Tag: CDC

COVID surges in dozens of states

FLiRT

Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2021 boundaries, summitpost.org, National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). CARSON ELM-PICARD FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

A headline in the Boston Globe (firewall) for July 16: COVID surges to ‘very high’ or ‘high’ levels in dozens of states, including multiple in New England, CDC says.

The Globe posts illnesses and deaths in its service area each week. While it’s nowhere near what it was at the height of the pandemic, it’s not zero. Check out the death statistics.

Also, “wastewater surveillance data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the prevalence of COVID has hit ‘very high’ levels in seven states, including California, Texas, and Florida.”

So it is not a shock that Joe Biden contracted the disease again. I’m told that at least 15 people attending the 1973/1974/1975 Binghamton Central High School reunion got it. 

From the Los Angeles Times this month

July 1 -COVID-19 cases are continuing to climb in Los Angeles County, as are the number of people hospitalized with infections, as the typical summer surge in the illness creeps up.

Doctors have noted an earlier-than-normal rise for this time of year, which in L.A. County began in May. Among those recently testing positive for the coronavirus was Mayor Karen Bass… The mayor tested positive for the first time last June…

The new FLiRT subvariants, officially known as KP.3, KP.2 and KP.1.1, are believed to be roughly 20% more transmissible than their parent, JN.1, the winter’s dominant subvariant, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious-disease expert at UC San Francisco, has said.

For the two-week period that ended June 22, the most recent information available, 62.9% of estimated COVID specimens in the U.S. were of the FLiRT variants — up from 45.3% a month earlier.

The rise is due to the FLiRT variant.

July 8: COVID cases and hospitalizations rise in L.A. County — and some of those recently reinfected with the FLiRT variants are finding the latest bout the worst yet.

The following week

July 15: For the first time since the winter, California has “very high” coronavirus levels in its wastewater, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state levels are now estimated to be significantly higher than last summer.

The increase comes as national virus measurements in sewage also have jumped significantly, an indication that the summer bump is continuing to grow.

July 16: COVID is continuing to rise this summer, and its spread is being aided by people who are still going to work or traveling while sick.

“Certainly, people are trying to get back to whatever life was like before the pandemic,” said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “We’re in a different place than we were before. … However, good common sense shouldn’t go out the window.”

FLiRT

Johns Hopkins describes FLiRT:

When it comes to symptoms, we’re not seeing anything new or different with these variants. We continue to see more mild disease, but that’s likely not because the virus is milder, but because our immunity is so much stronger now. After years of vaccinations and infections, most of the population is better able to fight off an infection without as much concern for severe disease…

As with previous variants, some people may have detectable live virus for up to a week after their symptoms begin, and some may experience rebound symptoms.

At-home testing remains a really important tool for knowing whether you could potentially infect others.

The good news is that Paxlovid is still recommended for high-risk individuals. It still works against variants up to JN.1, and based on the sequencing of the FLiRT variants, they should still be susceptible to Paxlovid, as well as to antiviral drugs like molnupiravir and remdesivir. 

It’s always a good idea to keep a few COVID tests around the house in case you start to feel sick. Testing—whether at home or in a health care setting—will make sure you know what you’re infected with, which can inform the best treatment plan if you are in a high-risk group or your symptoms progress to more severe illness.

If you do feel sick, follow the CDC’s simplified guidance for respiratory illnesses. This is especially important if you plan to spend time with friends or family who are at higher risk of severe illness.

Yale Medicine and the Mayo Clinic. According to the latter, I should likely get another vaccine because I haven’t had one in… well, I don’t remember, but I doubt it was this calendar year. 

Still COVID-free, knock wood

reinfections

Several people I know IRL have gotten COVID in recent weeks. They are mostly the cautious, mask-wearing, vaccine-taking types. Also, Biden, Harris, and Fauci got it.

I’m still COVID-free, knock wood.

We have been going to the theater. All venues still require masks, and some, vax cards, and I am pleased. CDTA buses still require masks and have dispensers for those without, but about 30% of the riders are either maskless or wearing them on their chins. Frankly, I have run out of mojo to give them the evil eye.

A headline in the Los Angeles Times last week read: “‘I’m over it.’ Many in L.A. shrug off COVID-19 wave despite super-infectious subvariants.” I’m not sure I’d go anywhere in California. Look at the map from last week.

For instance, I’d be terrified to go to ComicCon in San Diego, even though participants are getting their vax status confirmed. Mark Evanier went to the first 50 of these notes and says he “can’t explain my assorted feelings about going this time. I know I’m happy that Comic-Con exists again as I’ve always had a good time at them. I’m just hoping everyone rises to the occasion and respects everyone else’s concerns about too much close contact. Comic-Con has never been the place you go to get away from crowds. Quite the opposite.”

Reversal

Something that fillyjonk said I totally understand. “One thing I think the pandemic has done to my mental health that’s a bad thing is, I’ve gotten in this mindset where ‘what is now, will be forever.’ So if things are bad, if I’m anxious, if I hurt – that’s forever now.  ‘This is where I live now, I guess.'” I guess I was hoping for “THAT’S IT; COVID is gone.”

An article in the Boston Globe was scary. ‘Oh my god, not again’: COVID variant making reinfections more common. “Officials reassured people that if they get a booster now, they will still be able to get the updated booster that’s expected to be available in the fall.” But I got my second booster in April, so now what?

The CDC says “potentially more infections to come before that fall booster is available, which is why we really want to make sure people have as much protection as they can right now.”

I AM comforted somewhat by the fact that most of upstate New York is green or yellow, even as NYC, the three counties to its north, and Long Island are red. This is a reversal from three months ago when upstate was redder, and downstate was greener.

Still, I’ll be happy when I get my BA.4/BA.5 specific shot.

NYS: end HIV/AIDS in the state by 2020

The Centers for Disease Control is planning a National HIV Prevention Conference in December 2015 in Atlanta to “continue refining, improving, and strengthening our nation’s response to HIV.”

AIDS.homepage-graphicIn the summer of 2015, I went to a dinner and discovered that there is a plan by the New York State Department of Health to end the epidemic in the state by 2020.

The three-point plan:
Identifies persons with HIV who remain undiagnosed and link them to health care.
Links and retains persons diagnosed with HIV in health care to maximize virus suppression so they remain healthy and prevent further transmission.
*Facilitates access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for high-risk persons to keep them HIV negative.
Implicit in the framework was making sure people were not being shamed into hiding their HIV status, which merely makes it harder to treat.

There was a headline from a couple of months ago that surprised me:

Everyone who has H.I.V. should immediately be put on antiretroviral triple therapy and everyone at risk of becoming infected should be offered protective doses of similar drugs, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday as it issued new H.I.V. treatment and prevention guidelines.

The guidelines increase by nine million the number of people who should get treatment and by untold millions the number who should get protective doses. Previous guidelines recommended them for gay men, prostitutes, people with infected partners and others; the new guidelines effectively bring in millions of women and girls in Africa.

How much that will cost and how it will be paid for are not yet determined.

Advocates around the world welcomed the new guidelines — usually without addressing the cost.

Dr. Mark Dybul, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said the two recommendations were “critically important to moving us toward fast-track treatment and prevention goals.”

This was exciting, though: Truvada Protected 100 Percent Of Study Participants From HIV.

The Centers for Disease Control is planning a National HIV Prevention Conference in December 2015 in Atlanta to “continue refining, improving, and strengthening our nation’s response to HIV.” Because it’s not over yet.

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