Update on Infectious Disease Threats: What You Need to Know
Information about various infectious diseases is constantly evolving. I am hoping to summarize some of that in these newsletters. New information will be in BOLD.
GENERAL:
Indeed, the winter respiratory virus season (catchy, isn't it?!) seems to be the most intense we have seen in 15 years! And the number of people affected is still rising.
COVID-19
General Information
COVID-19 rates in the U.S. as well as in the rest of the world remain low.
Well, we are clearly in a different stage of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to several years ago: many more people have some degree of immunity, be it from prior infection and/ or vaccination. A recent study (JAMA) found that the anti-viral Paxlovid did NOT (at this time) decrease the risk of death or hospitalization due to COVID-19 in vaccinated seniors.
LONG COVID:
Children vaccinated against COVID-19 had less than 50% likelihood of developing Long COVID, compared to unvaccinated kids; and vaccinated kids were 75% less likely to have a bad case of Long COVID, which include symptoms that affect daily functioning (JAMA Network Open).
Other Infectious Diseases:
Norovirus:
Norovirus is an extremely contagious virus that causes severe diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
We have seen more norovirus outbreaks in the U.S. in 2024 than in the last 10 years.
Alcohol hand sanitizer does NOT kill the norovirus....but good old-fashioned soap and water does!
RSV:
I have written in the past about RSV ("Respiratory Syncytial Virus") that causes flu-like symptoms and pneumonia in the very young as well as the elderly. There is a vaccine out for this and this is recommended for people over 75, or those with underlying lung disease.
At this time, RSV rates in Northern California, nationally, and in Europe are all still elevated, but may be declining slowly. Most infected people are young kids.
AVIAN FLU:
AKA "Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza" or HPAI (or " H5N1").
Bird flu has become the most recent concerning virus that could lead to an epidemic. The disease can lead to a pneumonia, neurological problems, and conjunctivitis. It has largely been found in animals such as cows, wild birds, and marine mammals, but has spread to many mammals at this point.
A recent report (MMWR) found that some veterinarians caring for cattle were infected with the bird flu in 2024. This indicates that transmissions from animals to humans has been under-appreciated in the past.
Live poultry markets in New York City have been closed after the Avian Flu was found in the animals.
FLU:
Influenza rates continue to be unusually high in the U.S. and abroad. At this time, more than 910,000 people have been hospitalized for the flu since last October, making this season the worst in a decade or more. As of February 15, more than 86 children have died of the flu this season. Estimates suggest that 430,000 people overall were hospitalized for the disease since October.
Sadly, it now seems that this season's flu shot was not as good at protecting against the virus as in other years.
Luckily, we may be over the worst of it, as rates seem to be declining now...fingers crossed!
MEASLES:
Measles is a highly contagious disease. Every person sick with measles can transmit the virus to 12-16 unvaccinated people. Just standing next to someone with measles (as in an international airport) can be enough to get you sick.
In the last year, measles cases have risen 20% worldwide. This is attributed to decreasing vaccination rates, especially in countries ravaged by war.
Currently, a measles outbreak is growing in Texas and New Mexico, where vaccination rates were lower than recommended. At this time, there are 258 people who are known to be infected. 34 people have needed to be hospitalized. One child has died. An adult has died also, though it is unclear if the cause of death was measles or if he had measles while he died (he never sought medical care). Almost all of the cases were in people who were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. In addition, it is likely that an additional hundreds of people are infected but were not officially diagnosed. Most cases are in children aged 5 to 17.
Oklahoma and Vermont recently reported that they too are now part of the measles outbreak. 12 states in total have had measles cases this year.
There have been five cases of measles in California alone this year, each associated with international travel.
As mentioned previously, all adults (who have been vaccinated for measles as children) should get a one-time measles booster as an adult.
An unvaccinated person can receive a vaccine within 72 hours of measles exposure to help with protection.
There is NO scientific evidence that measles vaccines lead to autism, cancer, or heart disease.
OTHER MEDICAL NEWS:
A new trial published in JAMA Network Open looked at pediatric emergency departments and a novel way to reduce the anxiety felt by kids and their parents while there: they had therapy dogs in the ED! This significantly reduced the stress felt by young and old. Interesting!
About Dr. Sujansky's Life in These Times
I recently spent three days in Mexico with a group of old friends. The timing was terrible: I had been buried in work and life stresses for a month and I really did not have the time to go away. However, I went anyway! It was a great decision. For 3 days, I was able to forget about all of my unfinished projects and spend time with people who, I knew, were always there for me. We took long walks on the beach, visited a beautiful nearby town, saw a donkey rescue ranch, and ate well.
On returning to reality, I felt like I had so much more patience with life (and things that didn't go according to plan!). I had more energy. I was more efficient.
Moral of the story? I bet you know this yourselves: sometimes you get more done by taking time off and treating yourself well. Be as kind to yourself as you are to others!
I hope all of you get a chance to unplug this way sometime soon.
