With latex gloves on and syringes at the ready, Bryants Health Services staff spent last Thursday administering flu shots in the Unistructures Mezzanine. Rolling up one sleeve and experiencing a quick pinch, students, faculty, and staff walked away with more than just a Band-Aid they now had a strategy to fight the flu.
The virus loves communities where people are close together because it's easier to jump from one person to the next. Think classrooms, sports teams, locker rooms, concerts, or living spaces, says Biological and Biomedical Sciences Lecturer Stephanie Mott, M.S.
Flu season, which begins in early fall, can leave people sick for 10 to 14 days. With peak infection rates occurring between late-November and March, health officials recommend individuals receive an annual flu shot in September or October; those who receive a shot any earlier could experience waning antibodies during the virus active periods.
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You really don't want to get sick, Mott says. If you have the flu, you're more susceptible to other infections. A lot of people who have the flu will then get an ear infection, eye infection, or pneumonia, so if you can eliminate the first infection, then you won't get the second.
School of Health and Behavioral Sciences Director Kirsten Hokeness, Ph.D., notes that the flu vaccine seeks to prevent full-scale versions of the infection and reduce hospitalizations and deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccinations during the 2019-2020 flu season prevented approximately 7.5 million influenza illnesses, 3.7 million influenza-associated medical visits, 105,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations, and 6,300 influenza-associated deaths.
While the vaccines core stays the same each year, there are aspects that change depending on the seasonal variant.
You have to predict in advance what virus strains are going to be heavily dominant in that seasonal flu wave, so you're constantly using analytics to look at across the globe of what's happening, says Hokeness, adding that scientists use dominant strains to make the vaccine.
Variant predictions occur a year in advance; it takes that much time to grow the virus, produce the vaccine, and distribute it to the public. Hokeness says the vaccine manufacturing process begins with growing the flu virus in eggs and incubating the eggs before extracting the virus; this method has been used for more than 70 years. The vaccine can also be created through recombinant technology and a cell culture-based production process.
If the strain circulating the population and the vaccine are a match, the vaccine should prove effective. Hokeness notes that problems occur when there's a diversion during the seasonal flu cycle and newer or different variants arise these are the years where the vaccine's not as effective.
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Flu symptoms often include respiratory congestion, coughing, and fevers, and those who are most impacted are young children, those over 65, and the immunocompromised. Mott explains that as the virus circulates the population, humans develop immunity against the infective process, which stops the virus in its tracks and forces it to change itself to sneak around the immunity. Vaccine side effects should be minimal and may include soreness from the needle prick and tiredness the following day.
The vaccine exposes a person to a small part of the virus that cannot make you sick. By giving the body a portion of the virus, youre telling it, Okay, this is coming your way, Mott says.
Vaccine protection kicks in two weeks after the injection since the body needs time to build antibodies. Hokeness adds that as infections are encountered, the immune system mounts a fighting response; the body will remember this virus exposure causing it to have a quicker and more vigorous response the next time.
Bryants Health Services will hold a flu clinic on Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in MRC 3.
Last year, New Hampshire hospitals saw a surge of young children with the respiratory illness RSV. Now, local health care workers and state officials say new vaccines could make a big difference heading into another cold-weather virus season.
For the first time, we have safe and updated vaccines to protect us for all three winter and fall respiratory illnesses COVID-19, flu and RSV, said Patricia Tilley, director of New Hampshires Division of Public Health Services.
RSV short for respiratory syncytial virus circulates every fall. For most people, it causes a mild cold. But it can be more risky for infants and older adults. Its the leading cause of hospitalization for infants in the U.S.
This year, federal regulators approved the first RSV vaccines for people over 60. People who are pregnant can also now get vaccinated between their 32nd and 36th weeks, in order to protect their child against RSV.
Theres also a new monoclonal antibody treatment for infants up to 8 months, as well as children up to 19 months who are at higher risk for severe disease. The shot boosts immunity against RSV through whats known as passive immunization providing virus-fighting antibodies directly, rather than spurring the body to produce its own antibodies as a traditional vaccine does.
Martha Wassell, the director of infection prevention at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, said older children typically have some protection against RSV already, from being exposed to the virus in a previous season.
But for the very youngest children, she said these new immunizations could be a game-changer.
Hundreds in the U.S. in this age group die of RSV every year, she said. And now we have made it a preventable disease.
She encouraged new and expecting parents to talk to their doctors about their options.
Dr. Michael McLeod, the associate chief clinical officer for Concord Hospital Primary Care, said the RSV vaccines are also important for older adults.
We know that there's an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 deaths a year from RSV in adults older than 65, he said. So having a preventative vaccine, especially for individuals at high risk, can be an important tool in helping to prevent illness.
He said the CDC recommends that people older than 60 talk to their doctors about whether an RSV vaccine makes sense for them, based on their underlying health issues and other factors.
Major insurers including Aetna, Harvard Pilgrim and UnitedHealthcare said they are covering RSV vaccines and antibody treatments in full, as preventive care. New Hampshire Medicaid is also covering the shots. Many pharmacies in the state are now offering RSV vaccines.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan told health care providers last week that RSV activity nationally was still low but starting to tick up consistent with a typical season, where RSV infections begin increasing around October.
Wassell said people who are eligible should talk to their health care providers sooner rather than later, and get a vaccine if appropriate.
I recommend not waiting a day longer than you need to, she said. We are into the viral respiratory season.
For most of the millions of people who get the flu each year in the U.S., the virus brings a few days of fever, body aches and weakness before it goes away.
But for some, the influenza virus can lead to severe illness, hospitalization even death.
Allison Miller knows these risks all too well. This year marks a decade since serious complications from the flu led to a life-changing loss for the Virginia-based communications director.
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At age 33, Miller was a healthy young woman when she came down with a sore throat and headache.
When her symptoms got worse, she went into urgent care for a chest X-ray, but it showed nothing alarming.
A decade ago, Allison Miller (pictured) experienced serious complications from the flu, which led to a life-changing loss. (Allison Miller/iStock)
"It looked like it was just some sort of run-of-the-mill stuff they gave me some prescription cough syrup and said to let them know if it got worse," she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Back at home that night, Miller started feeling worse and began having intense back pain.
"Thinking it was the flu or something I could get over, I kept waiting to turn the corner like, this is the worst of it. It'll get better. And clearly that wasn't the case," she said.
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The next morning, when the back pain was causing her to have periodic blackouts, Miller managed to call a friend, who came over and called an ambulance.
Thats where Miller's memory stops.
"I remember being loaded into the ambulance and then I really don't remember a whole lot after that for about three weeks to a month thereafter," she said. "It just escalated very quickly."
Today, in what Miller refers to as her "new normal," she wears a prosthesis and with the help of "very qualified people" has learned to walk again and to "navigate the world and all of its terrain." (Allison Miller)
As Miller would later learn, her influenza had caused bilateral bacterial pneumonia which affects both lungs and is more severe than viral pneumonia.
This led to sepsis, which quickly turned to septic shock.
"All of my organs were shutting down," Miller said. "Within a short amount of time, I was in the ICU and they were doing everything they could. But ultimately, my last best chance was to be put on life support."
"I had missed the memo that flu vaccines were for everyone, and being 33 at the time and otherwise healthy, it didn't even register as something I should consider doing."
After five days, Miller experienced a rare complication.
"A known complication of that form of life support is amputation," she told Fox News Digital. "Some patients lose blood circulation, and that's what happened to me."
Ultimately, doctors had to amputate Millers left leg above the knee all while she was still in a medically induced coma.
Miller has been able to get back to the things that she loves to do, such as traveling the world and not feeling limited by her disability. (Allison Miller)
"By the time I came out of it, it had been three weeks. I awoke in a very hazy position and I didnt have a left leg," she recalled.
She spent another two months in the hospital and then had to do weeks of inpatient rehabilitation.
Today, in what Miller refers to as her "new normal," she wears a prosthesis and with the help of "very qualified people" has learned to walk again and to "navigate the world and all of its terrain."
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Miller has been able to get back to the things that she loves to do, such as traveling the world, without feeling limited by her disability.
"It's just different, and I have learned to adapt and adjust," she said.
In addition to the amputation, Miller still suffers from permanent lung damage and below-average heart function.
The more severe complications of flu are often markedly reduced for those who get an influenza vaccine, a doctor told Fox News Digital. (Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belgia/AFP via Getty Images)
"There was some permanent organ damage because of the strain of the virus, as it was such a severe case of pneumonia," she said. "I have a terminal lung condition that needs regular treatment."
She added, "It's manageable, but it's something I will forever deal with."
The experience has given Miller a "renewed sense of how quickly things could change" and has taught her to be as proactive as possible about her health to prevent a terrible outcome.
"A viral illness like influenza can set you up for something more serious further on."
Overall, Miller said she thinks most people dont understand how severe the flu can be so they dont recognize the signs that they need immediate medical attention.
"In my case, it was very quick it was within 24 to 48 hours that it went from just coming on, to me being in the hot seat."
Now, Miller is looking to spread awareness of the importance of getting the flu vaccine, which she did not get that year.
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions. (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo)
"I had missed the memo that flu vaccines were for everyone, and being 33 at the time and otherwise healthy, it didn't even register as something I should consider doing," she said.
"If there's anything you can do proactively to minimize the risk of something that severe happening to you, you absolutely should do it, I think."
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Miller acknowledges that the vaccine doesnt guarantee that someone won't get the flu, but noted that "it's more of a continuum, rather than either you're sick or you're not."
She said, "You still might get it, but you may not end up in the ICU like I did Considering the benefits that you could get and what the extreme, worst outcome could be, it is an easy thing to do that is proven to make a tremendous difference for people," she added.
In addition to getting yearly vaccines, Miller takes steps to minimize her exposure and makes healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating nutritious foods and exercising.
During the 2021-2022 influenza season, the CDC estimates that there were nine million illnesses, four million medical visits, 10,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to the flu. (iStock)
Dr. Gregg Sylvester, chief health officer at CSL Seqirus, a New Jersey biopharmaceutical company, noted that while Millers experience is not typical of most women in her age range, "it probably occurs more often than we know."
The flu triggers inflammation of the respiratory tract, Sylvester said, which causes it to become irritated and can allow secondary or bacteria to enter.
COVID-19, FLU AND RSV VACCINES ARE ALL AVAILABLE THIS FALL: SEE WHAT SOME DOCTORS RECOMMEND AND WHY
"A viral illness like influenza can set you up for something more serious further on," he warned. "That's why it's so important to get a vaccine."
The more severe complications of flu often are markedly reduced for those who get an influenza vaccine, according to the doctor.
"It's important to seek care early, especially if symptoms start to change dramatically," a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
"You still may end up getting infected, but your symptoms will be milder," he said. "And hopefully, your respiratory tract will be in a little bit better shape."
Mid-October is the "perfect time" to get a flu vaccine, Sylvester said, as he noted that the U.S. is starting to see an upswing in cases.
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"It's never too late, but it is important to be vaccinated before the season really gets started," he said.
Overall, Miller urged, "don't dismiss the flu as just the flu. It's so much more than that. And it can be life-altering."
She continued, "If you're sick and the symptoms are severe, don't waste time wondering if you should seek medical attention. Listen to your body its better to go in proactively, rather than regret it later."
Miller's influenza caused bilateral bacterial pneumonia, which affects both lungs and is more severe than viral pneumonia. (iStock)
Sylvester agreed, stressing the need for people to be their own patient advocates.
"It's important to seek care early, especially if symptoms start to change dramatically," he said.
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During the 2021-2022 influenza season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there were nine million illnesses, four million medical visits, 10,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to the flu.
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
Flu is a common illness during the winter. But it can be severe, especially in children younger than age 5 and adults ages 65 and older, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems and chronic conditions, such as diabetes or asthma. It attacks the respiratory system, causing fever, body aches, cough, headache, and sore throat.
How to prevent the flu: Get the annual flu shot, which is available to everyone ages 6 months and older. Although it can be given throughout the flu season, the CDC recommends getting the shot by the end of October for peak protection. While the timing of the flu season can vary from year to year, activity often starts to increase in October and peaks between December and February (although it can extend until May).
Most people ages 6 months and older need only one dose of the flu vaccine; however, some children, ages 6 months through 8 years, may require two doses for the best protection. Pregnant women in their third trimester can consider getting the shot in July or August to protect their infants in the first several months after birth (when they are too young to be vaccinated).
Some people will still get the flu after getting the vaccine, Dr. Gleeson says. But data suggests that if you do, the vaccine decreases the risk of severe disease and hospitalization. You might feel bad, but not as dramatically ill as you would have been if you didn't get the vaccine.
This year, special measures for flu vaccination are no longer recommended for people with egg allergies, regardless of the severity of a previous reaction to egg. This is based on studies that show those severe allergic reactions are rare, according to the CDC, which also recommends all vaccines be given in settings where allergic reactions can be recognized and treated quickly. People with allergies to other vaccine ingredients should talk to their providers.
If you get the flu: The CDC recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone. The fever should go away on its own without over-the-counter medication, according to the CDC. Also, children and teenagers should not take aspirin or products that contain salicylate to treat flu symptoms, since that ingredient can cause a rare condition called Reyes syndrome in people 18 and younger.
You can talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for an antiviral drug, such as Tamiflu, especially if you are 65 or older, pregnant, or have a medical condition such as asthma or heart disease. Children can take these medications as well. Antiviral drugs, including pills, inhaled powders, and solutions delivered intravenously, fight the flu virus in your body, and they work best when you start taking them early, one or two days after symptoms start. Antivirals can help reduce symptoms, shorten your illness by one or two days, and prevent pneumonia and other serious complications, including death.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases resurfaced in Montanas domestic birds this October, ending the summertime break in cases as the outbreak continues into its 18th month and state officials adjust their response.
Last week in Glacier County, a poultry flock intended for sale and consumption was confirmed to have bird flu by Montana officials. Per federal guidelines, officials killed the flocks some 50,300 birds to prevent the virus from spreading.
The same week a backyard flock in Flathead County tested positive for HPAI and eight birds were culled. On Tuesday evening, another backyard flock in Park County was confirmed to have bird flu, the Montana Department of Livestock said.
The three instances are the first HPAI cases Montana has seen since April. Experts attribute the uptick to the fall migrations of waterfowl and other wild birds that spread the virus to farm-raised, or domestic, birds.
We knew that this fall migration was a potential risk period for seeing additional cases, Tahnee Szymanski, state veterinarian for the Montana Department of Livestock, said in an interview Wednesday. Generally speaking, this virus survives better in cool and wet conditions than it does in hot and dry ones. So fall weather right is much more conducive to virus survivability.
While the uptick in cases was expected, this HPAI outbreak is different from previous ones in terms of severity and ability to infect more wild birds. The last national outbreak in 2014-2015 lasted seven months and in Montana, infected just one backyard flock and a single captive wild bird.
Comparatively, the Park County flock is Montanas 20th flock impacted since the state recorded its first case of this HPAI strain (H5N1) in April 2022.
Tahnee Szymanski, state veterinarian for the Montana Department of Livestock, said in an interview Wednesday that the infections are still from the same strain, but it has genetically mutated since it started spreading a year and a half ago.
As the bird flu outbreak has continued, the state has adapted its response, Syzmanski said. Depopulation requirements have loosened and quarantine times have been shortened.
Producers have been rigorous with their biosecurity to limit interactions between wild and domestic birds, Syzmanski said.
Most of the cases are transmitted from wild to domestic flocks rather than the virus bouncing from domestic to domestic flock, which is a testament to the work that all of our poultry producers are doing, Szymanski said.
Some of the successes there as far as biosecurity have allowed us to do things like not require depopulation of some small backyard flocks, Szymanski said. And when we started this process, the duration that affected premises had to be under quarantine was longer.
Once a flock is confirmed positive for bird flu and animals are culled the federally-approved methods include CO2 gassing and cervical dislocation the premises have to be disinfected and quarantined before birds can be raised there again. That quarantine period used to be 150 days or more, and is now 120 days, Szymanski said.
Its still a huge blow to producers who lose out on months of income. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers some indemnity payments to producers, but they rarely cover the full costs of the impact, Szymanski said.
We would like to find the means to not have to depopulate so many birds, which has had so much disruption to the industry, Szymanski said. Last year, as we were entering the fall months, based upon the number of depopulations that had occurred, we were seeing increases in egg prices, and the price of poultry at the grocery store, and we would like to not have those repercussions.
Still, animal health officials say depopulation is often the most humane route for suffering birds and that its an important method to reduce viral spread. The virus has killed more species of wild birds than HPAI ever has before, and has also spread to an array of mammals and two known human infections, though Syzmanski said the risk to people is still low.
Vaccinating domestic birds for HPAI would be logistically complicated and disrupt international trade agreements, Szymanski said. She added the only species approved for emergency HPAI vaccination is condors in California.
Producers can take steps to limit the risk of bird flu, including keeping birds, feed troughs, and watering stations indoors and changing clothes and shoes when entering poultry birds to avoid biocontamination. The most common symptom of HPAI is sudden death of multiple birds in a flock, which producers should report to the livestock department immediately, Szymanski said.
Biosecurity feels like a really hollow talking point at this time weve been saying it for so long now but it really is the key piece, Szymanski said. If you have birds and want to keep them safe, think about ways to minimize exposure to wild birds.
Whittier Street Health Center clinic on Tremont Street in Roxbury. BANNER PHOTO
Officials at Bostons community health centers, taking their message deep into the neighborhoods, are encouraging residents to get vaccinated as flu season begins and before they get sick.
They are urging residents to get the annual flu vaccine, newly approved COVID-19 shots or the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine for older residents and infants.
The best way to stay healthy is prevention, said Cyril Ubiem, who heads the COVID-19 and infectious disease teams at Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center.
People should get vaccinated as temperatures drop and the holidays approach, said Melissa Leaston, director of nursing and infection control officer at Whittier Street Health Center.
Now is the time to protect yourself so when you are at those family gatherings, youve added a measure of safety for you as well as your loved ones, Leaston said.
The vaccinations help decrease the severity of the disease and reduce spread.
We often look at vaccines as a way that we care for each other, said Renee Crichlow, chief medical officer at Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester. Reducing the spread of viruses within the community helps keep us all stronger, and it protects our most vulnerable.
With the release of an RSV vaccine in May, this year marks the first time that vaccinations for all three major respiratory viruses flu, COVID-19, and RSV are available in the United States.
Staying up to date with these vaccinations is the best way to prevent serious complications and hospitalization from respiratory viral illness, which is important for everyone, said Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, in a statement.
Community health centers are focusing efforts on getting the vaccines out into neighborhoods.
For instance, Whittier Street operates mobile health care units where residents can get vaccinated. They can also go to the main clinic in Roxbury. Leaston recommends making an appointment. They can get vaccinated at churches and other faith-based organizations as was possible during the pandemic.
Were getting out into the community, getting to our elder population and just making sure that people are aware of whats going on, Leaston said.
Ubiem said Harvard Street has been using social media and on-the-ground outreach to let people know that their clinic is open for vaccinations five days a week.
Codman Square Health Center plans to run nursing vaccine clinics, Crichlow said. Residents can see their primary care physicians about getting the shots.
The new COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna were approved last month. An updated Novavax shot was approved earlier this month. The vaccines target a subvariant of the Omicron strain of the disease.
The vaccines come as Boston sees an increase in hospitalizations for the disease and concentrations of the virus in wastewater tracking, matching expected seasonal trends as the respiratory viruses generally spread more in the later year.
Throughout the fall and winter, the viruses that cause respiratory disease circulate widely in our communities, Ojikutu said in her statement. We anticipate that cases of respiratory viral illness, including COVID-19, will continue to increase throughout the fall and will peak in the winter. Hospitalizations may be high this season and cause similar strain within our hospitals similar to last year.
Leaston said shes encountered hesitancy around the COVID-19 vaccines that hindered earlier vaccination efforts, but that reluctance has decreased.
She said some people see lower infection rates as an indicator that they dont need to get the vaccine right away but encouraged people to get protected.
This is the time to get it, when youre not sick, Leaston said.
Residents with reservations about the vaccine should speak with their primary care provider, Crichlow said.
We want them to feel its totally safe and reasonable for them to come and have those conversations directly, Crichlow said. Their questions and their concerns are valid, and we want to make sure that we can address them.
Health care officials also recommend vaccination against RSV, another virus that is often no more harmful than a cold but could be more dangerous for patients.
Infants under 6-months-old, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk, said Ojikutu.
Cost should not be a barrier for people seeking vaccination, health care center staff said.
The new COVID-19 shots and the annual flu vaccine are free with most medical insurance.
The new RSV vaccine is covered by Medicare Part D, though others may have to pay out of pocket.
Test tubes labelled "Bird Flu" and eggs are seen in this picture illustration, January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
PARIS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Poland, the European Union's largest poultry producer, has reported an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus among poultry in the northern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Tuesday.
The spread of bird flu has raised concerns among governments and the poultry industry after it ravaged flocks around the world over the past few years, disrupting supply, fuelling food prices and raising the risk of human transmission.
The outbreak was found in a backyard with 80 domestic birds, the Paris-based body said, citing information from Poland's health authorities.
Bird flu usually strikes during the autumn and winter. It is transmitted via the faeces of infected migrating wild birds or by direct contact with contaminated feed, clothing and equipment.
Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide, editing by Gus Trompiz and Deborah Kyvrikosaios
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
The state Department for Public Health has launched a new website for information on COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.
As we continue into the fall and winter cold and flu season, this site, and a new Respiratory Virus Data Dashboard that is part of this site, will provide awareness of where Kentucky stands with regard to spikes and decreases in these viruses to help inform personal decisions, Health Commissioner Steven Stack said in a news release.
CoverYourCough.ky.gov joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other states in putting all of this information in one location, the release said.
The state site includes a Respiratory Virus Data Dashboard, with data starting the first week of October, which marked the official start of flu season, which runs through mid-May.
Data will be updated on Thursdays and will replace the states previous weekly flu report and COVID-19 dashboard. Weekly reports will be archived.
The dashboard will provide the number of positive laboratory tests for COVID-19 that have been reported to the state; the percentage of outpatient medical visits attributed to flu-like illness in the Sentinel Health Care provider network; the number of emergency department visits and hospitalizations associated with COVID-19, the flu and/or RSV; the number of reported deaths associated with COVID-19 and/or influenza; and pediatric deaths attributed to COVID or the flu.
The provider network includes doctors offices, hospitals and health departments that voluntarily submit their flu data.
The health department cautions that while anyone can get a respiratory infection, some people are at high risk for serious illness, so its important for Kentuckians to follow tips listed on the site to protect themselves and others this fall and winter. The advice includes stay home when sick, cover coughs and sneezes, consider wearing a mask if you are high-risk for serious illness and stay up to date on vaccines including the flu shot.
Theres a chill is in the air, and you all know what that means its time for cold and flu season, when it seems everyone you know is suddenly sneezing, sniffling or worse. Its almost as if those pesky cold and flu germs whirl in with the first blast of winter weather.Yet germs are present year-round just think back to your last summer cold. So why do people get more colds, flu and now Covid-19 when its chilly outside?Video above: The life cycle of the common cold explainedIn what they called a breakthrough, scientists uncovered the biological reason we get more respiratory illnesses in winter the cold air itself damages the immune response occurring in the nose.This is the first time that we have a biologic, molecular explanation regarding one factor of our innate immune response that appears to be limited by colder temperatures, said rhinologist Dr. Zara Patel, a professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. She was not involved in the new study.In fact, reducing the temperature inside the nose by as little as 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) kills nearly 50% of the billions of helpful bacteria-fighting cells and viruses in the nostrils, according to the 2022 study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Cold air is associated with increased viral infection because youve essentially lost half of your immunity just by that small drop in temperature, said study author Dr. Benjamin Bleier, director of otolaryngology translational research at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston.its important to remember that these are in vitro studies, meaning that although it is using human tissue in the lab to study this immune response, it is not a study being carried out inside someones actual nose, Patel said in an email. Often the findings of in vitro studies are confirmed in vivo, but not always.A hornets nestTo understand why this occurs, Bleier and his team and coauthor Mansoor Amiji, who chairs the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, went on a scientific detective hunt.A respiratory virus or bacteria invades the nose, the main point of entry into the body. Immediately, the front of the nose detects the germ, well before the back of the nose is aware of the intruder, the team discovered. At that point, cells lining the nose immediately begin creating billions of simple copies of themselves called extracellular vesicles, or EVs. EVs cant divide like cells can, but they are like little mini versions of cells specifically designed to go and kill these viruses, Bleier said. EVs act as decoys, so now when you inhale a virus, the virus sticks to these decoys instead of sticking to the cells.Those Mini Mes are then expelled by the cells into nasal mucus (yes, snot), where they stop invading germs before they can get to their destinations and multiply.This is one of, if not the only part of the immune system that leaves your body to go fight the bacteria and viruses before they actually get into your body, Bleier said. Once created and dispersed out into nasal secretions, the billions of EVs then start to swarm the marauding germs, Bleier said.Its like if you kick a hornets nest, what happens? You might see a few hornets flying around, but when you kick it, all of them all fly out of the nest to attack before that animal can get into the nest itself, he said. Thats the way the body mops up these inhaled viruses so they can never get into the cell in the first place. A big increase in immune powerWhen under attack, the nose increases production of extracellular vesicles by 160%, the study found. There were additional differences: EVs had many more receptors on their surface than original cells, thus boosting the virus-stopping ability of the billions of extracellular vesicles in the nose.Just imagine receptors as little arms that are sticking out, trying to grab on to the viral particles as you breathe them in, Bleier said. And we found each vesicle has up to 20 times more receptors on the surface, making them super sticky.Cells in the body also contain a viral killer called micro RNA, which attack invading germs. Yet EVs in the nose contained 13 times micro RNA sequences than normal cells, the study found.So the nose comes to battle armed with some extra superpowers. But what happens to those advantages when cold weather hits? To find out, Bleier and his team exposed four study participants to 15 minutes of 40-degree-Fahrenheit temperatures, and then measured conditions inside their nasal cavities. What we found is that when youre exposed to cold air, the temperature in your nose can drop by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit. And thats enough to essentially knock out all three of those immune advantages that the nose has, Bleier said.In fact, that little bit of coldness in the tip of the nose was enough to take nearly 42% of the extracellular vesicles out of the fight, Bleier said.Similarly, you have almost half the amount of those killer micro RNAs inside each vesicle, and you can have up to a 70% drop in the number of receptors on each vesicle, making them much less sticky, he said.What does that do to your ability to fight off colds, flu and Covid-19? It cuts your immune systems ability to fight off respiratory infections by half, Bleier said. You dont have to wear a nose sockAs it turns out, the pandemic gave us exactly what we need to help fight off chilly air and keep our immunity high, Bleier said.Not only do masks protect you from the direct inhalation of viruses, but its also like wearing a sweater on your nose, he said.Patel agreed: The warmer you can keep the intranasal environment, the better this innate immune defense mechanism will be able to work. Maybe yet another reason to wear masks!Video below: Doctor on easing concerns about seasonal vaccinesIn the future, Bleier expects to see the development of topical nasal medications that build upon this scientific revelation. These new pharmaceuticals will essentially fool the nose into thinking it has just seen a virus, he said.By having that exposure, youll have all these extra hornets flying around in your mucous protecting you, he added.
Theres a chill is in the air, and you all know what that means its time for cold and flu season, when it seems everyone you know is suddenly sneezing, sniffling or worse. Its almost as if those pesky cold and flu germs whirl in with the first blast of winter weather.
Yet germs are present year-round just think back to your last summer cold. So why do people get more colds, flu and now Covid-19 when its chilly outside?
Video above: The life cycle of the common cold explained
In what they called a breakthrough, scientists uncovered the biological reason we get more respiratory illnesses in winter the cold air itself damages the immune response occurring in the nose.
This is the first time that we have a biologic, molecular explanation regarding one factor of our innate immune response that appears to be limited by colder temperatures, said rhinologist Dr. Zara Patel, a professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. She was not involved in the new study.
In fact, reducing the temperature inside the nose by as little as 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) kills nearly 50% of the billions of helpful bacteria-fighting cells and viruses in the nostrils, according to the 2022 study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Cold air is associated with increased viral infection because youve essentially lost half of your immunity just by that small drop in temperature, said study author Dr. Benjamin Bleier, director of otolaryngology translational research at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
its important to remember that these are in vitro studies, meaning that although it is using human tissue in the lab to study this immune response, it is not a study being carried out inside someones actual nose, Patel said in an email. Often the findings of in vitro studies are confirmed in vivo, but not always.
To understand why this occurs, Bleier and his team and coauthor Mansoor Amiji, who chairs the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, went on a scientific detective hunt.
A respiratory virus or bacteria invades the nose, the main point of entry into the body. Immediately, the front of the nose detects the germ, well before the back of the nose is aware of the intruder, the team discovered.
At that point, cells lining the nose immediately begin creating billions of simple copies of themselves called extracellular vesicles, or EVs.
EVs cant divide like cells can, but they are like little mini versions of cells specifically designed to go and kill these viruses, Bleier said. EVs act as decoys, so now when you inhale a virus, the virus sticks to these decoys instead of sticking to the cells.
Those Mini Mes are then expelled by the cells into nasal mucus (yes, snot), where they stop invading germs before they can get to their destinations and multiply.
This is one of, if not the only part of the immune system that leaves your body to go fight the bacteria and viruses before they actually get into your body, Bleier said.
Once created and dispersed out into nasal secretions, the billions of EVs then start to swarm the marauding germs, Bleier said.
Its like if you kick a hornets nest, what happens? You might see a few hornets flying around, but when you kick it, all of them all fly out of the nest to attack before that animal can get into the nest itself, he said. Thats the way the body mops up these inhaled viruses so they can never get into the cell in the first place.
When under attack, the nose increases production of extracellular vesicles by 160%, the study found. There were additional differences: EVs had many more receptors on their surface than original cells, thus boosting the virus-stopping ability of the billions of extracellular vesicles in the nose.
Just imagine receptors as little arms that are sticking out, trying to grab on to the viral particles as you breathe them in, Bleier said. And we found each vesicle has up to 20 times more receptors on the surface, making them super sticky.
Cells in the body also contain a viral killer called micro RNA, which attack invading germs. Yet EVs in the nose contained 13 times micro RNA sequences than normal cells, the study found.
So the nose comes to battle armed with some extra superpowers. But what happens to those advantages when cold weather hits?
To find out, Bleier and his team exposed four study participants to 15 minutes of 40-degree-Fahrenheit temperatures, and then measured conditions inside their nasal cavities.
What we found is that when youre exposed to cold air, the temperature in your nose can drop by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit. And thats enough to essentially knock out all three of those immune advantages that the nose has, Bleier said.
In fact, that little bit of coldness in the tip of the nose was enough to take nearly 42% of the extracellular vesicles out of the fight, Bleier said.
Similarly, you have almost half the amount of those killer micro RNAs inside each vesicle, and you can have up to a 70% drop in the number of receptors on each vesicle, making them much less sticky, he said.
What does that do to your ability to fight off colds, flu and Covid-19? It cuts your immune systems ability to fight off respiratory infections by half, Bleier said.
As it turns out, the pandemic gave us exactly what we need to help fight off chilly air and keep our immunity high, Bleier said.
Not only do masks protect you from the direct inhalation of viruses, but its also like wearing a sweater on your nose, he said.
Patel agreed: The warmer you can keep the intranasal environment, the better this innate immune defense mechanism will be able to work. Maybe yet another reason to wear masks!
Video below: Doctor on easing concerns about seasonal vaccines
In the future, Bleier expects to see the development of topical nasal medications that build upon this scientific revelation. These new pharmaceuticals will essentially fool the nose into thinking it has just seen a virus, he said.
By having that exposure, youll have all these extra hornets flying around in your mucous protecting you, he added.
The influenza virus, or the flu, is a contagious respiratory disease that can lead to serious illness, hospitalization and in extreme cases, death. The flu circulates year-round, but infection rates typically increase during the fall and winter months.
Flu season usually peaks between December and February but can last as late as May. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against the flu is to get a flu vaccine every year. The CDC recommends one each year for everyone six months and older.
The County has scheduled four flu vaccination events where anyone can walk in and receive a flu shot free of charge. You can also get a flu vaccine at one of our 6 Public Health Centers, local pharmacies or with your primary care provider. For information on times and locations visit Flu Vaccine Locations (sandiegocounty.gov).
The first flu vaccine event was held at the new Southeastern Live Well Center and a steady stream of people showed up ready to roll up their sleeve.
