A bird flu outbreak is ravaging Californias massive poultry industry, forcing businesses to kill more than one million chickens and causing egg prices to soar.
Mike Weber, who owns Sunrise Farms in Sonoma County, learned last month that his chickens had become infected with the highly-contagious virus. Per government rules, he had to slaughter his entire flock of 550,000 egg-laying hens.
Its a trauma. Were all going through grief as a result of it, Weber told the Associated Press inside an empty hen house. Petaluma is known as the Egg Basket of the World. Its devastating to see that egg basket go up in flames.
The avian flu is wreaking havoc in California a year after the disease caused egg prices to skyrocket to record highs nationwide due to a shortage following an outbreak in the Midwest.
Officials have declared a state of emergency in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, after nearly a dozen commercial farms have killed more than a million birds to curb the outbreak in the last two months, devastating farmers, workers and their customers.
Merced County in Central California also has been hit hard, with outbreaks reported recently at several large commercial egg-producing farms.
Bird flu is spread by ducks, geese and other migratory birds. While the waterfowl can carry the virus without getting sick, they easily spread the disease to poultry birds through their droppings and nasal discharges, according to experts.
State Veterinarian Annette Jones urged farmers to keep their flocks indoors until June including organic chickens that are required to have outdoor access.
We still have migration going for another couple of months. So weve got to be as vigilant as possible to protect our birds, said Bill Mattos, president of the California Poultry Federation.
The outbreak caused egg prices in the Bay Area to spike over the holidays before eggs could be imported from other parts of the country.
This latest outbreak of the virus began in early 2022 and has prompted officials to slaughter nearly 82 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens, in 47 U.S. states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It has spread to every habited continent except for Australia, experts said.
The price of a dozen eggs more than doubled to $4.82 at its peak in January 2023. It returned to normal as farmers re-stocked their flocks. Turkey and chicken prices also increased.
The outbreak has affected more than 7 million chickens in about 40 commercial flocks and 24 backyard flocks in California, according to the USDA. Most occurred over the past two months on the states North Coast and Central Valley regions.
Ettamarie Peterson maintains 50 chickens that produce eggs she sells from her backyard barn for 50 cents each.
Im very concerned because this avian flu is transmitted by wild birds, and theres no way I can stop the wild birds from coming through and leaving the disease behind, Peterson said.
Despite putting in place strict biosecurity measures to protect his chickens, Webers flock at Sunrise Farms became infected before Christmas.
The virus got to the birds so bad and so quickly you walked in and the birds were just dead, Weber said. Heartbreaking doesnt describe how you feel when you walk in and perfectly healthy young birds have been just laid out.
He said he and his employees have spent the last month cleaning and disinfecting the hen houses.
With Post Wires
With Canadas colder weather comes respiratory virus season, with flus and RSV circulating alongside the COVID-19 virus, which remains with us. While Canadians learned a lot about how to protect themselves from illness over the course of the pandemic, new information released by health care practitioners can help inform decisions, from the availability of flu shots to any changes in COVID protocols.
Well be publishing an update on respiratory virus season each week. Looking for more information on the topic you dont see here? E-mail audience@globeandmail.com to see if we can help you.
According to new public health agency data, flu season may be on the way out.Kosamtu/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
Public health officials across the country say its not too late to get vaccinated against influenza. Find out about clinics and availability for each province and territory here:
Newfoundland; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; Quebec; Ontario; Manitoba; Saskatchewan; Alberta; British Columbia; Yukon; Northwest Territories; Nunavut
All of the indicators PHAC uses to track the flu are at or below expected levels for this point in the season, according to the latest FluWatch report.
In the week ended Jan. 20, provinces reported 82 flu-related hospital admissions, 10 ICU admissions and fewer than five deaths linked to the flu. Influenza A continues to dominate, with 96 per cent of flu-related hospital admissions caused by the H1N1 subtype. Seniors and children under the age of five have the highest cumulative hospitalization rates over the course of the season.
The three authorized vaccines, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax, protect against the XBB.1.5 subvariant of COVID-19 and should provide good protection against related families, including the JN.1 subvariant, which now accounts for about two-thirds of cases in Canada. The reformulated mRNA shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are approved for anyone six months and older. Novavaxs shot is approved for those 12 and older.
COVID-19 vaccine information for the provinces and territories can be found here:
Newfoundland; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; Quebec; Ontario; Manitoba; Saskatchewan; Alberta; British Columbia; Yukon; Northwest Territories; Nunavut
Although the situation varies from province to province, COVID-19 activity levels are stable or decreasing in most of Canada. Nationally, the share of lab tests coming back positive has decreased over the past month. The number of hospital beds occupied by patients with COVID dropped slightly in the week ended Jan. 23, to 3,939 from 4,062 the week before. The number of patients with COVID in ICUs was nearly unchanged.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can vary but generally include sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, feeling feverish, chills, fatigue or weakness, muscle or body aches, new loss of smell or taste, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea. According to Health Canada, you may start experiencing symptoms anywhere from one to 14 days after exposure. Typically, symptoms appear three to seven days after exposure.
Health Canada advises following the testing guidelines provided by your local public health authority if you have symptoms or have been exposed to a person with COVID-19. If you test positive, immediately isolate yourself from others, including those in your household, and follow the advice of your local public health authority on isolation requirements.
Respiratory viruses are spread from person to person or through contact with contaminated surfaces, so its important to protect against both forms of transmission. Health Canada recommends wearing a medical mask or respirator, washing your hands regularly or using hand sanitizer, covering your coughs and sneezes and cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces and objects. If you feel sick, stay home and limit contact with others.
A year after the bird flu led to record egg prices and widespread shortages, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza is wreaking havoc in the U.S. state of California, which escaped the earlier wave of outbreaks that devastated poultry farms in the Midwest.
A worker moves crates of eggs at the Sunrise Farms processing plant in Petaluma, California, which has seen an outbreak of avian flu in recent weeks, January 11, 2024. /AP
A worker moves crates of eggs at the Sunrise Farms processing plant in Petaluma, California, which has seen an outbreak of avian flu in recent weeks, January 11, 2024. /AP
The highly contagious virus has ravaged Sonoma County, where officials have declared a state of emergency.
Following government rules, Mike Weber's company, Sunrise Farms, had to slaughter its entire flock of egg-laying hens 550,000 birds to prevent the disease from infecting other farms in Sonoma County north of San Francisco.
During the past two months, nearly a dozen commercial farms have had to destroy more than 1 million birds to control the outbreak, dealing an economic blow to farmers, workers and their customers.
Merced County in Central California also has been hit hard, with outbreaks at several large commercial egg-producing farms in recent weeks.
Experts say bird flu is spread by ducks, geese and other migratory birds. The waterfowl can carry the virus without getting sick and easily spread it through their droppings to chicken and turkey farms and backyard flocks through droppings and nasal discharges.
California poultry farms are implementing strict biosecurity measures to curb the spread of the disease. State Veterinarian Annette Jones urged farmers to keep their flocks indoors until June, including organic chickens that are required to have outdoor access.
Chickens stand in a holding pen at Ettamarie Peterson's farmin Petaluma, California, January 11, 2024. /AP
Chickens stand in a holding pen at Ettamarie Peterson's farmin Petaluma, California, January 11, 2024. /AP
The loss of local hens led to a spike in egg prices in the San Francisco Bay Area over the holidays before supermarkets and restaurants found suppliers from outside the region.
While bird flu has been around for decades, the current outbreak of the virus that began in early 2022 has prompted officials to slaughter nearly 82 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens, in 47 U.S. states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Whenever the disease is found the entire flock is slaughtered to help limit the spread of the virus.
The price of a dozen eggs more than doubled to $4.82 at its peak in January 2023. Egg prices returned to their normal range as egg producers built up their flocks and outbreaks were controlled. Turkey and chicken prices also spiked, partly due to the virus.
A grocery store employee stocks cartons of eggs for display at a Petaluma Market in Sonoma County, California, where avian flu infections shut down a cluster of egg farms in recent months, January 11, 2024. /CFP
A grocery store employee stocks cartons of eggs for display at a Petaluma Market in Sonoma County, California, where avian flu infections shut down a cluster of egg farms in recent months, January 11, 2024. /CFP
Climate change is increasing the risk of outbreaks as changing weather patterns disrupt the migratory patterns of wild birds, said Maurice Pitesky, a poultry expert at the University of California, Davis. For example, exceptional rainfall last year created new waterfowl habitat throughout California, including areas close to poultry farms.
"We have wild birds that are full of virus. And if you expose your birds to these wild birds, they might get infected and ill," said Rodrigo Gallardo, a UC Davis researcher who studies avian influenza.
Gallardo advises the owners of backyard chickens to wear clean clothes and shoes to protect their flocks from getting infected. If an unusual number of chickens die, they should be tested for avian flu.
Ettamarie Peterson, a retired teacher in Petaluma, has a flock of about 50 chickens that produce eggs she sells from her backyard barn for 50 cents each.
"I'm very concerned because this avian flu is transmitted by wild birds, and there's no way I can stop the wild birds from coming through and leaving the disease behind," Peterson said. "If your flock has any cases of it, you have to destroy the whole flock."
Source(s): AP
The commercials make it sound so simple: "If it's COVID, Paxlovid."
But the slogan, catchy though it may be, belies a harsher reality that some public health and elected officials have long acknowledged and worked to rectify: For many, getting access to the therapeutic should be much easier than it has been.
The issue is not one of scarcity, as the antiviral is widely abundant. Nor is pricing a major barrier, as Paxlovid is cheap or even free for many. Nor even is it an issue of how well it works, as studies have shown it to be highly effective.
The drug's biggest impediment has been, and remains, the simple fact that a number of doctors are still declining to prescribe it.
Read more: Here's why some high-risk patients aren't getting drugs to combat COVID
Some healthcare providers hinge their reluctance on outdated arguments, such as the idea of "Paxlovid rebound" the chance that people who take the drug have a chance of developing COVID symptoms again, generally about two to eight days after they recover.
As it turns out, anyone who gets COVID-19 has a similar rare chance of rebound.
COVID "rebound can occur with or without [Paxlovid] treatment," scientists with the Food and Drug Administration wrote in a study published in December. "Viral RNA rebound was not restricted to [Paxlovid] recipients, and rebound rates were generally similar to those in placebo recipients."
When told about one patient who was declined a prescription to Paxlovid because of concern about "Paxlovid rebound," UC San Francisco infectious-diseases expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong groaned.
"Oh my God, that's so, like, bogus," Chin-Hong said. "Clinicians having this weird idea about rebounds, it's just dumb."
Read more: For some COVID patients, 'Paxlovid rebound' has nothing to do with Paxlovid
Data indicate that most people don't get COVID rebound, Chin-Hong said. And while rebound can occur, the possibility should not dissuade people "who might really need it" from taking an antiviral.
Even if COVID rebound happens, and symptoms do occur, "they tend to be mild and do not require repeating the treatment," according to the California Department of Public Health.
Officials at both the federal and state level have implored healthcare providers to properly prescribe Paxlovid and other antivirals when indicated.
"Antivirals are underused," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement Thursday. "Don't wait for symptoms to worsen."
In its own advisory, the California Department of Public Health said, "Most adults and some children with symptomatic COVID-19 are eligible for treatments ... Providers should have a low threshold for prescribing COVID-19 therapeutics."
Read more: California has plenty of anti-COVID drugs, but doctors aren't prescribing them
Aside from Paxlovid, one alternative oral antiviral treatment is known as molnupiravir. There's also remdesivir, which is administered intravenously.
The CDC says Paxlovid and remdesivir are the preferred treatments for eligible COVID-19 patients.
"Don't delay: Treatment must be started within five to seven days of when you first develop symptoms," the CDC says.
A reference to Paxlovid and other antivirals is even in a musical radio ad from California health authorities that has been broadcast throughout the state: "Test it. Treat it. You can beat it," with the ditty later continuing: "Medication is key / To slow the virus in your body."
Yet there is wide documentation of the low frequency of prescribing Paxlovid and other antivirals, and that can have significant consequences for higher-risk COVID-19 patients. A report published by the CDC Thursday reviewed 110 COVID-19 patients considered high-risk and found that 80% of them were not offered antiviral treatment.
A big reason given by the patients' providers, all of whom were under the Veterans Health Administration, was that their patient's COVID symptoms were mild.
Read more: I have COVID-19. What to know about Paxlovid, molnupiravir, other treatments in California
But as officials note, that's exactly what antivirals are for.
"There is strong scientific evidence that antiviral treatment of persons with mild-to-moderate illness, who are at risk for severe COVID-19, reduces their risk of hospitalization and death," the CDC says.
Risk factors for severe COVID-19 include being age 50 and up; not being current on COVID vaccinations; and a wide array of medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, kidney disease, heart disease, having anxiety or depression, and being overweight. Other factors that influence health, such as limited access to healthcare and having a low income, can also heighten someone's risk.
Another reason providers may cite to not prescribe COVID antivirals, California officials said, is the chance of serious side effects. But that fear is largely erroneous, as "most people have little-to-no side effects," the California Department of Public Health says. Some of the more common side effects after taking Paxlovid are developing a temporary metallic taste in the mouth, which occurs in about 6% of recipients, and diarrhea (3%).
However, some people who do take Paxlovid may need to have other medications adjusted, according to the agency.
The other antiviral pill option, molnupiravir, "has very few side effects, but you cannot take it if you are pregnant," the state agency said.
Read more: California relaxes COVID isolation guidance. What you need to know
Clinicians may also be reluctant to prescribe Paxlovid for younger adults, "not because it causes harm, but because it in some studies doesn't show as much benefit," Chin-Hong said. Younger, healthy people are generally unlikely to die from COVID or become ill enough to require hospitalization even without antiviral treatment.
But some data do suggest that patients who take Paxlovid clear out coronavirus from their bodies faster.
"What we're finding is that people are turning negative very quickly with Paxlovid," Chin-Hong said.
And one report, published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, suggests widespread use of Paxlovid "would not only improve outcomes in treated patients but also ... reduce risks of onward transmission."
Read more: With COVID on the rise, your at-home test may be taking longer to show a positive result
So if an initial clinician turns you down for a Paxlovid prescription, and you think you qualify, what other options are there?
One possibility is reaching out to another healthcare provider who might be either more knowledgeable about Paxlovid and other antiviral medications or more open to prescribing them.
Los Angeles County residents can call the county's public health info line, (833) 540-0473, to discuss treatment options with a health provider.
Californians who dont have insurance or have a hard time getting anti-COVID-19 medication canschedule a free telehealth appointment by calling (833) 686-5051 or visitingsesamecare.com/covidca.Medication costs may be subject to a copay, depending on your insurance.
A program funded by the National Institutes of Health, featured at test2treat.org, gives adults who test positive for COVID-19 or flu free access to telehealth care and treatment.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Four out of five Veterans Affairs (VA) patients who had mild COVID-19 but had compromised immune systems were not offered the use of COVID antivirals, according to a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The study, though small, illustrates the reluctance of providers to prescribe antivirals, including Paxlovid, to patients who present with mild illness, but are at risk of progressing to severe disease.
Currently in the United States, anyone age 12 and older at risk for severe progression of disease is eligible for antiviral use at the first sign of a COVID-19 diagnosis. The antiviral drugs nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) and remdesivir (Veklury) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and molnupiravir (Lagevrio) is authorized for emergency use.
When used within 5 days of symptom development, antivirals can reduce the severity and duration of the disease. But currently reported antiviral use among the general adult population has been 35% or less.
In today's study, VA researchers reviewed 110 VA patients who were at risk for severe COVID-19 (mostly due to organ transplantation or hematologic malignancies) but did not receive an antiviral. All patients were seen between from 1, 2022 (when effective oral antivirals became widely available to treat outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19) through September 30, 2022.
Among the patients, all of whom were vaccinated against COVID-19, 22 (20.0%) were offered treatment but declined, and 88 (80.0%) were not offered treatment.
Of those not offered antiviral treatment, provider reasons included symptom duration of more than 5 days (22.7%), concern about possible drug interactions (5.7%), or absence of symptoms (22.7%). For almost one half (43 of 88; 48.9%) of these patients, no reason for not offering antivirals was given other than mild symptoms. No providers mentioned Paxlovid reboundwhich might not be caused by the drug at allas a reason to not prescribe.
"These findings suggest that education of patients, providers, and medical personnel tasked with follow-up calls, combined with advance planning in the event of a positive test result, might improve the rate of recommended antiviral medication use to prevent severe COVID-19associated illness, including death," the authors concluded.
Approximately 10%-20% of individuals with a SARS-CoV-2 infection experience lingering symptoms beyond three months after symptom onset. These symptoms referred to as long COVID, can be debilitating, but there is a lack of diagnostic or therapeutic tools.
A new study published in Sciencefound that patients experiencing long COVID symptoms six months after the SARS-CoV-2 infection show dysregulation of the blood clotting or coagulation system and the complement pathway, which is a part of the immune system.
These changes in the coagulation and immune systems in long COVID patients were shown to predict the persistence of symptoms at six months. They may have the potential for the development of diagnostic tools. Moreover, therapeutics to counter the changes in the blood clotting and immune system could help alleviate long COVID symptoms.
Dr. Wolfram Ruf, Scientific Director at the Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), Johannes Gutenberg University, wrote in an accompanying editorial:
Although therapeutic interventions with coagulation and complement inhibitors in acute COVID-19 produced mixed results, the pathological features specific for Long Covid suggest potential interventions for clinical testing.
Long COVID refers to one or more symptoms that persist or develop after the acute phase of a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Common symptoms of long COVID include muscle weakness, fatigue, and brain fog.
Tissue damage, persistent inflammation, production of autoantibodies, and reactivation of latent virus reservoirs are some factors that have been hypothesized to cause long COVID. However, the lack of knowledge about the precise mechanisms underlying long COVID has hampered the development of diagnostic tools and targeted therapies.
Several studies have shown that individuals with long COVID show immune system dysregulation. The present study further examined changes in the immune system associated with long COVID at six months.
The study included 39 healthy participants and 113 individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. During the 12-month follow-up period after the onset of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, 40 out of the 113 participants with an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection had at least one persistent symptom at the 6-month follow-up visit.
Serum samples were collected from the participants during the acute phase of the infection and six months after the infection. These serum samples were used to quantify changes in more than 6,500 proteins.
The participants with long COVID symptoms at six months showed changes in serum proteins belonging to the complement system compared with healthy individuals or those without long COVID at six months. The complement system is a part of the innate immune system, which serves as the first line of defense against germs.
The complement system activation helps elicit an immune response against pathogens or damaged tissue. During the activation of the complement pathway, the plasma proteins belonging to the complement system interact with each other to form a terminal complement complex. The terminal complement complex binds to the surface of or inserts into the membrane of pathogens and damaged cells to induce cell death or promote their removal by engulfment by phagocytes.
Among patients with long COVID at six months, the researchers found increased activation of the complement pathway during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and at six months after diagnosis. Increased activation of the complement pathway and terminal complement complex formation in 6-month long COVID patients could lead to tissue damage.
The proteins in the complement system can be activated by three distinct pathways, each involving different types of molecules. The three complement activation pathways include the classical pathway, the alternative pathway, and the lectin pathway.
Individuals with long COVID at six months showed increased expression of molecules involved in forming the terminal complement complex via the activation of the classical and alternative pathways than those without long COVID or healthy patients.
In addition to the three complement activation pathways, thrombin, a protein that promotes blood coagulation, can also cause the activation of the complement pathway and lead to the formation of the terminal complement complex.
Patients with long COVID symptoms at the 6-month follow-up showed lower levels of antithrombin III, an enzyme that inhibits thrombin, during the acute phase and at six months after the onset of a SARS-CoV-2 infection than healthy individuals. The lower antithrombin III levels were accompanied by increased expression of markers of thrombosis, a state characterized by the formation of clots in the absence of bleeding.
Patients with long COVID at six months simultaneously showed increased markers for inflammation and those for thrombosis. The cooccurrence of inflammation and thrombosis is referred to as thromboinflammation.
Signs of thromboinflammation observed in individuals with long COVID at six months included destruction of red blood cells and dysfunction of endothelial cells that line blood vessels. Moreover, these patients also showed increased markers of tissue damage in the blood.
These changes associated with thromboinflammation reflect the dysregulation of the complement system in patients with 6-month long COVID. The dysregulation of the coagulation system in long COVID patients also underscores the need for cardiovascular health assessment.
The researchers found that changes in specific complement protein levels, coagulation system biomarkers, and age and body mass index predicted long COVID at 6 and 12 months.
MNT spoke with Dr. Hrishikesh Kulkarni, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. Dr. Kulkarni said:
By utilizing an unbiased screen and confirming it using distinct components of the membrane attack complex by which the complement system damages cells, the authors demonstrate that persistently increased complement activation is a key feature of Long COVID. Moreover, their models that incorporate the measurement of 2 protein ratios improve an already good clinical model comprising of age and body-mass index, most notably for 12-month Long COVID.
The classical complement pathway is activated upon antibodies binding to viral proteins or autoantibodies in the bodys tissue. In the present study, the serum from patients with 6-month long COVID showed increased antibodies against cytomegalovirus, a type of herpesvirus.
This is consistent with evidence suggesting that long COVID symptoms may arise, in part, due to an inflammatory response to the reactivation of a prior herpesvirus infection. The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in some tissues may also produce an immune response.
These results suggest that binding of the antibodies to proteins from a herpesvirus could contribute to the activation of the complement system. Besides explaining the increased complement activation, these results suggest that antivirals targeting the herpesvirus and SARS-CoV-2 could have the potential to ameliorate long COVID symptoms.
Japan overtook Hong Kong for expected lifespans of both men and women for the first time since 2011, recording 81.1 years for men and 87.1 for women in 2022.
Government data released earlier this month showed that Hong Kongs standardised death rate, which is the number of deaths per 1,000 people, rose from 6.9 in 2021 to 8.4 in 2022 after being on a downward trend for three decades.
Gietel-Basten said the change was because of the deaths during the peak of the pandemic in 2022.
The city recorded 63,692 deaths that year, a 24 per cent increase from 51,354 in 2021.
With the world gradually returning to normality in 2023 and Covid-related deaths largely reduced, Gietel-Basten expected the citys mortality rate to return to its previous downward trend.
Hong Kong has so far recorded more than 14,000 Covid-related deaths, with more than 90 per cent occurring during the fifth wave of Covid-19 infections in 2022. Most of those who died were people aged 65 or older.
The Census and Statistics Department, which released the data, said in its report that the mortality rates for a number of age groups of both sexes were higher in 2022 than 2021 amid the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Will Covid-19s death toll drop Hong Kongs life expectancy?
Elderly people saw a more significant increase, with the rate among men aged at least 85 years old rising from 109 per 1,000 people in 2021 to 143.5. The rate for women in the same age group rose from 85.4 to 109.
Gietel-Basten cautioned against reading too much into the data by comparing life expectancies of different years, especially with the occurrence of an unusual event such as the pandemic.
Its not the case that in 2022, all of a sudden, peoples lives got shorter its just the case that there were more deaths, primarily at older ages, which is going to skew the life expectancy, he said.
We shouldnt overemphasise or misinterpret it to say everybody is going to live two years less, he said.
Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, chair of population health at the University of Hong Kong, said the higher mortality rates among elderly people in 2022 contributed to the drop in life expectancy.
If there wasnt Covid-19, the life expectancy of Hongkongers would still be increasing, he said.
From 1991 to 2021, the expected lifespan for Hong Kong men increased by eight years, from 75.2 to 83.2 years. Women had more than seven years added to their lifespan, rising from 80.7 to 87.9 years.
But Yip said instead of looking at life expectancy only, people should also pay attention to healthy life expectancy, meaning the number of years a person can expect to remain in good health, unhindered by disabling illness or injury.
Hong Kong is tops for longevity, but experts flag health problems ahead
He said healthy life expectancy was a more important measure of improvement in public health.
It can better indicate our quality of life, he said. But healthy life expectancy in Hong Kong did not proportionately increase.
Even as people lived longer in the city, he said, many might also suffer from illness and disability for a long time before death, adding to the burden on the healthcare system.
A study released by Chinese University last November showed that between 2007 and 2020, the lifespan of Hong Kong men rose by about 43 months while women were living about 25 months longer, but the healthy life expectancy increased by only 20 months for men and one month for women.
COVID-19 cases dropping in Wisconsin, but other respiratory and GI infections on the rise
A negative COVID-19 rapid test. (WLUK/Scott Hurley)
GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- Coughs, colds, the flu -- this is the season of sickness.
Although%20COVID-19%20cases%20are%20dropping%20in%20Wisconsin,%20health%20officials%20say%20other%20respiratory%20and%20GI%20infections%20are%20on%20the%20rise.%20(WLUK)
At that time, more than 500 people across the state were hospitalized with COVID-19. But according to state statistics, that number has dropped more than 50% in the last month.
"I think we are clearly noticing a decrease in the number of people who get COVID-19. At the same time though, in today's environment, COVID is maybe about a quarter to a third of the story when it comes to seasonal respiratory infections," said Dr. Brad Burmeister with Bellin Health.
As Dr. Burmeister alluded to, health care officials are seeing an increase in other viruses.
"It seems to be, perhaps, a quarter COVID-19, a quarter RSV, a quarter other respiratory viruses and then a quarter of people seem to be getting knocked down with norovirus or other gastrointestinal illnesses right now," he said.
Dr. Burmeister said, like the number of COVID cases, it appears there's been a plateau in RSV cases too. However, he explained norovirus and other gastrointestinal illnesses appear to be rising.
To stay healthy and stop the spread of illnesses, Dr. Burmeister recommends people practice a lot of handwashing and stay home and away from others if they're sick.
According to health care professionals, it's not too late to get your vaccines -- whether for COVID, the flu or any other viruses.
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One of the best tools for preventing severe complications from COVID infection is the prescription antiviral drug Paxlovid. But not nearly as many people who could benefit from it are being prescribed it, says Amesh Adalja, MD, FIDSA, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security who specializes in infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness. Adalja says that both patients and providers need to be better informed about the benefits of Paxlovid and other antivirals like it.
Paxlovid is extremely effective when taken within five days of symptom onset. In clinical trials, it reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by almost 90% in unvaccinated people. Its a tremendous tool that's completely underutilized, says Adalja.
Paxlovid is a class of antiviral drug called a protease inhibitor, explains Adalja. It prevents the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 infection, from replicating in the body. At a molecular level, Paxlovid works by disrupting the protein cutting process of SARS-CoV-2, he explains. It blocks an essential step in the viruss life cycle.
Paxlovid is designed to benefit people at high risk of severe illness who are at least 12 years old and weigh at least 88 pounds. Its purpose is to prevent hospitalization and death, not to decrease symptoms or to help you recover faster, although patients who take it may experience one or both of those benefits.
According to the CDC, people are more likely to experience severe COVID-19 illness if they are over 50 years old, unvaccinated or not up to date on COVID-19 vaccination, immunocompromised, or have certain medical conditions.
Any medical condition such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, any lung condition like asthma or COPD, would be considered high risk, says Adalja. Other common risk factors include being overweight, obese, or pregnant. The majority of Americans probably have some high risk factor, he says. A lot of people would benefit from Paxlovid just based on their weight status.
Antiviral prescribing is underutilized in the United States, Adalja says. There are many people with high risk conditions who are not being prescribed Paxlovid [or] an alternative antiviral like molnupiravir.
This may be due to misconceptions, including by physicians, about who should take Paxlovid. Some might say, we're gonna wait, you don't look that bad, which is a complete misunderstanding of how the drug works, says Adalja. Paxlovid is designed to be given early on to prevent symptoms from becoming more severe. The decision to prescribe someone Paxlovid for a COVID infection should be made based on a patients risk factors for severe disease, regardless of symptom severity.
The same problem exists with antivirals for influenza. Many high-risk people do not get prescribed an influenza antiviral despite evidence that they benefit, says Adalja. Doctors may be more comfortable prescribing Tamiflu because theyre more familiar with it, but Tamiflu is also underutilized.
One reason not enough people know about Paxlovid is that it was under emergency use authorization for quite a while, which prohibited Pfizer from advertising the drug. Instead, they relied on doctors to bring it up. Starting in 2023, Pfizer began promoting Paxlovid to consumers through social media ads and commercials. People complain about direct-to-patient advertising, but it works, says Adalja. When patients know a drug by name, theyre more likely to ask their doctor about it.
Its important that patients feel empowered to ask their health care providers about any and all treatment options, he says. Patients should be asking their doctors, Would I benefit from Paxlovid? Would I benefit from Tamiflu? Do I really need this antibiotic?
Currently there are two other treatments to prevent hospitalization from COVID: Molnupiravir, which is another oral antiviral taken at home, and remdesivir, which is a three-day daily IV infusion given in a health care facility.
Molnupiravir is a good alternative for individuals taking medications that may interact with Paxlovid, says Adalja.
Its always a risk-benefit ratio, says Adalja. If you don't have risk factors for severe disease and you take Paxlovid, you may experience the side effectsan altered sense of taste, possible gastrointestinal upset, and possible rebound symptomswithout the benefits the medication is designed to provide.
While some early studies signaled that Paxlovid might reduce a persons chance of developing long COVID, more recent research indicates that it does not. This includes a study published in January 2024 that found no connection between Paxlovid treatment and long COVID symptoms in vaccinated, non-hospitalized individuals.
There are newer antivirals not yet available in the U.S. that have a stronger signal for preventing long COVID, says Adalja.
No. [Rebound] doesnt happen to everyonestudies show maybe 1 in 5 people who take Paxlovid experience rebound symptoms, says Adalja. But even those who do get reboundwith or without taking Paxlovid dont do badly. For people who take Paxlovid and experience rebound, symptoms are generally mild to moderate and they do not require hospitalization.
COVID rebound was really made out to be a bigger and more common issue than it is, due to news stories about people like President Biden experiencing it, he explains. The risk of reboundwhether or not it can be definitively linked to Paxlovidshouldn't preclude someone who's high risk from taking Paxlovid, and it definitely shouldnt preclude doctors from prescribing it.
*COVID rebound is the return of symptoms after someone initially recovers from COVID. The order of events generally looks like this: A person is infected with COVID and feels symptomatic; their symptoms subside over the course of the infection; they may even test negative for COVID on a home antigen test; a few days later, their symptoms return, and they may test positive again on a home antigen test.
Through the end of 2023, Paxlovid was free for Americans, with the costs covered by the federal government. An agreement between Pfizer and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will ensure Paxlovid remains free through the end of 2024 for patients who are insured through Medicare and Medicaid or uninsured. It will continue to be free through 2028 for individuals who are uninsured and underinsured. Paxlovid is covered by many private insurance plans (costs vary by plan).
If you test positive for COVID, talk to your doctor as soon as possible about any factors that put you at greater risk for severe illness and whether you would benefit from taking Paxlovid.
If you dont have a health care provider, the nationwide Test to Treat program helps people access low- or no-cost treatments quickly. Anyone who tests positive for COVID (or flu) can also access free telehealth care and treatment through the Home Test to Treat program.
Aliza Rosen is a digital content strategist in the Office of External Affairs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
End of peak respiratory illness season brings relief amid high flu, COVID-19 cases
by Lee Stoll, KOMO News Reporter
FILE - A doctor gives a patient the COVID-19 booster shot. (Getty Images)
WASHINGTON
The end of January is almost here, which could be good news for your health.
Respiratory illnesses usually spike in the first month of the year marked by an increase in coughs, nasal congestion, fatigue, and fever.
This year, a new COVID-19 variant is making the season even more sufferable.
"This year we're seeing very high cases of many respiratory viruses. And when I say respiratory viruses Im talking about influenza, RSV, and COVID-19," said Dr. Robert A. Pitts with NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 is the leading cause of hospital admissions among respiratory viruses. But the numbers are improving.
37 states started the month with high or very high levels of illness. That's down to just 7.
Activity is low in Washington, but hospital admissions are up about 7.5% across Puget Sound.
"It's never too late to get vaccinated. So, for all of my patients that I take care of and the providers that I work with at my local hospital, I'm recommending on a daily basis for them to vaccinate or to offer vaccination for influenza, as well as for COVID-19," said Pitts.
The good news is a study from the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine shows this season's flu shot is a good match for fighting the dominant strain, reducing the risk of a hospital stay by 52%.
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