Author: Claudinne Miller
Covid and flu rising ahead of holidays, increasing ER visits
Washington Post Respiratory viruses are rebounding in the United States on the precipice of the end-of-year holidays, with emergency room visits for covid-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus collectively reaching their highest levels since February. Among the three viruses, covid continues to be the biggest driver of hospitalizations, settling into a familiar rhythm of causing periodic waves […]
Dec 12, 2023
Bird Flu Claims Nearly 1,000 Seals and Sea Lions in Southern Brazil
Richmond.com Video at the link – In southern Brazil, an alarming avian influenza outbreak has claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 seals and sea lions, marking the first occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the country. The southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, has reported an unprecedented 942 sea mammal deaths due to […]
Dec 12, 2023
Zambia reports 684 suspected anthrax cases, 4 deaths
CIDRAP Zambia is reporting by far its most widespread anthrax outbreak ever, with 684 suspected cases and 4 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported late last week. Cases have been reported in 9 of Zambia’s 10 provinces. Previous outbreaks were confined to Northwest and Western provinces, with sporadic cases over the years. “Of note,” the WHO said, […]
Dec 12, 2023
Bird flu kills thousands of Common Cranes in Hungary
Bird Guides Bird flu has ripped through Hungary’s important population of migratory Common Cranes this autumn, killing tens of thousands of birds. The deadly virus was first noted in the country in early November, in the counties of Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. It wasn’t long before it was evident at the world-famous birding destination of the Hortobágy NP – which […]
Dec 12, 2023
Characteristics of patients with COVID-19 who have deteriorating chest X-ray findings within 48 h: a retrospective cohort study
Nature The severity of chest X-ray (CXR) findings is a prognostic factor in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We investigated the clinical and genetic characteristics and prognosis of patients with worsening CXR findings during early hospitalization. We retrospectively included 1656 consecutive Japanese patients with COVID-19 recruited through the Japan COVID-19 Task Force. Rapid deterioration […]
Dec 12, 2023
What Does A Faint Line On A COVID-19 Rapid Test Mean? Here’s What Experts Say
Women’s Health Nothing puts a damper on your holiday plans like a positive COVID-19 test, am I right? But what if that line is, like, super faint? Do you still have COVID—or can you go ahead and attend your office party like you planned? Well, unfortunately, infectious disease experts stress that a faint line is definitely worth paying […]
Dec 12, 2023
About Ivermectin
Ivermectin is a great drug – just not for treating COVID-19. While a handful of studies early in the pandemic suggested that ivermectin might be helpful for the treatment of COVID, multiple large and well-executed randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials subsequently have provided overwhelming evidence that ivermectin provides no benefit in the treatment of COVID in […]
Dec 11, 2023
Pandemic Throwback: That time the guy drinking cranberry juice on a skateboard went viral
Nathan Apodaca was on the way to work when his truck broke down, so he skateboarded and made a TikTok. I wish I could be so chill.
Dec 5, 2023
Prone Positioning Falls Flat for Weaning COVID Patients Off ECMO
MedPage Today Early application of prone positioning did not help patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) — mostly from COVID — get off venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) any faster compared to supine positioning, a randomized trial found. Among ARDS patients receiving ECMO, an identical 44% of patients were successfully weaned off ECMO […]
Dec 5, 2023
Is the flu shot market a slam dunk for mRNA vaccines? Experts aren’t so sure
STAT News Here are two things that are true. The world needs more effective flu vaccines. And pharmaceutical companies that learned of the vaccine-making power of the messenger RNA platform during the Covid-19 pandemic need new markets for their technology. With the heydays of Covid vaccine sales in the rearview mirror, the flu vaccine market, […]
Dec 5, 2023
