Category: Flu Virus

Amid the loosening of COVID-19 precautions and a sharp increase in flu cases in the Southern Hemisphere, Cedars-Sinai experts are warning the public to prepare for a bad flu season this year.

Australia and New Zealand had their most severe flu season in five years, said infectious disease specialist Soniya Gandhi, MD, associate chief medical officer at Cedars-Sinai. We tend to see similar influenza patterns in the Northern Hemisphere, and while there is no guarantee that this will happen, it really highlights the importance of getting the flu shot this year.

While people observed COVID-19 pandemic safety measureslike wearing face masks and washing hands frequentlyduring the past two years, the flu all but disappeared in the U.S. But this year could be different, as mask mandates have lifted, and more people are getting back to socializing.

People are tired of respiratory viruses, and theyre trying to resume normal lives, said infectious disease specialist Kimberly Shriner, MD, at Huntington Health, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai. I worry that since COVID-19 is beginning to settle down a little, there may be an impression that influenza will as well.

Shriner and Gandhi spoke with the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom about what this flu season might bring and why its wise to be prepared and get a flu shot.

Australia has a robust flu-tracking system, and their flu season, which runs from April to October, offers clues as to whats in store for the U.S.

The flu wasnt only severe in Australia this yearit came on fast.

Influenza started circulating two months earlier than normal, and the largest number of cases were in children ages 5 to 9, Gandhi said. This really emphasizes that even young people should be getting their flu shot.

The silver lining? Australia saw lots of influenza A (H3N2), a strain thats included in this years vaccine, Gandhi said. While its too early to assess the vaccines effectiveness in the U.S., she said its reassuring to know that this strain of the virus is covered in the current vaccine.

Weve been very protected these past two years, and we havent had an opportunity for the flu virus to circulate widely, Shriner said. But now, the masks are off.

Because people were more isolated in recent years, immunity to the flu in the population declined. The combination of reduced immunity and relaxed safety measures means the public will be doubly vulnerable to a circulating respiratory virus.

When you throw all of that into the mix, its not surprising that we may have the worst flu season weve seen in a while, Gandhi said.

Influenza is a serious illness, especially for the elderly and those who are immunocompromised, like cancer or transplant patients.

The flu can kill up to 50,000 people annually, and that certainly is a concern we have about this impending season given our preview of coming attractions in the Southern Hemisphere, Shriner said.

In the U.S., influenza typically circulates from November through April, coinciding with the winter holidays when people gather indoors, and when COVID-19 tends to surge.

An influx of hospitalizations from COVID-19 and the flu could stress the healthcare system and impact staffing if many healthcare workers are out sick, Gandhi said. Its yet another reason to get the flu shot and the new Omicron booster as well.

The past two years have demonstrated the capacity of vaccines to prevent diseases and save lives. Weve seen that dramatically with COVID-19, and I think the same is true of influenza, Shriner said. Vaccination often helps the individual, but it also protects those who either cannot receive a vaccine or who wont respond very well to it.

By limiting the spread of flu and preventing severe illness, the flu shot also can help maintain hospital capacity, Gandhi said. She cited a recent study of adults that showed the flu vaccine reduced their risk of ICU admission by 26% and death by 31%.

The flu and COVID-19 vaccines are important on a personal level, and theyre critical from a public health standpoint, Gandhi said.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: What's the Difference Between a Cold, the Flu and COVID-19?

Continue reading here:

Arm Yourself Against the 2022-23 Flu Season - Cedars-Sinai

The first and most common reason people give for not getting vaccinated is that theyve heard the flu vaccine doesn't always work, says Dr. Schaffner. But no vaccine is 100 percent effective.

When the flu vaccine is a good match with the circulating virus, it can reduce the risk of flu by up to 60 percent for those who are vaccinated. That means 60 percent fewer vaccinated people will contract the flu after they encounter the virus compared to the unvaccinated. The flu is highly contagious, so if youre not vaccinated, youre more likely to develop the flu.

Because the recommendations for which strains to include in this seasons vaccines were provided in March, and flu season isnt in full swing, how effective they will be is an unknown. But that isnt a reason not to get a flu shot.

Even if the flu vaccine isnt perfectly matched to the dominant strain circulating, you do get some residual protection, particularly against severe disease, emphasizes Schaffner.

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Flu Vax Facts: What to Know for the 2022-2023 Flu Season - Everyday Health

Good evening. Im Karen Kaplan, and its Tuesday, Sept. 27. Heres the latest on whats happening with the coronavirus in California and beyond.

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With the rollout of bivalent boosters, the fight against COVID-19 took a big step toward looking like the fight against seasonal flu.

Every year, the vaccine experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examine the influenza strains in circulation around the world and recommend shots (and sometimes nasal sprays) that target those most likely to sicken Americans that winter. The Food and Drug Administration followed the same principle when it ordered up a new batch of COVID-19 booster shots designed to target BA.5, the dominant version of Omicron, as well as the original coronavirus strain.

Public health officials are urging Americans to get the new boosters now so theyll be protected in the late fall and winter the time of year when the pandemics two deadliest surges began. That mirrors the annual flu shot campaign, which aims to get people vaccinated in September or October, before the flu season begins in earnest.

No less an authority than Dr. Anthony Fauci has spelled out the similarities between the countrys approach to the two diseases.

It is becoming increasingly clear that, looking forward with the COVID-19 pandemic, in the absence of a dramatically different variant, we likely are moving towards a path with a vaccination cadence similar to that of the annual influenza vaccine, with annual, updated COVID-19 shots matched to the currently circulating strains, he said during a White House briefing this month.

Meanwhile, the health officials who have spent years trying to persuade us to wear face masks in indoor public settings are relaxing their recommendations.

California no longer advises everyone to mask up every time they enter a business, government building, cooling shelter or the like unless theyre in a county with a high COVID-19 community level. As of Tuesday, none of them are.

And Los Angeles County, perhaps the countrys most fervent supporter of face coverings, has dropped its mask requirement for public transportation and transit hubs.

If you put it all together, it may be tempting to conclude that COVID-19 has finally become like the flu an endemic virus that causes inconvenient illnesses and some deaths every year but doesnt rule our lives.

The fight against COVID-19 is looking more like the fight against the flu, but the threats are not the same.

(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

That would be the wrong conclusion, warns Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco.

A vaccination campaign that matches our approach to the flu does not make COVID itself comparable to the flu, Chin-Hong writes in an Op-Ed for The Times.

Even with all the vaccine doses at our disposal, and even considering all the immunity built up from the roughly 96 million coronavirus infections that have been documented in the U.S., a virus that behaves like BA.5 could wind up killing 100,000 people per year, according to Trevor Bedford, a computational virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Other experts have put 100,000 annual deaths at the low end of their forecasts.

It would be on the high end for flu deaths beyond it, in fact. In the decade before COVID-19 came along, the deadliest flu season in the U.S. occurred in 2017-2018, when the country sustained roughly 52,000 deaths, according to the CDC. In other years, the death toll was as low as 12,000.

The gap between COVID-19 and the flu could grow further if a new variant comes along that makes Omicron look tame. With the right combination of mutations, it could erase a good chunk of our hard-won immunity and put us closer to where we were in late 2020 or early 2021.

Plus, the bivalent booster shots have been available for less than a month. Its way too soon to say whether an annual targeted booster shot will be enough to contain the wily coronavirus.

If we have learned anything from this pandemic, Chin-Hong reminds us, it should be to treat this shape-shifting threat with humility.

California cases and deaths as of 4:28 p.m. on Tuesday:

Track Californias coronavirus spread and vaccination efforts including the latest numbers and how they break down with our graphics.

Eight.

Thats the magic number for Kneeland Elementary, one of the smallest public schools in California.

As long as the school has at least eight students enrolled, its future is secure. If enrollment drops below that number, it must get waivers from the state and from Humboldt County to keep its classrooms open.

It may not sound like a high bar, especially since the school teaches kids in transitional kindergarten all the way through eighth grade. That averages out to less than one student per grade level.

But Kneeland is located about a dozen miles east of Eureka, and nearly 300 miles north of San Francisco. As my colleague Hailey Branson-Potts writes, its not so much a town as a rural fire station and a smattering of homes in the forest. With such a tiny population to draw upon, mustering up eight students isnt necessarily a given.

During the 2018-2019 school year the last normal year before the pandemic Kneeland Elementary had an average daily attendance of 13. That triggered a recruiting campaign. The two teachers covered the school bus in colored lights for a Christmas parade in Eureka. Students in grades four through eight wrote a play called Everyday Heroes and performed it in Ferndale, about an hours drive away.

They didnt know it at the time, but they were about to get a huge recruitment boost courtesy of the pandemic.

Kneeland Elementary is so small that it was able to reopen while other schools struggled with distance learning. Its 2.5-acre mountaintop campus offered plenty of space for outdoor classes, including a biology unit on bugs. When it was necessary to be indoors, the low headcount meant social distancing wasnt much of a challenge.

That doesnt mean the school was blas about COVID-19 precautions. On the contrary, the tiny school had a huge incentive to take them seriously.

If teachers get sick, we dont have any substitutes, said Cherie Circe, the district secretary.

Teachers aide Cheryl Furman reads to Jace Johnson, Evie Hippen, Ryden Sizemore and Edward Rich, from left, in the transitional kindergarten-to-second-grade class at Kneeland Elementary School.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Parents in the surrounding area took notice that Kneeland was teaching classes in person. One of them was Nicole Quinlan, whose son Asha lost his spirit after the 400 kids at his elementary school near Arcata were forced to go online.

Asha used to be outgoing, with a quick wit and contagious giggle. But distance learning was onerous for the rural Quinlan household, where internet service was dicey and Asha was overtaken by loneliness.

We gave it a fair shot, Nicole Quinlan said, recalling her sons tears. Im not being dramatic it was traumatizing.

She secured an interdistrict transfer for Asha even though it meant 90 minutes of travel time each school day. His commute involves a 15-minute drive to a bus stop, followed by a half-hour bus ride on a mountain road. Yet when offered the choice to go back to his old school this year, the sixth-graders answer was, Oh, heck no.

Hes not the only convert. Third-grader Bailey Gingerich transferred to Kneeland with her older sister during the pandemic, and now she cant imagine attending school anywhere else.

Youll never run out of oxygen because you can just go near a tree, she said. Were in nature, and everybodys nice.

The schools enrollment has nearly tripled, with 33 students. Kneeland hired a third teacher and built a new classroom.

These fabulous families recognized how unbelievably awesome we are, and stayed, which thrilled us to pieces, said Greta Turney, the school districts not-exactly-impartial superintendent who also teaches sixth through eighth grade.

Kneelands experience stands in marked contrast to the state as a whole. Public school enrollment has plummeted across California in the last five years, with the biggest drop coming after the onset of the pandemic.

Students and teachers arent the only ones pleased to see Kneeland Elementary buck the trend.

Mark Moore, a 67-year-old rancher and logger who attended the school as a boy, dropped by while Branson-Potts was there. Moore sent his own children to Kneeland and now has two grandchildren enrolled, with a third slated to start next year. He said it was life-affirming to visit the school and hear the students happy banter.

See the latest on Californias vaccination progress with our tracker.

As mentioned earlier, California health officials have eased their guidance on face masks in light of the states improving coronavirus conditions. Its the first time the recommendations have been relaxed since mid-February, when the whole country was recovering from the record-breaking Omicron surge.

As of Friday, the California Department of Public Health recommends universal indoor masking only in counties with a high COVID-19 community level. Eight of the states 58 counties Kern, Merced, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Glenn, Butte and Tehama are currently in the medium category and the rest are classified as low.

That means workplaces, retailers, government offices and entertainment centers throughout the state can make their own decisions about whether to require masks. And in the counties with a low COVID-19 community level, higher-risk facilities like homeless shelters and jails can make their own rules as well. (When the COVID-19 community level is medium, masks are required in these higher-risk settings.)

If youre in a venue that leaves the masking decision up to you, the states advice is to consider wearing a mask if youre in a county with a medium COVID-19 community level, and to go with your personal preference if youre in a county with a low community level. If youre considered vulnerable that is, you have a chronic health condition that increases your risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 the state recommends masking up in crowded indoor spaces if the community level is medium and advises you to consider doing the same if the community level is low.

Masks are still required statewide in all healthcare facilities and long-term care centers, regardless of the COVID-19 community level.

Counties are allowed to adopt stricter rules. But in Los Angeles County, the rules are going the other way. As of Friday, the local health order no longer mandates the use of masks on buses, trains, in Ubers and Lyfts, or in airports or other transit hubs.

L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said face coverings are still strongly recommended for travelers, even if theyre not required. From our perspective, she said, its a great idea to keep your mask on.

But the mandate was put in place to protect transit workers, and with coronavirus transmission levels so much lower than in the past, health officials said the time had come to relax the health order.

Now the number of California counties with transit-specific mask rules is zero. However, the operators of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system still have a mask mandate in place through the end of the month. Masks are also required on AC Transit, which provides bus service in the East Bay.

The relaxed rules reflect just how much cases have dropped since the height of the BA.5-fueled surge. According to The Times Tracker, the daily case count (measured as a seven-day average) has dropped more than 40% over the last two weeks alone, while the daily death toll has been holding steady at a level not seen since before the Delta variant hit.

Sadly, theres no guarantee these conditions will last.

Enjoy the good COVID weather while its here, Chin-Hong said, because there are already signs that worse days may be on the horizon.

One of those signs comes from Europe, where case rates are starting to tick up in some countries. In England, for instance, infections have increased 13% week-to-week and hospitalizations rose 17%. Numbers are also starting to climb in Belgium and Denmark, Chin-Hong said. If a surge materializes across the pond, theres a good chance one will follow here.

Another vexing sign comes from L.A. Countys wastewater monitoring system, which indicates coronavirus levels are holding steady instead of falling. The fact that were no longer seeing decreases in wastewater data is a reminder that transmission remains substantial across the county, Ferrer said.

And then theres the fact that cooler weather its bound to arrive eventually will prompt people to spend more time together indoors. That will make it easier for the coronavirus to spread, especially if there are new variants.

BA.5 is still the dominant strain in the country by far, but its market share has been slipping for weeks. It now accounts for an estimated 83.1% of coronavirus specimens circulating in the U.S., according to the CDC.

The Omicron subvariant working hardest to take its place is BA.4.6, which now makes up about 11.9% of viral specimens, up from about 7.8% in late August, the CDC says. In third place is another subvariant known as BF.7, which accounts for 2.3% of coronavirus strains in the U.S.

These are all reasons why infectious disease experts took President Biden to task for prematurely claiming the pandemic is over on 60 Minutes this month.

Were already hearing pushback: If its over, why do I need a booster? said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

A version of that is happening in Congress, where Republicans asked why they should approve Bidens request for $22.5 billion in additional funding for coronavirus tests, vaccines and treatments if the pandemic is over. (Full disclosure: Theyd been opposed to the funding request long before the TV show aired.)

We have to continue to make the case that COVID is still a threat, said Dr. Robert Wachter of UC San Francisco. We still need to encourage people to get a booster. And we need Congress and other policymakers to see ongoing funding as important, including funding for finding a new vaccine and research on long COVID.

Speaking of vaccines, Pfizer has asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its bivalent booster for children ages 5 to 11. The shots feature a kid-sized dose of the vaccine that is already authorized for Americans 12 and up. Dr. Peter Marks, the FDAs vaccine chief, has said he expects to see action on updated boosters for school-age children soon.

The company and its partner, BioNTech, also said theyve begun a new trial of their bivalent booster for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The studys aim is to figure out the optimal dose for children ages 6 months through 4 years.

Theres good news for Americans looking to travel. Canada said Monday that its COVID-19 vaccination requirement for people entering the country will be dropped at months end. And if youre flying into the land of poutine and maple syrup, youll no longer have to wear a mask on the plane.

Heading to Asia? Hong Kong has dropped its requirement that visitors quarantine in designated hotels upon arrival. Instead, they can monitor themselves at home for three days, and if they test negative at that point theyll be free to roam. Theyll still have to follow a regimen of mandatory PCR tests and rapid antigen tests during their first week.

Taiwan may relax its quarantine rules as well. Officials said they may replace quarantine with seven days of self-health monitoring in mid-October. A decision is expected this week.

Todays question comes from readers who want to know: Does it matter which bivalent booster shot I get?

In a word: No.

This is not like your primary vaccination series, where if you got the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine the first time, you had to get a Pfizer-BioNTech shot the second time. (Ditto for the Moderna vaccine.) Once youve got those initial doses under your belt, you can either stick with the same brand or switch to the other.

Either way, you wont be getting the same shot you had last time. Thats because your last booster targeted only the original coronavirus strain, while the new bivalent boosters for adolescents and adults add protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 versions of Omicron.

Both Pfizer and Moderna have versions of the bivalent booster. Modernas is authorized for all adults 18 and up. Pfizers is authorized for adults and adolescents 12 and up. So if youre in the 12-17 age group, you have to get the Pfizer vaccine because its your only option. (Those under 12 will have to wait a little longer for a bivalent booster to become available.)

Adults can go either way. Some people might feel more comfortable sticking to the brand theyve had before, while others may feel that mixing things up is a good way to hedge their bets. Scientists have not found any downside to a mix-and-match strategy, and in clinical trials, people who switched brands for their booster shot often produced more antibodies than people who didnt.

The pros and cons of mixing and matching havent been studied with the bivalent booster, but experts say the calculus should be the same. The most important part of the equation is to get a bivalent booster when you are eligible, regardless of the brand.

The best booster for you is the one that you can get, Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, told my colleagues Luke Money and Rong-Gong Lin II. If theres shortages of one, you should not have hesitancy to take the other.

We want to hear from you. Email us your coronavirus questions, and well do our best to answer them. Wondering if your questions already been answered? Check out our archive here.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

The woman in the photo above is Shamita Jayakumar. Shes a 32-year-old tech worker who finds refuge from pandemic stress by shopping at Target.

Her biweekly trips to the cheap-chic retailer have become a form of self-care. And shes got lots of company among Gen Z, millennial and Gen X women who can afford to splurge on a $20 sweater or a $25 kitchen gadget while picking up necessities like toothpaste and milk.

Google searches for self-care shot up during the initial pandemic lockdown period, then again during the first Omicron surge.

If it brings you joy to do it, thats your self-care, Desiree Rew, a clinical social worker in Long Beach, told my colleague Marisa Gerber.

An item emblazoned with the message GOOD VIBES may sound cheesy, but it can also be inspirational, she said: Yes, they want good vibes. Weve been surrounded by bad vibes.

Resources

Need a vaccine? Keep in mind that supplies are limited, and getting one can be a challenge. Sign up for email updates, check your eligibility and, if youre eligible, make an appointment where you live: City of Los Angeles | Los Angeles County | Kern County | Orange County | Riverside County | San Bernardino County | San Diego County | San Luis Obispo County | Santa Barbara County | Ventura County

Practice social distancing using these tips, and wear a mask or two.

Watch for symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. Heres what to look for and when.

Need to get tested? Heres where you can in L.A. County and around California.

Americans are hurting in many ways. We have advice for helping kids cope, resources for people experiencing domestic abuse and a newsletter to help you make ends meet.

Weve answered hundreds of readers questions. Explore them in our archive here.

For our most up-to-date coverage, visit our homepage and our Health section, get our breaking news alerts, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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Coronavirus Today: Is COVID-19 the new flu? - Los Angeles Times

It is that time of year. In many places, there is a chill in the air, and soon there will be dazzling colors.

It is also the season when updated influenza shots become available, and this year, the new bivalent COVID-19 vaccines targeting multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains are also being considered.

Each February, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) experts gather to predict the strains of flu most likely to be circulating in the following fall, and now freshly formulated, 2022-2023-specific, flu shots are available.

The two manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, have also been busy developing a new bivalent booster vaccine designed to adapt more readily to ever-changing Omicron strains of the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2. Both companies have now received FDA approval for their new vaccines.

Which one, or both, should you get?

We asked three experts to answer a few questions for us about this autumns vaccines. Our experts are:

Dr. Farley: The bivalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is for individuals 18 years of age and older, whereas the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is for individuals 12 years of age and older.

Dr. Schaffner: The win is, youre eligible now, and so I would urge people to [get their COVID-19 booster].

Dr. Adajla: The people who would benefit most from an Omicron booster are those high-risk individuals who have never been boosted.

Dr. Adajla: If you fall into a high-risk category, you should not wait to be boosted.

Dr. Schaffner pointed out the things you should be mindful of before receiving a COVID-19 booster:

Dr. Schaffner: Now, there are some people who are thinking about this very carefully. For example, they have a trip planned sometime toward, lets say, the beginning of November or end of October, and theyre planning to get their updated COVID vaccines two weeks before they take their trip.

[Whether this makes sense,] I think that a lot depends on who you are. If youre younger and stronger, and dont have any underlying illnesses, if your vaccine is otherwise up-to-date, you could consider that.

If youre older, if youre frail with underlying illnesses, if you have diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, if you are immune-compromised in any way, I would urge you to get it now, rather than put it off because there are risks in the community. These Omicron variants are still circulating briskly across the country.

Dr. Schaffner: The answer is, as they would say in Minnesota, You bet!

And there are a couple of reasons for this. Your COVID-19 vaccine will not protect against influenza, and the reverse is also true: Influenza vaccine will not protect you against COVID-19. Theyre two separate viruses.

Influenza and we may have to remind people of this is another very serious winter respiratory virus.

It puts people in the same risk groups older frail, underlying illnesses, immunocompromised at increased risk of complications of influenza: pneumonia, hospitalization, and dying.

Dr. Adajla: Like is the case with every year, flu vaccination is also an important measure to take.

Dr. Farley: Yes, individuals should receive their annual flu vaccination this year, especially given that the formulation has changed to better match the anticipated circulating influenza viruses in the 2022-23 flu season.

All three experts agreed that there is no difference between getting one or the other vaccine first and that they are safe to receive together.

Dr. Adajla: As flu season has not really begun in the Northern Hemisphere, the [Omicron] booster is more important at this time.

Dr. Schaffner: Theres no contraindication for getting them at the same time. Some people will want to spread them out, simply because they dont want two sore arms at the same time. In fact, I was just giving a lecture and one of my colleagues was there. He said just yesterday he got them both, in one arm and one in the other.

Dr. Schaffner said he wanted to ease any concerns pregnant people may have about vaccines:

Should pregnant women receive these two vaccines? The answer is an unqualified yes. Its so recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and [Gynecologists]. Its clear from the data that both of these vaccines are safe during pregnancy.

We have data from influenza vaccine that [it] not only protects the mother, but some of those antibodies will cross the placenta and give the newborn protection during the first four to six months of its life.

He noted that this hasnt been as well-studied with COVID-19.

We would think its likely because thats been true in other circumstances. When moms are immunized with other vaccines TDAP, for example those antibodies go over into the baby. So, it is likely that is the case with COVID also.

Read the original:

Flu shot and Omicron COVID-19 booster: What to know about doubling up - Medical News Today

3. Designate a Caregiver

If a small child, elderly person, or someone else who needs to be cared for has flu, pick one person for the job. That will limit the number of people who come in contact with the virus and cut the risk of it spreading.

Whoever the designated caregiver turns out to be, its important they take every precaution to protect themselves even if theyve already had the flu. Ive been surprised by the number of people who catch the flu more than once in a season, says Dr. Purdy.

As with the COVID virus, one of most effective ways to prevent the spread of influenza is by wearing a mask preferably an N95 mask, advises Michael Roizen, MD, chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. That goes for anyone who is sick, to keep their viral droplets out of the air, and for those who are well, to shield themselves.

If youre caring for a child or someone else who has flu, slipping on disposable gloves is a good idea too, as it will lower the risk of picking up the virus with your fingers and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.

Proper ventilation of common spaces and individual rooms is important, says Hoaglin. Whether you crack a few windows or plug in an air purifier, it can help reduce the volume of infectious particles in the air.

Consider doing this even before someone comes home sick, as well as when you have a gathering of people.

The flu virus can live on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours, meaning everything from countertops, doorknobs, and cell phones to TV remotes, drinkware, and eating utensils especially those touched or used by someone whos ill.

Make use of disinfectant wipes, sprays, and other cleaning solutions that contain hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, and/or alcohol, which can kill germs immediately and on contact. Stash alcohol-based cleaners throughout your home so theyre handy for everyone, suggests Hoaglin.

Studies show the influenza virus can survive for 8 to 12 hours on cloth and paper. Consider a temporary switch from hand towels and dishcloths to single-use paper products.

Then take care to dispose of used paper products promptly by tossing them into a trashcan, preferably one lined with a plastic bag, and dont set them down anywhere or let them come in contact with someone else.

Some simple ways to help fight off infection are also healthy lifestyle measures. One is to stay well-hydrated, which supports the circulatory system in delivering nutrients to organs throughout the body and to remove waste products including potentially infectious microbes.

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends males get about 15.5 cups of fluid each day and females get 11.5 cups. Not all fluid needs to be water, according to the Mayo Clinic. Non-caloric beverages, including coffee and tea, count too, as do juicy fruits and veggies and fluid-based foods such as soup.

Vitamin C may help as well. Although the once-popular theory that high doses of C may help prevent or cure the common cold has never been proven, there is evidence C may be able to kill influenza A and other viruses. And it can never hurt to include plenty of C-rich foods in your diet: citrus fruits, bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, white potatoes, and broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables.

Consider (carefully) catching some rays as well, to boost your intake of vitamin D, which plays a key role in shoring up the immune system. The National Institutes of Health advises wearing sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 if youre in the sun longer than a few minutes, and eating plenty of D-dense foods, such as fortified dairy products, fatty fish, and even mushrooms: Sometimes the fungi are exposed the ultraviolet light to boost their vitamin D content.

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8 Ways to Keep Flu From Spreading - Everyday Health

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Youre unlikely to get the flu from touching a surface, explains microbiologist Emanuel Goldman.

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought the coronavirus was everywherestuck to our cellphone screens, smeared on our mail, dangling from doorknobs, even clinging to our cereal boxes. But it wasnt.

Despite public health guidance suggesting surfaces be disinfected to stop the spread of COVID-19, the virus wasnt significantly transmitted through inanimate surfaces and objects, what microbiologists call fomites. As with all respiratory virusesfrom the flu to the common coldtransmission was and remains almost exclusively airborne.

Goldman, a professor of microbiology at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, was among the first scientists to challenge conventional wisdom by warning that hygiene theateroverzealous disinfection of surfaceshad become counterproductive for public health. In April 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agreed.

Goldman is once again sounding the virus alarm. His recent work delves deeper into laboratory testing failures and advocates for a science-based path out of the pandemic. He will present his findings at a respiratory disease conference in December in New York.

Here, he answers questions about fomites and why we still need to wash our hands:

Original Study DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01371-21

More here:

Expert: You won't get the flu by touching stuff - Futurity: Research News

Tribune News Service

Kulwinder Sandhu

Moga, September 29

Deaths due to swine flu over a couple of weeks reached a tally of four in this district after two more men succumbed to the disease within a span of 48 hours.

Mukhtiar Singh, 77, a resident of Ladhaieka village, was admitted to DMC hospital in Ludhiana on September 14. He died of the deadly virus this week.

Ramesh Kumar, 55, a resident of Dharamkot town, was admitted to the same hospital on September 17 following symptoms of swine flu. He also succumbed to the disease this week while under treatment.

Meanwhile, Satwant Kaur, 70, a resident of Mandar village, was diagnosed with swine flu on September 6 and has been recovering while isolating at home.

The health authorities have conducted surveys of hundreds of houses in this city and nearby villages. A door-to-door campaign has also been launched in the affected areas to sensitise people on the disease.

The officials said the main reason for transmission of swine flu virus was prolonged hot and humid weather conditions.

A drop in temperature provides a conducive atmosphere for the growth of this virus. We have intensified our surveillance, so there is no need to panic, said Senior Medical Officer Dr Sukhpreet Singh Brar.

People should maintain healthy habits, wear masks, exercise regularly and sleep properly. Frequent hand-washing is a must to prevent all kinds of influenza viruses, including swine flu, he said.

Dr Brar said he has set up a special ward in the district hospital for treatment of swine flu patients and medicines were being provided free of cost by the state government.

#Moga

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4 die of swine flu in Moga - The Tribune India

TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /CNW/ -As the seasons change and Ontarians begin to move indoors, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is strongly urging members of the public to do two important things: stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and get the flu shot.

Vaccinations are our best defence against COVID-19. It is vital for all Ontarians to receive their first, second and booster doses as soon as they are eligible. COVID-19 vaccines are proven to reduce the likelihood of severe COVID-19 disease and health outcomes. By increasing our vaccination rate, we can reduce the burden on hospitals and the people who work in them, minimizing disruption to hospital services unrelated to COVID-19. Beginning September 26, 2022, individuals 18 years of age and older can now receive a new bivalent booster which will better protect individuals against the Omicron variant.

With the start of fall and respiratory illness season, healthcare workers are also preparing for the increased spread of another virus: influenza, more commonly known as the flu. Cases of the flu were lower than usual in previous years due to province-wide lockdowns and masking mandates. This year, however, more people are out and about in the community and provincial mask mandates have been relaxed in most settings. This means we will likely see an increase of all viruses circulating in the community, including COVID-19 and the flu. These illnesses have the potential to add additional pressure on heavily stressed healthcare systems and serious, potentially life-threatening conditions in some individuals. By getting the flu shot, Ontarians can protect themselves and others from the influenza virus and its complications.

While the worst of the pandemic is behind us, it is vital that we continue to follow public health guidelines to protect one another, including our most vulnerable. Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and influenza will help people to stay safe, healthy and out of hospitals as the health system recovers and rebuilds. The OHA encourages everyone to roll up their sleeves and receive the vaccinations they are eligible for as soon as they are able, or to reach out to their family physician if they have any questions or concerns. We each have a role to play in protecting ourselves, one another, and the healthcare system.

- Anthony Dale, President and CEO, Ontario Hospital Association

SOURCE Ontario Hospital Association

Cision

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2022/28/c0402.html

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Protect yourself and the health system this fall - get the COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot - Yahoo Finance

A trial has begun into whether three potential bird flu vaccines could protect farmed animals from a disease that is now a year-round threat.

Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) in Lelystad has been asked by the Dutch agriculture minister to conduct trials into vaccines for the H5 avian flu virus in laying hens. The first results from the three-month trial are expected in December.

Expert Nancy Beerens said that the virus, which typically arrived with migrating water birds from Siberia, has now spread to other breeds and is present in the summer months when it used to disappear.

Our summers used to be free of bird flu infections, she said in a press release. This year we saw for the first time that the bird flu season did not end with the departure of migratory birds in April. The virus has been infecting birds that summer in our country, which means that poultry farms started the summer with bird flu.

Largest cull

Despite culling more than four million birds, transport bans and orders to keep birds inside across the Netherlands since last October, each week new infections are discovered. On Monday, another 200,000 chicks were culled after bird flu was found on a poultry farm in Nieuw-Weerdinge in Drente the largest single cull yet.

The virus affects farmed turkeys, chickens, ducks and geese and despite heightened biosecurity measures, experts and farmers believe only a vaccination and new rules on European transport of vaccinated birds can combat the deadly disease.

The first Dutch trials will take place in a high containment unit at the WBVR lab. The new types of vaccine that we are testing in this study are expected to provide better protection against spread of the virus, added Beerens.

The results of [this and other European] studies are very important to get all EU member states on track for vaccination.

The DutchNews.nl team would like to thank all the generous readers who have made a donation in recent weeks. Your financial support has helped us to expand our coverage of the coronavirus crisis into the evenings and weekends and make sure you are kept up to date with the latest developments.

DutchNews.nl has been free for 14 years, but without the financial backing of our readers, we would not be able to provide you with fair and accurate news and features about all things Dutch. Your contributions make this possible.

If you have not yet made a donation, but would like to, you can do so via Ideal, credit card or Paypal.

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Dutch trials begin on bird flu vaccination in first year-round outbreak - DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl

Campylobacter gastroenteritis is an infection in your gut caused by Campylobacter bacteria. The infection often leads to inflammation in your stomach and intestines.

Each year in the United States, Campylobacter bacteria cause an estimated 1.5 million stomach illnesses.

Eating raw or undercooked poultry, seafood, or meat is a common source of infection. The illness can also be transmitted via produce, milk, or water that has come into contact with the campylobacter bacteria.

In this article, we take a look at the symptoms of campylobacter gastroenteritis, as well as how best to treat and prevent this common stomach illness.

Campylobacter gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection that occurs when Campylobacter bacteria is present in your food or water.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Campylobacter bacteria is the most common bacterial cause of diarrhea in the United States. The bacteria can be found in a wide range of animals, particularly poultry. It can also be transmitted through water that hasnt been properly treated.

Campylobacter gastroenteritis occurs more often in the summer than in winter. The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network suggests that for every 100,000 people, approximately 20 cases of Campylobacter infection are diagnosed each year in the United States.

Its estimated that many more cases are undiagnosed or go unreported.

If you have campylobacter gastroenteritis, you may experience symptoms such as:

Because campylobacter gastroenteritis affects the lining of the stomach and intestines, nausea and vomiting can often occur.

Symptoms generally start within two to five days of coming in contact with the bacteria and typically last one week.

Campylobacter causes gastroenteritis, which means the stomach and intestines are inflamed and irritated.

Oftentimes when people have symptoms of gastroenteritis, they refer to it as the stomach flu. But gastroenteritis is not related to the flu at all.

It can take as little as a single drop of juice from raw chicken that has the Campylobacter bacteria to cause an infection.

Most infections are caused by eating raw or undercooked poultry or consuming food or water that has been contaminated with the Campylobacter bacteria.

Campylobacter can contaminate food and water in different ways:

To diagnose campylobacter gastroenteritis, a doctor will first talk with you about your symptoms and how long you have been experiencing them.

If campylobacter gastroenteritis is suspected, they may use a laboratory test to detect the Campylobacter bacteria in your stool (poop), body tissue, or other bodily fluids.

Because symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration and depletion of minerals and electrolytes, a doctor may also check for signs of dehydration.

Symptoms of dehydration include:

Most people recover from campylobacter gastroenteritis with rest and by drinking extra fluids. They generally start to feel better within three days without seeing a doctor.

However, if dehydration is suspected or if symptoms dont ease after two to three days, you should seek medical help. This is especially true for young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

To prevent you or your family from getting campylobacter gastroenteritis, its important to be cautious when handling chicken, meat, and seafood.

Here are some ways to prevent coming into contact with the bacteria:

Symptoms of campylobacter gastroenteritis can begin to resolve as early as three days and generally do not last longer than one week.

Campylobacter gastroenteritis comes from bacteria that attack the stomach and intestines. Symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramping, nausea, and vomiting.

Influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory virus that attacks your nose, throat, and lungs. Symptoms include muscle aches, runny or stuffy nose, and sore throat. Both can cause fever and headaches.

Campylobacter bacteria are passed in the feces (poop), which means people who have diarrhea should be isolated and excluded from childcare, patient care, and handling food for others.

That said, the illness is not contagious like an airborne flu virus and is not typically spread from one person to another.

Complications from campylobacter gastroenteritis are rare, but they can occur.

Some people may develop arthritis and others may develop a rare disease called Guillain-Barr syndrome. Guillain-Barr syndrome happens when the bodys immune system starts to damage nerves in the body. It can cause muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.

Campylobacter gastroenteritis is generally a mild illness. Symptoms typically dont last for longer than one week. However, it can be fatal among young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

See a doctor if symptoms linger for more than three days, particularly if youre in a high risk category.

Campylobacter gastroenteritis is a type of food poisoning caused by Campylobacter bacteria. Symptoms are generally considered to be mild and include:

Most people recover with rest and hydration. However, if symptoms do not ease within two to three days, its important to see a doctor.

More here:

Campylobacter Gastroenteritis: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention - Healthline