The coronavirus was already devastating parts of the world, bringing illness and death, and the future was uncertain when Henry Karpik, a retired police officer from the Australian suburb of Figtree, and his wife of nearly 50 years, Susan Karpik, began their holiday cruise to New Zealand aboard the Ruby Princess.
It was March 8, 2020. About a week earlier, a passenger on another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, had become the first Australian to die of Covid-19.
A few days after the Ruby Princess left Sydney, Australia, Mr. Karpik began to feel tired, weak and achy, court records show. By the time the ship returned to Sydney, on March 19, 2020, Ms. Karpik saw that her husband was shaking and barely able to walk or carry his luggage, according to court documents.
Mr. Karpik, who was 72 at the time, spent nearly two months in the hospital, was placed on a ventilator, put into an induced coma and, at one point, given only a few days to live, court records show. He later recovered.
Ms. Karpik, the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the cruise company Carnival, which chartered the Ruby Princess, also contracted Covid-19, although her symptoms were milder.
On Wednesday, an Australian court found that Carnival and a subsidiary, Princess Cruise Lines, were negligent and had breached their duty of care in their handling of a coronavirus outbreak aboard the ship in the early days of the pandemic.
About 2,670 passengers and 1,146 crew members were aboard the Ruby Princess. About 660 people on board contracted coronavirus, and 28 died, according to court records.
Ms. Karpik, a retired nurse, had sought damages for personal injuries and distress and disappointment of more than 360,000 Australian dollars, or about $227,000.
But Justice Angus Stewart of the Federal Court of Australia found that Ms. Karpiks Covid-19 infection gave rise to very mild symptoms, and did not result in long Covid. He awarded her 4,423 Australian dollars, plus interest, or about $2,790, for her out-of-pocket medical expenses.
I have found that before the embarkation of passengers on the Ruby Princess for the cruise in question, the respondents knew or ought to have known about the heightened risk of coronavirus infection on the vessel, and its potentially lethal consequences, and that their procedures for screening passengers and crew members for the virus were unlikely to screen-out all infectious individuals, Justice Stewart wrote.
Justice Stewart ruled that Carnival knew of the danger to passengers from outbreaks in February 2020 on other vessels owned and operated by the company, namely the Diamond Princess off Japan and the Grand Princess off California.
To proceed with the cruise carried a significant risk of a coronavirus outbreak with possible disastrous consequences, yet they proceeded regardless, Justice Stewart wrote.
Vicky Antzoulatos, Ms. Karpiks lawyer, said that each passenger would need to prove individual damages unless Carnival settles the lawsuit. All of the passengers who were on the ship are part of the class action, she said.
Susans husband was very catastrophically injured, so we expect that he will have a substantial claim, and that will be the same for a number of the passengers on the ship, Ms. Antzoulatos said, according to The Associated Press.
Carnival Australia said in a statement: We have seen the judgment and are considering it in detail. The pandemic was a difficult time in Australias history, and we understand how heartbreaking it was for those affected.
Ms. Karpik said that she was pleased with the judgment and that she hoped it would help other passengers on the Ruby Princess and the families of those who died.
I hope the finding brings some comfort to them, she told reporters, according to 9News, because theyve all been through the mill and back.
An Australian court has ruled Carnival Cruises was negligent during an outbreak of COVID-19 onboard one of its ships in March 2020. A class-action lawsuit alleged the cruise line failed to take appropriate measures to ensure passengers on its Ruby Princess ship didn't get sick as the coronavirus was spreading around the world.
More than 2,650 passengers were onboard the ship when it departed Sydney on March 8, 2020, and returned to Sydney on March 19.
Susan Karpik, a former nurse whose husband was hospitalized with COVID-19 after the cruise, was the lead applicant in the class-action suit, according to Shine Law, the firm that represented about 1,000 plaintiffs.
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Karpik sued for over 360,000 Australian dollars, claiming she suffered psychological distress due to her husband's condition, according to the Reuters news agency. He was given only days to live at one point and is also part of the class-action lawsuit.
Karpik was awarded AU$4,423.48 ($2,826) for her medical expenses but did not receive other damages. However, attorney Vicky Antzoulatos said her husband and other passengers involved in the suit are still awaiting the court's decision on their claims and may be awarded more, according to Reuters.
About 900 COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths were linked to the cruise, Reuters reports.
During the trial, Carnival argued the nearly 700 U.S. passengers onboard signed a class-action waiver as part of the cruise line's U.S. terms and conditions and they should not be included in the suit, according to Shine Law. The court has yet make a decision on that.
"I am pleased with this outcome as it brings a degree of comfort for all passengers who were worse off as a result of traveling on the Ruby Princess," Antzoulatos said in a news release. "It's of course only a partial win as 28 lives were lost on this cruise. There are many individuals and families who will never recover from this loss."
CBS News has reached out to the law firm for further comment and is awaiting a response.
"We have seen the judgment and are considering it in detail," a Carnival Australia spokesperson told CBS News via email. "The pandemic was a difficult time in Australia's history, and we understand how heartbreaking it was for those affected."
In May 2020, Congress opened an investigation into how Carnival responded to COVID-19. At the time, more than 100 U.S. citizens who worked on cruises were stranded on ships because the CDC wanted cruise lines to make quarantine plans before allowing people to disembark.
Carnival said it was working with the CDC to get the employees home and that it would cooperate with the House investigation.
The CDC has since stopped monitoring cases of COVID-19 on cruise ships but said in 2022 it would "continue to publishguidanceto help cruise ships continue to provide a safer and healthier environment for passengers, crew and communities going forward."
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
Scientists may have unlocked a major piece of the mystery surrounding the mysterious cognitive issues associated with long COVID, and potential new treatment options.
Research published October 16 in the journal Cell investigates a comprehensive relationship between SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, gut health, and serotonin, a neurotransmitter.
Specifically, researchers have discovered a link between brain fog associated with long COVID and diminished serotonin levels.
Using both human and animal studies, researchers found a link between low circulating serotonin levels in the blood and cognitive problems. The study is the first to combine different hypotheses about serotonin, the gut, and long COVID into a cohesive, unified theory.
This is a beautiful and important study, Dr. Michelle Monje, PhD, a professor of neurology at Stanford University, told Healthline. Monje wasnt affiliated with the research.
The mechanism uncovered by this study highlights one of several ways that COVID and other inflammatory conditions can influence the brain and contribute to brain fog symptoms, Monje added.
Prof. Damien Keating, PhD, director of the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute at Flinders University in South Australia, whose previously published research explored the link between serotonin in the gut and COVID-19, called the study groundbreaking.
[This study] brings together a number of aspects related to COVID-19 and long COVID, as all were shown to be linked to mechanisms associated with gut serotonin, Keating, who wasnt affiliated with the research, told Healthline.
At the center of the hypothesis is the neurotransmitter serotonin. Researchers have looked at the connection between serotonin and COVID-19 at various times, but the results have never been so compelling.
Although scientists worldwide have attempted to answer questions about the cognitive issues caused by long COVID with varying success, this new research may be the most complete hypothesis about these symptoms and their biological underpinnings.
The multi-pronged study began in the post-COVID clinic of the University of Pennsylvania, where researchers identified that patients with long COVID had low levels of serotonin in their bloodstream.
Serotonin isnt just a feel good hormone but an important part of the bodys biochemistry that regulates bowel function, sleep, and the nervous system. Serotonin can also affect the brain and memory.
As researchers began piecing together the connection between long COVID, low serotonin levels, and cognitive problems in human patients, they also wanted to see if they could confirm their findings in an experimental study, they also wanted to confirm their findings in an experimental study with mice.
They observed that infected mice had similar issues related to low serotonin and cognitive impairment. When serotonin levels were restored using an SSRI, so did cognitive function.
The research investigates a long and complex series of biological mechanisms that begin in the gut and ultimately lead to cognitive symptoms in the brain.
Researchers have observed for some time that SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been found to linger in the gut of people whove had COVID-19, even after symptoms have cleared.
These viral remnants can persist as a reservoir inside the gastrointestinal tract. This theory has consistently been supported by the presence of the SARS-Cov-2 virus in stool, even long after the virus has appeared to clear from the body.
You have this pathway, this biochemical and biological pathway that is inhibited at its onset, and that has consequences, the end result of which is a reduction in serotonin, said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical School, told Healthline. Schaffner wasnt affiliated with the research.
These viral fragments continue to stimulate and provoke a chronic inflammatory response, which leads to a reduction in the absorption of tryptophan, which is a precursor to the chemical development of serotonin. Now its the circulating serotonin diminution, that may well relate to the brain fog and confusion kind of symptoms, he told Healthline.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase long COVID has been hard to pin down.
Today, there is general acceptance within the medical community about what long COVID is.
Still, it is difficult to diagnose and treat the condition due to the myriad lingering, sometimes debilitating symptoms (over 200, according to the World Health Organization) in about 1020% of people who develop COVID-19.
Now that a credible hypothesis has been formed that addresses the mechanism for at least some of those symptoms, what does that mean for treatment? In the short term, nothing.
However, the research has opened the door to investigate selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), traditionally used in depression treatment, and similar drugs that affect serotonin levels in the body as a potential adjunct treatment for long COVID. However, rigorous clinical trials would have to occur before any such treatment option would be viable.
For now, treating long COVID is all about treating the specific symptoms, which can vary from person to person. And, while this new research is substantial, it only looks at a small number of the many symptoms reported by individuals dealing with the disease.
The number one thing that Im hearing from people with long COVID is that they have these symptoms that physicians are not understanding and not connecting the dots. The diagnosis of long COVID hasnt been clearly defined because the symptoms are so vague, said Dr. Adupa Rao, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
Rao, who isnt affiliated with the research, is one of the founders of USCs Covid Recovery Clinic, and is currently overseeing a clinical trial to assess the effects of the ketogenic diet on gut inflammation associated with COVID-19.
This research highlights how complex this long COVID diagnosis can be. It requires really thinking outside the box to establish a diagnosis and hopefully a treatment option in the near future, he said.
New research suggests that diminished blood serotonin levels could cause cognitive impairment and brain fog in long COVID patients.
Serotonin levels appear to be diminished due to a series of downstream biological mechanisms caused by COVID-19-associated inflammation in the gut.
Focusing on drugs that affect serotonin levels could offer new treatment options for cognitive impairment caused by COVID-19, although none are currently on the horizon.
Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and top aide Melissa DeRosa deliver a COVID-19 update in New York City in August 2020. File photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Oct 26, 2023
A prominent figure from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration is resurfacing with a new memoir.
Melissa DeRosa was Cuomos top aide for four years until he resigned in 2021 amidst multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
Her book, titled Whats Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics and Crisis, covers her experiences leading the states management of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the scandals that ultimately brought Cuomo down.
In an interview with Albany reporter Karen DeWitt, DeRosa defended a March 2020 nursing home policy decision. It required the facilities to take back COVID-positive patients from hospitals. Critics say it led to the unnecessary deaths of thousands of elderly New Yorkers.Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
KAREN DeWITT: You present a defense of the March 25, 2020 nursing home policy. It became kind of an infamous decision to allow hospitalized COVID-positive nursing home residents to go back into the nursing homes. And you also talked about the report by Attorney General Tish James that said you undercounted the deaths by 50%. You present a defense of that, but I wonder, in retrospect, do you think that if you and the governor had maybe just apologized for that decision, instead of kind of doubling down on it, maybe it would have played out differently politically?
MELISSA DeROSA: I don't mean to try to present a defense of it in the book. My intention was to try to explain it to people: what it was, what happened, what was going on around us. I think that, particularly as it related to nursing homes, and the weaponization and the politicization of what happened around nursing homes, combined with the very real pain of the families who lost loved ones, it just became this political football that it never should have been. And looking back, if I knew then what I knew today, I would do a lot of things differently. But my heart goes out to people who lost loved ones in nursing homes. As I write in the book, you know, every decision that was being made was done with the best possible intent with the information that we had at the time.
In her book, DeRosa also harshly criticizes current Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was lieutenant governor when DeRosa was Cuomos top aide. Hochul finished out Cuomos term when he resigned in August 2021.
DeWITT: I wanted to get to your references to the current governor, Kathy Hochul, in the book. They're not exactly flattering. And you also mentioned in the book that someone gave you the "Mean Girl" moniker, which you didn't like, but you're pretty hard on a lot of people in the book and, I would have to say, yourself, too. But your references to Kathy Hochul are pretty negative. You say she's a character straight out of HBOs "Veep" central casting, you admit that you tried to get her off the ticket in 2018. And it seems like you're essentially blaming her for deaths in Hurricane Ida and the Buffalo snowstorm because she fired the head of emergency management. I mean, don't you feel any kinship I mean, you were a groundbreaking woman in your job to the first female governor in New York State?
DeROSA: You know, look, I think that Kathy Hochuls heart is in the right place. I really do...
DeWITT: You don't really say that in your book, though.
DeROSA: ...but, you know, I disagree strongly with how she's been governing the state for the last two years and the flipness in that moment, when I was calling her to say, you know, The governor is announcing he's resigning, it's going to be effective in 14 days, which, by the way, was such an emotional low. I mean, at that point, my mental health had deteriorated to a point where I wasn't sure I was going to get to the next day. And when I call to tell her that he's going to step down, it's the hardest decision of his life, not because he's conceding guilt on these things, but because we could count the numbers in the impeachment and because we knew we were on a losing track with the legislature, and because of what it was doing to all the people around us. I call and I have this moment with her, and her immediate response is, Lieutenant governors are prepared to take over at a moment's notice. And I was like, what? Like she hadn't been involved in a single substantive policy discussion in seven years that we were there, she wasn't a part of negotiating with legislature, she'd never dealt with a snowstorm, she'd never dealt with a hurricane, shed never dealt with a disaster or an emergency of any kind. And it was the flipness of that that grated on me and continues to grate on me to this day.
DeWitt reached out to Hochuls office for a response to DeRosas comments. A spokesperson said in a statement, "The State of New York has moved on, and we hope she is able to find a way to move on as well."
Click here for Karen DeWitt's full interview with Melissa DeRosa.
A new omicron subvariant, HV.1, now accounts for more than a quarter of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., CDC data shows. Meanwhile, uptake of the new vaccine has been slow and new hospital admissions continue to decline.
Five COVID-19 updates to know this week:
HV.1: Experts believe the strain may be slightly better at evading prior immunity, which may explain its new dominance. There are no concerns surrounding changes in disease severity, and the new COVID-19 shots are expected to offer some level of protection against the strain, given it's a descendant of XBB.1.5, which the shots were initially designed to target.
Separately, the CDC is monitoring the spread of JN.1, a variant first detected in the U.S. in September. According to an Oct. 27 update, the strain is very similar to BA.2.86 and currently makes up less than 0.1% of cases. "With this limited information, it is too early to tell whether it will spread more widely," the agency said.
COVID-19 admissions have been declining in the U.S. for weeks. There were just over 16,100 new COVID-19 admissions for the week ending Oct. 21, marking a 0.2% decline from the week prior. Based on past trends, however, experts predict the nation may see another winter uptick in December or January the same time of the year flu tends to peak.
Detecting COVID-19 gets murkier: A quarter of the nation's CDC-sponsored wastewater testing sites are shut down indefinitely as the agency looks to replace the firm it worked with on wastewater surveillance since 2020, sparking concerns among public health officials that there will be little insight into COVID-19's spread as colder months arrive. Read more here.
New vaccine rollout off to slow start: About 12 million Americans have received the new shots since mid-September, less than 4% of the U.S. There have been numerous reports about supply issues and difficulty accessing the new shots across the country. As of mid-October, many community health centers were still waiting on supplies to arrive. Pharmacies and nursing homes have also faced difficulties in stocking enough vaccines amid bumps in a new distribution model, which changed from federal entities to wholesalers and other private suppliers.
A new long COVID-19 theory: Remnants of the virus that causes COVID-19 may linger in the gut, ultimately causing a reduction in circulating levels of serotonin. According to new research from scientists at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, this may explain a number of long COVID-19 symptoms, such as brain fog and memory problems. The findings are believed to connect many of the major hypotheses surrounding the causes of new or persistent symptoms, such as lingering virus components, inflammation and increased blood clotting.
Here I was at Statevilles Health Care Unity (Hereinafter HCU), on Friday August 18, 2023
I felt sick but not totally out of it. I had been there since 9:30 in the morning, waiting to see Dr. Perez. Some other men saw her and left but not me. Oh, they were peeved too. I was told she couldnt hear that good: another nurse would relay the message, whatever one of us said to her. Hmm
Listening, I decided to write down what I was gonna say. In that way, my message would not be misunderstood. My nose wasnt running but I sneezed a lot. I coughed up phlegm; Funny thing, I had a fever but no chills. No vomiting or diarrhea. I hadnt eaten either.
Two hours passed, more men came; more left. Whether it was the dentist, physical therapy, talking to the psyche, or seeing the eye doctor, lunchtime they bounced. When they returned, saw patients, and they left. I knew the kitchen was done with much. In fact, the kitchen changes shifts between 12:30 and 1:00pm. I asked corrections Officer Smith, (hereafter C.O) about our trays. He was working at the HW main entrance.
Your trays will be waiting for you back at your units. Unquote.
I knew better. The closer it became 1:00. I began to realize I was S-O-L. The other men in the bullpens places for us to sit as we waited to see the medical pro assigned to us by pass; were grumbling too. It was late.
Some men came and left. Yet, no Dr. Perez. Tired of hearing us grumbled CT. Clark asked if anyone would like to leave. Hell yeah! I was ready to bounce. She opened the door, I waited right outside, caught the escort line back to C-house, my unit.
It was almost two in the afternoon when I stepped into my cell. For over four and a half hours, just wasted. Getting out my cell is always cool but sitting and waiting like I did no haps. Security will tell ya after so many hours,
Your pass is canceled today. Well reschedule whoever you were here to see.
Sure enough, thats exactly what happened. Friday night, for institutional mail, I received a Medical Pass for Dr. Perez on Monday, the 21st.
I thought it didnt matter. All Saturday, I tossed and turned with a fever. Sunday Morning, I tried to get up and moving but I couldnt. I chilled, as soon as the shift changed on 3 toll, I was leaving with the C.House Medline the Diabetes, Treatments, and Hypertension Folles.
After I had a cellhouse worker inform Sgt. Pinto, she was okay with me leaving with the Medline.
As soon as I made, it over to the HCU and the men received their meds and treatment, I was called. I went into the examination room, I hopped on the medbed, and the curtain was shut. The nurse took my vitals. I was still burning up! No diarrhea or vomiting, just the fever. I sneezed some but not much coughing.
Mr. Ward, Im Going to have to swab you for COVID-19 and the flu, the nurse said.
Okay,
She pulled out a six- inch Q-Tip, This is gonna feel strange. It may hurt Im sorry to have do it.
Thats okay, I winked at her, Im sort of used to it, the swabs tests.
The First swat was for the flu; she inserted it in my right nostril, all the way up I held onto the bedrail. The next one was for COVID-19. It was worse. Seemed like after she Inserted it into
my left nostril, she was probing around in my brain! DAMM! Finally, she pulled out; she set them
in test tube survey.
Ill have your results in a few minutes, Mr. Ward.
ISLAMABAD-Experts on Sunday advised various precautionary measures while citing immunity-boosting methods to help people stay healthy as the majority of patients are getting infected with flu-causing viruses, like influenza, RSV, adenovirus, and rhinovirus, ahead of the winter season. Talking to a private news channel, A specialist for a chest infection, Dr Rashid Dawood, said that most parts of the country, especially Karachi hospitals, are witnessing a surge in cases of the influenza virus, adding that we advised people to take precautions and not panic given the rise in influenza cases. The doctor also encouraged the public to get vaccinated and adhere to precautionary measures to reduce the spread of the virus, thereby safeguarding their own well-being and that of the broader community and averting potential complications arising from influenza infections. Every year, thousands of people are affected by seasonal fever or influenza, he said, adding that the virus infects and multiplies within the bodys cells and impacts the respiratory system. Though it is not fatal, it can sometimes lead to hospitalization, he feared. Typically, the flu does not endure for more than two weeks, and the infection recedes at an average pace depending on the type of flu virus. In some rare cases, the flu virus can also adversely affect overall health by infecting the lungs, ears, sinuses, etc. It is important to take extra care by following all the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of infection, he added. Dr suggested that people should primarily avoid visiting crowded places, which include markets, offices, and family gatherings, and, in unavoidable situations, should wear face masks, maintain hand hygiene, and practice respiratory etiquette. He said the public should remember how we dealt with COVID-19 times, adding that the same things should apply again and cover their mouth while sneezing and coughing. Replying to a question, he said that people with one or more of the following symptoms, like fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue, may be infected with influenza or another virus. People with influenza-like symptoms should isolate and avoid close contact with other people, he said, adding that if this is not possible, the use of a face mask by people who are ill with influenza symptoms may help contain respiratory secretions when the person coughs or sneezes and lower the risk for infection among close contacts. Dr Dawood said family members or others in the home or another non-healthcare setting are providing care for someone sick with influenza symptoms and who must have close contact (within one meter). Citizens are also strongly advised to limit their interactions with large gatherings, maintain a healthy diet, get sufficient rest, and stay physically active, he added.
As the northern hemisphere enters the winter months, you might hear coughs and sneezes echoing through your facility and notice higher employee absentee rates. Welcome to the cold and flu season.
Following two mild flu seasons due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considered the U.S. 202223 influenza season moderately severe, with an estimate of at least 31 million symptomatic illnesses, 14 million medical visits, 360,000 hospitalizations, and 21,000 deaths caused by influenza virus infection. The rate of influenza-associated hospitalizations was similar to hospitalization rates of four pre-COVID-19 seasons (201415, 201617, 201819, and 201920) and higher than all but one remaining season (201718) since the 201011 season.
The number of death certificates with influenza listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death during the 202223 season (9,697) was above the average number of influenza-coded deaths (8,530) during the five seasons preceding the COVID-19 pandemic (201516 through 201920) and three to 10 times higher than the number of influenza-coded deaths during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It remains to be seen whether the 202324 flu season will be mild or severe. The best plan of action is to adhere to your facilitys cleaning practices and protocols, and encourage your employees and building occupants to receive their flu vaccinations. Two infection control experts, Jordan Bastian, a senior infection preventionist with CloroxPros Clinical and Scientific Affairs team, and Jason Welch, a formulating chemist with Spartan Chemical Co., weigh in with their advice on preparing for the current flu season, and dealing with other common winter illnesses.
Bastian and Welch listed rhinovirus, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and strep throat as the most common winter illnesses, with the addition of COVID-19 in recent years.
Winter illness spikes for a few reasons but mainly because cold temperatures force people indoors for large gatherings, said Welch. He explained that reduced airflow in buildings due to closed windows and doors can keep germs trapped inside.
As activities and gatherings move inside, this creates an ideal environment for bacteria and viruses to spread on surfaces in shared spaces, added Bastian. More time inside means more of a chance for these germs to cause illness. As people gather in facilities with reduced airflow, viruses and bacteria easily spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, contaminated surfaces, and the air. When someone coughs, sneezes, or talks, germs spread and many end up on nearby surfaces, said Bastian.
As we spend more time inside and touch hot-spot items like doorknobs, light switches, chairs, and tables, were more likely to come in contact with germs and also contribute to their spread.
Welch stressed that it isnt necessarily the winter season that is responsible for the spread of germs, but rather the indoor conditions. Germs spread in the same way, no matter what time of year it is, he said. They can be airborne, foodborne, and waterborne, and [spread] from potentially contaminated surfaces.
Bastian suggested that facilities take a three-step approach in their plan to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses via contaminated surfaces:
In busy public places, Welch recommends focusing on increased cleaning instead of disinfection. His reasoning is that disinfection only works in a controlled environment when the disinfectant is allowed to remain on the surface for the contact (also known as dwell) time listed on the product label. Following the recommended contact time is not always practical in a busy setting. Instead, frequent, quick cleanings will help remove germs on surfaces that are quickly re-contaminated.
Keep adequate stock of cleaners that are suited for the surfaces being cleaned, Welch said. Most importantly [have] a well-trained staff [that knows] how to properly clean the facility.
In addition to focusing on surface pathogens, Welch and Bastian advised facilities to consider strategies to prevent the airborne spread of germs. Bastian recommends that facility managers encourage respiratory etiquette, such as coughing and sneezing into a tissue or your elbow. Both stressed the importance of frequent handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer. Keep soap and paper towel dispensers filled, Welch said.
Dont overlook your facilitys HVAC systems. The best thing a facility can do is make sure their HVAC systems are up to date with maintenance and are turning over a proper air exchange, Welch said.
The CDC recommends aiming for five or more air changes per hour (ACH). This can be achieved through a combination of air exchange through a central ventilation system, natural ventilation, and additional devices that provide equivalent ACH to existing ventilation.
As we enter flu and cold season, the experts agree that, ideally, facilities should not need to ramp up their cleaning and disinfection efforts.
During flu season, times of increased illness, or during outbreaks, it is best to rely on your disinfection plan versus closing the facility or implementing extra cleaning and disinfection procedures, said Bastian. If you are using products effective in killing the virus or bacteria of concern, routine cleaning and disinfecting protocols should be sufficient.
Germ dont take vacations, said Welch. Facilities should have a solid cleaning and maintenance program year-round. Think about a kitchen; should the kitchen relax its sanitation procedures because its a certain time of year? I hope not!
Bastian said facility mangers can monitor the number of influenza cases in their area by reading updates from their local health departments along with the CDCs flu activity and surveillance report, FluView, which it updates every week during flu season. Another CDC resource is the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System, NREVSS, a laboratory-based system that monitors circulation patterns of RSV, human parainfluenza viruses (HPIV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), respiratory adenoviruses, human coronavirus, rotavirus, and norovirus.
Facility managers can use the information in these reports to ensure they have cleaning products on hand that are effective against the pathogens responsible for the illnesses in their area, Bastian said. They can also keep watch for illnesses among building residents and employees, who ideally have paid sick leave. Welch offered common-sense, yet often ignored, advice: If youre sick, stay home!
Early flu symptoms can come on suddenly, usually within a few days of exposure to the influenza virus, and can include a fever.
While fever is often thought of as a common flu symptom, not everyone who gets the flu runs a temperature.
In addition to fever, common early flu symptoms include:
Early flu symptoms easily can be confused with a common cold, but while cold symptoms come on gradually flu typically will affect you fast.
Flu symptoms alone arent enough for a diagnosis, and they can overlap quite a bit with COVID-19 symptoms. The Food and Drug Administration earlier this year approved an over-the-counter home test for flu and COVID-19. It works much the same way as existing home COVID-19 tests, using a gentle swab of the nostril to collect a sample, and can give you a result in about half an hour.
The test can detect influenza A, influenza B and COVID-19.
See a medical provider at a Norton Prompt Care clinic or a Norton Immediate Care Center. Norton eCare offers virtual visits if you prefer to get urgent care from home.
For many, seasonal flu can come and go without the need to see a medical provider, said Mary Rademaker, M.D., medical director of Norton Immediate Care Centers. But it can be very serious for many others, and for those who are at risk of severe flu complications, we can prescribe an antiviral medication.
The flu is contagious and, in some people, can be deadly. Older people, young children and people with certain health conditions can develop severe illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following steps if you have the flu.
Related: When does the flu warrant emergency care?
If you have a fever, you can still spread the flu virus for about 24 hours after your temperature comes down. Stay home for another day after your fever is gone without taking any fever-reducing medicine such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol).
If you havent gotten the flu vaccine, its likely not too late to protect yourself and those around you. Flu season runs from fall through spring, and the flu shot takes effect after about two weeks. Even if its early March, you can still benefit from the vaccines protection.
The vaccine doesnt always prevent you from getting sick from the flu virus, but it is very effective at reducing your symptoms or preventing you from developing flu complications if you do catch it.
Toronto
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Allison Jones - The Canadian Press
Posted: October 30, 2023 Last Updated: 11 Hours Ago
This respiratory virus season in Ontario should be easier on the province and its hospitals than last year, but success will largely depend on levels of vaccination, the chief medical officer of health said Monday.
Ontario residents who are six months and older can now receive a free flu shot and an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
People over six months of age can receive their new COVID-19 shot if six months have passed since their last vaccine dose or confirmed infection. The shot targets the XBB variant of COVID-19, among the "family" of Omicron variants currently circulating, Dr. Kieran Moore said.
It's safe and convenient to get both the new COVID-19 shot and the flu shot at the same time, he said.
"If you want to separate them, that's fine, [but I]wouldn't let it go much longer," Moore said.
"Given that we anticipate influenza season starting in the coming weeks, it's really best to get both of those vaccines as soon as possible if we want the safest and healthiest winter and holiday season going forward."
Last fall and winter, high levels of COVID-19, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) overwhelmed hospitals, particularly children's hospitals, with what health officials called a triple threat.
So far this year, the impact of the viruses is looking more staggered, Moore said.
"We're fortunate influenza [season]hasn't started, so that hasn't put a health system impact or impact on the health of Ontarians yet," he said.
"COVID general numbers are on the decline, but still quite active in the community, but the impact on the hospitals is getting less week by week and we hope as long as we don't have fading or waning immunity that that will continue."
The most recent updates on the Public Health Ontario website show that levels of COVID-19 in wastewater testing have been decreasing for a few weeks, but that per cent test positivity is on the rise.
As of last week there were about 400 people admitted to hospital with COVID-19, Moore said, and around 40 people in ICUs.
The flu season, while it hasn't yet taken off in Ontario, will likely be a long one, Moore said, with both influenza A and B strains leading to the virus circulating through to the spring.
"In the southern hemisphere, they found that there was a good match between the vaccine and the circulating strains, and hence a strong protection against severe outcomes like hospitalization and death," he said. "So we're anticipating a good match."
RSV season, however, is already well underway, with 100 people in hospital with the virus, up from just over 20 a few weeks ago, Moore said. About half of those patients are children under four years old and most of the other patients are over 65.
Health Canada has approved an RSV vaccine for people aged 60 and older, and Ontario is publicly funding those shots for people in that age group living in long-term care homes, Elder Care Lodgesand retirement homes licensed to provide dementia care services.
