

Of course, the initiative will get some clapback from the banking industry, which makes some money from late payment fees, but the word on the street is that it will likely stick.

But that’s no green light to stop paying your bills on time! Late fees or not, tardy payments will eat at your credit score, potentially making your future car, house, or other big purchases way harder than they need to be. 

🙄 And don’t get us started on interest fees on any remaining balance. 

Plus, if you have a good payment history, you can usually politely call your credit card company and ask for a courtesy waiver. 

Also, remember, if you have any credit card questions– even just the tiniest thing, let us know, and we’ll give you our two cents

👻 Viral ”Mystery Virus” TikTok Turns Out to be the Cold

The Nurse Report Tackling TikTok Misinformation has somehow become a weekly segment, and we’re happy to do it. 

This week, TikTok is buzzing with tales of a 'mysterious virus' showing negative results on COVID-19, flu, and RSV tests. 

Videos depicting a concoction of symptoms, such as stubborn coughs, painful sore throats, nausea, and mucus overload, are racking up millions of views. 

But dramatic flair aside, medical professionals, like Dr. Marcus Plescia from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, suggest these symptoms are more likely related to the regular nuisance of the common cold. 

😱Oh, the horror! 

Still, it makes us think about how fascinating human psychology can be: people are naturally drawn to the unknown, unexplained, and scary– and content creators are aware of how lucrative widespread health anxiety, as seen during the pandemic, can be for views. 

Being on Team Nurse comes with the challenge of addressing health misinformation among patients. Each viral misinformation story reminds us to stay informed about current health trends to better understand patient concerns, clarify misconceptions, and reinforce trust. 

❤️ Bert Janssen's Record-Breaking Heart of Perseverance

Bert Janssen isn't just any heart transplant recipient; he's a living legend who's been ticking along with his new heart for a whopping 39 years and 100 days, smashing the previous Guinness World Record. 

🏆Diagnosed with cardiomyopathy at 17, Bert didn't just sit back; he grabbed life by the stethoscope and turned his story into one for the medical history books.

When Bert swapped his native beat at Harefield Hospital in England back in 1984, Michael Jackson and Madonna were topping the charts at 26 years old a piece. 

Since then, Bert has been living the dream; side effects be darned. He’s 57, married with two sons, and is even a glider pilot.

His story shows us that with a bit of tenacity (and a top-notch medical team 💁‍♀️), the sky's the limit.

So, what's our takeaway? 

When the going gets tough, think of Bert– a guy who looked at the odds daily and said, "Not today!"