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COVID, Flu, & Health News, 1/11/2026
Ruth Ann Crystal MD, Jan 11, 2026
"To quote the Durham County Department of Public Health, “Ridiculous numbers of people are getting the flu right now. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are reaching or have already reached record-breaking numbers.” The public health workers of Durham County posted this exasperated (and humorous) plea for people to get their flu shots, wear masks and stay home if sick.
"Flu activity is HIGH across the country and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) cases are elevated in many parts of the U.S., with emergency department visits and hospitalizations increasing for RSV among children 0-4 years old. The CDC is contradicting itself, saying that “COVID-19 activity is “low” on one webpage, but also states that wastewater levels of COVID are HIGH on another.
"In Santa Clara County, COVID levels are still low, but Flu levels are HIGH across all four sewersheds.
WastewaterSCAN COVID, RSV, Influenza A, Influenza B wastewater levels by region:
From: data.wastwaterscan.org
"The CDC estimates that there have been at least 15,000,000 illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 7,400 deaths including 17 deaths of children from Influenza so far this season. An unvaccinated child died of the flu this week in San Mateo County, as RFK Jr and the CDC announced cuts to the Children’s Vaccine Schedule. Hospitalizations and deaths from influenza are still increasing, with this season shaping up to be one of the worst in the last decade.
"It is not too late to get vaccinated against the flu. Although the CDC and RFK Jr removed recommendations for all children to get the flu vaccine this week, the data shows that this year’s flu shot can significantly protect kids from severe illness including hospitalization and death. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania shows that although this year’s flu shot is not an exact match, most people are making significant antibodies to H3N2 influenza after vaccination. Harvard’s Dr. Hanage commented that “the current vaccine might not be perfect, but it’s still more than good enough to provide protection, especially when it comes to stopping serious illness.”
"New York, one of the states hardest hit this flu season, is breaking records for both the speed of spread and total number of flu hospitalizations. Similar flu surges are being seen in Colorado and Massachusetts, and some other states. There are early signs that New York’s flu surge may be starting to peak.
Influenza-like (ILI) activity through 1/3/26 per the CDC FluView:
From: https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2025-week-53.html
"Per Mike Hoerger who uses CDC and Biobot wastewater data for calculations, about 1 in 55 people is currently infectious with COVID in America, with about 892,000 new daily COVID infections nationally. Risk varies considerably by state as seen below. COVID is not over- in fact, more people die of COVID each year than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
"Ways to prevent COVID are similar to those for other respiratory infections and include getting the COVID vaccine, using air filters, wearing masks when indoors, testing before gatherings and staying home when sick.
"A UCSF cohort study comparing 59 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients to 13 controls found that “SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with prolonged salivary EBV shedding, that concurrent high levels of EBV and SARS-CoV-2 in saliva are correlated, but these salivary EBV shedding dynamics do not drive systemic EBV antibody responses.”
"In a multi-center study involving 4,584 children and adolescents across the United States, “economic instability that included food insecurity and poor social and community context were associated with greater odds of pediatric long COVID. Those with food security, despite experiencing other economic challenges, did not have greater odds of long COVID.” Ultra-processed foods are often cheaper. This leads me to wonder: could the effects of ultra-processed foods on the gut microbiome in low-income children be partly contributing to increased Long COVID risks?
"A group from Amsterdam found that SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination boosts antibody responses to other pathogens (influenza, RSV and tetanus) for at least 6 weeks by inducing a transient expansion of “bystander” B cells.
"In mouse studies conducted at the University of Iowa, researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause neurological damage including persistent dopaminergic neuron loss and microglial activation in the brain, even without the virus itself present in the brain. While antiviral treatment alone failed to prevent these deficits, the addition of a corticosteroid (dexamethasone) effectively reduced neurological damage. Targeting both the virus and inflammation in combination may be necessary to prevent long-term neurologic injury after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
"IMC-2 is a combination pill containing 1,500 mg of valacyclovir and 200 mg of celecoxib taken twice daily. In a small open-label pilot study from Drs. Pridgen and Putrino, 24 patients with Long COVID were treated with either IMC-2 for 120 days or IMC-2 paired with the addition of a 15-day course of Paxlovid (and a reduction of the valacyclovir dose). “Patients in the IP [valacyclovir and celecoxib plus paxlovid for 15 days] group reported an average 55.3% (p < 0.0001) greater reduction in fatigue than the IO [valacyclovir and celecoxib only] group. Participants who completed the IP intervention demonstrated durable clinical benefit, with symptom improvements remaining consistent at 120-, 305-, and 731-day follow-ups.” Larger trials are being planned, but combinations of antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs appear important in treating Long COVID.
"Specialized Long COVID clinics are closing across the United States due to funding cuts, provider burnout, and the lack of approved treatments for Long COVID. Long COVID is a very complex chronic disease. With specialty clinics closing, patients will face longer wait times and will need to rely on already overburdened primary care practices that are ill-equipped to manage their specific needs.
"Researchers from Italy and Ethiopia reviewed literature to analyze the molecular pathways connecting Long COVID to new-onset Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. They identified persistent viral RNA in pancreatic tissues, direct beta-cell damage, autoimmune responses and dysregulated ACE2 signaling as key mechanisms driving the development of diabetes after COVID infection.
"In a UK study of 114 patients with Long COVID fatigue, people with Long COVID who used a Flexistim vagus nerve stimulator in their outer ear for at least 1 hour per day on >50% of days had significant improvement in fatigue and physical functioning after 8 weeks of therapy.
"A group from China studied intestinal tissue from people with Long COVID, from mice and from drosophila flies. They found that SARS-CoV-2 infection impairs intestinal stem cell function and gut barrier epithelial cell repair by disrupting the VLCFA-PPAR-peroxisome axis. This leads to gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea, inflammation, and microbiota dysbiosis. “FDA-approved sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB) and fenofibrate alleviate these symptoms by promoting peroxisome proliferation and restoring epithelial repair.” I believe that giving a synbiotic that increases butyrate production in the gut could possibly help as well.
"University of Pittsburgh researchers found that about 15% of cancer survivors who tested positive for COVID reported Long COVID. Risk was higher among women, younger survivors, and those with diabetes or chronic respiratory disease, and lower among men, older individuals, and those vaccinated against COVID and influenza. Cancer survivors may be particularly vulnerable due to treatment-related immune suppression from chemotherapy, radiation, and other cancer therapies, which can impair immune cells and increase infection risk.
"The 3rd International Long COVID conference took place in Boston November 2025 and was very successful. Slide decks and videos of the talks are now available. Organizers are busy planning next year’s conference which will be in Nice, France from November 12 to 13, 2026.
"For the entire year of 2025, a total of 2,144 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States, with 11% (240 of 2144 cases) hospitalized and 3 confirmed deaths from measles. Measles outbreaks are continuing in South Carolina, Arizona and Utah currently.
"RFK Jr and HHS announced an unprecedented, major change in the childhood immunization schedule this week that is not based on new data. The new schedule cuts the number of universally recommended immunizations from 17 down to 11.
"Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb MD posted: “Shifting many pediatric vaccines into the category of shared clinical decision-making means in many red states governors and legislators will be pressured to strip them from school-entry requirements. Vaccination rates could fall sharply with stark regional differences in protection against disease.”
"Epidemiologist Dr. Beth Jacobs stated, “There is no scientific evidence supporting the change in recommendations, and therefore, Mr. Kennedy was unable to provide any.” She added, “This is but another cannon shot at a load-bearing wall in the U.S. vaccination program. Not only will Kennedy’s actions put kids at greater risk for serious illness and death from vaccine-preventable diseases, he is also further undermining trust in public health and causing unnecessary confusion by forcing guidance that is contrary to the scientific evidence.”
"New York Governor Hochul and New York City Major Mamdani are working towards their goal of universal government-funded child care in New York starting with free child care for 2-year-olds in New York City.
"As Lyme disease cases rise in the U.S. and Europe, researchers are developing new prevention and treatment strategies, including vaccines that target ticks rather than the bacteria they transmit, potentially blocking multiple tick-borne infections. Despite early antibiotic treatment, recovery is not guaranteed, with an estimated 14% of patients developing post-treatment Lyme disease which is similar in prevalence to Long COVID and post–Epstein–Barr fatigue syndromes.
"A Swedish review of 19 studies involving 762 people found that taking probiotics can actually change how our brain handles stress and can improve sleep quality.
"And finally, a husky named Kobe started digging frantically in his yard in Philadelphia, which was unusual for him. His owner checked the area and called the city who discovered that Kobe was warning them about a dangerous underground gas leak due to aging infrastructure that could have caused a major explosion. The leak was fixed thanks to Kobe’s actions. What a good boy!
"Have a good week,
"Ruth Ann Crystal MD"
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