Category: Covid-19

Its hard to imagine a time when coronavirus wasnt a household word. But for a long time, this family of viruses had merited very little attention. Believed to be ubiquitous among animals and avian species, the first coronavirus to infect and cause disease in humans was only isolated and identified in the 1960s.

Seven human coronaviruses have been identified since then.

Most cause only relatively minor health concerns: the common cold and seasonal respiratory infections that come around every year. But the 2003 outbreak in China and other parts of Asia of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), caused by SARS-CoV (now renamed as SARS-CoV-1), propelled the virus onto the global stage. Coronaviruses gained further infamy when, in 2012, cases of the much more severe Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) were identified in Saudi Arabia.

Both outbreaks were relatively contained. Not surprisingly, the concern over coronavirus diseases largely faded from the minds of ordinary people. The same was true for virologists, who focused their time and funding on more pressing viruses. Then in late 2019 came SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19.

Fortunately, some researchers had retained an interest in coronaviruses. After all, viruses can mutate and reappear, causing new outbreaks. One such cohort, ourselves among them, works at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. Our laboratory had, among other things, been studying some of the structural proteins that are the building blocks of coronaviruses. These proteins - named spike, nucleocapsid, membrane, and envelope proteins - have different roles, but are essential to how coronaviruses reproduce, spread and cause disease.

In our most recent paper, we examined what possibly sets the human coronaviruses that cause SARS, MERS and COVID-19 apart from the other human coronaviruses that cause milder diseases like seasonal colds. The answer, we argue, lies with the envelope protein.

The envelope protein is possibly the most enigmatic and least-studied in the coronavirus-suite, owing to its small size and the difficulty of studying it in laboratory settings. In May 2019, two of us published a review paper on what was known about the envelope protein at the time.

The paper has racked up nearly 2,000 citations, most coming after the outbreak of COVID-19 a testament less to our foresight than to the critical and previously understated role the envelope protein plays in human coronaviruses.

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, based on what we had learnt from the SARS and MERS outbreaks, we were convinced that this protein once written off as a minor component of the virus was key to the development of disease. It is critical, for instance, in the final assembly of the virus, forming the envelope or wrapping that covers it when all its constituent components come together.

It also plays a role in the viruss budding, when it exits from the host cell; and in the process known as pathogenesis, or the development and progression of the infection.

And it may hold a clue to either the severity or relative mildness of the disease.

Our ongoing research is beginning to suggest that the structure of the envelope protein may determine the severity of a coronavirus disease, or the difference between a blocked nose on the one hand, and collapsed lungs on the other.

This led us to our most recent paper. We collaborated with structural bioinformatics expert Ruben Cloete, of the South African National Bioinformatics Institute at the University of the Western Cape, to develop full-length, 3D models of the envelope proteins of five human coronaviruses: SARS-CoV-1 and -2, and MERS-CoV (responsible for the severe SARS, COVID-19 and MERS diseases); and HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63, responsible for milder diseases. For this work, we relied on a modelling program known as MODELLER, allowing us to explore the proteins in some detail.

We then used a web server, HADDOCK2.4, to simulate how the envelope protein interacts with the human PALS-1 protein an interaction already shown to be critical with SARS-CoV-1. Each of the envelope proteins could bind to the PALS-1 protein, but the coronaviruses causing SARS, MERS and COVID-19 appeared to bind more stably to PALS-1.

The answers, we believe, may lie in the conformation or shape of whats known as the PDZ-binding motif, or PBM, which sits at the tail-end of the envelope protein. This PBM - essentially a distinctive sequence on a protein - acts like a one-of-a-kind key to a very specific lock (known as the PDZ domain) on a host cell protein. This key allows the viral protein to interact with the host protein, making the disease worse.

We found that the more flexible, extended coil of the PBM of the coronaviruses behind SARS, MERS and COVID-19 viruses may well be what differentiates them from the more rigid PBM of the coronaviruses that cause milder diseases.

It is yet too early to draw definitive conclusions, as these findings will have to be confirmed with more studies in the laboratory and in living organisms.

But it does shine some light on the inner workings of these coronaviruses and the still-enigmatic envelope protein. In so doing it could offer opportunities for the development of essential life-saving treatments and vaccines.

Dewald Schoeman, PhD Candidate, Molecular Biology and Virology, University of the Western Cape

Burtram C. Fielding, Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences and Professor, University of the Western Cape

Ruben Cloete, Lecturer in Bioinformatics, University of the Western Cape

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Dewald Schoeman received funding from National Research Foundation and the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation.

Burtram C. Fielding receives funding from the National Research Foundation.

Ruben Cloete receives funding from the Department of Higher Education and Training.

University of Western Capeprovides support as a hosting partner of The Conversation AFRICA.

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Some coronaviruses kill, while others cause a common cold. We are getting closer to knowing why - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Flu and the common cold are both seasonal diseases. Their Symptoms might be similar, yet there are also significant differences. The winter months are when the majority of cases of the common cold and influenza, sometimes known as the flu, occur.

The key distinction between the flu and a cold is that the flu typically has more serious symptoms and potential side effects. Knowing which of these illnesses a person has can be difficult or even impossible because the common cold and the flu have similar symptoms. The flu is often worse than a cold. Cold symptoms develop gradually, but flu symptoms start suddenly and are typically more severe. A cold is more likely to cause a runny or stuffy nose. The following signs, however, are more typical of the flu than of a cold:

A fever is a high temperature of 100F (37.8C) or higher that lasts for three to four days. Pains in the muscles, especially in the lower back, chills, weakness or weariness and a migraine. Although diarrhoea and vomiting are not often symptoms of the common cold, both can occur in flu. People might have the flu without showing obvious signs, including a fever. Within a few days after the onset of their symptoms, a person can receive a specialized diagnostic test to determine if they have the flu or a cold.

A cold or the flu can also include symptoms that are comparable to other respiratory infections, such as COVID-19, which is brought on by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Flu typically has more severe symptoms than a simple cold. The most common symptoms of a cold are a runny nose and headaches. The absence of taste is one of the symptoms that sets the two conditions apart.

(With Dr. Vikrant Shah, consulting physician, intensivist, and infectious disease specialist, Zen Multispeciality Hospital Chembur)

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Common Cold vs Flu: What is The Difference? Expert Answers - India.com

Doctors at the hospital say they are currently treating 83 patients with respiratory isolation orders.

INDIANAPOLIS Starting Tuesday night, Riley Hospital for Children will start restricting visitors after a rise in pediatric respiratory cases.

The viruses are quickly filling emergency rooms and intensive care units across central Indiana.

Its very busy, said Dr. Samina Bhumbra, medical director of infection prevention at Riley Hospital for Children. Our ERs, our hospital floors and our PICU are busy.

The respiratory cases include everything from RSV to rhinovirus/enterovirus. Usually, the symptoms start like the flu or a cold, but can worsen into a fever, aches or even pneumonia.

Doctors say its not just the viruses they are concerned about, but also the rarity of the number of cases this early in the season.

Typically, there are a few viruses when kids head back to school in August. There is a little peak there, but nothing like this. This is typical mid-winter, full respiratory virus kind of thing coming much earlier, said Dr. Christopher Belcher, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Peyton Manning Childrens Hospital.

So why the unseasonable jump? Doctors say there are many factors, but COVID-19 is a big one.

A lot of these kids were in lockdown for a couple of years and a lot of masks were worn. They havent experienced these viruses before, Belcher said.

On Tuesday, Peyton Manning Childrens Hospital didnt have an exact number of patients they could provide, but said there is a large increase. At Riley Hospital, doctors say they are currently treating 83 patients with respiratory isolation orders.

A closer look at the numbers shows that in the last two weeks, 76 kids were diagnosed with RSV - a 300% increase compared to this time last year.

There have also been 83 cases of rhinovirus/enterovirus since mid-September, a 38% increase compared to this time last year.

Currently, in the last couple of weeks, we have seen an uptick in virus respiratory viruses, Bhumbra said.

The spike is pushing the hospitals pediatric intensive care unit to capacity as staff works to add more beds.

Right now, it is kind of a two-prong approach where we have to address the immediate needs and then try to think of more sustainable solutions to help keep our patients safe, Bhumbra said.

As doctors fight the infections inside the hospital, they are also asking families to take precautions like washing hands frequently, staying away from people if they are sick and covering their nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.

With winter looming, doctors are also seeing the start of flu and COVID cases again. They remind families to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Right now, anyone six months or older qualifies.

Rileys visitor restrictions go into effect Tuesday night at 9 p.m.:

"By limiting exposure of viruses to our patients, we can all keep patients safe," the hospital said.

See the article here:

Unseasonable rise in pediatric respiratory cases forces visitor restriction at Riley Children's Hospital - WTHR

LUMBERTON

There is a vaccine for COVID-19, and for influenza, but as the oft-repeated statement says, there is no cure for the common cold. The Center for Disease Control website states the most likely times to catch a cold are in the spring and winter, and the Mayo Clinic states fall and winter as the time periods when people are most at risk of catching a cold, and both state colds can be caught year-round.

So, are the winter months and their associated reverly accompanied by an increase in heath risks?

According to the University of North Carolina Health website, differentiating between common colds and influenza or flu isnt easy. Some notable distinguishing factors are how quickly the symptoms take hold, rapidly with the flu and much more slowly for the common cold.

Copeland Jacobs can be reached at 910-416-5165 or at [emailprotected]

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Dealing with the common cold as the year grows colder - The Robesonian

Emergency rooms across Australia have been inundated with children struggling to breathe - and its not because of COVID-19.

Respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus and influenza, have been hitting kids more frequently and in patterns not before seen.

According to Perth paediatrician Asha Bowen, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are experiencing a peak in RSV cases - something that would usually happen in June.

But during the pandemic, RSV surprisingly peaked nationally in January and February.

For RSV to climax in September and October, it gives hope that things are moving back to normal and towards the depths of winter - but its anyones guess if that is actually going to happen, Dr Bowen said.

The days of regular peaks and troughs are gone, with practitioners noticing numerous changes in the way viruses are presenting.

Couple that with limited immunity, thanks to spending months indoors during the pandemic, and children seem to be getting more of the viruses out there.

Normally we see RSV and then influenza and then the other spring viruses like rhinovirus, metapneumovirus and others, Dr Bowen told AAP.

But there has been no sort of usual pattern this year ... they are cropping up whenever now and maybe it is because COVID has left them room.

We found COVID had its peak nationwide in January and February and then the other viruses came.

She said the increased number of respiratory illnesses in children meant an increase in hospital presentations and added pressure on the system.

Royal Australasian College of Physicians president and paediatrician Jacqueline Small said it had been a tough winter for all but especially children.

Now weve entered spring, were hoping for a reprieve from the volume of viruses circulating in the community, she said.

We must remain vigilant and remember we can always do more to protect ourselves and our children, such as keeping up good hygiene and staying home if youre sick.

Victorias Deputy Chief Health Officer Associate Professor Deborah Friedman said high vaccination numbers helped reduce flu infections in 2022.

She said the flu season was early, short and sharp in Victoria but more cases may emerge later this year when holiday-makers return from overseas.

Influenza peaked in Victoria with about 18,000 cases in May and declined to 350 in August.

It was overtaken by the number of notified cases of RSV in mid-June.

RSV mostly affects younger children, with 42 per cent of cases notified in 2022 aged under three.

The number of people presenting to emergency departments with respiratory illnesses other than COVID-19 and asthma increased over the winter months, with children under five making up an increased proportion.

Medical director of infection prevention and epidemiology at Monash Health, Professor Rhonda Stuart, said everyone was catching up on viruses they didnt get during the pandemic.

There was hardly any influenza and very few other respiratory viruses in 2020 and 2021.

Its not necessarily immunity, she said.

These viruses often like to transmit in the winter because were all indoors and we dont physically separate so much, and its much easier to transmit during the winter months.

But as spring comes and the doors open, and we have good ventilation, and people are outdoors, respiratory viruses and COVID wont transmit nearly as easily.

The Department of Health and Aged Care said COVID-19 testing likely had an effect on identifying the number of people with respiratory viruses but it was unable to quantify those statistics as the data was de-identified.

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Perth paediatrician Asha Bowen warns parents of the dangerous viruses smashing WA kids and filling hospitals - PerthNow

Patient characteristics

A total of 56,325 children with ARIs were enrolled in this study, 33,909 were tested from July 2018 to January 2020 (pre-lockdown), 1168 from February to May 2020 (lockdown) and 21,248 from July 2020 to January 2022 (post-lockdown), indicating a 37.3% reduction in hospital admissions due to ARI comparing the post-lockdown versus the pre-lockdown period. The number of monthly hospitalized children for ARIs did not return to the pre-lockdown number in the 20months following the lockdown (Fig.1). The median number of hospitalizations per month of children were 1784 before and reduced to 1,118 after the lockdown. There was a significant difference in the number of patients monthly between the two groups in pre- and post-lockdown (t=9.859, P<0.001). To determine age specific differences in viral infections before and after the lockdown period, we divided the patients according to age into four groups, as follows (1) infants (newborn-1year old), (2) toddlers (13years old), (3) pre-school children (36years old), (4) school children (614years old); the proportion of hospitalized children in each group before and after the lockdown is shown in Fig.2A,B. There was a significant difference in age groups between pre- and post-lockdown (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in sex ratio (p=0.8041).

Number of detected cases by month (above) and the flowchart (below) of detection by DFA or GeXP-based PCR. Specimens were tested by DFA and M. pneumoniae PCR in pre-lockdown (orange bar), and tested by GeXP-based multiplex reverse transcription PCR assay (grey bar). DFA, Direct Immunofluorescence Assay; pre-lockdown, from July 2018 to January 2020, Lockdown, from February to May 2020, post-down, from June 2020 to January 2022.

The proportion of each group in pre- and post-lockdown. Pre-lockdown (A), from July 2018 to January 2020, post-down (B), from July 2020 to January 2022.

In total 30,559 specimens collected were tested by DFA and Mp PCR from July 2019 to January 2020 and 3350 specimens were tested by GeXP-based multiplex reverse transcription PCR assay from September 2019 to January 2020. All specimens collected during and after the lockdown (22,416) were tested by GeXP-based multiplex reverse transcription PCR assay as depicted in Fig.1. The detection rates of Mp, RSV, AdV, HPIV, InfA and InfB before the lockdown were 16.9%, 6.3%, 2.7%, 1.8%, 1.3% and 0.2%, respectively. The most frequently detected pathogens after the lockdown were HRV (26.7%), RSV (18.2%), HPIV (8.6%), HMPV (5.1%), AdV (2.6%), Mp (1.4%), followed by HBoV (2.4%), HCOV (1.9%), InfB (1.5%), InfA (0.03%) and Cp (0.6%).

We determined the prevalence of the six major pathogens including Mp, InfA, InfB, AdV, RSV, and HPIV before and after the lockdown period. It was found that the detection rate of InfA and Mp decreased significantly during and after the lockdown, the detection rate of Mp decreased from 15 to 40% to about 1%, while infection rates with RSV and HPIV were consistent in the pre- and post-lockdown period (Fig.3AF). AdV showed a decrease during the lockdown, however the number of infections quickly increased after the lockdown.

The seasonal prevalence of 11 respiratory pathogens (AF). Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp), HRV, RSV, HMPV, influenza A, HCOV, influenza B, HBoV, HPIV and AdV the percentage detected was plotted as a function of time (indicated in months) before, during or after lockdown. Black line represented Mp, RSV, InfA, InfB, HPIV and AdV in (AF) from July 2018 to January 2022, red line was HRV, HMPV, HCOV, HBoV, Cp in A-E from September 2019 to January 2022. AdV, adenovirus; HRV, human rhinovirus; HPIV, human parainfluenza viruses 14; RSV, respiratory syncytial virus; HMPV, human metapneumovirus; HCOV, human coronavirus; InfA/B, influenza A/influenza B; HBoV, human bocavirus; Cp, Chlamydophila pneumoniae.

The lockdown measures clearly distorted the common seasonal dynamics of respiratory infections. In Southern China, InfA peaks every year in January and normally there is also a small peak in August21, these seasonal patterns completely disappeared. Mp has normally a high detection rate throughout the year, as was seen especially in 2019. RSV peaked in both summer and autumn in the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown period, however the peak in March during the post-lockdown period did not appear. HPIV prevalence showed the same trend pre- and post-and peaked in May and November. Also AdV in pre-lockdown and post-lockdown have the same trend, both are common in the winter and spring season. The transition between summer and autumn is the time with the lowest detection rates for this pathogen. InfB is normally sporadically detected, however the detection rate has increased from 0.5% in June 2021 to 4.0% in January 2022.

From September 2019, we have added HRV, HMPV, HBoV, HCOV and Cp to our PCR-based respiratory pathogen detection panel. This was used to determine the detection rate between September 2019 and January 2022. We found that the detection rate of HRV was above 10% throughout the year, with the highest detection rate in April and November each year. The detection rate of HMPV was lower throughout the year, but the highest detection rate was in January 2020 to 2022. HCOV has the highest detection rate in December 2020 to 2021, and HBoV is the highest in November and December; Cp is at a low level throughout the year, mainly detected in neonates and patients within 6months, and in lockdown, Cp is the only pathogen with an increased detection rate (Fig.3).

A total of 1366 (4.03%) and 817 (3.85%) children were admitted to the PICU, before and after the lockdown, respectively. The rate of admission to the PICU decreased after the lockdown, however there was no significant difference found compared to the pre-lockdown period (p>0.05). The detection rates of AdV, Mp and InfA in children admitted to the PICU were reduced from 4.4%, 3.7% and 2.5% pre-lockdown to 0.7%, 0.2% and 0.5% post-lockdown. In contrast, HPIV and RSV were increased from 0.7% and 8.9% to 3.7% and 11.6%. We found the detection rate of HBoV reached 4.2% in post-lockdown, which was an important virus detected in PICU patients.

Comparison of pre-lockdown and post-lockdown, the changes of detection rates of respiratory pathogens in each age group were relatively consistent, and only the detection rate of HRV in the infant group decreased significantly in post-lockdown. The detection rate of Mp increased with age. InfA, adenovirus and HMPV had the highest detection rate in the pre-school group and the lowest in the infant group. Rhinovirus, RSV, HPIV and Cp had the highest detection rate in the infant group. HBoV and HCoV had the highest detection rates in the toddler group (Fig.4).

The distribution of respiratory pathogens at different age groups, and the differences pre-lockdown (1) and post-lockdown (2) were compared. AdV, adenovirus; HRV, human rhinovirus; HPIV, human parainfluenza viruses 14; RSV, respiratory syncytial virus; HMPV, human metapneumovirus; HCOV, human coronavirus; InfA/B, influenza A/influenza B; HBoV, human bocavirus; Cp, Chlamydophila pneumoniae.

The detection rate of Mp in female patients in the pre-lockdown period was significantly higher than that of male patients (p<0.001), but there was no difference post-lockdown (p=0.6748), due to the significant decrease in the detection rate. In contrast, RSV was significantly more frequently detected in males than in females in post-lockdown (p=0.0012), while no difference was observed before the lockdown (p=0.0575).

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Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacted the circulation of respiratory pathogens in Southern China | Scientific Reports -...

Anne Arundel County schools Superintendent Mark Bedell rolled up the sleeves of his white t-shirt outside of the Parole Health Center in Annapolis Sept. 29 and pointed to his shoulders.

Can I get Moderna on the right and flu on the left, he asked the licensed practical nurse administering his vaccines ahead of the winter season. I have to do this, with all of the people Im around.

Valencia Pinkney, left, an LPN with the Anne Arundel County Health Department, administers a Covid vaccine to Dr. Mark Bedell, center, superintendent of Anne Arundel County Schools on September 29. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

Bedell is among many school officials around the region emphasizing the importance of vaccinations and continued vigilance against the COVID-19 virus this fall. As Baltimore-area school systems have walked back most restrictions and mandates, the COVID-19 response is increasingly woven into familiar public health messaging about the approaching flu season or the common cold.

[COVID] is becoming part of a norm, Bedell said. I think anytime you return to a norm after a pandemic, people lower their guards. We just have to do our part.

Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard county school systems have done away with masking mandates, quarantines and routine COVID testing this fall. Baltimore City is the only jurisdiction in the region to maintain a regular COVID testing program for students, though slimmed down from weekly testing last year to biweekly this semester as pandemic relief dollars dry up.

More than a third of the citys approximately 78,000 students have turned in permission slips allowing schools to administer COVID tests as needed, and Cleo Hirsch, who leads the city schools schools COVID response, said more are rolling in each day.

We really want families to consent to testing as we approach cold and flu seasons, so if our students have symptoms we can quickly give them a test, said Hirsch, the systems director of priority initiatives.

City schools leaders have yet to decide whether the program will continue into next semester a decision that will partly depend on participation rates and continued funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which reimburses the school system for 90% of costs.

Still, pushing vaccines remain a priority for Hirschs team, who are working with the city health department to set up vaccination clinics at schools within census tracks that have higher positivity rates.

The Maryland Department of Health on Wednesday updated the number of COVID-19 outbreaks in the states public and non-public K-12 schools. Schools in Baltimore County reported about eight cases and Harford County schools reported 101 cases. Howard and Anne Arundel counties public and private schools reported nine and six cases, respectively. Carroll County reported no cases.

The state defines an outbreak as two or more confirmed COVID-19 cases within a 14-day period spread among students or staff who are not household contacts. Hirsch said the city school system relies on an honor system for families who test at home to report their results to the schools, which must share those figures with the central office.

Meanwhile, public and private schools in Baltimore City reported about 62 cases to the state, according to Wednesdays data. Hirsch said the school systems case counts and early testing results this year are reasonably good.

Hirsch said the city schools testing also may turn up old infections that students had over the summer.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman receives a Covid vaccine from Valencia Pinkney, right, an LPN with the County health department. Other officials, including Mayor Gavin Buckley and public schools superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell also received flu shots and Covid vaccines at the Parole Health Center on September 29. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

No matter the official reports, the number of COVID-19 infections in kids remains high, said Dr. Scott Krugman, vice chair of the department of pediatrics in the Herman & Walter Samuelson Childrens Hospital at Sinai in North Baltimore.

In Maryland, there have been a handful of kids in the hospitals consistently, but its not a large outbreak like last December when the original omicron variant hit, Krugman said. But cases keep going and have pretty much been going since March when all the mitigation measures such as masking stopped everywhere.

Krugman said most kids weather infections well, but a small percentage dont. And as cases climb the number of really sick kids could rise. Those kids also continue to infect relatives and classmates. State figures show there were 8 children and 465 adults in the hospital with COVID-19 on Thursday.

The hospitals also are caring for a lot of children with other respiratory viruses. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week that there was a rise over the summer in pediatric cases of rhinovirus and enterovirus, including a more severe type called enterovirus D68. They are normally expected in cooler months.

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Krugman said the combination of COVID-19, flu and those other viruses could overrun hospitals. Further, with more children missing routine vaccinations, there could be outbreaks of measles or other highly contagious diseases.

Krugman recommends catching kids up on all vaccines. Flu and COVID-19 boosters can be given together. The new bivalent COVID boosters are available for kids ages 12 and older, though Pfizer/BioNTech is seeking authorization for children as young as 5 and testing doses for younger kids. He also said ventilation and masks were important to protect kids and vulnerable relatives.

Maryland has a relatively high rate of vaccination, with about 94% of the state population age 5 or older with at least one dose. Children have the lowest rates, however, with fewer than half of those ages 5 to 11 and less than 80% of those ages 12 to 17 fully vaccinated.

A big issue for most kids will be more missed school, said Krugman and Gigi Gronvall, a Johns Hopkins virologist and advisor to Baltimore schools. Gronvall praised Baltimore city schools for continuing to offer routine testing so infected students and staff can be sent home.

I think this is a really great thing because we are seeing cases go up, and we are heading into fall/winter when we may see even more cases, said Gronvall, a senior scholar in the Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Healths Center for Health Security.

She said incentives might help get more students vaccinated or boosted.

Hoodies are expensive, about $80, and if you could give those out to vaccinated students, youd get a lot of uptake, she said. Id like to see more vaccine clinics for flu and for COVID. The most important thing we can do is keep students in school.

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As Baltimore-area schools walk back restrictions, COVID-19 response becomes part of familiar health messages - Baltimore Sun

Healthcare specialists say that the basic precautionary measures observed during the pandemic can help prevent flu cases this season

Published: Sat 8 Oct 2022, 8:05 AM

Last updated: Sat 8 Oct 2022, 2:19 PM

As daily Covid cases see a decline and mask rules relax, medical professionals have started seeing an increase in cases of other viral infections.

Healthcare specialists have urged residents to maintain similar precautionary measures, especially during the flu season.

It is no surprise that as regulations have been relaxed, the number of flu cases has risen, said Dr Nikita Singh, specialist internal medicine, Aster Clinic, Business Bay.

It is important to remember that they are all mostly RNA viruses, including influenza, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, and adenovirus. Their mode of transmission remains the same the droplet method of infection. In addition, these viruses also proliferate during weather changes like the transition from summer to autumn and then winter, said Dr Singh.

Doctors also highlighted that weather changes could also be the cause behind cases of viral upper respiratory tract infections.

Infections due to influenza, adenovirus, and many other viruses that cause the symptoms of cold, throat pain, cough, body ache, and fever, said Dr Zaineb Sabri, internal medicine specialist, Medcare Hospital, Sharjah.

Other diseases such as gastritis or gastroenteritis are also seen during weather and climate changes, added Dr Sabri.

Cases of viral infections especially amid the flu season were comparatively lesser during the Covid-19 pandemic, doctors said.

Ease in mask rules and other precautionary measures have led to an increase in flu infections, said Dr Sarla Kumari, a physician at Canadian Specialist Hospital Dubai, Abu Hail.

The flu virus, particularly influenza, has three major strains. Its genetic nature also changes every year, as it adapts to environmental conditions, among other factors. It is difficult to clinically distinguish one viral infection from another, but it can be done by PCR.

Some viruses, like the rhinovirus, stay localised in the respiratory system and cause only symptoms related to the upper respiratory tract like sore throat, pharyngitis, cold, mild fever, said Dr Singh.

Healthcare professionals have advised residents to get vaccinated against flu and continue following hygiene practices. We suggest everyone take precautionary measures like hand washing, avoiding crowded places and those having multiple health problems need to have the flu vaccine, said Dr Kumari.

Dr Kumari also urged the residents to isolate if flu symptoms emerge and to consult with their doctor. One needs to have a balanced diet rich in vitamins and a community role in the early detection of sick children in schools and nurseries. Providing early medical treatment and care plays a great role in limiting the spread of diseases.

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UAE: Why residents are still advised to wear face masks even if it's not required - Khaleej Times

WRVO COVID-19 numbers are on the rise in central and upstate New York. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listsOnondaga, Oswego, and Jefferson counties as areas with high community COVID-19 levels.

Dr. Stephen Thomas, the Director of the Institute for Global Health at SUNY Upstate Medical University, said he has a message for people when it comes to COVID-19 prevention:

Its all now on you, said Thomas. Its all on the individual to be making these smart decisions.

Thomas said its important to remember the risk of COVID-19 is still out there. Since mask mandates and gathering limits were lifted, were seeing the fall COVID-19 spike hit a little earlier than recent years, when numbers started to go up around Halloween.

And Thomas said COVID-19 isnt the only thing hes keeping an eye on this season.

I think flus going to come raging back, he said. Not just flu, but RSV, rhinovirus, enterovirus, metapneumovirus, pneumococcal pneumonia, I think theyre all going to be making a resurgence.

Thomas said now is a good time for people who are in higher risk groups to make a plan to take precautions, especially people who are over age 65 or have significant medical conditions. That could mean masking at indoor events, getting a flu shot, and getting the new Bivalent COVID vaccines, which are designed to protect against the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.

Getting COVID-19 and another illness like the flu at the same time can make symptoms even worse, and Thomas said he has concerns about the effect the coming months will have on a healthcare system still struggling from the strain of the pandemic.

Were going to be back in, a little bit, of a land of hurt because of the number of people who need to be admitted to the hospital, said Thomas. But theres not going to be room at the inn, and youre not going to have the staffing.

Thomas said one way to mitigate the spread would be for people who are at high risk of getting infected and spreading it to others, like medical workers and teachers, to also consider extra precautions, like masking and making sure theyre up to date on boosters.

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Rising COVID rates and a bad flu season could result in a twin-demic - WSKG.org

CNN

About 11.5 million people in the United States have gotten an updated Covid-19 booster, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but more people need to prepare for fall and winter by getting their shots now, health officials said Friday.

White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha estimated during a news briefing that about 13 million to 15 million people about half of whom are seniors will have received their bivalent booster shot by the end of this week.

Our message is very simple: Dont wait. Get vaccinated. Go get vaccinated now; get it before Halloween so you are ready before Thanksgiving and Chrismas and the holidays, Jha said.

In the US, some models have predicted that Covid-19 cases will begin to rise again this month and continue to increase into the winter.

The most important thing every American can do to reduce their likelihood of having significant, preventable health issues in the next three to six months is to go get an updated Covid vaccine, Jha said. Beyond that, we need to make sure that everyone over the age of 50 or otherwise with high-risk conditions gets treatments if they do get infected. We have treatments widely available.

Respiratory viruses are known to spread quickly in winter, when people people head indoors and gather for holiday celebrations. Rising Covid-19 cases in the UK and Europe may be a signal of whats to come in the United States. Although the Omicron BA.5 subvariant continues to dominate globally, other variants are beginning to spread, too.

According to a study released Friday by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the US Department of Health and Human Services, Covid-19 vaccinations led to nearly 700,000 fewer hospitalizations and up to 370,000 fewer deaths from the coronavirus last year.

That translates to more than $16 billion saved in medical costs, the office said in a news release.

The study analyzed and extrapolated data from 26.8 million older Americans and others enrolled in a Medicare fee-for-service health plan through the end of 2021. It included data from the Delta and Omicron surges last year.

This report that they have issued, I believe, doubles down on the work that were doing on vaccination, why its so important to continue this effort and to get the right information out to Americans who can benefit and ultimately stay alive, stay healthy, stay out of the hospital and help us defeat Covid once and for all, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said Friday.

An analysis published this week found that if more people in the United States get their booster by the end of the year, about 90,000 Covid-19 deaths could be prevented this fall and winter.

But if booster vaccinations continue at their current pace, the nation could see a peak of more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths per day this winter, according to the study by The Commonwealth Fund. There are now more than 400 daily Covid-19 deaths, on average, in the United States.

Becerra said the administration continues to urge people to get the updated Covid-19 boosters now available for ages 12 and up. Moderna and Pfizer have requested US Food and Drug Administration authorization for the updated boosters for children as young as 5.

We hope that with this report we can continue to encourage Americans to get updated with their vaccinations and get us prepared for the fall and winter thats coming, Becerra said.

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Updated Covid-19 boosters are 'most important thing' Americans can do for their health today, official says - CNN