As well as the familiar seasonal flu (Types A and B),
there are others rarely found in humans — Bird flu (H5N1) and Swine flu (H1N1, H3N2, H1N2).
These can have long-term effects ("Long Flu"), just like their cousin Covid's
Long Covid,
which hasn't been widely talked about until now — and still, mostly
only by the people who are suffering from it :(
State of Affairs 26 oct 2022: Triple Threat - RSV, Flu, and Covid for winter 2022 “We are seeing an uptick in RSV and the flu in the Northern Hemisphere and particularly in the United States. Given an anticipated uptick in COVID-19, the media is coining this the 'triple threat'. Here is the current state of affairs and what it means for you.” Katelyn Jetelina, Your Local Epidemiologist YourLocalEpidemiologist.substack.com/p/state-of-affairs-102622-triple-threat [pub 26 october 2022] Information about Influenza Influenza and vaccine updates; prevention, symptoms, treatment; difference between Flu and COVID-19. “Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at higher risk of serious flu complications. There are two main types of influenza (flu) viruses: Types A and B. The influenza A and B viruses that routinely spread in people (human influenza viruses) are responsible for seasonal flu epidemics each year.” US Center for Disease Control (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/Flu/ [retr 7 aug 2022] Influenza Information about Influenza (flu). Wikipedia Wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza [retr 7 aug 2022]
More in the "TO_ADD" folder.
Monkeypox has been around for a while in a few African countries, and suddenly started being seen around the world in mid-May 2022. There is no proven treatment, and infections can be deadly for up to one in 10 people. The smallpox vaccine is largely effective against monkeypox. It is thought to be spread by person-to-person contact, but there is evidence that it may be airborne as well.
Monkeypox: The myths, misconceptions — and facts — about how you catch it “The monkeypox outbreak has grown rapidly in the U.S. Back in early July, the country had only about 500 cases. Now ]5 August 2022[ that number has jumped to over 7,000 cases. On Thursday, the Biden administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency because more aggressive measures are needed to curb the spread of the virus.” “Can you catch it, say, on a crowded bus or airplane? From trying on clothes in a thrift shop? From a bathroom counter? Is everyone at equal risk? “Several myths and misconceptions have cropped up around these questions. And there's a lot of conflicting information and guidance.” 7-minute audio; transcription. -- Goats and Soda NPR NPR.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/08/05/1115859376/clearing-up-some-of-the-myths-that-have-popped-up-about-monkeypox [pub 5 aug 2022] How is monkeypox spread? “There is substantial concern about monkeypox (MPV) exposure and risk among the general public. Some of this is warranted; some is not. Misconceptions are taking hold given the rapidly-evolving situation and scientific uncertainty. This post triangulates historical context, lab data, and epidemiological data to show you what we do (and do not) know about MPV transmission right now.” “Bottom line: Current data shows that MPV transmission can occur in multiple ways, but what is possible is not always probable. Epidemiological data shows very close and prolonged exposure absolutely dominating transmission networks.” -- Katelyn Jetelina Your Local Epidemiologist YourLocalEpidemiologist.substack.com/p/how-is-monkeypox-spread [pub 3 aug 2022]
COVID-19 and Monkeypox: Similarities and differences “In two short months, more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox (MPV) and five deaths have been reported across the globe. This is a rapidly evolving situation, but clearly a public health crisis. “While one takes hold (MPV) we concurrently fight another pandemic (COVID-19), so it’s tempting to compare the diseases and our responses. There are certainly similarities, but there are key differences, too.” “Just like with COVID-19, the MPV outbreak is highlighting our neglected, under-funded, fragmented public health system in the U.S. that desperately needs fixing:... ” -- Katelyn Jetelina Your Local Epidemiologist YourLocalEpidemiologist.substack.com/p/covid-19-and-monkeypox-similarities [pub 28 jul 2022] Monkeypox is NOT a Public Health Emergency of International Concern “Over the weekend, the WHO did not declare Monkeypox (MPX) as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This was a big surprise. Cases are increasing and MPX is quickly establishing itself across the globe.” “As Professor Michael Worobey said: ‘This is like deciding to snooze for an hour when the smoke alarm goes off to be good and sure it's a real fire. Time to realize it's smart to get out of bed even for false alarms now and then.’” -- Katelyn Jetelina Your Local Epidemiologist YourLocalEpidemiologist.substack.com/p/monkeypox-is-not-a-public-health [pub 27 jun 2022] CDC monkeypox warning urges ‘enhanced precautions’ for travel The Washington Post washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/05/25/cdc-monkeypox-travel-advisory/ [pub 25 may 2022] Info summary about monkeypox Imgur https://imgur.com/gallery/lSPBLiK [pub 24 may 2022] Precautions for monkeypox "Wear a respirator, always when sharing air with people outside your household, or caring for someone sick in your household. Fresh or filtered air. Wear a respirator when dealing with contaminated linen/clothes. More attention to hand hygiene and environmental cleaning." -- Dr Noor Bari @NjbBari3 Twitter https://twitter.com/NjbBari3/status/1528375911099183104 [pub 22 may 2022] Monkeypox outbreak in UK and EU “But after the world eradicated smallpox, countries stopped vaccinating kids. And for those who were vaccinated years earlier, their protection has likely waned over time, Hooper says.” NPR https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/05/18/927043767/rare-monkeypox-outbreak-in-u-k-and-europe-what-is-it-and-should-we-worry | https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/monkeypox-canada-quebec-europe-us-outbreak-1.6458523 [pub 17 may 2022]
Interesting things about parasites, that maybe could apply to our Covid friend as well.
There could be a surprising benefit to non-deadly parasites in the world's ecosystems
-- Tessa Koumoundouros
Science Alert
https://www.sciencealert.com/non-deadly-parasites-suck-for-individuals-but-can-also-have-a-surprising-wider-benefit
[pub 22 may 2022]
How parasites and bacteria could be changing the way you think and feel
Mostly about Toxoplasmo gondii
The Conversation
https://theconversation.com/how-parasites-and-bacteria-could-be-changing-the-way-you-think-and-feel-71309
[pub 25 jan 2017]
Polio has long-term effects of paralysis, which is essentially "Long Polio", just like its cousin Covid's Long Covid.
TBD
More in the "TO_ADD" folder.
TBD
More in the "TO_ADD" folder.