Three Things Thursday highlights three things I am paying attention to as an epidemiologist each week.
It has been a busy week, which is why this is coming to you a few days late.
In my little corner of the world, I have taught a lot this week. In addition to my regular classes this semester — Biostatistics and Sex & Health — I was a guest lecturer in an Education Studies class where I talked about (and did some reflection) what it took to reopen schools in Fall 2020 (slides). And then yesterday I taught two high school classes. In the first, Deadly Diseases, we talked all about smallpox. And in the second class, we worked through a measles outbreak simulation. It was a fun, but busy week.
There was also a lot of public health news this week — the things I am paying attention to this week are —
Hoping this post helps to educate and empower you
to be healthy and create healthy communities.
Cold-flu-COVID-RSV season is here.
(Thankfully) The 2023-24 season is off to a slow start. There are way fewer cases of flu, RSV, and COVID this year than there were this time last year. AND we are seeing a nationwide decrease in COVID. All of the metrics (except deaths, which always lag behind by a few weeks)1 point to a downward trend in COVID cases.
The amount of COVID viral particles in the nation’s wastewater is down.
Additionally, COVID test positivity2 is decreasing. ER visits for COVID are decreasing. And hospitalizations are decreasing.
This does NOT mean that COVID has disappeared and is no longer a concern. However, it shows that there is less virus circulating and fewer people are ill at the moment.
It is the perfect week to run out and get your COVID booster.
In the weeks ahead when COVID cases begin to tick up (and they will), being vaccinated will provide you with protection and will help to prevent severe disease when you are exposed.
In addition to COVID decreasing, influenza activity remains low across the country.
But we seeing increases across the country. Disease modelers are predicting that the influenza season will take hold around Halloween.
It is the perfect week to run out and get your influenza vaccine.
Finally, the prevalence of RSV is low this year compared to last year. However, we are seeing an increase in the number of new cases this week compared to last week and RSV test positivity is increasing.
If you are 60+, pregnant, or have an infant in your care — getting an RSV vaccine or monoclonal antibodies (which is the prevention method for infants) should be your priority this week.
Questions? Please ask —
And please —
Death data always lags behind. It tells us of those diagnosed during the past couple of weeks how many have died. Death data this week is linked to new cases or hospitalizations from at least last week (but more likely from 2-3 weeks ago). Death data tells us about the severity of the disease that was circulating weeks ago.
The proportion of COVID tests taken that are positive.
Is paxlovid readily available locally? Are area doctors prescribing it?
Love your articles every week. Got my flu shot this week and in 2 weeks I will have my covid shot. Thanks for keeping us all informed.