Information about various infectious diseases is constantly evolving. I am hoping to summarize some of that in these newsletters. New information will be in BOLD!
GENERAL:
COVID-19
General Information
COVID cases are risking again, due to a new strain "NB.1.8.1." Hospitalizations are going up also, as we have seen in parts of Asia in particular. And it seems that this particular variant is quite contagious also, though luckily no more dangerous than previous strains. Nonetheless, the total number of COVID-19 cases is still quite low in the U.S.
This new variant has also gathered the moniker "razor blade throat," which does not sound good!
HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has announced that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children or pregnant women. It is unclear what data prompted this decision. It is also unclear if kids and pregnant women can still get vaccinated for COVID regardless and have their insurance pay.
The above notwithstanding, the CDC now states that the COVID-19 vaccine is "still recommended for healthy children if their doctors approve."
Also, the FDA is now limiting approval for any COVID vaccine to people older than 65 OR for younger folks with underlying health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, and obesity).
Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, which is not based on mRNA technology, has received full FDA approval. Previously, Novavax's vaccine had only had emergency use authorization. At this time, the vaccine is approved for people older than 65 OR for people aged 12 to 64 with underlying health conditions.
The FDA has told Pfizer and Moderna to "expand the warning labels on their COVID-19 vaccines about the risk of a possible heart injury side effect linked to the mRNA shots, primarily in teen boys and young men..." The rate of heart inflammation in young men (aged 16 yo 25) after receiving the vaccine is 38 cases per million.
The FDA has approved a new, "next generation" COVID-19 vaccine called "mNexspike" to be used in adults 65 and older (as well as younger patients with underlying health conditions). It is made with a novel technology that allows only 20% of the current dose to be given. I am not aware how this new vaccine compares to the old one by way of side effects and efficacy. But both the old and the new vaccine will be available this fall.
A recent study in Open Forum Infectious Diseases found that the symptoms of mental health and well-being in patients with COVID-19 took much much longer to recover than the physical symptoms associated with the disease.
Severe cases of COVID-19 (that required hospitalization) were much more likely to suffer long-term damage to the heart (JAMA Network Open).
Other Infectious Diseases:
Norovirus:
Norovirus is an extremely contagious virus that causes severe diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
Alcohol hand sanitizer does NOT kill the norovirus....but good old-fashioned soap and water does!
Since January 1, 2025, 16 cruise ship outbreaks of gastrointestinal illnesses have been reported and at least 12 of these were due to norovirus. In all of 2024, there were 18 outbreaks (15 with norovirus).
AVIAN FLU:
AKA "Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza" or HPAI (or " H5N1").
Bird flu has become the most recent concerning virus that could lead to an epidemic. The disease can lead to a pneumonia, neurological problems, and conjunctivitis. It has largely been found in animals such as cows, wild birds, and marine mammals, but has spread to many mammals at this point.
The Administration has cancelled a $6 million contract with the drugmaker Moderna to develop a vaccine against the bird flu. This upsets me, as I have some real concerns that bird flu may, in the future, lead to another pandemic. Let's hope that I am wrong!
FLU:
This last season had more people hospitalized than in the last 14 years.
Of those children who died of influenza last season, 90% were not vaccinated against influenza.
MEASLES:
Measles is a highly contagious disease. Every person sick with measles can transmit the virus to 12-16 unvaccinated people. Just standing next to someone with measles (as in an international airport) can be enough to get you sick.
Measles was thought to have been eradicated in the U.S. in 2000. Unfortunately, vaccination rates have since fallen, leaving communities very vulnerable to the highly infectious disease. Last year, there were 285 cases of measles reported in the U.S.
Before the measles vaccine became available in 1963, 3 to 4 million people in the U.S. were infected with measles each year, 48,000 ended up in the hospital, 400-500 died.
Complications associated with measles include pneumonia, brain infections, vulnerability to future infections of multiple kinds, hearing loss, and pregnancy complications.
The death rates associated with measles is usually 2 per 1000.
Currently, the measles outbreak is growing in Texas and New Mexico, where vaccination rates were lower than recommended. At this time, there are about 1200 people who are known to be infected nationwide. 13% of people with known measles have been hospitalized. Children less than 5 with measles have a hospitalization rate of 23%. Three people (including 2 otherwise healthy children) have died. 95% of the cases were in people who were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. 3% were fully vaccinated: this is consistent with prior studies that found that getting two doses of the measles vaccine is protective 97% of the time. In addition, it is likely that an additional hundreds (thousands?) of people are infected but were not officially diagnosed. Most cases are in children aged 5 to 17.
Unfortunately, we are seeing a surge in measles in Mexico and Canada as well. Overall, there have been over 2,500 known cases in North America. Mennonite communities have seem especially large outbreaks.
Luckily, there are signs that the measles spread is finally slowling down, so cross your fingers!
You may recall how public health officials have been using wastewater analysis (think "sewage") to test for SARS-Cov-2 virus during the COVID-19 pandemic. This type of testing provided early indication of a rise in people sick with the virus. Well, now WastewaterSCAN has developed a monitoring system for the measles virus also. This could even identify cases before the patient has any symptoms! Ohh, the beauty of it all!
There is NO scientific evidence that measles vaccines lead to autism, cancer, or heart disease.
OTHER MEDICAL NEWS:
A recent study in JAMA Cardiology found that people who smoked marijuana or consumed edible marijuana products were just as likely to get heart diseases as people who smoked tobacco.
A new blood test has just been approved by the FDA to help diagnose Alzheimer's Disease. It is recommended for adults over 55 who have signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease.
JAMA: cannabis use among senior citizens is on the rise! Moreover, we are finding that the number of people older than 65 who need to be seen in the emergency department or hospitalized due to the drug is rising also. And (and this is scary), JAMA Neurology reported that those seniors with ED visits or hospitalizations due to cannabis have a 1.5-fold increased risk of dementia in the next 5 years, and a 3.9-fold risk of dementia overall.
Interesting: we all know how whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are so good for you. Your doctor (me!) reminds you about this all the time!. Well, a recent article (Sleep Health) found that eating these things will not just help fight cancer and heart disease, but let you sleep better at night! And the effect can be seen within 24 hours!
About Dr. Sujansky's Life in These Times
My youngest son graduated from college in May! So proud...
The day after graduation, he and I headed out to Ireland for a mother-son trip. It was so much fun! High points included visits to stunning ancient castles and ruins. And one day, when the weather was cold and rainy, we ended up doing warm seaweed baths in reclaimed whiskey barrels. I know it sound weird, but it was amazing!
I must admit that I was just a little petrified about driving on the left side of the road. But that worked out fine also. The rental car actually had a sign on the windshield reminding us to "drive on the left side!" Thanks for that! And my son "helped" by giving me driving instructions all the way along. I think I can do without that advice for the next 50 years, however.
I think we have the first day of summer today! I wish you a slower pace of life for a few months and lots of sunshine and relaxation!
