1. A #Flu thread:
Because Friday was a holiday, @CDCgov published FluView today.
US #flu activity remains super low, thankfully.
So far this season a single child has died from flu. It's early & peds deaths generally come later in the season, but there are often more by now. Image
2. So far in the 2020-21 #flu season, the US has recorded 877 positive flu tests, out of more than 360,000 conducted. That is amazingly low. Image
3. This FluView graph gives you a sense of this #flu season versus multiple recent flu seasons. Pretty much nothing compares. The closest season was 2015-16, the orange line in the graph, which was crazy late and very mild. You'll want to refer to this when you read tweet 4. Image
4. Only 0.2% of #flu tests that have been run so far in 2020-21 were positive. It's hard to compare YTD with flu seasons, because flu activity doesn't take off at the same time every year. (See peaks in the graph in Tweet 3.) Still, 0.2% is very low. (my graph, @CDCgov data) Image
5. This doesn't mean we won't see a #flu season in the US in 2020-21. I hope we don't coz that's the last thing hospitals need. But I would like to read a good paper on whether Covid control measures are tamping down flu or whether some kind of viral interference is at work.
6. If you want to check out the latest FluView, it's found here: cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ind…

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More from @HelenBranswell

29 Sep
1. As we look to the coming winter in the Northern Hemisphere, 2 big Qs loom. What's going to happen with Covid? & Will #flu return in a significant way this winter?
@WHO's biweekly flu update suggests transmission remains at low levels globally.
All data below are from @WHO. Image
2. There are smatterings of #flu here and there around the globe. Some flu B in the Caribbean & Central America. Some flu A in parts of Africa and Asia. Image
3. How much #flu is out there? Of nearly 276K flu tests run in 88 countries from 8/30-9/12, 1,884 were positive for flu — 0.68%.
During the same 2-week period in 2019 (ie before Covid) 7.4% of tests globally were positive for influenza. In 2020, it was 0.04%, ie almost none. Image
Read 8 tweets
26 Sep
1. Belatedly looked at this week's FluView from @CDCgov. There's something to watch here.
A child or teen in Ohio contracted a swine flu virus — an H1N2. Public health investigations can find no link between the person & pigs, ie didn't live on a farm, didn't attend a state fair.
2. Public health has concluded it is possible this person was infected by another person. According to @CDCgov, they can see no evidence of ongoing person-to-person spread. But this bears watching. The 2009 flu pandemic was caused by a swine #flu virus.
3. There are a number of cases every year of people contracting a swine #flu virus in the US. Ten reported so far this year. Typically they occur in people who live or work on a farm with pigs, live with someone who works with pigs or has had contact with pigs at a fair.
Read 4 tweets
23 Sep
1. Good day. #ACIP is meeting today to vote on recommendations about who should receive a booster shot of the Pfizer #Covid vaccine. The meeting starts at noon ET. I will be live tweeting.
@US_FDA's EUA for the Pfizer booster is veeeeeery broad. statnews.com/2021/09/22/fda…
2. The meeting is underway. Doran Fink of @US_FDA is now explaining FDA's EUA for the Pfizer booster, which was issued last night.
My observation: The group of people eligible for a booster under this EAU is very broad. 16-17 yos are excluded but many over 18 will be eligible.
3. @CDCDirector is addressing #ACIP. She acknowledges that the committee has to make decisions, sometimes with a huge amount of data, sometimes with "a paucity."
She mentions pregnant people.
My observation: Oddly, there was no mention of them in the FDA EUA.
Read 50 tweets
22 Sep
1. Good morning. #ACIP is meeting today and tomorrow. Today, at least, I will be live tweeting.
@US_FDA has not yet indicated what it is going to do with Pfizer's application for a booster license. So it's really completely up in the air at this point how this turns out.
2. You'll recall FDA's advisory committee, #VRBPAC, voted that there wasn't enough data to approve the Pfizer application to give a booster to everyone 16 & older. VRBPAC did agree there was enough data to authorize boosters for people 65 & older & people at high risk.
3. But as I mentioned, FDA hasn't indicated what it's going to do. It is not bound to follow #VRBPAC's advice, but it will cause a real stir if it does not. If it doesn't follow VRBPAC's advice, it may set up a situation where a second advisory committee #ACIP disagrees with FDA.
Read 46 tweets
13 Sep
1. Some unsettling #rabies exposure stories in a post from the invaluable @ProMED_mail tonight.
Some people in RI were feeding a raccoon that later testing showed was infected with rabies.
People: Do not feed raccoons. They do not need your help. local21news.com/newsletter-dai…
2. A grey cat that was hanging around a campground in Frederick County, Md, tested positive for #rabies. There were reports the cat was biting & scratching people between Aug 24 & Sept 3. People exposed or people whose pets were exposed to the cat should contact their MD or vet.
3. A link to the cat story here.
Important to know: #Rabies is fatal without quick post-exposure treatment. wfmd.com/2021/09/08/cat…
Read 4 tweets
10 Sep
1. Being as it's Friday, there will be a #flu update from @CDCgov later this morning. I'll add to this when it comes out.
Just looking at the weekly Covid & #influenza report from @PHE_uk. In a normal flu season, one might see a little flu activity in early Sept. Nope. Image
2. @CDCgov's FluView is up. Actual confirmed cases of #flu remain very low. There is, however, a fair amount of influenza-like illness, or ILI, activity. The report suggests it may have plateaued among 0-4 & 5-24 yr olds. Will be interesting to watch this, now that school is in. Image
3. @CDCgov reports another 2 cases of infection with swine #flu viruses have been detected, both in Iowa. Neither was sick enough to need hospital care; both recovered. Both had traceable links to pigs. Image
Read 7 tweets

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