The government continued to dedicate enormous resources to investigating and prosecuting fraud against COVID-19 pandemic relief programs[1] in 2023. While we observed some civil False Claims Act settlements, criminal enforcement continued to dominate COVID-19 enforcement headlines, with some attention-grabbing stories involving politicians, government employees, and those with connections to gangs and transnational crime networks.
The wave of civil pandemic fraud enforcement that we anticipate coming has not yet publicly materialized, but a few pandemic-related False Claims Act (FCA) cases emerged in 2023. A large medical institution agreed to pay more than $2 million to resolve fraud claims, including an allegation that it double-billed for COVID-19 testing. Specifically, a whistleblower alleged that the institution submitted claims to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for reimbursement in connection with COVID-related care; however, the institution had already received reimbursement for the services by the State of Texas or City of Houston.
Two civil FCA cases involved allegedly medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) testing added on to COVID-19 testing. Previously, DOJ pursued criminal penalties in matters involving similar conduct.
One civil FCA matter resolved in 2023 involved a Maryland-based billing company for diagnostic laboratories that agreed to pay roughly $300,000 to resolve allegations that it caused the submission of false claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary RPP testing run on seniors who received COVID-19 tests. The billing company received cooperation credit for performing and disclosing results of an internal investigation, providing information regarding other actors potential misconduct, and admitting liability.
DOJ similarly filed a complaint against an individual and multiple laboratory companies owned by the individual for offering COVID-19 tests to nursing homes as a way to bill Medicare for a wide array of medically unnecessary RPP tests. In that matter, DOJ alleged that the companies had submitted false claims to Medicare for RPP testing not ordered by providers, not medically necessary, and sometimes never performed, including testing ordered for over 300 deceased beneficiaries.
In a PPP-related case, an automotive group agreed to pay $9 million to resolve allegations that it violated the FCA by certifying that it was a small business in connection with a PPP loan obtained and later forgiven when, in fact, the company was under common operational control with dozens of dealerships across the country and had more than 3,000 employees.
Qui tam FCA lawsuits are filed under seal while DOJ investigates the allegations, which can sometimes take years depending on the complexity and scope of the alleged underlying fraud. For this reason, we expect more FCA lawsuits involving COVID-19 relief to become public in 2024 and beyond as the governments investigations progress.
We also expect additional enforcement involving the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) in 2024, similar to the Civil Monetary Penalties Law settlements this year involving PRF payment recipients who were ineligible to receive or retain those payments.[2] The PRF, which was authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was a major pandemic relief program that allocated $178 billion to hospitals, health systems, and all other health care providers that billed Medicare. The HRSA administered the program in four phases of payments, plus hot spot and targeted payments to providers. In June 2023, as part of the debt ceiling resolution, Congress rescinded all unobligated PRF funds in the amount of $27 billion. HRSAs administrative recovery efforts, as well as DOJs civil enforcement activities, are now turning federal attention to recovery of funds that may have been obtained inappropriately.
A sign of this trend is a qui tam action unsealed in June 2023, and filed in November 2021, against several New Jersey hospitals, management services organizations, and the hospitals chief executive officer and chief financial officer for allegedly refusing to return PRF funds for which the defendants knew they were not eligible, and for allegedly using PRF money for impermissible purposes. The relator, the former system chief medical officer and chief hospital executive for one of the defendant hospitals, alleged that the defendant hospitals received over $50 million in hot spot distributions to which the hospitals were not entitled. The relator alleged that he repeatedly insisted that the hospitals self-report the overpayment and return the funds. PRF funds were administered on an emergency basis, often with little guidance or controls, which could make FCA enforcement difficult, and which could have led to DOJs declination in this qui tam action. But we expect further cases like this one to emerge, likely driven by relators.
Administratively, there have been Government Accountability Office and Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) reports and audits on PRF disbursements. An HHS-OIG report published in October 2023 revealed that while HHSs oversight was generally effective in ensuring that most of the approximately $39.3 billion in automatic PRF payments were properly calculated and disbursed to eligible providers, HHS did not ensure that approximately 5.5% of the disbursements were properly calculated, nor did HHS prevent less than 1% of disbursements from flowing to ineligible providers. To date, ~$2.6 billion in payments to noncompliant providers, overpayments, and unused payments have been identified for recovery by HRSA, but nearly $1.4 billion has yet to be recovered. There is much ground to cover in recouping improper PRF disbursements in 2024.
In March 2023, President Biden introduced a $1.6 billion pandemic anti-fraud proposal focused in part on ensuring resources for investigations and prosecutions of major or systemic pandemic fraud. In furtherance of this goal, President Biden expressed a desire to triple the COVID-19 anti-fraud strike forces pursuing pandemic fraudsters.
Following President Bidens remarks, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in August the creation of two additional COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces: one in the US Attorneys Office for the District of Colorado and the other in the US Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey. There are now five COVID-19 strike forces, including those launched in September 2022 in the Eastern and Central Districts of California, the Southern District of Florida, and the District of Maryland. The strike forces are intended to strengthen the efforts and increase the reach of the COVID-19 Fraud Task Force established by the Attorney General in May 2021. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multistate COVID-19 relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams. The expansion of pandemic fraud strike forces signals the Biden administrations investment in investigating and prosecuting major or systemic pandemic fraud.
The fraud task forces demonstrated their value with two high-profile, nationwide takedowns in April and August 2023. These takedowns show the breadth of DOJs enforcement efforts and move the DOJ closer towards fulfilling its strategic goal of seeking restitution in at least 90% of applicable criminal cases concerning COVID-19 related fraud and increasing the percentage of COVID-19 related fraud cases resolved favorably to 90%.
In April, DOJ announced the first nationwide takedown of 2023. It included criminal charges against 18 defendants in nine federal districts across the country involving $490 million in COVID-19 related fraud the largest ever coordinated law enforcement action in the United States targeting health care fraud schemes that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic. The April takedown showed the power of data analytics in rooting out pandemic fraud. A single doctor allegedly defrauded HRSAs COVID-19 Uninsured Program (UP) by $230 million. This doctor was the second-highest biller to the UP in the country. The physician operated a small midwife practice, which transformed into one of the busiest vaccination sites in New York State, seemingly outpacing larger, state-run vaccination sites. The medical professionals who worked at this small midwife practice were charged with allegedly distributing nearly 2,700 forged COVID-19 vaccination record cards to unvaccinated individuals and destroying vials of COVID-19 vaccines intended to be used to inoculate patients.
DOJ expanded its COVID-19 enforcement success with another coordinated, nationwide action, announced in August 2023. This second takedown yielded charges against 371 defendants for offenses related to over $836 million in alleged COVID fraud affecting numerous federal programs, including the PPP, EIDL, and ERAP. Some 119 defendants arrested in the sweep pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial, and the cases resulted in restitution orders of over $57 million. The defendants arrested in the takedown included gang members who allegedly used pandemic funds to pay for murder for hire, and those with connections to transnational criminal networks.
As of August 2023, DOJ had seized over $1.4 billion in COVID relief funds and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country.
In addition to coordinated takedowns, 2023 saw a broad range of individuals sentenced to jail and ordered to pay restitution for COVID-19 related fraud. A former Missouri state representative sought government reimbursement for COVID-19 testing allegedly performed at her nonprofit clinic when, in fact, the testing had been performed at her for-profit clinic and paid for by the clients at the for-profit clinic. A former Florida lawmaker pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements in connection with obtaining COVID-19 relief. A former IRS employee pleaded guilty in connection with a scheme to defraud the EIDL program by submitting a false application and using the loan proceeds for unauthorized purposes. And a Florida corrections officer was charged with wire fraud in connection with a PPP loan obtained for an allegedly non-existent business. We anticipate additional high-profile cases in 2024.
With over $4.6 trillion in pandemic relief funding authorized since March 2020 and estimates of over $300 billion in fraud on pandemic relief programs thus far, we expect continued criminal enforcement into the foreseeable future as the government works to root out and prosecute the most nefarious and egregious fraud. The government cannot prosecute all pandemic reliefrelated fraud cases, but it seems to be focused on the cases likely to result in large monetary recoveries or cases that will generate substantial media coverage (which will, in turn, at least theoretically deter others from engaging in similar conduct). That said, given the governments continued investment in resources to investigate and prosecute pandemic relief fraud, and the sheer breadth of estimated fraud on pandemic relief programs, we anticipate criminal and civil actions will continue in 2024 and beyond.
Subscribe To Viewpoints
A new study led by the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) challenges prevailing narratives about the causes of excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research has produced compelling evidence that many deaths previously attributed to natural causes were, in fact, uncounted fatalities from COVID-19.
Official COVID-19 mortality statistics have not fully captured deaths attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the United States, wrote the researchers.
While some excess deaths were likely related to pandemic health care interruptions and socioeconomic disruptions, temporal correlations between reported COVID-19 deaths and excess deaths reported to non-COVID-19 natural causes suggest that many of those excess deaths were unrecognized COVID-19 deaths.
The investigation represents a significant stride in understanding the true toll of the pandemic.
Kristin Urquiza co-founded Marked By COVID, a justice and remembrance movement, after losing her father to COVID. This study documents the deadliness of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of public health interventions, said Urquiza. The least we can do to honor those who died is to accurately account for what happened.
The official count of COVID-19 deaths in the United States stands at nearly 1.17 million, according to federal data. However, this figure is believed to be an underestimation, as suggested by multiple excess mortality studies.
Excess mortality refers to the number of deaths during a given time period that surpasses the number expected under normal circumstances.
Until now, the challenge has been to determine whether these additional deaths were directly due to COVID-19 or resulted from indirect consequences of the pandemic, such as healthcare disruptions or socioeconomic factors.
In collaboration with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the BUSPH team provides the first definitive evidence linking a significant portion of excess deaths during the pandemic directly to COVID-19, rather than to non-COVID natural causes like chronic illnesses.
By analyzing monthly data on natural-cause deaths and reported COVID-19 fatalities across 3,127 U.S. counties from March 2020 to August 2022, the team discovered that spikes in non-COVID natural cause deaths coincided with or preceded surges in COVID-19 deaths in most regions. This pattern suggests that many deaths were misclassified and should have been attributed to COVID-19.
Our findings show that many COVID-19 deaths went uncounted during the pandemic. Surprisingly, these undercounts persisted well beyond the initial phase of the pandemic, said study co-author Dr. Andrew Stokes, who has led numerous studies analyzing excess mortality patterns and drivers during the pandemic.
According to Dr. Stokes, the temporal correlation between reported COVID-19 deaths and excess deaths reported to non-COVID-19 natural causes offers insight into the causes of these deaths.
We observed peaks in non-COVID-19 excess deaths in the same or prior month as COVID-19 deaths, a pattern consistent with these being unrecognized COVID-19 deaths that were missed due to low community awareness and a lack of COVID-19 testing.
Study lead author Eugenio Paglino, a PhD student at UPenn, noted that if the primary explanation for these deaths were healthcare interruptions and delays in care, the non-COVID excess deaths would likely occur after a peak in reported COVID-19 deaths and subsequent interruptions in care. However, this pattern was not observed nationally or in any of the geographic subregions we assessed, said Paglino.
The study also disproves any claims that mortality during the pandemic can be attributed to COVID-19 vaccinations or shelter-in-place policies.
Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, founding director of the Boston University Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy and Research, said that the research is important because our ability to detect and correctly assign deaths during an epidemic goes to the heart of our understanding of the disease and how we organize our response.
The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.
-
Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.
New research adds to the mounting evidence supporting the safety of Covid-19 mRNA vaccines for pregnant women, with potential benefits for their newborn babies.
The population-based cohort study, published February 6th in JAMA, found that exposure to mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy did not increase the risk of adverse events in newborn infants. The study found that babies born to vaccinated mothers were less likely to experience serious complications, including death.
The study involved nearly 200,000 newborns from Sweden and Norway, making it the largest study on this topic to date.
Getting vaccinated can reduce the chances of severe or critical COVID-19 in pregnant individuals. Still, vaccination rates remain lower in pregnant individuals compared to the general population.
COVID-19 is still present in society and is probably something we will have to deal with for a long time, Mikael Norman, M.D., Ph.D., lead researcher of the study and professor of pediatrics and neonatal medicine at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm Sweden, stated in an email to MHE.
It is therefore very important for all women who become pregnant every year to know that vaccination with mRNA-vaccines against COVID-19 is safe for their babies, he stated.
Using national registers in both countries, the study included 98% of all newborns from women who became pregnant after the Covid-19 vaccines became available. The data collection spanned from June 2021 to January 2023, with all babies followed up for at least one month or as long as they were admitted to a neonatal unit.
The results found no increased risks for newborn infants whose mothers were vaccinated against Covid-19 during pregnancy. Vaccination during pregnancy was associated with lower odds of neonatal intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral ischemia, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and death. The mortality rate among infants born to vaccinated mothers was only half as high compared to babies whose mothers were not vaccinated.
The study's findings have important implications for healthcare professionals, public health authorities, and expectant parents.
Despite the fact that the pandemic is over, the study and the results are of great importance for healthcare professionals offering counseling, authorities issuing recommendations, and above all, for anyone who will become pregnant in the future, Norman stated.
The research was primarily funded by Region Stockholm and the Karolinska Institutet, along with other organizations. The researchers disclosed no conflicts of interest.
This article has been reviewed according to ScienceX's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
fact-checked
peer-reviewed publication
trusted source
proofread
close
Infection with a measles-like virus causes catastrophic lung failure in ferrets previously infected with influenza virus or respiratory syncytial virus, according to a study by researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State University.
In the study published in Nature Communications, the researchers studied ferrets infected with a common respiratory virus such as respiratory syncytial virus or influenza virus, which results in flu-like illness in the animals. One month after full recovery, animals received a non-lethal strain of canine distemper virus (CDV), which is closely related to human measles virus and causes a measles-like disease in ferrets. Two weeks later, animals developed lethal hemorrhaging pneumonia.
"Acute lung failure after consecutive infection with two non-lethal respiratory viruses was unprecedented," said Richard Plemper, senior author of the study, Regents' Professor at the Georgia State Institute for Biomedical Sciences, and director of the Center for Translational Antiviral Research. "We found that these animals did not succumb to the viral infection, but to bacterial pneumonia because they became unable to prevent lung invasion by commensal bacteria."
Screening for differences in gene expression between animals that had been infected with the influenza virus or not, the study found that canine distemper infection results in the expression of a group of protective host proteins in the lung called trefoil factors.
"When the animals had recovered from influenza, trefoil factors were not upregulated, leaving the animals unprotected against normally harmless bacteria," said Robert Cox, assistant professor in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research and first author of the study. "Usually, these animals would recover, but when exposed to CDV, this decrease in the levels of protective host proteins resulted in the development of severe bacterial pneumonia."
Using an experimental antiviral drug, GHP-88309, that Plemper has developed in recent work, they were able to prevent lethal bacterial pneumonia even when treatment was started very late after CDV infection.
"We currently do not know whether measles virus causes enhanced disease when following unrelated earlier viral infections, but it very much adds to the concerns related to the resurgence of measles that we have seen in recent years globally," Plemper said. "Measles is frequently followed by bacterial otitis media or bacterial pneumonia. Viral disease history of a child could be an underappreciated risk factor for developing these secondary sequelae."
"In addition to discovering that previous infections may play a critical role in disease severity, we were able to experimentally identify the window of opportunity to treat these viral infections and prevent the long-term immune suppression associated with measles-like disease," Cox said.
The researchers demonstrated benefit of treatment with GHP-88309 for over seven days after the window for therapeutic vaccination has closed, "which introduces a novel additional option to mitigate severe complications of measles-like disease," Plemper said.
More information: Robert M. Cox et al, Therapeutic mitigation of measles-like immune amnesia and exacerbated disease after prior respiratory virus infections in ferrets, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45418-5
Journal information: Nature Communications
When it comes to the flu, you already know its important to get vaccinated. But did you know its not too late for this season?
Some patients think that if they havent gotten the flu shot by now, there is no point in doing sobut thats not true, said Michael Ben-Aderet, MD, associate director of Hospital Epidemiology. The flu season is still in full force, so if youre eligible for the flu vaccine but havent gotten it yet, please do so.
Vaccination doesnt guarantee you wont get the flu, but it can make your symptoms less severe if you do get sick. More good news: The flu vaccine is not the only tool at your disposal. If you do catch the flu, the antiviral drug Tamiflu can help, as long as you start taking it within 72 hours after youve been diagnosed.
Tamiflu, in specific circumstances, can be used to prevent flu infection if you have been exposed. It can sometimes stop the flu virus from growing, shorten your recovery time by one to two days or can reduce symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, aches and chills. Over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin can also lessen pain and fever.
While not a substitute for vaccination, Tamiflu is an important medication for people with risk factors for severe disease who are sick with influenza or have been exposed. You can also use over-the-counter meds for relief of fever or pain. Ultimately, vaccination combined with treatment if you get sick is the best bet for keeping you healthy and feeling like yourself, said Ben-Aderet.
Produced by ElevenLabs and NOA, News Over Audio, using AI narration.
In Arnold Montos ideal vision of this fall, the United States flu vaccines would be slated for some serious changebooting a major ingredient that theyve consistently included since 2013. The component isnt dangerous. And it made sense to use before. But to include it again now, Monto, an epidemiologist and a flu expert at the University of Michigan, told me, would mean vaccinating people against something that doesnt exist.
That probably nonexistent something is Yamagata, a lineage of influenza B viruses that hasnt been spotted by global surveyors since March of 2020, shortly after COVID mitigations plummeted flu transmission to record lows. And it isnt for lack of looking, Kanta Subbarao, the director of the WHOs Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, told me. In a last-ditch attempt to find the missing pathogen, a worldwide network of monitoring centers tested nearly 16,000 influenza B virus samples collected from February to August of last year. Not a single one of them came up Yamagata. The consensus is that its gone, Cheryl Cohen, the head of South Africas Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, told me. Officially removing an ingredient from flu vaccines will codify that sentiment, effectively publishing Yamagatas obituary.
Read: The flu may never be the same
Last year around this time, Subbarao told me, the WHO was already gently suggesting that the world might want to drop Yamagata from vaccines; by September, the agency had grown insistent, describing the ingredient as no longer warranted and urging that every effort should be made to exclude it as soon as possible. The following month, an advisory committee to the FDA unanimously voted to speedily adopt that same change.
But the switch from a four-flu vaccine to a trivalent one, guarding against only three, isnt as simple as ordering the usual, please, just hold the Yams. Trivalent vaccines require their own licensure, which some manufacturers may have allowed to lapseor never had at all; manufacturers must also adhere to the regulatory pipelines specific to each country. People think, They change the strains every season; this should be no big deal, Paula Barbosa, the associate director of vaccine policy at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, which represents vaccine manufacturers, told me. This situation is not so simple: They need to change their whole manufacturing process. At the FDA advisory-committee meeting in October, an industry representative cautioned that companies might need until the 202526 season to fully transition to trivalents in the Northern Hemisphere, a timeline that Barbosa, too, considers realistic. The South could take until 2026.
In the U.S., though, where experts such as Monto have been pushing for expedient change, a Yamagata-less flu vaccine could be coming this fall. When I reached out to CSL Seqirus and GSK, two of the worlds major flu-vaccine producers, a spokesperson from each company told me that their firm was on track to deliver trivalent vaccines to the U.S. in time for the 202425 flu season, should the relevant agencies recommend and request it. (The WHOs annual meeting to recommend the composition of the Northern Hemispheres flu vaccine isnt scheduled until the end of February; an FDA advisory meeting on the same topic will follow shortly after.) Sanofi, another vaccine producer, was less definitive, but told me that, with sufficient notice from health authorities, its plans would allow for trivalent vaccines this year, if there is a definitive switch. AstraZeneca, which makes the FluMist nasal-spray vaccine, told me that it was engaging with the appropriate regulatory bodies to coordinate the shift to a trivalent vaccine as soon as possible.
Quadrivalent flu vaccines are relatively new. Just over a decade ago, the world relied on immunizations that included two flu A strains (H1N1 and H3N2), plus one B: either Victoria or Yamagata, whichever scientists predicted might be the bigger scourge in the coming flu season. Sometimes the world got it wrong, Mark Jit, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told me. To hedge their bets, experts eventually began to recommend simply sticking in both. But quadrivalent vaccines typically cost more to manufacture, experts told me. And although several countries, including the U.S., quickly transitioned to the heftier shots, many nationsespecially those with fewer resourcesnever did.
Now the extra component is a waste, Vijay Dhanasekaran, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong, told me. Its pointless to ask peoples bodies to mount a defense against an enemy that will never attack. Trimming Yamagata out of flu-vaccine recipes should also make them cheaper, Dhanasekaran said, which could improve global access. Plus, continuing to manufacture Yamagata-focused vaccines raises the small but serious risk that the lineage could be inadvertently reintroduced to the world, Subbarao told me, as companies grow gobs of the virus for their production pipeline. (Some vaccines, such as FluMist, also immunize people with live-but-weakened versions of flu viruses.)
Some of the researchers I spoke with for this article werent ready to rule out the possibilityhowever slimthat Yamagata is still biding its time somewhere. (Victoria, a close cousin of Yamagata, and the other B lineage that pesters people, once went mostly quiet for about a decade, before roaring back in the early aughts.) But most experts, at this point, are quite convinced. The past couple of flu seasons have been heavy enough to offer even a rather rare lineage the chance to reappear. If it had been circulating in any community, Im pretty sure that global influenza surveillance would have detected it by now, Dhanasekaran said. Plus, even before the pandemic began, Yamagata had been the wimpiest of the flu bunch, Jit told me: slow to evolve, crummy at transmitting, and already dipping in prevalence. When responses to the pandemic starved all flu viruses of hosts, he said, this lineage was the likeliest to be lost.
Read: The pandemic broke the flu
Eventually, companies may return to including four types of flu in their products, swapping in, say, another strain of H3N2, the most severe and fastest-evolving of the buncha change that Subbarao and Monto both told me might actually be preferable. But incorporating a second H3N2 is even more of a headache than returning to a trivalent vaccine: Researchers would likely first need to run clinical trials, experts told me, to ensure that the new components played nicely with each other and conferred additional benefits.
For the moment, a slimmed-down vaccine is the quickest way to keep up with the flus current antics. And in doing so, those vaccines will also reflect the strange reality of this new, COVID-modified world. A whole lineage of flu has probably been eliminated through changes in human behavior, Jit told me. Humanity may not have intended it. But our actions against one virus may have forever altered the course of another.
February began with influenza remaining a public health concern in Butte-Silver Bow County.
We are still seeing an increase in activity, said Karen Maloughney, BSN, RN, health officer for the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department.
Karen Maloughney, BSN, RN, health officer for Butte-Silver Bow County.
If have people have not gotten their influenza vaccine, they should, she said. If exposed to the influenza virus, a vaccinated individual generally has less severe symptoms and will usually avoid hospitalization.
Maloughney said vaccinated people with influenza can still spread the illness to others, so they should avoid the public if symptomatic.
In the U.S., flu season usually occurs in the fall and winter. Although influenza viruses spread year-round, most of the time flu activity peaksbetween December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Maloughney said COVID-19 and RSV are also circulating, and both have vaccines available.
They can be received in conjunction with the influenza vaccine if eligible, Maloughney said.Respiratory illnesses arent something to take lightly and prevention is key.
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiration virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC reports that most people recover from RSV in a week or two, but the virus can be serious. Infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalization. If you are age 60 or older, a vaccine is available to protect you from severe RSV.
Maloughney said the health department has heard anecdotal reports of illnesses circulating that cause nausea and vomiting.
The best defense with this type of illness is good, thorough hand washing with soap and water, she said.Also, staying home for two days after symptoms have resolved will help stop the spread of these types of illnesses.
Maloughney encouraged people to make sure that vaccinations for themselves and their children are up to date.
If people have questions about their vaccination record or to make an appointment to get caught up, they can call 406-497-5020, she said.
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
PRESIDENTS' DAY SALE Don't miss this deal
Standard Digital Access
$9 for 1 year
Already a subscriber? Login
MassWildlife has received reports of dead Canada geese in Essex County and the surrounding coastal areas. (Herald file photo)
Canada geese are reportedly dropping dead in parts of the Bay State, as the bird flu virus spreads around the region.
MassWildlife over the past few days has gotten reports of dead and dying Canada geese in Essex County and the surrounding coastal areas.
These wild birds showed symptoms that are in line with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Several samples have been collected for bird flu testing, and results are pending.
This comes as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been detected in Essex County, according to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Division of Animal Health.
State agencies have depopulated and disposed of a non-commercial, mixed-species backyard flock (non-poultry) in Essex County due to the virus. Birds at the site died suddenly without exhibiting any other clinical signs consistent with the virus, and samples tested positive for the disease.
MDAR advises backyard and commercial poultry owners to practice strong biosecurity measures to prevent domestic poultry from having contact with wild birds, their feathers, and droppings, the state agency said.
The HPAI virus is continuing to circulate in the wild bird population, particularly in wild waterfowl, MDAR added. Eliminating standing water and preventing domestic birds from having access to ponds, streams, and wetland areas that attract wild waterfowl is of critical importance.
While people are rarely infected with avian influenza viruses, humans who have prolonged close contact with sick or dead birds infected with the virus are at highest risk of becoming infected.
Officials are urging the public not to handle or feed any birds suspected of being infected, MDAR said. Pet owners should also prevent their dogs from making contact with wild birds.
People can report sick or dead domestic birds by calling 617-626-1795 or online via the Poultry Disease Reporting Form: www.mass.gov/forms/poultry-disease-reporting-form.
Also, people can report sick or dead wild birds online at www.mass.gov/forms/report-observations-of-dead-wild-birds.
View more on Boston Herald
Most people make a full recovery from the stomach flu without any complications. Getting enough rest and staying hydrated with clear liquids are beneficial, and easy-to-digest foods may be best.
Nobody likes getting sick, but the stomach flu delivers its own brutal mix of symptoms. When it hits, it can quickly render you nonfunctional and utterly miserable (i.e., lying on the bathroom floor within constant reach of the sink or toilet).
The initial stages start with chills, fever, and nausea, which transition into vomiting, diarrhea, and severe aches and pains. Its awful, and there is no cure. Stomach flu has to run its course.
That said, the remedies below may relieve the most difficult symptoms and help get you back on your feet once the toughest phase subsides.
Fluids are critically important since you lose vital bodily fluids through sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If youre having trouble keeping liquids down, try taking small sips at regular intervals or chewing ice chips.
The best fluids to drink are:
Most likely, you wont be in the mood for these during a bout of stomach flu anyway, but avoid:
All of these things can also upset your stomach.
Keeping food down can be difficult with the stomach flu. Dont force yourself to eat if the mere thought of food makes you cringe. When you do finally feel you can get something down, its best to start slow and simple.
The BRAT diet bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast can be your go-to for an uneasy stomach. These four foods are easy to digest, contain carbohydrates to give you energy, and replenish nutrients:
Generally, avoid dairy, fibrous foods, and anything fatty or spicy.
Acupressure has been shown to be effective in treating some types of nausea. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center suggests finding pressure point P-6 by measuring the width of three fingers down from the bottom of your palm.
Press below that width with your thumb, and youll feel a sensitive spot between two tendons. Gently massage with your thumb for two or three minutes.
Get plenty of sleep and reduce the amount of activity you normally do during the day. This means lounging on the couch when youre not in bed.
While youre resting, your body works hard to fight off the infection and repair damage on the cellular level.
The stomach flu cant be cured by medications, and antibiotics wont help when a virus is the culprit.
For fever or aches, ibuprofen (Advil) can help, as long as it doesnt cause you to have more of an upset stomach. It can also be hard on your kidneys if you get dehydrated. Take it sparingly and with food. Children should only take ibuprofen after 6 months of age.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is often recommended for the stomach flu unless you have liver disease. It relieves fever and aches, has fewer side effects than ibuprofen, and is less likely to irritate your stomach.
Your doctor may prescribe an antiemetic such as promethazine, prochlorperazine, metoclopramide, or ondansetron to stop the nausea and vomiting.
You can also try an over-the-counter (OTC) antidiarrheal medication, such as loperamide hydrochloride (Imodium) or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol). That said, as your doctor first because it can interact with other medications.
In addition, OTC antidiarrheal medications are not recommended for children because they contain salicylate, which can cause Reyes syndrome.
As terrible as it is to get the stomach flu yourself, its even harder to watch your child go through it. If your infants symptoms havent subsided in a day or two, take them to the doctor.
Their doctor can make sure your child is on their way to recovery without any complications. They can also check to ensure no other causes for their symptoms.
Encouraging children to continue to take sips of water (or, in infants, breast milk or formula) to replace lost fluids is important to prevent dehydration. All infants and toddlers can also drink an electrolyte solution like Pedialyte.
The stomach flu (also known as gastroenteritis) can be caused by a number of different viruses that can attack your gastrointestinal system. Its not caused by the influenza virus, which gives you the seasonal flu.
Less often, bacteria can cause it, typically due to contaminated water or food that was prepared inadequately or in an unhygienic environment.
Note that children can experience symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea from influenza (the flu), which is different than the stomach flu. Its important to see their pediatrician to determine the cause of the symptoms.
If you know the stomach flu is going around, take extra precautions. Avoid close contact with people who are sick if at all possible, and wash your hands frequently.
Here are additional methods of prevention:
The stomach flu is contagious. Symptoms appear one to three days after exposure to the virus, so youre contagious before developing symptoms.
And even after youve recovered from your symptoms, you can remain contagious for up to two weeks. Children can remain contagious for an even longer period afterward.
How long the stomach flu lasts depends on the specific virus causing it, but its generally a few days to a week in most cases.
In most cases, the stomach flu just has to run its course. That said, drinking fluids and taking over-the-counter medications such as ch as loperamide (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate) can help keep you more comfortable while youre recovering. Do not give these medications to children, and ask your doctor before trying them.
While the stomach flu is definitely not a pleasant experience, most people make a full recovery without any complications. Staying hydrated throughout the course of the illness can be the biggest challenge.
Theres not much to do for the stomach flu except wait it out and use the above remedies.
Seek medical attention if you havent been able to keep down liquids for 24 hours, are showing any signs of dehydration, are vomiting blood, have bloody diarrhea, or have a fever above 102F (38C).
The Importance of Periodic Replacement of Influenza Vaccine Viruses
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. To protect against this disease, vaccines are regularly updated due to the continuous evolution of influenza viruses. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other health agencies monitor these changes and make recommendations for the composition of influenza vaccines, ensuring their effectiveness against the most recent strains.
As part of its mandate, the WHO conducts biannual consultations with an advisory group of experts to analyze surveillance data on influenza virus evolution. These experts then issue recommendations for the composition of influenza vaccines for the upcoming flu season. For instance, the WHO consultation for the 2024-2025 Northern Hemisphere influenza season will provide crucial guidance for the development, production, and licensing of influenza vaccines by national regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies. These consultations serve as an essential step in maintaining the ongoing effectiveness of influenza vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States utilizes three key indicators to assess the severity of each flu season: influenza-like illness (ILI) outpatient visits, flu-related hospitalizations, and flu deaths. The severity classification can range from low to very high based on the highest weekly values observed for each indicator. The data sources for this assessment include the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet), Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-NET), and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance Data. These assessments can change as the season progresses, thus highlighting the necessity of timely and effective vaccination.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has developed a core protocol for studies of COVID-19 and influenza vaccine effectiveness. This protocol, built upon lessons learned from the ECDC-funded I-MOVE Influenza Monitoring Vaccine Effectiveness in Europe project, aims to provide more statistical power by combining data from multiple sites. The proposed method is a case-control study using a test-negative design, with the study population consisting of individuals hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) symptoms and no contraindication for vaccination. These studies play a vital role in informing vaccine development and distribution strategies.
The CDC also provides a Weekly Influenza Vaccination Dashboard that offers preliminary weekly flu vaccination data. This dashboard contains data on vaccine doses distributed, coverage for various demographics, and vaccination rates among specific populations like healthcare personnel. The information provided by this dashboard is critical in understanding the reach and effectiveness of influenza vaccination efforts, emphasizing the importance of flu vaccination for everyone six months and older, especially those at higher risk of serious complications from influenza.
The periodic replacement of influenza vaccine viruses is essential in ensuring the ongoing effectiveness of vaccines against this ever-evolving disease. Through rigorous surveillance, analysis, and consultation, health organizations worldwide continue to work together to protect global health against the threat of influenza. The collaborative efforts in monitoring influenza virus evolution, assessing flu season severity, studying vaccine effectiveness, and tracking vaccination coverage are fundamental components of this crucial health initiative.
