…As part of his #HHS role, Archer has in recent days posed questions to the #CDC about the advisory cmte recommendations, acc/to the documents & 2 sources.

One recommendation would expand eligibility for #RSV #vaccines made by Pfizer & GSK to #HighRisk adults aged 50-59 from a current threshold age of at least 60 yrs.

In response, Archer asked for more justification of the expansion given what he described as a “possible decline in efficacy with a second dose.”…

#PublicHealth #Trump #RFKJr

The advisory panel to the #CDC had made recommendations regarding the use of separate shots approved to help protect against #RSV, #meningitis & #chikungunya. The CDC is not required to adopt their recommendations, but when it does, they become guidelines for #medical practitioners to follow.

#AntiVax #ConspiracyTheories #science #medicine #vaccines #PublicHealth #health #policy #law #USpol #Trump #RFKJr

Mask Up Now by @siderea

"If for some reason you stopped masking everywhere, now would be an excellent time to resume masking, and use a N95/KN95 or better.

I have a longer post in the works, but am getting overtaken by events. I've gotten multiple reports that there's waves of some serious unidentified flu like illness(s) hitting areas hard enough to shut down schools and fill hospitals."

siderea.dreamwidth.org/1867959…

I can add an anecdata from a friend who's a respiratory therapist; she recently said she's been working as hard as she was during the first days of COVID. We live nowhere near any of the areas mentioned in siderea's post.

#pestilence #psa #flu #RSV #COVID #hospitals

All known human influenza pandemics have started with a swapping of genes between a deadly bird flu stain (like H5N1) and a human flu strain, creating a deadly strain that passes easily from person to person. This can happen inside a human, pig or other mammal. And this possibility increases dramatically when there is a lot of flu circulating in mammals, as there currently is in both cows and people right now. Indeed, the current flu season for humans is the worst in years. For the first time in 5 years, influenza deaths are outpacing deaths from covid or rsv. And, of course, vaccination rates are way down compared with a few years ago, contributing to this severity.

Also, while the current risk of an h5n1 pandemic is considered low by scientists today, it could become extremely high in a few days or week from now, once we start seeing person to person spread.

youtube.com/watch?v=crZINhF3nB…

#H5N1 #birdflu #influenza #pandemic #publichealth #rsv #covid #antivax #vaccination

Well, this explains all the coughing at the grocery store (and very few masks)!

#Flu season in the US is the most intense it’s been in at least 15 years

apnews.com/article/us-flu-seas…
#CovidIsntOver #TB #RSV #H5N1 #BirdFlu #CDCCensorship #WHO #WhatWeDontKnowCanHurtUs

It's flu season in the US. What to know

The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in about 15 years. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms.

^{MIKE STOBBE (AP News)}

US flu continues to surge with 16 new pediatric deaths.

Meanwhile, h5n1 bird flu continues to rage, with new outbreaks on poultry farms in 8 states. And the avian version of this is much more deadly than the bovine version.

Get the human seasonal flu and h5n1 simultaneously (or if a cow, pig or bird does) and they could swap genes, creating a new deadly pandemic strain of h5n1 that spreads easily between people.

Might wanna start masking up again, if you currently aren't. At the very least, it might save you from an unpleasant case of seasonal flu, covid or rsv.

cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/us-flu…

#birdflu #covid #pandemic #kids #H5N1 #flu #RSV #influenza

US flu activity climbs, with more deaths in kids

^{Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy}

Being cold isn’t why you get a cold. But it is true that cold weather makes it easier to catch respiratory viruses such as the #cold and #flu.

A #nursing professor shares strategies to help prevent illness in winter (and all year long): theconversation.com/why-winter… #influenza #RSV #CommonCold #COVID

Why winter makes you more vulnerable to colds – a public health nurse explains the science behind the season

Cold and flu viruses often circulate more in the fall and winter, but there are some time-tested strategies for avoiding them, such as vaccines, handwashing and staying active.

^{The Conversation}

What to know about the "quad-demic" of COVID, flu, RSV and norovirus in the U.S., from @abc.

flip.it/.TPtXM

#COVID #Flu #RSV #Norovirus #PublicHealth

What to know about 'quad-demic' of COVID, flu, RSV and norovirus in US

Norovirus levels are hitting highs not seen in six years, according to CDC data.

^{Mary Kekatos (ABC News)}

These were $1.57 a box, shipping was $30 but they only took 10 days to get to me from the order date.

$1.57. There were less expensive combo tests, I chose these because they weren’t the LEAST expensive.

Sorry but America is stupid. We were charged $25 for a box of two Covid tests & our government acted like it was doing us a favor when it mailed us a couple of boxes of almost expired tests because people weren’t paying $25 for them.

Get them here before our government finds out and charges them tarriffs or something

altruan.com

#CovidIsNotOver #rsv #flu #RAT #covidtest

Takeaway Quote, "I hate the smell of MAGA."

Yesterday, my wife went to cardiac rehab. The waiting room is a multi-purpose room. There are four different windows and four different receptions, one on each wall, for multiple types of doctors and services.

This room really isn't that big. We are rural and most doctors come from the metro area with shared satellite offices.

She said there were around 15 people in a room that fits maybe 25.

She was wearing a mask and when she came in, the mood changed, and the mood change came with nasty looks. #Flu #COVID #HMPV #RSV

No one said anything verbally, but it was clear where they stood on masking

She said she noticed as they got more worked up about her mask, as the looks got nastier, the room smelled.

She supposes it was their hormones reacting to their outrage.

When she came out and got into the car, one of the first things she told me was, "I hate the smell of MAGA."

Being cold isn’t why you get a cold. But it is true that cold weather makes it easier to catch respiratory viruses such as the #cold and #flu.

A #nursing professor shares strategies to help prevent illness in winter: theconversation.com/why-winter… #influenza #RSV #CommonCold #COVID

Saturday's Pandemic Update: US Covid Levels Are Now Higher Than Last Summer

youtube.com/watch?v=jUAU6W5Vx5…

#COVID19 #SARSCoV2 #Pandemic #CovidIsNotOver #CovidIsAirborne #H5N1 #Measles #WhoopingCough #RSV #Norovirus #MaskUp #N95 #KeepMasksInHealthcare

Some 309 (+5) counties reporting pediatric care near or over capacity (≥ 90%).

Of 277 (-) counties reporting any PICU capacity, near one in four are near or over full.

So many places where there ain't enough staff for sick or injured kids to receive required care.

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #pediatric #hospitals #pedsICU #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #nurses #MassDisablingEvent #CovidIsAirborne #BringBackMasks #dataviz #dataviz

Counties by reported pediatric capacity (darkest counties on map above):

⒈ Ada, ID ≥150%

⒉ Raleigh, WV ≥150%

⒊ Androscoggin, ME ≥150%
⒋ Fremont, WY ≥150%
⒌ Sioux, IA ≥150%
⒍ Nemaha, KS ≥150%

[Omitted: 43 counties w/ ZERO staffed pediatric beds; fewer than 4 pediatric patients.]

⒎ Seminole, GA ≥150%

⒏ Dawson, NE ≥150%
⒐ San Juan, UT ≥150%

⒑ Jackson, IN ≥150%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks

Counties by reported pediatric ICU capacity (circle-hatched on map above):

⒈ Ada, ID ≥150%

⒉ Androscoggin, ME ≥150%
⒊ Fremont, WY ≥150%

⒋ Montezuma, CO ≥150%
⒌ Union, OR ≥150%
⒍ Madison, ID ≥150%

⒎ Cayuga, NY ≥150%
⒏ Effingham, IL ≥150%
⒐ Franklin, NY ≥150%

⒑ Spartanburg, SC ≥150%

❖ #ThisIsOurPolio #RSV #Strep #Flu #LongCovidKids #CovidIsNotOver #BringBackMasks