The Latest Bird Flu News

Well, this isn't good at all: California child tests positive for bird flu with no known exposure to infected animals

Neither is this:

Human Cases of Bird Flu Confirmed to Be Occurring Undetected in The US
Health  - 20 November 2024, By Tessa Koumoundouros

"Blood samples from 115 dairy workers in Michigan and Colorado reveal cases of the highly pathogenic bird flu have been occurring undetected in humans.

"US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers found 7 percent of those tested between June and August 2024 had antibodies from the highly virulent form of H5N1 in their blood.

"The good news is this means most people who have contracted bird flu so far have not been severely impacted. Half of those with the virus antibodies in their blood did not report being ill, so may have only experienced mild symptoms.

"However, while the current risk to public health is still low, researchers are concerned that allowing the virus to spread without control provides it with a greater opportunity to mutate into more threatening strains.

"A change in the disease's virulence has occurred in Cambodia, where at least three patients have died from their infection. A hybrid between 2.3.2.1c and 2.3.4.4b, that strain of bird flu was contracted from poultry; a preprint study suggests this hybrid has mutations that assist airborne transmission and infection of mammals.

"Close tracking suggests the Cambodian outbreak is fortunately limited, and no human-to-human infection has been detected.

"Canada has also just reported its first known case of bird flu in humans, a teenager who is currently in a critical condition in hospital with a mutated version of the strain identified in the US dairy cow outbreak. Early genetic sequencing shows a change in a gene known to increase a virus's ability to infect humans.

"So far the Canadian case appears to be an isolated incident, but these concerning examples emphasize how easily the risk a virus poses can change, reinforcing the importance of close tracking and careful management of outbreaks.

"To date there's only one known case of bird flu with no known animal origin, sparking fears that human to human spread may have begun.

"The US dairy workers who had signs of previous infection had all been involved in milking the cows or cleaning the milking parlor. Those that recalled being ill reported symptoms including red, draining or itchy eyes, a fever, sore throat, congested nose, sneezing, diarrhea or headaches.

"None of the workers with HPAI A(H5) virus antibodies reported using the personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended for working with HPAI A(H5)–infected animals, and use of recommended PPE was low among all workers," CDC health scientist Alexandra Mellis and colleagues write in their report.

"The CDC is monitoring the situation closely. In addition to poultry outbreaks , over 400 dairy herds have been infected by the highly virulent bird flu across 48 states.

"Researchers and healthcare professionals stress the need for continued robust monitoring to prevent further spread and better management of the existing outbreaks in animals.

"These findings support the need for improved outreach to employers and workers about the risk for infection when working with dairy cattle infected with HPAI A(H5) viruses, and for the use of infection prevention measures such as PPE," Mellis and team explain, noting that outreach would need to be culturally appropriate as many of the workers in the recent report are Spanish speakers.

"Authorities worldwide are urging us all to maintain good hygiene when interacting with animals and to report sightings of multiple sick or dead birds (US, 1 866 487 3297; UK, 03459 33 55 77; AU, 1800 675 888). Signs of infection in animals include drowsiness, lack of coordination, moving in circles, a head tilt and/or an inability to stand or fly.

"Since 2022, the highly virulent bird flu has led to the culling of more than 90 million domestic birds in the US alone. A program to vaccinate California condors has been implemented in order to minimize the disease's impact on this critically endangered bird, but many other species will likely need help as well.

"Meanwhile, researchers are working hard to develop a human vaccine too.

"The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report can be read here."

Sanctuary State Traitors: Just Whose Side Are They On?

Rather than protecting their citizens by protecting them from illegal aliens, governors and mayors in sanctuary states have been protecting illegal aliens from us. In fact, they are fighting harder for illegals than they ever do for us.

Just who were they elected to represent?

The news has shown governors and mayors already opposing President Trump's plans to deport criminal illegal aliens and close the border. They refer to the illegals as "our residents" when they own residents can't afford to support themselves, never mind support those who shouldn't be here in the first place. I remember when New York ended up having to make cuts to meals programs for seniors in order to afford to give free hotel rooms to illegals.How is that permitted?

To me, these mayors are governors are nothing more than traitors who will have blood on their hands every time one of their legal, taxpaying citizens is killed or attacked by an illegal alien "resident".

Here's an article on the subject that I saw online today. Read it and weep.

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From AMAC (Association of Mature American citizens): Democrat Governors, City Leaders Pledge to Shield Illegal Aliens From Trump
Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2024

"THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Democratic governors and other liberal elected officials have lined up to declare that they will fight back against President-elect Donald Trump’s hard-line agenda against illegal immigration.

"Trump, who won the Nov. 5 election, has promised to conduct mass deportations across the country and withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities, along with a slate of other hawkish enforcement proposals.

"However, Democratic governors in Massachusetts, California, and Illinois—all seen as potential 2028 presidential contenders—and other elected leaders have said they will use their authority to push back against the upcoming second Trump administration’s agenda.

“I think that the key here is that every tool in the toolbox has got to be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents and protect our states, and certainly to hold the line on democracy and the rule of law as a basic principle,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said to MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell after Trump’s victory.

"Healey confirmed that Massachusetts State Police would “absolutely not” help the Trump administration’s deportation plans.

"The entire state of Massachusetts is already described as a “sanctuary” haven by the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based group that supports enforcement of immigration law and tracks sanctuary laws and policies.

"Healey’s reluctance to help the incoming administration’s enforcement efforts follows her state’s struggles with the ongoing border crisis, having publicly asked illegal immigrants not to go to her state and offered plane tickets for them to leave.

"California Gov. Gavin Newsom called Nov. 7 for a special session of the state Legislature to “protect California values” from the incoming Trump administration.

“The special session will focus on bolstering California legal resources to protect civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, and immigrant families,” a statement from the governor’s office reads. “On immigrant protection, California has advanced policies that support immigrant families and is investing in their protection.”

"Like Massachusetts, the entire state of California is also deemed a “sanctuary” jurisdiction for statewide policies that forbid cooperation between local law enforcement officials and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Newsom’s office told The Associated Press that the special session for lawmakers will help “Trump-proof” the state’s laws.

"In addition to conducting the “largest deportation program in American history,” Trump has also said he would end birthright citizenship for those born on American soil by illegal migrant parents, bring back the “Remain in Mexico” program, hire more Border Patrol agents, and establish a compensation fund for victims of what he calls migrant crime.

"The president-elect announced late Sunday that he was picking former ICE acting Acing director Tom Homan to be the border czar in the new administration, making clear the upcoming administration will be adopting a tough stance on enforcement.

"The president-elect announced late Sunday that he was picking former ICE acting Director Tom Homan to be the border czar in the new administration, making clear it will adopt a tough stance on enforcement.

“To anyone who intends to come take away the freedom and opportunity and dignity of Illinoisans, I would remind you that a happy warrior is still a warrior,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said during a press conference after Trump’s victory. “You come for my people, you come through me.”

"Pritzker said Illinois would remain a sanctuary state and vowed to take the second Trump administration to court if it attempts to withhold federal funds over the issue. The president-elect has pledged to force sanctuary cities and jurisdictions to cooperate with immigration authorities by stripping them of federal public safety grants.

"Numerous local Democratic elected officials have also signaled that they will do what they can to stymie Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration, with several members of the Los Angeles City Council saying that they will fast-track passage of a sanctuary city ordinance, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"The Los Angeles legislation, still under review by city attorneys, would prohibit federal immigration enforcement officials from accessing Los Angeles databases.

"A spokesperson for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked by the Daily Caller News Foundation if she would support the bill.

"Many liberal organizations have also declared they are ready and waiting to fight the Trump administration tooth and nail, including the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU has filed over 400 legal actions against Trump and his previous administration since 2016, a large portion targeting immigration directives from Trump’s first term.

“Starting on Day One, we’re ready to fight for our civil liberties and civil rights in the courts, in Congress, and in our communities,” the ACLU said after Trump’s election victory. “We did it during his first term—filing 434 legal actions against Trump while he was in office—and we’ll do it again.”

Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation

Reprinted with permission from The Daily Signal by Jason Hopkins.

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.

Another Betrayal by Biden

Trump takes office on January 20. It makes me ill to think of all the additional last-minute damage the shameless Biden Administration can do between now and then!

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Biden-Harris Administration Sanctions Israeli ‘Settlement’ Groups, Sends Millions to ‘Palestinians’

"The Biden-Harris administration on Monday unveiled sweeping new sanctions on Israeli Jews, just days after it awarded another $230 million in taxpayer funds to the Palestinians. The back-to-back announcements signal that diplomatic relations between Israel and the outgoing White House will continue to sour until President-elect Donald Trump retakes office next year.

"The new sanctions are the broadest to date, imposing unprecedented punitive measures on three Israeli organizations the administration accuses of fomenting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). They were leveled just days after a coalition of nearly 90 congressional Democrats petitioned the Biden administration to ramp up sanctions on Israel before leaving the White House.

"The sanctions were announced just three days after the Biden-Harris administration awarded another $230 million in funding for humanitarian projects in the West Bank and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The American government has now sent more than $2 billion in taxpayer funds to the Palestinians since Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror spree on Israel—even as critics warn this cash is keeping Hamas on life support."

Thanks For Spreading COVID!

Don't you dare complain when you get sick.

 60% of Americans say they probably won’t get an updated COVID-19 vaccine

"Six-in-ten Americans say they will probably not get an updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine, according to an October Pew Research Center survey. Smaller shares say they probably will get an updated vaccine (24%) or have already received one (15%).

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the updated vaccine to everyone ages 6 months and older ahead of the fall and winter months to help protect from severe disease and hospitalization.

"Views of the updated vaccine are sharply divided across partisan lines, with Democrats and those who lean to the Democratic Party being more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to say they will get the vaccine. The partisan divide is particularly large among adults ages 65 and older – one of the groups most at risk for severe illness."

The Latest Assault on Reason, Common Sense, and Normalcy

No, this is not a "her" or a "she". It's a man pretending to be a woman -- and putting all the real women on Capitol Hill in an uncomfortable situation.

Just build a separate "transgender bathroom" there for this tiny minority, stop whining, and act like a man!  But the goal  of these people is not to have their own space. Their goal is to intrude upon YOUR space.

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Trans congresswoman Sarah McBride blasts Republicans after proposal that would block her from using women's bathroom on Capitol Hill

"A trans war has broken out on Capitol Hill after a Republican lawmaker proposed a measure that would block the first transgender member of Congress from using biological women's restrooms in the U.S. Capitol. 

"Rep. Nancy Mace is pushing for the new rule ahead of the arrival of Congresswoman-elect Sarah McBride, who will take office in January as the first openly-trans lawmaker in the United States. 

"Mace, a staunch conservative, stood by her measure. 

"'Playing make believe dress up doesn't mean you should be allowed in women's private spaces,' she wrote on X."

In another sign of how insane this is, Newsweek actually has this headline:  "Marjorie Taylor Greene Misgenders First Openly Trans Congresswoman Sarah McBride: 'He's A Man'"

Well, he IS a man! 

When is this delusion ever going to end? Apparently not for the next two years, at least in the United States Congress.

Caitlin Rivers' Outbreak Outlook, 11/18/24

Here's the latest Outbreak Outlook newsletter by Dr Caitlin Rivers:

Respiratory Diseases

Influenza-like illness

Influenza-like illness remains low in most areas of the country, but activity is picking up a bit as we head deeper into the winter months. Around 2.5% of visits to the doctor were for fever and cough or sore throat, up from 2.4% the week prior. We are still likely several weeks away from crossing the 3% threshold that marks the beginning of flu season.

Source: CDC

All states remain in the minimal or low categories for outpatient ILI, but the Southern states and and parts of the West are seeing increases in wastewater concentration, which suggests that activity is increasing (as expected this time of year).

Young children are experiencing the most flu-like illness, as always. They saw a jump from 7.5% to 8.1% outpatient ILI. For comparison, last year peaked at 15.5% around the New Year. Older age groups saw less dramatic increases, with the 5-24 age group rising from 3.8% to 4.0%. Adult age groups remain below 2%.

It is too early to determine how well this year’s flu vaccine matches the circulating strains. However, so far most subtyped specimens are either H1N1 or H3N2—the strains that have been predominant in recent years.

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COVID-19

The respite continues. Covid-19 wastewater activity is low and declining in most areas of the country.

Although the Midwest leads the country in wastewater activity, its activity remains low and stable.

Wastewater activity is low in the West and minimal in the South and Northeast. Only one state in the country reported very high wastewater activity last week: New Mexico.

Trips to the emergency department for Covid-19 remain minimal, accounting for just 0.5% of all emergency department visits in the past week. The number of people hospitalized due to the virus also declined again, to the low rate of 1.0 hospitalizations per 100,000 people.

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RSV & Other Bugs

RSV: RSV activity is still low across the country, but there are some increases in the South, with hospitalizations and wastewater concentration beginning to pick up.

Activity in the rest of the country is minimal, but early indicators (e.g., test positivity) are rising, and so I do expect the weeks ahead to bring more intense transmission.

Other bugs: A bunch of other viruses that cause respiratory infections and cold/flu-like symptoms are increasing.

• Adenoviruses and human coronaviruses are both on an upswing, but remain at middling levels.

• Parainfluenza is fairly elevated, with 5.7% test positivity. In the past couple years, when it has gone through a period of higher spread, it tends to peak around 7-9% test positivity.

• Rhinoviruses/enteroviruses have at quite-elevated 20-30% test positivity for the past month, and this week increased a bit again, to 28.5%.

• After a period where activity seemed to be declining, Mycoplasma pneumoniae activity is again rising. This has been one of the most active years for M pneumo in recent years, so I am sorry to see it continue to intensify.

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Stomach Bugs

Norovirus is fairly high at 12.4% test positivity and increasing. Test positivity has increased about 2.4x since the low it hit in early September. This is the time of year we expect norovirus to be more active, so I don’t expect to see low rates return for a few months. Rates are highest in the South, followed by the West, and Midwest; they remain low in the Northeast.

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Food recalls

The following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items:

New:

• Bagged carrots, full size and baby, sold at multiple retailers (more info)

Previously reported:

• Soft ripened cheeses, including brie, sold under multiple brand names, including Aldi, La Bonne Vie, and Glenview Farms (more info)

  • Prepackaged turkey sandwiches with spreadable brie sold under multiple brand names (more info)

• Ready-to-eat poultry and meat products sold by Yu Shang Food, including pork belly, beef shank, and whole chicken (more info)

• Waffles and pancakes - many flavors and styles - sold under a very large variety of brand names, including numerous store brands, including 365 Organic, Best Choice, Good & Gather, Harris Teeter, H-E-B, Nature’s Promise, Publix, Trader Joe’s and Wegmans.

  • Given the size of this recall, if you have any variety of frozen/toaster waffles, Belgian waffles or pancakes in your freezer that you bought in the US or Canada, check this list. (more info)

• If you have food allergies, you may wish to review these FDA safety alerts and USDA alerts for foods with undeclared allergens.

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In other news

• The California Department of Public Health has confirmed the first U.S. case of clade I mpox, linked to an ongoing outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa. The case involves a traveler from Eastern Africa, now isolating at home with improving symptoms. Unlike clade IIb, which was responsible for the 2022 epidemic, clade Ib spreads through household and heterosexual contact. For reference, a recent importation of clade Ib into the United Kingdom led to three household members becoming infected, but no reported spread outside the household.

• President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, a prominent anti-vaccine activist and critic of institutions like the FDA, will require Senate confirmation unless the Senate allows the president-elect to make recess appointments. Other key health positions, such as CDC Director, NIH Director, and FDA Commissioner, have not yet been announced. Those nominees will also require Senate confirmation.

• The E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has grown to 104 cases across 14 states, with 34 hospitalizations, four cases of serious kidney complications, and one death. Health officials and McDonald’s identified slivered onions from Taylor Farms as the likely source, prompting a recall on October 22. The CDC now considers the food safety risk resolved, and McDonald’s has resumed serving Quarter Pounders with onions from a new supplier. Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska reported the highest case numbers. The outbreak includes cases dating back to September.

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Want more local information? Regional editions are now available to paid subscribers. These versions of Outbreak Outlook are specific to the West, South, Northeast, and Midwestern regions of the country. They contain more localized trends and updates.

Dr Ruth's COVID, H5N1 & more newsletter, 11/16/24

Here's the latest always-helpful newsletter by Dr. Ruth Ann Crystal:

COVID, H5N1 & more, 11/16/24

Wastewater levels of SARS-CoV-2 are still LOW in most places in America according to both the CDC and WastewaterSCAN. As of 11/15/24, JP Weiland predicts that there are presently 185,000 new COVID infections per day in the US and that about 1 in every 180 people is currently infected. Mike Hoerger predicts a large increase in cases by December, but JP Weiland said that since COVID infections have decreased again this week, it looks less likely that we will reach as high a winter wave as last year. Still, it is a great time to get your updated COVID vaccine and the flu shot in order to be better protected when visiting friends and family for Thanksgiving and other winter holidays.

We can see on the composite wastewater chart from Sara Anne Willette using data from both the CDC and from WastwaterSCAN that there are more hotspots this week, seen as light blue and blue on the map below. Using data from both sources allows us to see data from most states. 

SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Variant data is only updated every 2 weeks by the CDC now. Last week, we saw that KP.3.1.1 decreased to 52% of COVID cases and that XEC was at 28% of cases. JP Weiland posted that last winter’s wave was caused by Pirola (BA.2.86) which caused a high wave and that this summer’s big wave was caused by the FLiRT mutations and then KP.3.1.1, but XEC does not show the same weekly growth advantage and therefore it is not expected to cause as big of a winter COVID wave. With indoor festivities during the holidays, COVID cases are expected to go up, just not as much as last year.

From: https://x.com/JPWeiland/status/1856477994090459219

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Seniors

By November 2nd, 37.6% of Americans ages 65 and older had gotten an updated 2024-2025 COVID vaccine, compared to 22.6% the same week in 2023. 55.3% of seniors have gotten their flu shot which is similar to last year.

Pediatrics

In a study of 212,655 children and teens hospitalized for respiratory infection in 2020 to 2021, COVID infection caused a higher risk of myocarditis and heart block than influenza or RSV. There were no differences in tachyarrhythmias, cardiac arrest,or in-hospital mortality however. The authors summarized that children and teens hospitalized for COVID are at higher risk for cardiovascular complications compared to RSV or flu and it is important to limit the spread of infection.

COVID infection during pregnancy has been associated with an increase in neurodevelopmental disorders in the child, but mechanisms were previously unknown. A study from China shows that maternal COVID infection changes the number of CD4 T cells and affects gene expression. This leads to changes in astrocytes, endothelial cells, and excitatory neurons in the fetus which is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the affected newborns. 

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has updated their recommendations for air quality in schools. In order “to prevent the spread of respiratory infections and decrease absenteeism, CDPH recommends providing a minimum of at least 5 air changes per hour or 30 cfm/occupant of equivalent clean airflow, whichever is greater, in occupied classroom environments. This goal can be achieved through a combination of ventilation with outdoor air and filtration using HVAC filters and/or portable air cleaners.” 

Vaccines

The FDA removed the clinical hold on Novavax’s COVID-Influenza combination vaccine Phase 3 trial. A trial participant had noted a motor neuropathy, but further investigation showed that this was due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and not the vaccine.

Antiviral treatments

David Ho's lab from Columbia University made their own Pemivibart (Pemgarda) monoclonal antibody to test against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus variants. They found that pemivibart is 25x less effective against KP.3.1.1 than the JN.1 variant. This is similar to data listed on Stanford's COVID Antiviral and Resistance database.

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Special edition of Science magazine on Long COVID

This week, Science Translational Medicine had a special edition on Long COVID with the following articles:

• Initiating Long Covid RECOVERy

• Consequences beyond acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in children

• Infection-associated chronic conditions: Why Long Covid is our best chance to untangle Osler’s web

• Sex differences in postacute infection syndromes

• Symptoms after Lyme disease: What’s past is prologue

• Animal models of Long Covid: A hit-and-run disease

• Translating insights into therapies for Long Covid

• Sex differences and immune correlates of Long Covid development, symptom persistence, and resolution

The cover image symbolizes the burden that individuals with Long Covid bear as a consequence of infection with SARS-CoV-2.

From: https://www.science.org/toc/stm/16/773

Here is information on a few of the articles from the Science Translational Medicine special issue:

Drs. Peluso, Hanson, and Deeks recommend that coordinated research is needed to be able to understand Long COVID and other infection-associated chronic conditions (IACCs) such as Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Dr. William Osler taught doctors to listen to the patient, but in today’s more technological world, doctors rely heavily on diagnostic tests for diagnosis. No diagnostic tests exist for ME/CFS or Long COVID. The authors recommend studying sex differences in Long COVID and IACCs, antigen persistence, reactivation of latent viruses like EBV, and possible antiviral treatments. Understanding Long COVID will hopefully help us understand other IACCs as well.  

Long COVID and other post acute infection syndromes affect females more than males with a difference in prevalence, symptoms, and potential causes. An article from Silva and Iwasaki focuses on “sex differences, gaps in current understanding, and the critical need for sex-based research” in Long COVID.

A group from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reviewed current and future animal models to be used for Long COVID pre-clinical research. Animal models discussed include different types of mice, ferrets, and non-human primates. 

Drs. Antar and Cox from Johns Hopkins reviewed inflammatory biomarkers, preclinical models of Long COVID, clinical trial data and possible causes of Long COVID. Currently, there are no effective treatments for Long COVID. They recommend large studies in humans and animal models to find possible treatments for Long COVID.

From: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.ado2106

A group from Stanford shows sex differences in immune correlates after COVID infection. Males with Long COVID showed increased TGF-β signaling during acute infection, while females had reduced TGFB1 expression and elevated XIST, which is linked to autoimmunity. Long COVID patients exhibited reduced ETS1 across lymphocytes and had higher IL-4 in T cells, suggesting that ETS1 alterations may drive abnormal T helper 2 responses in Long COVID. 

Other Long COVID articles from this week

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID are complex conditions with overlapping metabolic symptoms. A study used genome-wide metabolic modeling to identify key metabolic abnormalities in muscle tissue from people with ME/CFS and found downregulated alanine/aspartate and arginine/proline pathways. Based on the findings from this study, the authors suggest that a combination supplement of L-Ornithine and L-Aspartate (LOLA) may alleviate symptoms in ME/CFS and Long COVID and should be tested in clinical trials. 

Figure 4: L-Ornithine and L-Aspartate (LOLA) as a Potential Treatment Candidate for ME/CFS and Long COVID

From: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.17.599450v2.full.pdf

BC007 is a small molecule drug used to neutralize functional autoantibodies (fAABs). An initial case series of four Long COVID patients showed that BC007 was curative. However, a Phase 2, randomized, double-blind clinical trial of BC007 shows that BC007 does not work better than placebo to treat Long COVID.

A new study from UCSF shows “no difference in overall morning cortisol concentrations between people with LC [Long COVID] (n=144) and those who fully recovered (n=56).” However, people with ME/CFS-type Long COVID were found to have low cortisol between 8 to 9am. People with severe Long COVID (>=5 symptoms) and those with ME/CFS-type Long COVID had high cortisol levels between 9 to 10am. The authors concluded that morning cortisol dynamics may be altered in some people with Long COVID.

From: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.07.24316777v1.full.pdf

Researchers evaluated EHR records from 295,000 patients in Massachusetts and made an AI phenotyping algorithm that could diagnose Long COVID with a diagnostic accuracy of 79.9% which is more accurate than using the Long COVID ICD-10 diagnosis code U09.9 to identify patients. The algorithm excluded symptoms that prior conditions could explain and included infection-associated chronic conditions. The algorithm estimated that the prevalence of Long COVID in their population was actually 22.8%.

Autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBD) like pemphigus and pemphigoid are rare diseases caused by autoantibodies that attack one’s own tissues causing painful blisters. A very large study of 112 million people shows that COVID infection significantly increases the risk of AIBD, but that vaccination against COVID can reduce the risk of these blistering diseases. 

This concurs with another large study from last week’s newsletter that showed similar findings. In that study of almost 7 million people in South Korea from 2020 to 2022, researchers found significantly increased risks of autoimmune and autoinflammatory connective tissue disorders following COVID infection, especially in people with severe COVID-19 infection, those infected with the Delta variant, and in unvaccinated individuals. Autoimmune diseases included bullous pemphigoid (AHR, 1.62) in addition to ulcerative diseases like Behçet disease (AHR, 1.45), Crohn’s disease (AHR, 1.35), ulcerative colitis (AHR, 1.15), and other autoimmune diseases. 

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H5N1

This week, there has been quite a lot of news on H5N1 avian flu. First, a Canadian teenager with no exposure to farm animals has been admitted to the hospital for a very severe case of H5N1, the source of which is unknown. Western Canada and western American states have seen an increase in poultry outbreaks of bird flu related to wild birds migrating south. The previously healthy teen has ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and is in the ICU. 

Genetic analysis for the teen’s H5N1 virus shows that it contains mutations that may make it easier to spread from human-to-human. This is concerning. But, the case is being followed very closely and no other people have become sick with this variant of H5N1. 

Here in California, some H5 bird flu virus has been found in wastewater from Lompoc, Los Angeles, Napa, San Francisco, Ontario, Paso Robles, Redwood City, Riverside, Sacramento, San Jose, Sunnyvale and Turlock. Turlock’s levels of H5N1 in wastewater are extraordinarily high, consistent with large dairy farms in the area. 

From https://data.wastewaterscan.org/ looking up “Influenza A, H5 type, in California”

Yesterday, the Oregon Health Authority reported the state's first human H5 avian flu case which is linked to poultry. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported 5 new H5N1 infections in farm workers, bringing the state total to 26. Per the CDC, a total of 52 people have been shown to be infected by H5N1 bird flu so far this year, although with a recent study showing 7% of dairy workers have antibodies to bird flu, many cases are going unrecognized.

RSV in Children

A new study in AJOG shows that maternal RSV vaccination earlier in the recommended 32-36 week window (at least 5 weeks prior to delivery) results in the highest transplacental transfer of maternal RSV antibodies to the newborn.

Historically, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children have had high rates of RSV-associated hospitalization and therefore, it was recommended that AI/AN children age 0 to 19 months in an Alaskan region receive a preventive monoclonal antibody called nirsevimab (Beyfortus). "For children in their first RSV season (292), nirsevimab effectiveness was

76% against medically attended RSV illness and 89% against RSV hospitalization. For children in their second RSV season (180), effectiveness against medically attended RSV illness was 88%." The authors concluded that Nirsevimab is effective for preventing severe RSV illness for infants in their first RSV season and young children in their second RSV season who are at increased risk for severe RSV, including all AI/AN children. 

AI

A new multimodal artificial intelligence model called EVO can interpret and generate new protein and genomic sequences on its own. Evo can predict the impact of mutations on how a protein will function. It has been released by Brian Hie’s lab to the public for other scientists to use. “This work is extremely significant,” says computational biologist Arvind Ramanathan of Argonne National Laboratory.

An AI algorithm combined with RNA editing-based blood biomarkers is able to differentiate between bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder with high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity (82.5 %, 86.4 % and 80.8 %, respectively). Using this tool could help reduce diagnostic delays often seen with bipolar disease.

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Other news

Trump appointed anti-vaxxer Robert Kennedy Jr. to be director of US Health and Human Services. The Senate will need to confirm this post. Funding structure and management may change at the NIH no matter who is finally selected. Already, RFK Jr recommends replacing 600 NIH employees on Jan 21, 2025.

People are stocking up on morning-after pills in case of changes to laws regarding contraception with the new administration. I highly recommend IUDs for long acting contraception that lasts for 3, 8 or 10 years and is easily removable when desired. 

A new study shows that microplastics can help harmful bacteria and viruses such as Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, norovirus, and adenovirus to survive wastewater treatment. The microbes cling to microplastics and make a biofilm which makes it harder to break them down. 

Sweet! A couple who were premature babies at the same time in the NICU were recently married. Their mothers kept in touch and reintroduced them to each other. 

Have a good rest of your weekend,

Ruth Ann Crystal MD

A Despicable Headline That's Sadly Familiar

Whenever I read about antisemitic attacks in Crown Heights, I remember the riots in the 90s after a Jewish man ran a red light and ended up hitting 2 black kids, 1 of whom died. The savage attacks by blacks on Jews in Crown Heights, egged on by Al Sharpton, were sickening, and obviously the hatred continues. They seem to forget that many of their staunchest supporters for Civil Rights were Jewish, including the martyrs Goodman and Schwerner, who were murdered by the KKK. You're welcome.

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Attempted Robbery of Jewish Man in Brooklyn Puts Orthodox Community on Edge

"The Jewish community in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York was the target of another attack on Thursday evening, as three men attempted to rob a Hasidic man after stalking him through the neighborhood.

"Footage of the incident was shared on X/Twitter by Yaacov Behrman, liaison of Chabad Headquarters and founder of the Jewish Future Alliance (JFA) nonprofit. It shows the men, whose faces were concealed by hoods and ski masks, chasing the man into the street and through the neighborhood after attempting to accost him.

"No arrests have been made.

“He doesn’t give in easily, and I don’t think they got anything,” Behrman tweeted. “The Jewish Future Alliance is deeply concerned not only about the increase in crime but also the fact that, once again, the perpetrators were wearing masks. We need to reinstate mask laws.”

"The explosion of an antisemitic hate crime spree in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn has set the Orthodox Jewish community on edge in recent weeks.

"Last Tuesday, two men beat a middle-aged Hasidic man after he refused to surrender his cell phone in compliance with what appears to have been an attempted robbery. According to multiple accounts, the assailants were two Black teenagers.

"That incident was the third time in eight days that an Orthodox resident of Crown Heights was targeted for violence and humiliation. Before then, an African American male smacked a 13-year-old Jewish boy who was commuting to school on his bike in the heavily neighborhood, which is heavily Jewish, and less than a week earlier, an assailant slashed a visibly Jewish man in the face.

"Most recently, a masked man was caught on video approaching a visibly Jewish father walking with his two sons and grabbing one of the children in broad daylight. He was unable to secure possession of the child, whose father fought back immediately and did not let go of his son. Police later identified the man as Stephan Stowe, 28 — a suspect gang member with an extensive criminal history which includes 33 prior arrests — and arrested him for attempted kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child.

"In each case, the suspect was allegedly a Black male, a pattern of conduct which continues to strain Black-Jewish relations across the Five Boroughs.

"Black-on-Jewish crime is a social issue which has been studied before. In 2022, a report published by Americans Against Antisemitism (AAA) showed that Orthodox Jews were the minority group most victimized by hate crimes in New York City and that 69 percent of their assailants were African American. Seventy-seven percent of the incidents took place taking in predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Of all assaults that prompted criminal proceedings, just two resulted in convictions.

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” AAA founder and former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D) told The Algemeiner. “Shouldn’t there be a plan for how we’re going to deal with it? What’s the answer? Education? We’ve been educating everybody forever for God’s sake, and things are just getting worse.”

"The problem has become acute in recent years. In July 2023, for example, a 22-year-old Israeli Yeshiva student, who was identifiably Orthodox and visiting New York City for the summer holiday, was stabbed with a screwdriver by one of two men who attacked him after asking whether he was Jewish and had any money. The other punched him in the face. Earlier that year, 10- and 12-year-olds were attacked on Albany Avenue by four African American teens.

"According to a report issued in August by New York state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, antisemitic incidents accounted for a striking 65 percent of all felony hate crimes in New York City last year. The report added that throughout the state, nearly 44 percent of all recorded hate crime incidents and 88 percent of religious-based hate crimes targeted Jewish victims."

But I Thought COVID Was Over

The doctor may not be surprised to see an outbreak in a nursing home, but he should be outraged that not enough was done to prevent this from happening to elderly residents in the first place! 

COVID complacency is still alive and well.

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From CBS News:

Pittsburgh-area community living center hit with COVID-19 outbreak

"PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Kane Community Living Center in McKeesport is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak, Allegheny County officials confirmed on Friday. 

"A spokesperson for the county confirmed the outbreak began earlier this month and as of Thursday, 11% of the facility's 209 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. None of them have been hospitalized so far as most are experiencing mild symptoms, officials said. 

"KDKA-TV's news partners at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette talked to UPMC's Dr. David Nace, who said it's not surprising to see an outbreak in a nursing home. 

"During the pandemic, Allegheny County's four Kane Community Living Centers, like other nursing homes in the area, dealt with COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths.

"Allegheny County's COVID-19 dashboard shows that cases rose slightly over the summer and plateaued around September before falling back down. 

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it expects to see a peak in respiratory viruses this winter, possibly a larger surge than what the nation saw this summer.  

"The Allegheny County Health Department encourages everyone, especially those at the highest risk of severe disease, to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. 

"New data from the CDC suggests that nearly 4 in 10 seniors have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine this year, marking a steep increase in vaccination rates compared with the same time last year. 

"During the 2023-2024 respiratory season, Allegheny County's dashboard shows 217 people ages 65 and older died from COVID-19, compared to 1,611 in 2020-21 and 1,067 in 2021-22."

 

Attention Antony Blinken: The Answer is NO (Yet Again)!

I guess I expected one more try from Antony Blinken before the end of his tenure, but I was still outraged -- and so is The Jewish Press, based on this headline.

If Kamala Harris had somehow been elected President, there'd be 4 more years of this, so we were very lucky.

The end of the Biden Administration's war on Israel can't come soon enough for me.

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Pre-January 20th Chutzpa: Blinken Demands Israeli ‘Extended Pauses’ in Gaza Fighting

By David Israel, November 13, 2024

"Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said the United States supports meaningful, extended pauses in the IDF fighting against Hamas Terrorists in Gaza to allow critical aid to reach those in need. He then stressed that ending the war entirely would be the most effective way to help.

"Is he really looking at the IDF as a big soup kitchen? Because, you know, Israeli taxpayers want to see mostly dead terrorists, and don’t care much for the feed-thy-enemy thing.

"Speaking in Brussels, Blinken noted, “Israel, by the standards it set itself, has accomplished the goals that it set for itself.” On Tuesday, after a 30-day deadline for Israel to take steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza expired, Washington stated that Israel was not obstructing aid to the region and thus not violating US law 

"However, since eight international aid organizations have argued that Israel had not fulfilled the US demands to increase aid access, Blinken issued what sounded like a pre-embargo warning.

"The big lie is this: food security experts have warned that famine may soon be imminent in parts of Gaza. But “parts of Gaza” only means the northern Strip, from the Israeli border down to the Netzarim corridor north of Gaza City. The IDF wants all the Arabs out of that area, which will become a kill zone for Hamas terrorists. So, the IDF employs a policy of starvation to force Gazan civilians out of the area where Hamasniks will come to die.

"But Blinken doesn’t like this plan, because it would result in a resounding Israeli victory over Hamas, and not allowing Israel to win has been the Biden administration’s operating principle. They’ll help defend Israel, but victory could mean an independent Israel, so, no.

"Here’s the speech transcript:

'It is essential to recognize the importance of taking extended pauses in the ongoing situation. Despite various steps taken, the situation remains deeply challenging and complex. To fully address the needs of those affected, the most effective approach is to bring an end to the conflict.

'From my perspective, Israel has achieved the strategic goals it set for itself. The primary objective was to ensure that an event like October 7th would never happen again. To accomplish this, Israel aimed to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and hold its leadership accountable. These objectives have been met, making this an appropriate time to consider ending the war.'

He really didn’t get it. Just imagine FDR telling Winston Churc"hill that since Nazi Germany could no longer mount a viable attack on the world’s democracies, the Fuhrer should be left alone. Winston would have poked his eye out with his cigar!"