#coronavirus epidemic

[madamepestilence]

H5N1: What to know before fear spreads

What is H5N1?

H5N1 is a 1996 strain of the Spanish or Avian Flu first detected in Chinese birds before spreading globally across various avian species. H5N1 is similar to H1N1, but spreads slower and has a much higher mortality rate.

H5N1 may also be referred to as Influenza A. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners has seen fit to rename H5N1 to Bovine Influenza A Virus, or BIAV, and are encouraging others to use the same terminology.

I would not be surprised if the colloquial name among the public becomes Bovine Flu or American Flu in the coming months, and may be referred to as the Chinese Flu by the same folks who took the spark of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic as an excuse to be publicly racist to East Asian people without social repercussions.

BIAV is a virus, meaning that it is a (probably) non-living packet of self-replicating infectious material with a high rate of mutation. BIAV is structured similarly to SARS-CoV-2, having a packet of infectious material encased in a spherical shell with a corona, or crown, of proteins that can latch to living cells to inject RNA.

Image source with interactive model: ViralZone - H5N1 subtype

What is the history of BIAV?

In 1996 and 1997, an outbreak of BIAV occurred among poultry and infected 18 people in Hong Kong, 6 of which died. This seemingly isolated incident then infected ~860 people with a >50% death rate.

At the time, BIAV was known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, and killed nearly 100% of chickens within a 48 hour period.

From 2003 to 2005, continual outbreaks occurred in China and other East Asian countries, before spreading to Cambodia, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

From 2014 to 2016, it began being detected in American fowl, as well as mutating the H5N6 (lethal in birds, no human to human transmission) and H5N8 (largely spread through turkeys, ducks had immunity) viruses.

BIAV has since evolved into a clade known as 2.3.4.4b, and was first detected in 2021 in wild American birds. This then caused outbreaks in 2022 among wild and domesticated birds (such as chickens) alike, but was largely being overshadowed by the pressing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at the time.

From 2022 to 2023, it was observed to be spreading among various mammals, including humans. Now, in 2024, we're having the most concerning rapid outbreak of BIAV since 2003.

BIAV is known to spread from mammal to mammal, particularly between cows and humans. BIAV may also be spread from cow to cow (highly likely, but not confirmed - this is likely the reason the virus has spread to Idaho from Texan cattle), and is known to be lethal to domestic cats and birds within 48 hours.

How does BIAV spread?

BIAV spreads through fomites - direct contact with infected animals or infected surfaces and then touching parts of your face or other orifices - as well as through airborne particulates, which may be inhaled and enter the sinuses and lungs.

BIAV is known to spread through:

Asymptomatic Ducks, geese, swans, various shorebirds

Symptomatic, may be lethal Foxes, bears, seals, sea lions, polar bears, domestic cats, dogs, minks, goats, cows, (potentially human to human, but unconfirmed - there have only been 8 potential human to human cases in 2024).

How can I protect against BIAV?

As BIAV is a type of Influenza A, existing protocols should do fine.

Current recommendations are to wash your hands vigorously after interacting with birds (I would also recommend doing this with mammals), avoid touching your face or other open orifices, and wear N95 masks.

Avoid sick or dead animals entirely - I would also recommend reporting them to your local Animal Control or veterinary centre and warning them about the infection risk. People who work with animals are recommended to also wear full PPE such as N95 masks, eye protection, gloves, and partake in vigorous hand washing.

If you suspect you've caught BIAV, seek medical attention immediately. Existing medications such as oseltamivir phosphate, zanamivir, peramivir, and baloxavir marboxil can reduce BIAV's ability to replicate.

Standard flu shots will not protect against BIAV. Remember - symptoms of BIAV may not manifest for between 2 to 8 days, and potentially infected people should be monitored for at least 10 days.

How far has BIAV spread?

BIAV is currently a global virus, though the current infection location of note is the United States.

Image Key: Dark red - Countries with humans, poultry and wild birds killed by H5N1 Deep red - Countries with poultry or wild birds killed by H5N1 and has reported human cases of H5N1 Light red - Countries with poultry or wild birds killed by H5N1

Image source: Wikipedia - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 - File: Global spread of H5N1 map

Image source: Metro.co.uk - Map shows where bird flu is spreading in US amid new warning - File: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s H5N1 bird flu detections map across the United States

Should I be afraid?

You needn't be afraid, just prepared. BIAV has a concerningly high lethality, but this ironically culls its spread somewhat.

In the event human to human transmission of BIAV is confirmed, this will likely mainly affect marginalized communities, poor people, and homeless people, who are likely to have less access to medical care, and a higher likelihood of working in jobs that require frequent close human contact, such as fast food or retail jobs.

Given the response to SARS-CoV-2, corporations - and probably the government - may shove a proper response under the rug and refuse to participate in a full quarantine, which may leave people forced to go to work in dangerous conditions.

If this does spread into an epidemic or pandemic, given our extensive knowledge about Influenza, and the US having a backup vaccine for a prior strain of H5N1, a vaccine should be able to be developed relatively quickly and would hopefully be deployed freely without charge - we won't have to worry about a situation like The Stand.

Wash your hands, keep clean, avoid large social gatherings where possible, wear an N95 mask if you can afford them (Remember: Cloth masks are the least protective, but are better than nothing. If you can't afford N95 masks, I recommend wearing a well-fitted cloth mask with a disposable face mask over it to prevent pneumonia from moisture buildup in the disposable mask), support the disabled, poor, and homeless, and stay educated.

We can do better this time.

Further things to check out:

YouTube: MedCram - H5N1 Cattle Outbreak: Background and Currently Known Facts (ft. Roger Seheult, M.D.)

Wikipedia - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1

Maine.gov - Avian Influenza and People

CDC.gov - Technical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses

Wikipedia - H5N1 genetic structure

realagriculture - Influenza infection in cattle gets new name: Bovine Influenza A Virus (BIAV)

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

By Faras Ghani

Some 4.5 billion people worldwide are currently without adequate access to essential healthcare services, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

This comes as more than 100,000 cases of mpox and at least 200 deaths have been confirmed globally, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, with the WHO declaring it a public health emergency earlier this year.

The ongoing cholera outbreak in Sudan alone has affected almost 15,000 people with at least 473 deaths reported, according to the country’s health ministry.

A new COVID-19 variant has spread across 27 countries, infecting hundreds of people.

At the 2024 World Economic Summit, it was also revealed that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become the leading cause of death globally and could kill 10 million people by 2050.

A report titled Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change on Human Health, launched earlier this year, predicts that by 2050, an additional 14.5 million deaths could occur due to climate change as well as $12.5 trillion in economic losses globally.

With healthcare systems across the world already under extra stress, they could face an additional $1.1 trillion burden due to the impact of climate change, the report added.

Al Jazeera spoke to Dr Ahmed Ogwell, vice president of global health strategy at the United Nations Foundation and former deputy director general for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on the current state of healthcare, the risk of infections and diseases across the globe and whether the world has learned any lessons from the coronavirus pandemic.

Al Jazeera: Let’s start with the general health situation of the world. What risk level are we talking about with infections and diseases?

Ogwell: For the general health of the world, I’d put the temperature at moderate risk right now. We are in the middle of a public health emergency of international concern that is the mpox multi-country outbreak. It means that we need to be in heightened surveillance and ensuring we have the health tools that we need and that we also need to be improving the way we work together as a global community.

Secondly, there are increasing numbers of disease outbreaks – not just disease threats – including mpox, dengue fever, cholera, polio etc. And we still have effects of COVID on health systems. The world is still not comfortable when it comes to health issues.

Finally, the current geopolitical situation. We need to be coming together as a globe to address these issues because they are very international and cross-border in nature. But the situation is still hindering the delivery of a more united front to address global health. The world is at a moderate risk and can go either way, depending on what we do as a global community.

A heightened level of preparedness is required. There is a lot more we can do to make the situation more comfortable.

Al Jazeera: You spoke about preparedness. Is the world prepared for another pandemic? Did we learn any lessons from COVID?

Ogwell: Well, the lessons we should have learned from COVID, we did not. You see how we wore our masks, washed our hands, sanitised and kept our distance during the pandemic. Today, the situation has been completely forgotten. You don’t see anyone really wearing masks even when they are sneezing their heads off. That’s why we are struggling with controlling things we should have been able to.

At the healthcare level, the systems we put in place should have clicked in globally to address the potential outbreak of diseases. These systems were folded up when COVID passed. For example, the temperature scanning machines at airports. It means the very basic screening mechanism of someone who is feverish is not there.

At the policy level, during COVID we had vaccines being processed within six to seven months. But today, mpox has come and you don’t see the same urgency in trying to bring it under control. We have dengue fever and we don’t hear the same urgency. Policymakers are also seemingly not compelled to accommodate the lessons we should have learned from COVID.

Al Jazeera: You mentioned mpox. What is the situation with its spread and how worried should we be?

Ogwell: The risk is still high for spread because of the ease of communication that we have around the world today. The mode of transmission of mpox is close contact. Someone can carry it to another part of the world easily and can transfer it, setting off a chain that results in something bigger than it is right now.

In this world, an outbreak anywhere is a risk of an outbreak everywhere.

We need to put into good use the lessons of COVID, Ebola, cholera. All these outbreaks required solidarity across borders. Those who have the tools, resources and knowledge needed to address the outbreak, they need to provide support.

Al Jazeera: This solidarity, the geopolitical nature of the world today, where wars and conflict are aplenty, does not really work, right? How does this affect the state of global health?

Ogwell: Well, the reality on the ground is very different to a perfect world where the above would have worked well. The presence of humanitarian crises, where you find people living in very unsavoury conditions – being forced to consume very unhealthy water or food, forced to breathe very unhealthy air – the risks are twofold.

The first is the risk of contracting disease for the affected community whether it is IDPs or refugees in a conflict area or warzone. A situation like that becomes a breeding ground for new superbugs to develop. It may be that people there start getting used to difficult situations. When you start developing certain coping mechanisms, the bugs in you will also start adjusting to that new situation. If they get out in communities that are not under similar stressful circumstances, it becomes a new variant or a new type of resistance that developed with those bugs. The rest of the world immediately becomes at risk, whether it is a resistant variant or deadlier variant. And these environments, these conflict areas, can wreak havoc on the rest of the health system across the world.

Al Jazeera: Is climate change also playing its part forming these environments that you talked about?

Ogwell: Health is the face of climate change because it comes in a painful way. Communities that may not have experienced a certain disease are now areas being colonised by diseases that were only found in certain places because of these weather changes.

It is also the [duration] of conditions that gives rise to diseases. When there’s flooding and a lot of water stays for only a few hours, chances are slim that you’ll get water-borne disease. But if it stays for longer, the community may be affected.

As climate change continues to ravage the world, we find communities suffering for a long period. Natural disasters give rise to a situation where a disease can be able to grow.

Also, areas, for example, forests or glaciers, now become exposed to human beings. When we go into caves, forests and ocean depths that we have never been to, there may be bugs and pathogens that the human beings have never been in touch with. Because of the interaction due to climate change, those bugs, pathogens, animals, insects then get into the human population and we start seeing diseases never experienced before.

Al Jazeera: Let’s talk about healthcare. Some 4.5 billion people are currently without adequate access to essential healthcare services. Why is healthcare such a luxury?

Ogwell: It’s because of government investment in the health sector. Most governments have very low levels of investment there and this means that the vulnerable population is unable to access quality healthcare.

The second reason is the commercialisation of healthcare. It has been so heavily commercialised that you find in some jurisdictions the governments actually getting out of health services. You then have a population that is not heavily wealthy and it means the vulnerable are not going to have access to good healthcare, if any at all.

That commercialisation needs to be within certain parameters and boundaries so it doesn’t end up being a burden on the vulnerable.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

[iliveinprocrasti-nationn]

“if we take covid precautions then the kids will go into a learning deficit so we have to pretend everything’s normal” ignoring the debate on whether learning deficits even exist, i haven’t had one proper class with this professor because either his kids have covid or he comes back from a conference with an ‘unknown illness’ that’s so bad he can’t even be on zoom. i don’t think scheduled zoom learning or masks and hepa filters in class are gonna destroy the ability to learn

[news-buzz]

US will get D+ grade for rising preterm delivery charges, new report finds

CNN  —  The speed of untimely delivery in america is climbing, based on the toddler and maternal well being nonprofit March of Dimes. On Tuesday, the group launched its annual “report card” on maternal and toddler well being, which entails a newly up to date calculation system. Taking an in-depth take a look at untimely births, the brand new report discovered that the US preterm delivery fee…

[sophsweet]

Quotes from Coronavirus Vaccine Designers and Researchers since SARS-COV1

Coronavirus Vaccine History Back in 2004, SARS vaccine trial spotlights continued peril by Helen Pearson was published in the science press. But public-health experts remain concerned that a second wave of infections could erupt, either from human contact with infected animals or by the virus escaping from laboratory samples.Pearson, Helen SARS vaccine trial spotlights continued peril. Nature…

[ricisidro]

Rest in Peace 🕊️ Dr. Li.

#OnThisDay 4 yrs ago on 7 February 2020, Dr. Li Wenliang,

who first blew the whistle on the #coronavirus outbreak in December 2019, died of the infection as he warned the public about the new disease.

#WHO later named this new illness as #COVID19 on 11 February 2020. On 11 March 2020, WHO declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global epidemic.

-https://asiatimes.com/2020/02/the-death-of-a-chinese-whistleblower/

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Wenliang

[recursive360]

🤷‍♂| HAPPY MONDAY?! 😷

[irreplaceable-spark]

Harming Children for the Appearance of Safety | Dr. Steve Templeton | EP 365

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson and Dr. Steve Templeton discuss his recent publication, “Fear of a Microbial Planet: How a Germophobic Safety Culture Makes Us Less Safe.” They break down the “discussed response” of the behavioral immune system, the pathogenic treatment of people during the COVID pandemic, the shift toward perceptual safety over common good, the programmatically induced fear that censors open discussion around these topics even now, and the impenetrability of those afraid, even when met with fundamental truths. Dr. Steve Templeton is the Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine Terre Haute, formerly CDC/NIOSH. Dr. Templeton is the author of the new publication, “Fear of a Microbial Planet: How a Germophobic Safety Culture Makes Us Less Safe.” The book examines pandemic responses, cultural and administrative, weighing historic examples against the COVID-19 pandemic.

[newbussinessideas]

CVS beats on earnings and revenue but lowers profit outlook

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[manuelntl]

Patrizia Gentilini è un medico oncologo ed ematologo di Forlì, molto noto e apprezzato anche come divulgatore scientifico in televisione e sui giornali. Cura una rubrica fissa di Salute e Medicina sul Fatto Quotidiano ed è particolarmente esperta delle problematiche ambientali legate allo sviluppo dei tumori. In un articolo pubblicato nella sua rubrica del Fatto nei giorni scorsi, Gentilini ha evidenziato la preoccupazione per il drammatico aumento di tumori in Italia negli ultimi due anni parlando di vera e propria “epidemia di cancro“, riportando i dati ufficiali dell’Istituto Superiore di Sanità. . . . #pensiero #riflessioni #vaccin #vaccino #vaccinazioni💉 #tumori #salute . . #wealth #wealthy #wealthylife #cancer #cancersurvivor #coronavirus #covid #vaccination #epidemic #doctors #protection #think #life #mind #different #thinking #news #newsflash #virus #freedom https://www.instagram.com/p/CnQQWNKq7J7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[asikomecom]

Omicron boosters are 84% effective at keeping seniors from being hospitalized with Covid, CDC says - CNBC

Omicron boosters are 84% effective at keeping seniors from being hospitalized with Covid, CDC says – CNBC

The latest omicron boosters are 84% effective at keeping seniors 65 and older from being hospitalized with Covid-19 compared with the unvaccinated, according to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. And seniors who received the omicron booster had 73% more protection against hospitalization than those who only received two or more doses of the… Read more

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[reportwire]

China scraps virus tracking app as country braces for Covid impact | CNN

China scraps virus tracking app as country braces for Covid impact | CNN

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