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covid

US Experiencing Covid-19 Surge In Every State 

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Every state in the US is currently experiencing a rise in Covid-19 cases, with healthcare professionals and experts warning citizens to be on the lookout for symptoms, and stay diligent with healthy lifestyle practices. 

Dr. John Brooks, an infectious disease doctor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia who also used to work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NPR about how as a country, “we’re now in the midst of a growing summer surge of Covid.” 

“I think most of us kind of feel like it’s fading away and are certainly very grateful for that. But nationally we’re seeing [Covid-19] ticking up pretty much everywhere.”

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According to the CDC, the disease is mainly spreading in the South and West, but is also rising in the Northeast and Midwest. As of right now, however, the virus is still at very low levels, and the current wave of infections is following along the trend of getting milder each year, with less people being hospitalized or dying. 

“What we’re seeing is very likely evidence of growing herd immunity if you will,” Dr. Brooks said. 

“More and more people have had one or more infections that give them some immunity against the virus and have had more than one vaccination, or maybe both, and all of that really has begun to offer us a lot of protection.”

The most important thing that doctors want US residents to remember is Covid-19 never disappeared, and is still greatly impacting communities around the nation. Many are still finding themselves feeling intensely sick for up to two weeks, and for some people, Covid can still cause serious disease, hospitalizations, and in the worst of cases, death. 

Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, emphasized this point to NPR, stating that “Covid-19 is still dangerous, particularly for older adults, infants, and people who are immunocompromised.” 

“In a typical office if you have 20 colleagues, it’s likely that one or two of them are some degree of immunocompromised. So it’s very common that people have risk factors that make Covid-19 dangerous.”

Rivers also pointed out that unlike flu season, which sees a major surge in the winter months, Covid-19 has seen spikes twice a year since the initial pandemic in 2020. That biannual surge remains a mystery to experts. 

“It’s a big mystery as far as I’m concerned. It is the only seasonal respiratory virus that has a summer season. To my knowledge, we don’t know what is causing this seasonality.”

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Rivers advises the general public to stay up to date on their vaccines, and pointed out how she still wears a mask when she’s in crowded places. Staying consistent with your vaccines also allows the body to stay strong against the new and dominant strains that emerge. 

The CDC has not issued any updated recommendations for Covid-19 vaccinations due to litigation over the Trump administration’s work to overhaul immunizations in the US, according to reports. 

The administration itself no longer recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older routinely get an annual shot. Major medical groups, however, still highly recommend it. 

Major insurance companies throughout the nation have also emphasized that they will continue to cover the costs of vaccinations, and the shots themselves will also still be free through other government programs. 

Public health experts are worried about the opposing messages regarding vaccines and how they might confuse more vulnerable populations as well. 

Claire Hannan, for example, is an executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers which works to advocate for immunization and the multiple free programs that offer them throughout the US. 

“The message is that the Covid-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine will be available, they’re covered by insurers, they’re recommended by medical societies. People should get them and get them for their kids.”

Dr. Brooks also pointed out that there’s also now a new drug called Xocova that individuals can take right after they’ve been exposed to the virus to decrease their chances of getting sick from Covid-19. This will especially be useful for individuals working in the healthcare industry who are exposed to a myriad of sick patients every day. 

“It is something for people to just have in the back of their mind.”

ebola

Ebola Outbreak Outpacing Recovery Efforts As Aid Workers Go On Strike Over Pay 

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The world is currently experiencing one of the fastest-growing Ebola outbreaks in history. The virus is currently spreading at a rate faster than the efforts to fight it, according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

Ghebreyesus spoke with officials during a visit to the Congo, where some health workers are also currently on strike over a lack of pay, which is also slowing recovery efforts. 

This outbreak has been occurring for about three months with new courses doubling in some of the hot spots, Ghebreyesus stated in a post to his social media after meeting with officials in the capital Kinshasa. This marks the second visit that the WHO director-general took to the country since the outbreak was officially declared in mid-May. 

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“We all agree that we must urgently and massively scale up all our efforts across all pillars of the response and by all partners.”

The outbreak itself has had over 3,800 confirmed cases and over 1,700 deaths as of the beginning of this week, according to the latest data from Congo’s Ministry of Health. 

In the epicenter of the outbreak, the Ituri province, it’s been reported that many of the front line workers have gone on strike. The healthcare workers have also been impacted by rebel conflict within one of Congo’s most remote and vulnerable areas. 

Some workers stated that they started receiving payment within the past week for the work they’ve been doing since the outbreak began, and are demanding improved wages, according to reports. 

A resident of Bunia, Anicet Baluku, told the Associated Press that he blamed the death of his two brothers from Ebola on the strike. “We urge the authorities to quickly find a solution to prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy.”

The US Department of State said this week that it will be providing an additional $242 million in funding for immediate Ebola response and preparedness efforts in the region and for humanitarian assistance. 

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The outbreak itself has outpaced all previous Ebola outbreaks due to its speed of transmission and is currently the second-largest outbreak on record after the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that had over 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths. 

The specific Bundibugyo virus that is causing this current outbreak has no approved treatment or vaccine. 

Doctors Without Borders stated this week that the outbreak is still “spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate. The response is expanding but is still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains.”

Dr. Jean Kaseya, the head of Africa Centers for Disease and Control, stated that during a visit to Bunia that contact tracing isn’t working, while 60% to 70% of new cases coming outside of those being monitored after exposure to patients. 

The later detection of cases has been a main contributor to the 45% fatality rate, according to officials. The health ministry stated that of the 77 most-recent cases reported during a 24-hour period, 44 were fatal, and at least 717 patients are in isolation with 749 patients have recovered. 

Dr. Kaseya also met with Ghebreyesus this week, and stated that the Africa CDC is “aligning its efforts with responders around earlier detection, stronger contact tracing, rapid access to quality care, and deeper engagement with communities.”

“Above all, communities must be at the center of and have ownership of the response. We cannot stop Ebola without their trust, leadership, and partnership,” he said.  

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Luxury Cruise Ship Experiences Norovirus Outbreak, Impacting Over 240 Passengers

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More than 240 passengers of the luxury Queen Mary 2 cruise ship have gotten sick with the highly contagious norovirus stomach bug. The US Centers for Disease Control and Protection reported that the outbreak occurred at the end of the ship’s four-week trip from the UK to the Caribbean.

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measles

Measles Cases Rising Throughout The US 

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A measles outbreak in Texas is continuing to spread as vaccination rates in children continue to decline throughout the entire US, leaving many vulnerable communities at risk for further outbreaks. 

Infectious disease experts are also now saying that some adults should get revaccinated, as the virus spreads rapidly and is one of the world’s most contagious diseases.

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Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Paul Offit, said that just last week, West Texas reported 14 new cases of measles, and this week that number’s up to 90. 

“It’s very hard to control the measles.” 

“The best defense against measles is vaccination. The vast majority of people getting sick in Texas are unvaccinated. And the measles vaccine is both safe and highly effective,” says Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, according to NPR. 

“If you have been vaccinated with two doses of vaccine as per routine, you have a 95-plus percent chance of being completely protected throughout your life,” Schaffner stated.

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Public health experts say that some adults should also consider revaccination, specifically older adults born after 1857 and those who were vaccinated before 1968. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that anyone who was vaccinated before 1968 should get at least one dose. 

Schaffner says “if you’re not sure of your immunity or vaccination status, there’s no harm in getting a shot.”

“If you were vaccinated between 1968 and 1989, you likely received just one dose of the measles vaccine, instead of the two doses that are standard today. One dose alone is highly effective and for most people, it provides more than enough protection,” says Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in New York City.

“If you’re traveling somewhere where there’s an active outbreak and you’re not sure that you got two doses, it may not be crazy to get a second dose,” Ratner says.

One in 20 kids with measles will get pneumonia, and one out of 1,000 will develop brain swelling. The CDC stated that kindergarten vaccination rates have fallen below the 95% threshold which is needed to prevent large community outbreaks.

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McDonald’s Resumes Selling Quarter Pounders After E. Coli Outbreak

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McDonald’s has resumed selling Quarter Pounders in all their restaurants this week after a recent E. coli outbreak was found in the burgers. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first issued a food safety alert the other week, warning that dozens of individuals were becoming sick after eating the Quarter Pounder sandwich at the famous fast food chain. 

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The E. coli outbreak has led to at least 75 individuals falling sick throughout 13 states, a majority of which were in Colorado. 22 individuals were hospitalized and one individual died, according to the CDC.

While a specific ingredient wasn’t confirmed to be the source of the E. coli outbreak, the US Food and Drug Administration stated that the slivered onions and/or beef patties themselves were most likely the cause of the contamination. 

“Evidence does not point to ground beef as the probable source of the E. coli outbreak,” said the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

“FSIS has conducted a thorough investigation in response to this outbreak, including traceback of beef patties served on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s,” the agency said in a statement, according to CNN. 

“FSIS used specific meal information reported by ill people to trace beef patties through the supply chain to the establishment where they were produced and did not identify a beef source.”

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The Colorado Department of Agriculture said that “McDonald’s beef patties used for the Quarter Pounder tested negative for E. coli. The department tested fresh patties from restaurants associated with the outbreak.”

“Based on the findings from that testing and after comparing CDC data with its own supply chain data, McDonald’s is confident in ruling out fresh beef patties as a source of contamination,” they in a Sunday news release.

“It’s now asking beef suppliers to produce a new supply of fresh beef patties, and the Quarter Pounder is expected to be available in all restaurants in the coming week,” the release said.

“Onion supplier Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility will resume sales of Quarter Pounders without slivered onions,” the release added. 

“Those restaurants are in Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah,” it said.

“I know that our relationship is built on trust. You trust us to serve you safe food every time,” McDonald’s US President Joe Erlinger said in a video.

“On behalf of the McDonald’s system, I want you to hear from me: we are sorry,” Erlinger added.

“For those customers affected, you have my commitment that, led by our values, we will make this right.”

vaccine

Scientists Worried About Bird Flu Vaccine Development As Cases Rise In Farm Animals Across US 

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The avian flu virus has been taking out flocks of birds and infecting other animals, mainly on farms, throughout the US. According to reports from CBS, there are cattle in at least nine states that have been infected, as well as two people. While the two individuals only suffered from pink eye and quickly recovered, the spreading is relatively unheard of, raising concerns of another global pandemic. 

Scientists are particularly concerned about the millions of fertilized hen eggs that are needed to make vaccines, in the case that there’s a larger outbreak of a new flu strain. 

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“It’s almost comical to be using 1940s technology for a 21st-century pandemic,” said Rick Bright, who led the Health and Human Services Department’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

“It’s not so funny when the currently stockpiled formulation against the H5N1 bird flu virus requires two shots and a whopping 90 micrograms of antigen, yet provides just middling immunity. For the U.S. alone, it would take hens laying 900,000 eggs every single day for nine months,” Bright said.

The raw material utilized for an influenza vaccine derives from the virus being grown within fertilized eggs. The birds themselves need to not be infected, and there’s always a chance that the virus won’t grow well, or well grow in a mutated form that would make it ineffective. 

“Everyone knows cell-based vaccines are better, more immunogenic, and offer better production. But they are handicapped because of the clout of egg-based manufacturing,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Health Security. 

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“The companies that make the cell-based influenza vaccines, CSL Seqirus and Sanofi, also have billions invested in egg-based production lines that they aren’t eager to replace. And it’s hard to blame them,” said Nicole Lurie, an executive director of CEPI, the global epidemic-fighting nonprofit.

“Most vaccine companies that responded to an epidemic — Ebola, Zika, COVID — ended up losing a lot of money on it,” Lurie said.

CBS reported that Adalja said “the vaccines currently in the national stockpile are not a perfect match for the strain in question. Even with two shots containing six times as much vaccine substance as typical flu shots, the stockpiled vaccines were only partly effective against strains of the virus that circulated when those vaccines were made.” 

“Flu vaccine companies have a system that works well right now to accomplish their objectives in manufacturing the seasonal vaccine. And without a financial incentive, we are going to be here with eggs for a while, I think,” Boucher said.

measles

Measles Outbreak In Florida Has Health Officials And Parents Concerned 

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As of Monday this week, health officials in Broward County, Florida have confirmed eight cases of the measles virus, including one in a child under the age of 5.

The outbreak has mainly been traced to the Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, near Fort Lauderdale, which the 5-year-old patient doesn’t have a direct connection to. However, experts knew that with a virus like this, spreading to various age-groups in different areas is almost guaranteed, according to reports from NBC News.

According to Dr. David Kimberlin, the co-director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, “cases are not going to stay contained just to that one school, not when a virus is this infectious.”

So far in 2024, there have been at least 35 cases of the measles reported across 15 states, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Currently, Florida’s outbreak is the biggest in the US. 

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Experts are warning parents about just how contagious measles is, especially with its long incubation period. Health officials are warning residents to take it seriously, and that State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo’s decision to let parents decide whether or not to quarantine their children or continue to allow them to go to school, will likely allow cases to spread. 

“Measles is the most infectious pathogen in humans that we know of. It’s like a heat-seeking missile. It will find the people who are not immune, and they’re going to get sick.”

NBC News also reported that unvaccinated individuals have a 90% chance of becoming infected if exposed to the measles virus. Katelyn Ketelina tracks illnesses for a website called “Your Local Epidemiologist,” and she stated that “Epidemiology 101 is identify and isolate. This is especially true for outbreaks of measles because of how incredibly contagious the virus is and the fact that people who are infected can spread it for up to three weeks.”

Dr. Ladapo wrote a letter sent to parents at the elementary school last week, stating: “Due to the high immunity rate in the community, as well as the burden on families and educational cost of healthy children missing school, DOH is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance.” 

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Back in 2022, Ohio experienced its own measles outbreak where 85 children, mainly unvaccinated toddlers, were infected. 42% of those children had to be hospitalized, and when the outbreak began, Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts took a different approach to advising parents.

Roberts encouraged parents of unvaccinated children who became infected to have their kids receive one dose of the mumps-measles-rubella vaccine as a “form of post-exposure prophylaxis.” Kids who received the treatment would only need to quarantine for 72 hours, as opposed to the 21-day quarantine requirement for those who remained unvaccinated. 

The MMR vaccine offers 97% protection against infection. According to the CDC, 1 in 5 measles patients are hospitalized, and 1 in 3 out of every 1,000 patients will die. 

“More and more people are questioning vaccines and why people need vaccines. They’re gonna find out pretty soon,” said Dr. Kimberlin. 

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Cases of Leprosy Spike in Central Florida

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an increase in leprosy cases across Central Florida. Growing evidence suggests that the region has become an “endemic location for leprosy,” accounting for one-fifth of all cases nationwide.

The report released by the CDC states the most recent data shows there were 159 new cases of leprosy across the country in 2020, significantly lower than the 216 reported in 2019. However, the number of cases in Southeastern United States has more than doubled over the last decade.

“Central Florida, in particular, accounted for 81% of cases reported in Florida and almost one-fifth of nationally reported cases. Whereas leprosy in the United States previously affected persons who had immigrated from leprosy-endemic areas, ≈34% of new case-patients during 2015–2020 appeared to have locally acquired the disease.”

According to the federal Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), most new cases have been found in Florida, California, Louisiana, Hawaii, New York and Texas. However, a travel advisory for Central Florida is included in the report due to a disproportional uptick in cases in the region. In the last year alone, the Florida Department of Health reported 19 cases.

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“Travel to this area, even in the absence of other risk factors, should prompt consideration of leprosy in the appropriate clinical context. By increasing local physician efforts to report incidence and supporting further research to assess routes of transmission, a congruent effort can be made to identify and reduce spread of the disease.”

The HRSA states, “95% of the human population is not susceptible to infection with M. leprae, the bacteria that causes Hansen’s disease (leprosy).” Treatment with antibiotic drugs is very effective in combating the disease, but an early diagnosis is critical.

Without treatment, leprosy can damage nerves and lead to permanent disabilities, but early treatment can prevent this. In the absence of nerve involvement, the HRSA states leprosy would only present as a “minor skin disease.”

Leprosy is spread through droplets “from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases.” The CDC states that though uncommon, leprosy can also be contracted via contact between humans and armadillos.

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“In the Southern United States, some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacteria that cause Hansen’s disease in people, and it may be possible that they can spread it to people. However, the risk is very low, and most people who come into contact with armadillos are unlikely to get Hansen’s disease.”

Still, the HRSA advises that armadillos are “wild animals and should be treated as such, with all the proper precautions.” In the report, the CDC cited a recent case of a 54-year-old man who contracted the disease in Central Florida. The man “denied any domestic or foreign travel, exposure to armadillos, prolonged contact with immigrants from leprosy-endemic countries, or connections with someone known to have leprosy.”

He is described as having resided in Florida his entire life, working in landscaping and spending long periods of time outdoors.

“The absence of traditional risk factors in many recent cases of leprosy in Florida, coupled with the high proportion of residents, like our patient, who spend a great deal of time outdoors, supports the investigation into environmental reservoirs as a potential source of transmission.”

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CDC Says a Deadly Fungal Infection Is Spreading in the US at an ‘Alarming’ Rate

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning that a drug-resistant and potentially deadly fungus is spreading rapidly at an “alarming rate” through U.S. health care facilities.

A study conducted by the CDC found that Candida auris has now been detected in more than half of U.S. states. Cases nationwide nearly doubled between 2020 and 2021 from 756 to 1,471 before increasing to 2,377 in 2022. The majority of cases tested were immune to antifungal treatment.

C. auris poses little threat to healthy people but can cause serious illness or death in those with compromised immune systems or those who use medical devices like ventilators or catheters.

The CDC has called the fungus an “urgent antimicrobial resistance threat.” It can spread from “contact with affected patients and contaminated surfaces or equipment.” Common symptoms include fever and chills that do not improve with treatment.

Dr. Meghan Lyman, chief medical officer of the CDC’s mycotic diseases branch and the report’s lead author, told NBC the increase in cases “in the most recent years, are really concerning to us.” She stated the CDC has “seen increases not just in areas of ongoing transmission, but also in new areas.”

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Identifying the fungal infection can be challenging because most patients present with advanced illness and confirmation of infection requires a laboratory test. Moreover, while a significant number of patients with invasive infections die, it can be difficult to assess the exact role C. auris played in these deaths.

According to the CDC data, which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, infection by C. auris was first reported in the United States in 2016. The most rapid rise in cases was observed from 2020 to 2021.

The growing number of cases resistant to echinocandins, the most widely prescribed antifungal medication for the infection, is raising the most concern.

Poor infection prevention in health care facilities and better screening efforts have contributed to the increase in reported cases, according to the CDC. The additional strain on health care and public health systems during the pandemic may have also exacerbated the spread of the fungus.

The Mississippi Department of Health has been fighting a growing outbreak of infections. A lead epidemiologist in the state, Dr. Paul Byers, told NBC there had been ongoing transmission at two long-term care facilities. Cases have also been identified at several other facilities in the state.

“Unfortunately, multi-drug resistant organisms such as C. auris have become more prevalent among our highest risk individuals, such as residents in long-term care facilities.”

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Dr. Byers told NBC in an email at least 12 people have been infected with C. auris since November, with four “potentially associated deaths.”

The CDC reports that the fungus can be found both on the skin and throughout the body. The healthy population is not in danger, but about a third of those infected with C. auris die.

The CDC examined information from state and local health departments on C. auris infections and asymptomatic but contagious “colonized” individuals from 2016 to 2021. Between 2019 and 2020, infections increased by 59%. The following year, there was a 95% increase. The number of people “colonized” increased by 21% in 2020 and 208% in 2021.

Dr. Waleed Javaid, an epidemiologist and director of infection prevention and control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York, called the findings “worrisome.”

“But we don’t want people who watched ‘The Last of Us’ to think we’re all going to die. This is an infection that occurs in extremely ill individuals who are usually sick with a lot of other issues.”

One of the challenges in preventing the fungus spread in hospital ICU units is that C. auris can colonize not only people who come into contact with the fungus but also patient rooms.

“By its nature, it has an extreme ability to survive on surfaces. It can colonize walls, cables, bedding, chairs. We clean everything with bleach and UV light.”

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China Gearing Up For Likely Covid-19 Surge As Travel For The Lunar New Year Begins

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The Lunar New Year holidays, also referred to as the spring festival, officially begins on January 21st. Local media outlets have already been reporting massive spikes in Covid-related hospitalizations and deaths, along with supply and drug shortages to combat the spread.

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