Drugmaker Genentech announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its flu drug Xofluza for children ages 5 to 12.
The FDA greenlighted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) for the treatment of acute uncomplicated influenza in otherwise healthy children who have been symptomatic for no more than 48 hours, according to astatement released last week by the company. Xofluza is the first single-dose oral influenza medicine thats been approved for children in this age group.
Additionally, the FDA approved Xofluza to help prevent influenza in children in this age group following contact with someone with the flu.
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, influenza continues to be a threat to public health, and effective influenza antivirals remain critical to alleviating the burden on healthcare systems, said Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, chief medical officer and head of global product development at Genentech, in the release. Xofluza has proven to be an important tool in fighting and preventing influenza in adults as well as adolescents, and we are pleased to now offer households and younger children our single-dose oral treatment.
Xofluza is an important tool because it is a single dose and has been effective at decreasing the symptoms of influenza, says Amesh A. Adalja MD,senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore. Having multiple antiviral options is always a good thing for any infection, he adds.
The FDA approval is based on results from two Phase 3 studies, miniSTONE-2 and BLOCKSTONE. MiniSTONE-2 evaluated Xofluza compared with oseltamivir in otherwise healthy children and included patients age 5 toless than 12 years with an influenza infection and displaying influenza symptoms for no more than 48 hours.
BLOCKSTONE evaluated Xofluza compared with placebo as a preventive treatment for household members (adults and children) who were living with someone with influenza.
Adverse events reported in at least 5 percent of the participants (5 to 11 years old) were vomiting (5 percent) and diarrhea (5 percent).
In October 2018, the flu drug was approved for use in people over the age of 12, making it the first anti-flu medication to gain approval in nearly 20 years.
In the clinical trials in adults that were the basis for the drugs fast-tracked approval, Xofluza reduced flu symptoms by a little more than a day in healthy patients over the age of 12. In clinical trials, Xofluza shortened the duration of the flu by about 24 hours if its given within the first 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
That is similar to the efficacy of Tamiflu, another drug used to treat the flu, according to theCleveland Clinic. However, Xofluza is administered in a single dose as opposed to the 5 days of therapy that Tamiflu requires.
In November 2020, the FDA expanded its approval, adding an indication for Xofluza to treat post-exposure prevention of the flu for people 12 and older after contact with someone with the flu.
Xofluza works via a different mechanism of action than other available anti-flu drugs, according to the drugs fact sheet. Once the flu virus gets into your system, it reproduces over and over and then spreads throughout your body. Xofluza inhibits polymerase acidic endonuclease, the enzyme that allows the virus to reproduce, which is earlier in the disease process than other flu medications.
During the 20212022 flu season,flu activity in the United States was lower than pre-pandemic levels despite increased reporting and testing, a trend that experts suspect may have been the result of COVID-19 precautions, according to a report released on July 22, 2022from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Using data available from early October 2021 through mid-June 2022, the agency estimated that influenza virus infection resulted in 8 to 13 million symptomatic illnesses, 3.7 to 6.1 million medical visits, 82,000 to 170,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 to 14,000 deaths.
Thats significantly less severe than many earlier flu seasons. In 20182019, there were 29 million cases of the flu, 13 million flu-related doctor visits, 380,000 flu-related hospitalizations, and 28,000 flu deaths, including more than 100 deaths of children between the ages of 5 and 17 years, according to theCDC.
Heath experts often look to the Southern Hemisphere as one indicator of what the flu season will be in Northern Hemisphere (which includes the United States). This year Australia reports the number of flu cases so far has exceeded the five-year average, according to an NBC News report.
The flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against the flu, which is why the CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get a flu shot (with rare exceptions) every year.
Colds and the flu are classic for ruining our fall and winter celebrationsThanksgiving gatherings, Hanukkah festivals, Christmas craft fairs, New Years eve celebrations.
COVID-19 isnt nearly as respectful.
Its an equal-opportunity menace, at best, and killer, at worst, that has yet to settle into a pattern of seasonalityand may never do so fully.
COVID infections in the U.S. and elsewhere have peaked in every season, including summer. So weve never had any real break from COVID-19, Dr. Mark Siedner, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, told Fortune.
The emergence of new, more infectious variants has prevented the virus from settling into a more traditional seasonal pattern, Dr. Morgan Katz, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, told Fortune.
The novel virus has led to quarantines and lockdowns over the past two and a half years, upending normal activities and even disrupting the seasonality of viruses like the flu and RSV, as individuals refrained from gathering and worked and attended school remotely, she pointed out.
Both Siedner and Katz agree that COVID will likely become a seasonal virus, worse in the fall and winter.
But it may take a few years to settle out, Katz said.
A trend of seasonality may already be in the works. The countrys worst peak occurred when Omicron hit in December 2020 into January 2021, Siedner pointed out, with spring and summer waves tending to be more minor. This summers BA.5 wave has been the exception, with near-record levels of COVID in at least some communities, according to wastewater levels.
A continuous cycle of new mutations that are increasingly more immune-evasive and contagious have made it so COVID has never really gone away, Siedner said.
Its so contagious that unless our immunity protects us better than it does at the current, its likely to continue this cycle, he added.
Were all hoping this wont be the forever future.
Sign up for theFortune Features email list so you dont miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.
The Southern Hemisphere has been experiencing an unusual surge in flu cases early this season and experts say the same could happen in the United States later this year.
The Australian flu season usually spans from May to September, but this year the number of flu cases from mid-April exceeded the 5-year average.
The Australian experiences is suggestive that this could be a really bad flu season in the Northern Hemisphere as well, Dr. Dean Blumberg, the chief of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of California Davis Childrens Hospital, told Healthline.
Blumberg says the influenza season in the United States has been unusual since the COVID-19 pandemic began and this could have consequences for this years season.
We saw historically low rates of influenza during that 2021 flu season and relatively low rates during 21/22 in the U.S., and yet, we had lingering influenza cases that occurred in May and June and we were still seeing patients admitted to the hospital in May and June, treating them for influenza, which is highly unusual, he said.
I worry about it because I think with all the social distancing and mask wearing people have not been getting infected, which is a great thing, but they also havent been building up immunity, Blumberg explained. So those people who dont get immunized, theres going to be a significantly larger proportion of them who dont have any recent experience with influenza infections. And that could lead to a higher rate of infection and also more severe cases.
In Australia so far this year, children younger than 5 and those aged between 5 and 19 had the highest rates of reported flu.
For the 2022/2023 flu season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that every person over 6 months of age should be vaccinated against flu.
This year, there are six options for the flu vaccine, including egg-free vaccines, a nasal spray vaccine, and higher potency vaccines for those aged 65 and over.
In June, the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to preferentially recommend three higher potency flu vaccines for people aged 65 and older.
In this age group, these specific vaccines may produce a more effective immune response than the standard dose.
Fortunately, everyone aged 65 and older, in essence in the United States, is a Medicare recipient. And for them, there is no out-of-pocket cost for influenza vaccine, including these vaccines, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, told Healthline.
Each year, we vaccinate two-thirds of the population aged 65 and older. Thats a great achievement. But interestingly enough, it means that a third of people in the United States 65 years of age and older, the very population that suffers disproportionately the most severe aspects of influenza, do not avail themselves of the vaccine. When its free. As I like to say, all they have to do is roll up their sleeves, Schaffner said.
In recent years, experts say manufacturers of vaccines have shipped their products to pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics relatively early in the flu season. But experts stress it is important not to get the flu vaccine too early, even if it is available.
Historically, weve been recommending as soon as the influenza vaccine is available. However, with recent data showing that the protection lasts between four and six months its been recommended by some to push back the vaccination date to late September or early October to provide the maximum protection during the peak months of infection, Blumberg said.
The CDC advises it is best to get vaccinated before influenza starts circulating in the community, with September and October being good times to be vaccinated.
It advises that ideally everyone should have received their influenza vaccination by the end of October.
However, in some cases, early vaccination can be considered. Some children require two doses of flu vaccine and these children can get vaccinated with their first shot as soon as vaccines are available, even if this is in July or August.
Those in the third trimester of pregnancy can also consider an early vaccination.
It will take two weeks following vaccination for antibodies to develop to protect against an influenza infection.
Experts say relying on last years vaccine is not a good idea, as protection from the vaccine decreases over time and the influenza virus changes every year, which is why an annual vaccine is necessary.
We have to adapt the vaccine. We have to update it in order to account for the strains that we think will be more prominent to come in the winter, Schaffner said.
With a twindemic of both COVID-19 and influenza expected this winter, experts say the influenza vaccination is an important tool to prevent respiratory illness.
I would hope people would take advantage of a simple preventative measure, to get the influenza vaccine to try to prevent a respiratory illness, Schaffner said. And then also think about, if you do get influenza, youre going to have a fever, youre going to have a cough, youre not sure what you have at the time, youre probably going to be worried that you have COVID. So who needs that anxiety?
The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg is typically used for celebrations. Each year, farmers from across the commonwealth flock to the facility in January to show off their handiwork animals that they care for, prize-winning produce and other fruits from their labor in one of Pennsylvanias top industries agriculture. Over the years, its also become home to concerts, craft beer tastings and auctions.
But on a rainy day in April, Pennsylvanias top agriculture official, Russell Redding, had a message that was far from celebratory. In fact, the news he was about to deliver threatened to disrupt the very industry that the facility was meant to showcase.
Speaking from the complexs Cameron Street Lobby, Redding announced that the state was now on high alert after an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza was discovered on a Lancaster County poultry farm a finding that marked the first of many outbreaks in Pennsylvania.
Redding, at the time, stressed that the disease posed no direct threat to humans. To date, only one person in the U.S. has contracted the disease, and has since recovered. But the spread of the virus throughout poultry farms, Redding said, had and still does have the potential to disrupt the states economy and do real damage to the states poultry industry.
To date, there have been 17 outbreaks among commercial flocks in Pennsylvania, which have led to a loss of more than 4.2 million birds. The outbreaks have largely been confined to Lancaster and Berks counties, and while the spread of the virus in the commonwealth could have been much worse, it still had a major effect on farms in impacted counties.
The spread was quite severe. At least 4.2 million birds were affected, said Gino Lorenzoni, a professor of poultry science and avian health at Penn State Universitys College of Agricultural Sciences, who said the disease has infected ducks, commercial egg layers and broilers, which are chickens bred for meat.
Lorenzoni said the avian flu can present in different ways. One of the main signs indicating that a flock could be infected is if birds begin dying without a clear explanation. Other symptoms include purple discoloration of a birds wattle, a lack of coordination, nasal discharge, a lack of energy and diarrhea.
The virus spreads largely through fecal matter and oral secretions, according to Lorenzoni, who said that the virus is kept in nature by wild, migrating birds that are infected with the flu but may not be exhibiting any outward symptoms. They will be able to keep migrating or long distances and basically disseminating spreading the virus through fecal material and oral secretions, he said.
The first outbreak in Pennsylvania prompted agriculture officials to warn residents about the impacts that further spread could have on the states economy and food supply, given that infected flocks must be euthanized to prevent continued spread.
Redding, speaking to City & State in an interview, said the dangers of highly pathogenic avian influenza have already been felt in parts of the state that have experienced outbreaks.
You've got a $7.1 billion poultry industry in the state. It's 26,000-plus jobs such a significant piece of Pennsylvania agriculture, he said. We have seen as a result of the 17 farms that were directly impacted just how devastating it is obviously to the birds, but also economically.
Bird flu outbreaks have also resulted in financial and logistical challenges for farms where the virus has been detected, as well as those that fall within quarantine zones. Heather Lewis, whose family owns a poultry farm in Mount Joy, said during a press conference in July that her farm was unable to repopulate its flocks as a result of nearby outbreaks.
Lewis, whose farm raises 500,000 broilers, and also grows corn, beans and wheat, said her family was preparing for its next flock of chickens in early April when the flu was detected in her neighborhood.
We were getting ready for our next flock of chickens which was scheduled to come in just a few days. That was when the first case of avian influenza was found in Pennsylvania, more specifically in our neighborhood. Then another farm tested positive, and then another, and we know how it went from there.
However, Lewis farm, and others like hers, could now benefit from a new $25 million state grant program that offers financial relief for 91 impacted farms located within infected zones that have been established by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The program will fully reimburse losses up to $100,000, and will reimburse losses of over $100,000 on a percentage basis based on the number of applications and how much funding is available.
The grant program is the result of a $25 million investment in this years state budget for farm recovery efforts. The budget package also included $6 million to increase the testing capacity of the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System.
In addition to the state funding allocation for Pennsylvania farms, theres another silver lining in the states battle against the bird flu a decline in new outbreaks at commercial farms. The last reported outbreak in Pennsylvania came on June 2 a development that Redding attributed to the biosecurity measures that farms and agriculture officials have taken since the first case was detected.
Lorenzoni, who serves on a state task force dedicated to responding to bird flu outbreaks, said biosecurity measures are crucial to curbing the spread of the avian flu. Precautions that are essential to limiting the spread include only wearing dedicated shoes and clothing when working with birds, washing hands frequently, disinfecting vehicles and equipment, limiting visors from nonessential farm personnel and deterring rodents and wild birds using fences or netting, he said.
Redding said farms have been incredibly receptive to biosecurity protocols to date. We feel lucky or fortunate that we are where we are with the losses that we've incurred it could have been a lot worse, he said. However, just because there were few outbreaks reported over the summer months doesnt mean the threat is gone.
Redding said that fall migration could result in wild birds commingling with commercial flocks, leading to a new surge in avian flu cases in the months to come, a worry that Lorenzoni also shared.
It is very likely that the virus is going to remain circulating for some time, Lorenzoni said. So it's very likely that with more birds coming back from the fall migration, we can see those numbers of wild birds (testing) positive increase.
Share The Article
Last Updated 2 days ago
In a new development even the most optimistic didnt see coming, Thailand will outpace the vast majority of Asia, and even the Western Hemisphere, in treating Covid as an endemic disease. From October, the once ultra-strict country will downgrade the pathogen to the same category as the flu virus, effectively treating both the same.
After more than two years of enforcing strict regulations aimed at curbing the viral spread, Thailand has progressively eased its stance this year, dropping the highly controversial Thailand Pass, which was seen as a barrier for most foreign visitors, and rescinding all mask requirements. Now, it will be taking yet another huge step in reinstating normality.
Here is everything you need to know about Thailands reclassifying of Covid and what it means for tourists:
Unlike other popular tourist hotspots, like Germany and Cyprus, that have recently made a U-turn and tightened pandemic rules once more, Thailand is pursuing a different path irrespective of the rise of new Omicron sub-variants. You may be wondering why, seeing that it stood among some of the most conservative Asian states not that long ago.
In sum, the Ministry of Public Health, responsible for the anti-Covid response, has finally conceded the situation has begun to stabilize, and the virus, albeit still dangerous, no longer justifies a state of emergency. Interestingly, cases in Thailand have remained stable while other neighboring countries have seen new spikes.
According to data shared by Worldometers, the moving average of new reported cases is 2,190 for the 7-day period ending on, and preceding August 11 roughly the same as a month ago on July 11, when the rolling average was 2,134. There has been a slight increase, yes, but this has not strained the local health sector, nor led to a surge in deaths.
For that reason, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, a central figure in Thailand politics during the pandemic years, has confirmed Covid will join other viruses such as influenza, perpetrator of the flu, and dengue, responsible for dengue fever, on a list of communicable diseases that simply need monitoring.
This will happen as soon as October, and will reflect the reality of the pandemic in Thailand, according ot Charnvirakul himself. Previously, Thailand had resorted to numerous lockdowns and social curbs to keep the virus under control, going as far as barring entry of foreigners into numerous destinations in an attempt to keep new variants out.
Up until recently, tourists had also been subject to strict vaccine, testing, and isolation mandates, as well as Thailands infamously confusing quarantine entry schemes. While it has yet to mimic the likes of Mexico, or even its fellow Asian partner Vietnam, in fully scrapping entry requirements, visiting Thailand is now the easiest its been since 2020.
Essentially, foreigners must provide one of the following documents to be granted quarantine-free entry:
By effectively declaring the disease as endemic, as it previously indicated it would, Thailand is re-asserting itself as a friendly tourist destination, and completely shifting their Covid strategy. Not our words, the Health Ministers: he believes it is now up to the public to look after their own health, instead of being closely guarded by the national government.
In his statement, the Minister lists the readiness of Thailands healthcare system, as well as access to treatment, as reasons why Covid is no longer as disruptive as it once was. Prior to this update, the virus had shared the same status as the plague and smallpox, two other conditions that indeed threaten lives and the functioning of society.
As a matter of fact, monkeypox, an entity closely related to the latter, has been doing the rounds lately and prompted numerous destinations, and even the World Health Organization, to sound the alarm. As new, more pressing issues face travelers, including new health concerns, Covid seems to be finally taking a back seat.
In Thailand, this will be official beginning this fall.
Read More:
Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19 For 2022
Top 5 Off Path Places To Travel In Thailand For 2022
Non-Stop Flights From North America To Thailand Returns After 10 Years
Thailand Becomes The First Destination In Asia To Lift Ban On Cannabis
Thailand To Introduce 2 Levels Of Pricing: One For Tourists And One For Locals
This article originally appeared on Travel Off Path. For the latest breaking news that will affect your next trip, please visit: Traveloffpath.com
Join the community
TheTravel Off Path Community FB grouphas all the latest reopening news, conversations, and Q&As happening daily!
Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Paths latest breaking travel news, straight to your inbox
Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictionscan change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationalitys entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories
Matt Kaeberlein is what you might call a dog person. He has grown up with dogs and describes his German shepherd, Dobby, as really special. But Dobby is 14 years oldaround 98 in dog years. Im very much seeing the aging process in him, says Kaeberlein, who studies aging at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Kaeberlein is co-director of the Dog Aging Project, an ambitious research effort to track the aging process of tens of thousands of companion dogs across the US. He is one of a handful of scientists on a mission to improve, delay, and possibly reverse that process to help them live longer, healthier lives.
But dogs are just the beginning. Because theyre a great model for humans, anti-aging or lifespan-extending drugs that work for dogs could eventually benefit people, too. In the meantime, attempts to prolong the life of pet dogs can help people get onboard with the idea of life extension in humans. Read the full story.
Jessica Hamzelou
The quest to show that biological sex matters in the immune system
For years, microbiologist Sabra Klein has painstakingly made the case that sexdefined by biological attributes such as our sex chromosomes, sex hormones, and reproductive tissuescan influence immune responses.
Through research in animal models and humans, Klein and others have shown how and why male and female immune systems respond differently to the flu virus, HIV, and certain cancer therapies, and why most women receive greater protection from vaccines but are also more likely to get severe asthma and autoimmune disorders (something that had been known but not attributed specifically to immune differences.)
In the 1990s, scientists often attributed such differences to gender rather than sexto norms, roles, relationships, behaviors, and other sociocultural factors as opposed to biological differences in the immune system. Klein has helped spearhead a shift in immunology, a field that long thought sex differences didnt matterand shes set her sights on pushing the field of sex differences even futher. Read the full story.
By Michelle Toh, CNN Business
CNN Forget taking two to three Covid shots a year. Moderna hopes to roll out a single-dose annual booster to cover the coronavirus, the flu and another common respiratory virus within the next five years.
As Covid-19 continues to mutate, Moderna will need to keep updating the vaccines that turned it into a global household name while trying to make it more convenient for consumers, CEO Stphane Bancel said in an interview with CNN Business Wednesday.
He estimated a timeline of "three to five years" for the new combined product, and likened the development of the life-saving jab to that of a smartphone.
"You don't get the amazing camera, amazing everything the first time you get an iPhone, but you get a lot of things," he said.
"A lot of us buy a new iPhone every September, and you get new apps and you get refreshed apps. And that's exactly the same idea, which is you'll get Covid and flu and RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] in your single dose."
Having recorded breakneck growth during the pandemic, Moderna is now under pressure to identify its next big frontier.
Bancel believes the Covid-19 pandemic that helped the company rack up tens of billions of dollars in revenue and generate business in more than 70 markets globally could end as soon as this year.
That doesn't mean the virus is going anywhere, he noted.
"I think we are slowly moving if not already in some countries to a world where all the tools are available, and everybody can make their own decision based on their risk tolerance," he explained, adding that he believed more people would choose to "live with the virus," much like they do with the flu.
The approach, however, will continue to vary greatly, such as among people who are immunocompromised or in countries like Japan, where it was common to wear masks even before the pandemic, he acknowledged.
And "there's always a 20% probability that we get a very nasty variant that drives very severe disease that has a lot of mutation," he added.
Still, Moderna is determined not to become a one-hit wonder.
The company has more than 40 products in development, and is planning for life well beyond Covid-19, said Bancel.
In addition to an updated annual booster, it is continuing to develop a personalized cancer vaccine, for which new clinical data will drop later this year. Bancel said the product could go up for approval in roughly two years if all goes well.
The company is also exploring a potential monkeypox jab, which is "still in the lab today," Bancel said. The World Health Organization declared the global outbreak of the illness a public health emergency of international concern last month.
And Moderna is looking to catch up to competitors overseas.
Earlier this year, it announced a push into 10 Asian and European markets, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Denmark and the Netherlands. The investments will cost "dozens of millions of dollars" and include hundreds of new hires, said Bancel.
He sees that as just one wave of expansion that will eventually take Moderna from directly operating in 12 countries this year to "40 to 60 countries" over the next three years.
The company also recently signed manufacturing agreements in the United Kingdom, South Korea and Australia, and is hoping to set up one or two more plants in Southeast Asia or North Asia.
Bancel said the new facilities would be crucial to helping adapt its products to different strains of illnesses that develop around the world.
As the world first dealt with the onset of Covid-19, Moderna was one of the handful of large manufacturers that rushed to get their vaccines ready, reducing timelines from years to months. Its stock rallied 434% in 2020 and 143% last year.
But now, like peers Pfizer and BioNTech, the firm's stock has slumped, dropping more than 30% so far this year and 64% from its all-time high a year ago.
Last week, the company revealed that it took a writedown of nearly $500 million in the second quarter, partly because of a sudden cancellation of orders from Covax, the international vaccination program for lower-income countries.
The reversal led to huge losses for the company, which had bought new machines to fulfill those orders, and more importantly, resulted in Covid vaccines being thrown in the trash, said Bancel.
"We ended up destroying the vaccines," he said. "It was really heartbreaking."
The CEO said he wasn't worried about that kind of slide in demand being repeated in richer countries, in part because governments had already shown commitments to use vaccines later this year to avoid reintroducing economic lockdowns.
But "on the low-income country side, yes, I am worried," he said.
The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
When the leaveschange colors. When your cozy sweater comes back from its summer vacation in the back of your closet. When everything is flavored with pumpkin spice. It can only mean one thing.
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy
Flu season is coming.
The flu vaccine and preventive measures like proper hand hygiene are the best defenses for protecting yourself from the many, many strains of flu. Sometimes, that pesky bug gets through anyway, though.
If you have a fever, cough and headache you cant shake, it may be the flu. Stay home, get some rest, use over-the-counter fever-reducing medication and up your fluid intake. Call a doctor if those methods arent doing the trick.
But how long will you be contagious, you wonder? And when do you start being contagious? We talked with infectious disease doctor Sherif Mossad, MD, about flu contagion and how to keep from sharing your flu germs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the time between being exposed to the flu and when you show symptoms is usually about two days. The clock starts ticking on your ability to infect others before your symptoms even appear, though.
You can spread the flu to others even before you know youre sick, Dr. Mossad says. You can be contagious with the flu beginning about a day before you feel symptoms. Youll be most contagious with the flu for the first three or four days after you actually feel sick. Thats why keeping your distance as much as possible for several days is important.
You may continue to be infectious for a week after your symptoms start. Children and adults with weakened immune systems may be contagious even longer.
Dr. Mossad says that after recovering from the flu, your timeframe for returning to normal work and school activities may depend on your job and how frequently you interact with people. Some schools and workplaces have specific guidelines for when you can return to work after the flu or other sicknesses. Check with your employer for any specific procedures.
But a good rule of thumb, Dr. Mossad says, is to stay home until youve been fever-free for at least 24 hours, without using fever-reducing medications, like acetaminophen (Tylenol).
A fever is defined as:
You should also stay home if you have other severe symptoms, such as a non-stop cough or shortness of breath.
The flu is considered a highly contagious disease. According to the CDC, the flu can circulate to others up to about 6 feet away.
And, some people can be infected with the flu without showing symptoms. Research shows that about 8% of the U.S. population gets sick from flu each season. When counting those who are carrying the virus without feeling sick, its believed that infection rates are closer to about 20% of the population. Even if you dont show flu symptoms, you still can spread it to others.
Dr. Mossad explains that the flu spreads when tiny droplets of virus-laden particles are exchanged between people.
The main way people can infect each other with flu is being in close proximity of each other, he adds. The infected person coughs or sneezes and tiny drops of their fluids get on my face or hands, or they land on the table were sharing. Then I touch my nose or my mouth, and now those virus-filled particles are in me.
By the next day, you can start passing the flu to others. The day after that, you may start feeling ill yourself.
To keep healthy this flu season, Dr. Mossad suggests a multi-pronged approach to flu prevention.
The CDC says the first and most important step in preventing flu is to get a flu vaccine each year.
The flu shot is your best defense against the flu, Dr. Mossad stresses. Studies tell us that if you get the flu vaccine, you are much less likely to have a severe illness and much less likely to be hospitalized.
Research shows that, whether you realize it or not, you probably touch your face an average of 23 times each hour. Imagine all the things youve touched since the last time you washed your hands. Now youre about to use those hands to rub your eyes. And chances are, without thinking about it, youre going to do it again in about two minutes.
Washing your hands is the No. 1 way to keep viruses from elbowing their way into your body and making you sick.
Make sure you wash your hands:
Wash your hands thoroughly for about 20 seconds with soap and water. If you arent able to use soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Limit your opportunities for infection by:
The flu is a tricky virus that can find its way in, even for the most vigilant among us. If youre sick and think its the flu, keep your distance to keep it to yourself. Know, too, that symptoms of the flu and symptoms of COVID-19 are easily confused. If you think you may be infected with either virus, call a healthcare provider early on. Early treatment equals better results.
There are medications your doctor can give you to help lessen the effects of the flu, Dr. Mossad says. In order for them to work, youll want to talk with your doctor early. If you wait it out a few days, chances are youll already be through the worst of your symptoms anyway, so the medication isnt going to be as helpful at that point.
By Alexis Blue, University Communications
Today
University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins discussed on Monday how the university is preparing for the convergence of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with flu season and the new threat of monkeypox.
As students prepare to return to campus for the start of the fall semester on Aug. 22, Robbins stressed the importance of vaccines, testing, and continued compassion and vigilance.
"The pandemic is not over though our situation is much improved over the start of last academic year," Robbins said during a virtual briefing on fall semester preparations. "While transmission of COVID-19 remains persistent around the nation, we have successfully navigated the past two years with continued innovation, support and cooperation from students, faculty and staff. We have the tools to continue our success and we know how to use them."
Robbins said students and employees returning to campus are encouraged to take a COVID-19 test through the university's Cats TakeAway Testing program. Test kits are available at several locations across main campus and at other sites. Pre-registration is required before picking up a test.
Robbins also urged university students and employees who haven't already been vaccinated against COVID-19 to schedule an appointment through Campus Health. He encouraged those eligible to get a booster.
He stressed the importance of getting a flu shot as well. Information on flu shots is available on the Campus Health website.
"This is a proven vaccination and an important tool in our public health response to the annual flu season," he said.
Face coverings are optional on campus, and masks are available in all university buildings and classrooms.
"Given the varying levels of personal risk from COVID-19, I encourage members of the university community to have compassion for one another and be respectful of each other's personal choice about mask usage," Robbins said.
Robbins also noted that MERV-13 filters, which are efficient in removing airborne particles of the size that usually transport the COVID-19 virus, remain in all buildings across campus, and HEPA filters and emission monitors are available for classrooms through Facilities Management.
Additional information on the university's response to the pandemic is available on the COVID-19 website, which will be updated to reflect new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robbins said.
Monkeypox tests available
With monkeypox making international headlines, Robbins said the university has received messages of concern from students and their families.
Monkeypox tests are available for students and employees at Campus Health, and Campus Health leaders are working with Pima County to explore treatment and vaccination options, although supplies are limited nationwide, Robbins said. More information on monkeypox is available on the Campus Health website.
While monkeypox can be painful, it rarely leads to hospitalization or death.
"Transmission of monkeypox is possible through everyday activities such as sharing utensils, linens and being in close proximity to respiratory droplets," Robbins said. "Transmission via contaminated surfaces is also possible, making hygiene even more important."
Arizona has had 170 cases on mokeypox, with 14 reported in Pima County, said Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th U.S. surgeon general and a University Distinguished Laureate Professor of Public Health, who joined Robbins during Monday's briefing,
"The good news is the same public health precautions we talk about for flu and we talk about for COVID work for this disease of monkeypox as well," Carmona.
That includes frequent handwashing and limiting contact with people if you feel sick, he said.
Released game birds provide the bulk of opportunities for wing shooters in the UK. In a typical year, governments in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales will release more than 55 million farm-raised pheasants, partridge, and ducks during the lead-up to hunting season.
This isnt a typical year for birds, however, as High Path Avian Influenza has spread across the globe, affecting tens of thousands of wild birds and millions of domesticated birds in recent months. The UK is experiencing its most severe bird flu outbreak in history, with seabirds being hit especially hard by the disease. For this reason, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is calling for an immediate moratorium on game bird releases in 2022.
The urgent call is for governments and the hunting industry to take a fully precautionary approach to the release of potentially infected captive birds, to limit the further catastrophic spread of avian influenza in wild birds, the RSPB wrote in a press release.
The England-based RSPB explained that pheasants raised in commercial facilities in the UK have tested positive for HPAI at least 13 times since 2018. The group says that while the spread of HPAI from farm-raised pheasants to wild birds has not been scientifically proven, a precautionary approach is necessary to protect wild bird populations that are already struggling. They also pointed to a 2014 study from the UKs Animal and Plant Health Agency, which found, among other things, that releasing apparently healthy game birds into the wild poses a risk of [avian flu] transmission to other birds.
Reinforcing the RSPBs concern is the fact that the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus was first identified in a population of domestic waterfowl in China. It was then passed on to wild birds, many of which are migratory species, contributing to its long-range spread across the globe.
The most recent (and ongoing) wave of the virus was first detected in Canadian waterfowl populations last December. The first confirmed case in the United States was discovered the following month in a wigeon that was shot by a South Carolina duck hunter. Since then, HPAI has been detected in 40 states in the US, killing a substantial number of wild ducks and geese in the process. In April, a poultry worker in Colorado tested positive for avian influenza, although the Center for Disease Control says the current risk to the general public remains low.
Read Next: Is Bird Flu a Threat to Wild Ducks and Geese? Heres What All Hunters Need to Know
Regardless, states like Texas and Wyoming have already euthanized entire flocks of pen-raised game birds this year in locations where HPAI was detected. And while the elimination of these birds will have a nominal effect on hunting opportunities in these states when compared to the moratorium proposed by the RSPB, both actions were proposed out of an abundance of caution for wild bird and domestic poultry populations.
In recent months we have witnessed an unfolding catastrophe taking place on our wild birds. It has been emotionally tough to witness, but we are not helpless and there are many positive actions that we can take to help them weather this storm and reduce the risk of exacerbating this crisis, RSPBs director of policy Jeff Knott said on Wednesday. We must all now take responsibility and do everything we can to limit the impact in the immediate term.
