Great summary. And, visiting my mother-in-law, the cookie dough warning was pertinent and timely (and it's now gone).
I'm personally interested in a national summary, but if regions were summarized, I think the info would be useful. Of course, I'd get all the regions, as my scope for the organization I work with is national but regionalization (something I need to do for the org) would be helpful...
The poll errored when I tried to make an entry, FYI.
Oh, yeah, and... A former colleague has been researching tick-borne diseases in Texas, and there are more Lyme cases (except the vector is the Lone Star mite) than reported because, according to him, if the vector isn't a deer tick, CDC doesn't consider it Lyme, despite isolating the same organism.
My first comment here! I am so grateful you allow comments from free subscribers- some newsletters don't and that is saddening. You are now my go-to epidemiology source. Thank you again. 🙂
I'm surprised to see so few Lyme cases in Massachusetts. I went to the source link and it looks like this is legitimately the case and not just an absence of reporting? Do you (does anyone here) know more about this, why Mass.'s cases would be so low when all around the state they're very high? Am I reading this wrong?
While regional information is more immediately relevant, I like reading about national trends. I also have loved ones in other regions and seeing national information might inform vacation or other travel plans (or at least precautionary measures).
Oh good point, I should clarify in the post. I'm thinking I would keep the free national newsletter and offer regional versions as extras. Likely pawaylled because I would need an assistant.
As a communicable disease public health nurse, I just want to say thank you for these very timely updates. I worked a tickborne illness prevention table yesterday at an event, and the waterborne illnesses are pretty crazy. Now that I’m immunocompromised, I doubt I’ll be swimming in freshwater anytime soon. We have ticks in our area testing positive for Powassan, and the first death of the year just happened in Maine. I think that’s probably the scariest one(even though it is currently rare), considering it can transmit within 15 minutes and has only supportive care, no actual treatment. While it’s scary, I still think it’s important we talk about it. The widow of the man who died said they had never heard of it. He had just started an immunosuppressant med for an autoimmune illness, just like me:/
SAVE WATER!!! Instead of flushing a tick down the toilet, you can easily immobilize it between 2 layers of clear tape. Press all around the body to make sure you can see that the tick is sealed inside. Then dispose of it in the trash.
The following may sound flakey, but here goes anyway! As a committed Buddhist I try to avoid taking life, so I escort spiders and flies out of the house rather than swat or spray them (as example). But at the same time I don't want to pass the problem to someone else or put someone else at risk. So in the case of ticks I might try to take advantage of their tropism to climb and put them six feet up in trees! Then they can't bite anyone and get to live out their lives. There's probably a flaw here in my logic though. 🤔
Any chance we could get respiratory pathogen panel tests offered more widely and cheaper? Or am I the only one who sees their benefit. My son has pneumonia and a double ear infection right now and I’m freaked that he caught something at school and then like also bird flu (we’re big birders lol). Joking aside I know he has probably caught back-to-back viruses from his first grade or his sister in kinder but swabbing kids and swabbing them early— can’t that prevent complications sometimes? How are we expected to have the healthcare system be vigilant about viruses if most of them run rampant and unnoticed (BY EVERYONE EXCEPT THE POOR EXHAUSTED PARENTS) outside of hospitals? The amount of meta data would be AMAZING for researchers. Why do we have to wait to be hospitalized before we can get a BioFire or Quest/Labcorp panel? Maybe I’m the only one but I like to keep track of what my kids come across. Heck, now that they found the EBV-MS link (among others) more are sure to follow. Full disclosure my young son ended up with very severe Focal Atrial Tachycardia potentially after a virus and needed an ablation in his heart at 5 years so I’m a bit sensitive about all things viral and infectious. Ok very sensitive.
Your comments about Covid COVID-19: "hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline. ... I'm keeping monitoring wastewater data for signs of increase. So far, so good."
From what I have read (even from the CDC) the quality of the data on hospitalizations and deaths is not as good and deaths are being reported differently (by another compiling mechanism). I have even heard that wastewater collection and analysis has begun to decline. I am concerned that we are being (possible greatly) about the prevalence and risks of Covid). Any response to my concerns?
I’ve not heard that wastewater surveillance is declining… yet… but hospitalizations and death data are, in my mind, no longer reliable. As throughout the entire pandemic our testing has always been dramatically underpowered.
I've heard of outbreaks from public health colleagues so it may be hitting some areas, but national-level disease surveillance data isn't showing much activity. Test positivity peaked in March.
Very much appreciate your valuable information
Great summary. And, visiting my mother-in-law, the cookie dough warning was pertinent and timely (and it's now gone).
I'm personally interested in a national summary, but if regions were summarized, I think the info would be useful. Of course, I'd get all the regions, as my scope for the organization I work with is national but regionalization (something I need to do for the org) would be helpful...
The poll errored when I tried to make an entry, FYI.
Oh, yeah, and... A former colleague has been researching tick-borne diseases in Texas, and there are more Lyme cases (except the vector is the Lone Star mite) than reported because, according to him, if the vector isn't a deer tick, CDC doesn't consider it Lyme, despite isolating the same organism.
My first comment here! I am so grateful you allow comments from free subscribers- some newsletters don't and that is saddening. You are now my go-to epidemiology source. Thank you again. 🙂
I appreciate that policy so much that I will now subscribe at the highest level you offer! 🙂
Thank you for your support!
Love the idea of regional influenza updates - but only if we are able to view all regions.
Thank you for your columns - very much appreciated!
I'm surprised to see so few Lyme cases in Massachusetts. I went to the source link and it looks like this is legitimately the case and not just an absence of reporting? Do you (does anyone here) know more about this, why Mass.'s cases would be so low when all around the state they're very high? Am I reading this wrong?
I'm not sure why it's not reflected in the CDC data, but Massachusetts does have plenty of tick borne disease, including Lyme. Their surveillance reports are here: https://www.mass.gov/lists/monthly-tick-borne-disease-reports
While regional information is more immediately relevant, I like reading about national trends. I also have loved ones in other regions and seeing national information might inform vacation or other travel plans (or at least precautionary measures).
Oh good point, I should clarify in the post. I'm thinking I would keep the free national newsletter and offer regional versions as extras. Likely pawaylled because I would need an assistant.
As a communicable disease public health nurse, I just want to say thank you for these very timely updates. I worked a tickborne illness prevention table yesterday at an event, and the waterborne illnesses are pretty crazy. Now that I’m immunocompromised, I doubt I’ll be swimming in freshwater anytime soon. We have ticks in our area testing positive for Powassan, and the first death of the year just happened in Maine. I think that’s probably the scariest one(even though it is currently rare), considering it can transmit within 15 minutes and has only supportive care, no actual treatment. While it’s scary, I still think it’s important we talk about it. The widow of the man who died said they had never heard of it. He had just started an immunosuppressant med for an autoimmune illness, just like me:/
SAVE WATER!!! Instead of flushing a tick down the toilet, you can easily immobilize it between 2 layers of clear tape. Press all around the body to make sure you can see that the tick is sealed inside. Then dispose of it in the trash.
The following may sound flakey, but here goes anyway! As a committed Buddhist I try to avoid taking life, so I escort spiders and flies out of the house rather than swat or spray them (as example). But at the same time I don't want to pass the problem to someone else or put someone else at risk. So in the case of ticks I might try to take advantage of their tropism to climb and put them six feet up in trees! Then they can't bite anyone and get to live out their lives. There's probably a flaw here in my logic though. 🤔
What does the poll refer to as “regional”?
One option is “regions are too big,” so I assume you mean regional to be all of North America?
I'm thinking of the four census regions: northeast, south, midwest and west. https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf
Great! I hope it’s a trend. And I hope the results and their implications for personal and public safety will be improved and widely disseminated.
Any chance we could get respiratory pathogen panel tests offered more widely and cheaper? Or am I the only one who sees their benefit. My son has pneumonia and a double ear infection right now and I’m freaked that he caught something at school and then like also bird flu (we’re big birders lol). Joking aside I know he has probably caught back-to-back viruses from his first grade or his sister in kinder but swabbing kids and swabbing them early— can’t that prevent complications sometimes? How are we expected to have the healthcare system be vigilant about viruses if most of them run rampant and unnoticed (BY EVERYONE EXCEPT THE POOR EXHAUSTED PARENTS) outside of hospitals? The amount of meta data would be AMAZING for researchers. Why do we have to wait to be hospitalized before we can get a BioFire or Quest/Labcorp panel? Maybe I’m the only one but I like to keep track of what my kids come across. Heck, now that they found the EBV-MS link (among others) more are sure to follow. Full disclosure my young son ended up with very severe Focal Atrial Tachycardia potentially after a virus and needed an ablation in his heart at 5 years so I’m a bit sensitive about all things viral and infectious. Ok very sensitive.
Your comments about Covid COVID-19: "hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline. ... I'm keeping monitoring wastewater data for signs of increase. So far, so good."
From what I have read (even from the CDC) the quality of the data on hospitalizations and deaths is not as good and deaths are being reported differently (by another compiling mechanism). I have even heard that wastewater collection and analysis has begun to decline. I am concerned that we are being (possible greatly) about the prevalence and risks of Covid). Any response to my concerns?
I read yesterday that all 14 wastewater sites in NYC are increasing in COVID levels.
I’ve not heard that wastewater surveillance is declining… yet… but hospitalizations and death data are, in my mind, no longer reliable. As throughout the entire pandemic our testing has always been dramatically underpowered.
Any comments on HMPV infection with explosive coughing in 70 plus
I've heard of outbreaks from public health colleagues so it may be hitting some areas, but national-level disease surveillance data isn't showing much activity. Test positivity peaked in March.
Glad to hear it! Next month's will be coming out later this week.