This week, Dr. Klotman’s Week 225 video update addresses not only viral illnesses, but heat-related illness as well. The highlights include:
- Worldwide, the greatest numbers of heat-related deaths occur on the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and a few other countries in the old world.
- In the USA, the greatest incidence of heat-related deaths occurs in Las Vegas and in Southern California. Texas has some as well but far fewer.
- Wastewater monitoring by TEPHI shows some rise in SARS-CoV-2 levels, but the number of hospitalized cases continues to be low despite that rise.
- Other viral illnesses, including H5N1 (bird flu) continues to be seen in dairy herds. There have been only three identified cases in the USA – all among dairy workers. The CDC is monitoring H5N1 closely in order to manage pandemic risk.
- Worldwide, COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admission have continued to decline.
- In the USA, there has been a small uptick in COVID-related ER visits.
- The main variants showing up in the USA are KP.2 and KP.3
- The CDC is recommending COVID vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with emphasis on people 65+ years old who comprise >80% of COVID deaths.
- Updated COVID vaccine should be available this Fall.
On the COVID prevention front, the CDC’s 6-foot distancing recommendation probably does nothing to help prevent COVID infections because COVID is transmitted by aerosols rather than by droplets. So, N95 masks are the correct precaution. I’ve started wearing mine more rigorously not just to avoid infection but to hide my scarily bruised face. I don’t want to frighten young children.
In other COVID news, I saw an item in my daily TMA newsletter that reported that 10% of pregnant people with COVID go on to develop long COVID. This doesn’t affect most of my friends, women who are well beyond childbearing age, but it is relevant to their younger female relatives such as granddaughters.
So, granny, remember that you are part of the health literacy promotion system. Talk to your children and grandchildren.