Tag:

Infectious Diseases

Rare Bird Flu Case Confirmed In Child, CDC Says Rare Bird Flu Case Confirmed In Child, CDC Says
Rare Bird Flu Case Confirmed In Child, CDC Says A rare case of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has been confirmed in a child in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The child, who is a resident of California, experienced only mild symptoms and is now recovering. The case, detected through routine flu testing, revealed low levels of the virus in the initial sample, and follow-up tests were negative for bird flu, but positive for other common respiratory viruses.  The CDC is working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to determine how the child might hav…
Trump Taps Vaccine Skeptic To Lead CDC Trump Taps Vaccine Skeptic To Lead CDC
Trump Taps Vaccine Skeptic To Lead CDC Another vaccine skeptic with New York ties could soon shape public health policy. President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Florida congressman and physician Dave Weldon to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Weldon was born on Long Island, in Amityville, and graduated from Stony Brook University in 1978 before earning his M.D. degree at the University of Buffalo in 1981. Earlier Report: Trump Selects Vaccine-Skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As Secretary Of Health, Human Services “In addition to being a medical doctor for 40 years, and an Ar…
Rise In Walking Pneumonia Cases Prompts CDC Warning Rise In Walking Pneumonia Cases Prompts CDC Warning
Rise In Walking Pneumonia Cases Prompts CDC Warning Cases of walking pneumonia have spiked significantly, especially among children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning in a brand-new advisory. The agency said increases in M. pneumoniae-associated pneumonia infections began late this past spring, peaked in August, and have remained high.  The CDC said it's using various surveillance tools "to better understand any differences in demographics, severity of illness, and outcomes as compared to M. pneumoniae infections prior to the COVID-19 pandemic." The agency said it's also contacting heal…
COVID-19: Here's What To Know About New XEC Strain That's Arrived In US From Europe COVID-19: Here's What To Know About New XEC Strain That's Arrived In US From Europe
Covid-19: Here's What To Know About New XEC Strain That's Arrived In US From Europe A new highly transmissible COVID-19 strain that first appeared in Europe is now beginning to spread in the United States. Called XEC, the offshoot of the Omicron strain was initially identified in Germany early this past summer before quickly spreading throughout Europe. It is not causing more serious symptoms than other COVID strains, but it is causing concern. “The rate of infections from XEC they're seeing in some countries rose pretty quickly compared to previous variants in those same places," Dr. Scott Roberts, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist said in YaleMedicine.…
First Human West Nile Case Of Season Confirmed In Connecticut First Human West Nile Case Of Season Confirmed In Connecticut
First Human West Nile Case Of Season Confirmed In Connecticut It's time to protect yourself from mosquitoes, as the first case of the West Nile virus in a person in the state has been confirmed.  On Friday, Aug. 16, the Connecticut Department of Public Health announced that a New Haven County resident had tested positive for the virus. A woman between 60–69 became ill during the first week of August with a WNV infection and has since recovered, the department said.  “Symptoms include fever, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, rash, or gastrointestinal symptoms for non-neuroinvasive disease, while neuroinvasive signs and symptoms can include high…
COVID-19: Fairfield County City Lifts Mask Mandate For Most COVID-19: Fairfield County City Lifts Mask Mandate For Most
Covid-19: Fairfield County City Lifts Mask Mandate For Most A city-wide mask mandate in a Fairfield County city will soon be lifted due to the falling number of COVID-19 cases. Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons announced on Friday, Feb. 11 that the city-wide mask mandate will be lifted on Wed., Feb. 16.  Masks are still required to be worn in hospitals, nursing homes, healthcare and childcare facilities, schools, municipal buildings, and on public transit, Simmons said. The announcement comes in response to a decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Stamford.  As of Thursday, Feb.10, Stamford’s current seven-day average in ca…
COVID-19: Omicron Surge Affecting Staffing Levels For Essential Workers COVID-19: Omicron Surge Affecting Staffing Levels For Essential Workers
Covid-19: Omicron Surge Affecting Staffing Levels For Essential Workers The spread of the more-transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant is leading to staffing shortages for some essential employers who have been hit hardest by the winter surge of the virus. Essential employees have been forced to call out of work en masse in recent weeks due to positive Omicron infections that have led to staffing shortages for first responders, healthcare workers, supermarket workers, flight crews, and other key professions. The shortages have led to hundreds of canceled flights, closed restaurants, and short-staffed retail stores, leaving workers frustrated and fatigued af…
COVID-19: New Study Finds Significant Virus Spread Among Deer Population COVID-19: New Study Finds Significant Virus Spread Among Deer Population
Covid-19: New Study Finds Significant Virus Spread Among Deer Population A new study has found widespread COVID-19 infections among deer populations in Iowa. Researchers from the Penn State University found that more than 80 percent of white-tailed deer sampled in parts of Iowa between December of 2020 and January of 2021 tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement from the university on Wednesday, Nov. 3. “We found that 80 percent of the sampled deer in December were positive for SARS-CoV-2, which proportionally represents about a 50-fold greater burden of positivity than what was reported at the peak of infection in humans at the time,” said Sur…
COVID-19: Drugmaker To Seek Emergency Approval For Pill To Treat Virus COVID-19: Drugmaker To Seek Emergency Approval For Pill To Treat Virus
Covid-19: Drugmaker To Seek Emergency Approval For Pill To Treat Virus A new pharmaceutical company is throwing its hat in the ring as the country continues its fight against COVID-19. Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced on Friday, Oct. 1 that it is planning to apply for federal emergency approval of a pill that can reportedly help prevent hospitalizations and deaths in COVID-19 patients. According to the company, trials have found that the pill - dubbed molnupiravir - could potentially reduce the risk of hospitalization or death in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 by approximately 50 percent. The results of the late-stage trial have bee…