"This year’s respiratory season is slowly fizzling out. But with that, new players have entered the scene. Here is your state of affairs.
Measles: Increasing
"Measles continues to come in hot. A few things jumping out at me:
CDC reports we have had 45 cases across 17 states so far, which almost surpasses last year’s total of 58 cases across 20 states.
Cases are driven by lots of little sparks across the nation, opposed to one big outbreak like in 2019. The more embers, the more likely it is that they find unvaccinated pockets and spread like wildfire.
We don’t know much else, as the CDC website desperately needs a refresh.
"Why is this a problem? While the raw number of cases remain low (we aren’t seeing even close to pre-vaccine era numbers), each outbreak takes a ridiculous amount of resources. For example, a small outbreak in Tucson in 2011 cost close to $800,000. Moreover, the increase in measles is happening within a concerning context: vaccination rates declining due to a rapidly changing information landscape, decline in trust, and continued individualism. There are very few signs that this will be changing anytime soon.
Norovirus: Surging
"Norovirus—a virus that causes stomach cramping, intense episodes of vomiting and diarrhea, and sometimes fevers—is taking off in the Northern Hemisphere. If we had a storm system for viruses, this might be deemed a shi… you get it.
"Ten percent of the population should expect to get sick. It’s very tough to protect yourself against this virus, but not impossible. Here are some pointers from a previous YLE post. For example, wash hands (rather than using hand sanitizer) and be sure to use bleach-based products on surfaces.
COVID-19:Moderate and declining
"Covid-19 wastewater levels, for the first time this season, have reached “moderate” levels. While it remains highest in the South, levels there are falling too.
"The biggest concern I have is the suboptimal uptake of Covid-19
vaccines. A new Pew survey showed a sharp decline for Republicans over
the age of 65 years old—an extremely serious problem, and I have yet to
hear that the U.S. has a solution for it.
"The partisan gap on Covid-19 is narrowing as public interest in Covid-19 overall is waning. Most interesting, though, is bipartisian consensus for long Covid treatment. This is refreshing and should absolutely be translated into research dollars."
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I'm so grateful for this sort of regular recap. If it weren't for these newsletters by Dr Jetelina, Dr. Ruth Ann Crystal, Dr Caitlin Rivers, Julia Doubleday and others, we'd have no information at all.
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