Author: Claudinne Miller
A trifecta of viruses in the D.C. region has health officials worried
Washington Post A surge in coronavirus and flu infections in recent weeks, driven upward as more people have come into contact with one another during the holidays, has health officials in the Washington region worried about a potential strain on area hospitals. Virginia health officials on Thursday announced the state’s first reported child death due to the […]
Jan 2, 2024
Maryland hospitals see increase in COVID-19, RSV, flu cases
WBAL Hospitals across Maryland are seeing an increase in patients with respiratory illnesses. Doctors said cases of the flu, COVID-19 and RSV are spiking. “Influenza is really increasing, particularly over the last two weeks,” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz said. “All of them, you’ll often feel very lousy. You’ll […]
Jan 2, 2024
Testing negative but still feeling sick? Doctors explain why
The Hill You’ve got the sore throat, runny nose and cough (or any of the other common COVID-19 symptoms right now), but when you swab your nose and take a test, it comes out negative. Is there a chance you still have COVID-19? Could it be something else? The answer – to both questions – is yes. “If […]
Jan 2, 2024
COVID-19 vs Seasonal Influenza: A Comparative Analysis Reveals Alarming Trends
Infection Control Today A recent article by Yan Xie and colleagues1 presented strong data that COVID-19 is much worse than seasonal influenza. The researchers observed increased rates of delayed and long-term death and disability in US military veterans who were hospitalized with COVID-19 as compared to those hospitalized with seasonal influenza. The COVID-19 group of patients had […]
Jan 2, 2024
Dr. Lawler’s COVID Update
Watch here: https://bit.ly/3vh3RRD Dr. Lawler discusses a Brazilian cohort study titled “Developmental impairment in children exposed during pregnancy to maternal SARS-COV2”. Plus, updates on COVID-19 hospital admissions and wastewater data.
Jan 2, 2024
Falcon Population Dwindling
Iceland Review The falcon population in Iceland has never been smaller, at least not since research into it began in 1981. Bird flu is the likely cause, experts at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History told RÚV. The gyrfalcon is the largest of the falcon species and its Icelandic population is genetically unique compared to other […]
Jan 2, 2024
COVID, flu severity similar, but Omicron BA.5 patients more likely to die, 2021-22 study suggests
CIDRAP In 2021 and 2022, the proportion of hospitalized COVID-19 and influenza patients admitted to a US intensive care unit (ICU) were similar, but COVID-19 patients admitted during the Omicron BA.5 variant period were more likely to die in the hospital, according to a study published late last week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. A team led by […]
Jan 2, 2024
Why do people get sick with viruses in the winter?
Medical Express Respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and influenza surge in the colder months. And it’s not just because people are spending more time indoors. Dr. Matthew Binnicker, director of the Clinical Microbiology Molecular Lab and co-director of the Clinical Virology Lab at Mayo Clinic, explains what other factors promote virus spread in the winter. “It’s […]
Jan 2, 2024
Covid Slashed Consumer Choices. This Is Why They Aren’t Coming Back.
WSJ The furniture retailer Malouf sells beds and bedding in a fraction of the colors it did a few years ago. Newell Brands, the Sharpie maker, has retired 50 types of Yankee Candle. Coca-Cola offers half as many drinks. Covid slashed consumer choices as companies pared their offerings to ease clogs in the supply chain. The logistical […]
Jan 2, 2024
New coronavirus variant JN.1 is spreading fast. Here’s what to know.
Washington Post The rapid growth of the coronavirus subvariant JN.1 during the holiday season could fuel winter waves of illness in the United States and beyond, public health authorities warn. JN.1 caused nearly half of new U.S. coronavirus infections in the two weeks leading up to Christmas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. The World Health […]
Jan 2, 2024