seasonal flu Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Will COVID-19 Become a Seasonal Virus?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 07:00:15 +0000

Interview conducted by Emily Henderson, B.Sc. via News-Medical Net – In this News-Medical interview, Dr. Hadi Yassine and Dr. Hassan Zaraket speak about their research efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their research into whether COVID-19 will become a seasonal virus. What provoked your research into the current COVID-19 pandemic? The question of whether COVID-19 will become seasonal and just wane in summer has been of interest since the beginning of the pandemic. Therefore, we decided to review the current knowledge on seasonality of respiratory viruses including common cold coronaviruses as well as drivers of seasonality and build on that evidence to project whether COVID-19 will follow suit of other seasonal respiratory viruses. Can you describe what is meant by a ‘seasonal virus’ and what are the common seasonal patterns observed? Seasonal viruses are those viruses that tend to circulate and peak during specific seasons (months) in the year. Respiratory viruses such as influenza, respiratory syncytial viruses, and common cold coronaviruses are known to spread and peak during cold months in countries with a temperate climate. Why do respiratory viruses follow seasonal patterns in temperate regions but not in tropical regions? This is not fully understood. Many factors affect seasonality including host susceptibility and behavior, and virus stability. Although respiratory viruses tend to circulate year-around in tropical regions, the peak activity is usually associated with the rainy season. Research has shown that for instance for influenza viruses low and high humidity promotes viral transmission, while moderate humidity does not promote transmissibility. It is worth noting here that transmission could be either by direct contact with infected persons/contaminated objects or airborne. These modes of transmissions are determined by temperature and humidity. For example, higher relative humidity will result in the formation of a large viral particle, which settles down on surfaces much faster, and hence, transmission occurs mostly through direct contact of contaminated surfaces. This could be one reason for the different seasonal patterns of respiratory viruses observed in tropical and temperate regions. How did you carry out your research into SARS-CoV-2 potentially becoming a seasonal virus? What did your results show? We reviewed existing knowledge on the seasonality of respiratory viruses and the current knowledge about SARS-CoV-2. We hypothesized that COVID-19 will continue to circulate year-round until herd immunity is achieved. In your research you stated that COVID-19 could become a seasonal virus but only when herd immunity is reached. Why is this? As population immunity builds up, the transmission rate of the virus will drop making it more susceptible to environmental factors that govern seasonality. How could herd immunity be reached for SARS-CoV-2? Ideally, vaccination and natural infections and cross-immunity with common cold coronaviruses can also contribute to reaching herd immunity. Why is it so critical that public health measures are introduced to help control the virus? The majority of populations are still susceptible to the infection. With the absence of effective vaccines and antivirals drugs, public health measures remain the only way to mitigate the pandemic. We have seen a tremendous rise in cases in many countries after the ease of restrictions. Do you believe that if strong public health measures are introduced, we could potentially manage the virus and prevent it from becoming a seasonal respiratory virus? It is difficult to say. Public health measures reduce COVID-19 transmission anyway, so it will be difficult to tell whether the reduction in virus activity is affected also by seasonal factors. Since 2000, four new coronaviruses appeared in the human population: one was controlled in about two years (SARS-Cov-1; 2002-2004), two became seasonal (HKU1 and NL63; 2005-ongoing), and one still causing sporadic cases, mostly in the Gulf States (MERS-CoV; 2012-ongoing). On the other hand, we experienced rapid and worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2. We expect the virus to continue to spread until herd immunity is achieved and mostly become seasonal like HKU1 and NL63. On a related subject, FLU viruses have shown diminished circulation in most countries, even after the start of the fall season. This could be partially attributed to the social measures being applied (no big gathering, no schools, etc) in the community that have some level of immunity to the virus. What are the next steps in your research into COVID-19 and viruses? We will be monitoring respiratory viral infection including COVID-19 to determine any potential interferences among them. We will also monitor changes in the SARS-CoV-2 that might lead to evading the immune response. Where can readers find more information? https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.567184/full About Dr. Hadi Yassine Dr. Yassine is an associate professor of infectious diseases and the section head of research at the Qatar University ‎Biomedical Research Center‎. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in 2009 and worked for five years at the Vaccine Research Center of NIH before he joined Qatar University in 2015. He published more than 70 articles and contributed to several patents on viral vaccines. About Dr. Hassan Zaraket Dr. Zaraket is an assistant professor of virology and assistant laboratory director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research at the Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut (AUB). He has 14 years’ experience working on respiratory viruses including influenza. Before joining AUB, he worked at the Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, USA. His work included studying emerging influenza viruses with pandemic potential such as H5N1 and H7N9.

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Breaking NEWS: Data Suggests COVID-19 Is NOT Significantly Different in Terms of Deadliness Than Seasonal Flu

AHA Publisher — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 07:00:27 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – We can be sensitive to the fact that an unknown pandemic illness should be handled with care and caution. But it’s hard not to be disillusioned when finding out that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, appears to be far less deadly than previously believed. In fact, new nonprofit research indicates that the fatality rate of COVID-19 isn’t all that much different than the fatality rate of the seasonal flu. The reason we’re finding out more about COVID-19 as time goes on is because of increased antibody testing and other investigative measures that are beginning to draw some answers. Such answers can’t come soon enough, as far as we’re concerned – not when the threat of mass vaccine programs with a rapidly developed drug is bearing down on the global public. Just How Deadly Is COVID-19, Really? Data Suggests Fatality Rate of Pandemic Disease “Comparable” to Seasonal Flu The case fatality rate (CFR) of an infectious disease is calculated by taking the total number of deaths and dividing it by the total number of infections. But when you consider that the the true number of infections of COVID-19 isn’t known, this makes finding an accurate CFR a bit difficult, to say the least. As noted in a recent release by the nonprofit organization Physicians for Informed Consent (PIC), the CFRs of COVID-19 in various American cities are estimated as follows: Los Angeles: 0.12% Santa Clara County (CA): 0.17% Miami-Dade County (FL): 0.23% Arizona: 0.24% New York City: 0.52% These CFRs were estimated based on a combination of public health records and data from research institutions. As you might notice, there isn’t one single CFR of COVID-19 – nor for any type of infectious disease for that matter. Why? Simply because so many different factors can affect how many people end up dying of a disease in different parts of the world, including socioeconomic status, physical environment (think of the microcosm that is NYC), age, overall health status, cultural practices and norms, and (of course) whether testing is even accurate. That said, based on their analysis, PIC was able to determine that the average CFR of COVID-19 is 0.26% (a figure surely brought up by the insane pandemonium that happened in New York City). This figure is “comparable” to CFRs of many previous seasonal and pandemic flu periods. Just take a look at some of them: 2017-2018 flu season: 0.14% 2016-2017 flu season: 0.1% 1957-1960 flu pandemic: 0.28% 1918-1920 flu pandemic (Spanish flu): 2.25% What may be even more surprising to know is who readily admits that COVID-19 may not be all that different than the seasonal flu we experience every year in terms of death rates: Dr. Anthony Fauci himself! Along with his colleagues, Dr. Fauci recently acknowledged in a March 2020 article from The New England Journal of Medicine that if one were to assume “that the number of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic cases is several times as high as the number of reported cases, the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1%. This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of COVID-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza.” Right. And yet we certainly don’t go around shutting down the economy during severe flu seasons, do we? Even while being a bit more conservative than Fauci’s assumption, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still estimates that well over a third (35%) of all SARS-CoV-2 infections are asymptomatic and therefore, we can presume, undiagnosed and unreported. When these unreported cases are factored in, says PIC, we end up with the overall CFR for COVID-19 of 0.26% – or, as Dr. Fauci said, “considerably less than 1%.” Meanwhile, the CDC estimates that for the 2019-2020 flu season, as many as 62,000 flu deaths have occurred in the U.S. Importantly, this number is based only on flu-related deaths occurring in hospitals, and does not include non-hospitalized people who may have died of the flu this year. Hands up: how many of us “forgot” about the flu season this year … maybe because the media seemed to forget all about it, too? As the Push for COVID-19 Vaccine Increases, Doctors Warn Against Mass Vaccination and Express Concern for Public Safety Making vaccines is big profitable business. And even though some people are calling for any future COVID-19 vaccine to be free to the public, plenty of other experts are exercising necessary caution over the urge to mass vaccinate. For example, founder and president of PIC, Dr. Shira Miller, logically points out that “safety studies of any potential COVID-19 vaccine should be able to prove whether or not the risks of the vaccine are less than the risks of the infection.” She goes on to add: “Regardless of proof of safety, however, a potential COVID-19 vaccine should only be voluntary, in order to safeguard a patient’s human right to determine what will happen with his or her body.” Here, here! Even the suggestion that we must “prove” we are immune to COVID-19 with a vaccine certificate or immunity passport is absurd and frighteningly Orwellian. And as we learn more every day about the true impact and severity of COVID-19 for the vast majority of people, the idea of a mass vaccine for COVID-19 becomes a harder and harder pill to swallow, no pun intended. Sources used for this article include: Physiciansforinformedconsent.org, Physiciansforinformedconsent.org, Livescience.com, CDC.gov, Time.com, NIH.gov To read the original article click here.

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8 COVID-19 Myths

AHA Publisher — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 07:00:42 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – In the age of information, it’s challenging to keep everything straight with any disease, even those that have been around for centuries. As for a new virus unknown to humans before? Almost impossible. There’s a lot of information out there, and unfortunately, a lot of it is misinformation and COVID-19 myths. In fact, due to the rapid onset of this pandemic, and even the possible mutations of the virus itself, information has been false, or at least not currently. Here are 8 COVID-19 myths as we know at this time. As you continue to follow recommendations and information online, be sure to look for up-to-date postings. 8 COVID-19 Myths 1. MYTH: COVID-19 IS NO WORSE THAN THE SEASONAL FLU There were many initial reports pointing out how many die every year from flu to reduce worry about COVID-19. However, we now know that COVID-19 has a higher transmissibility rate and a higher case fatality rate – about 10-20 times that of the seasonal flu. And, the bigger issue is our lack of established immunity as humans. The COVID-19 virus is a novel coronavirus; it was not previously found in humans, but only animals. As humans, we don’t have an immunity to it, so it’s more difficult for our bodies to respond quickly enough to fight the initial infection and/or progression of it. 2. MYTH: SENIORS AND THE ELDERLY ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO SHOULD TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS. While the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions are a risk of being most severely sick, people of all ages can become sick with COVID-19. Although a lot of initial data indicated that only a very low percentage of children get COVID-19 (<1% in China) (1), many now think that their symptoms were simply so mild they were not suspected of having it, but may have passed it onto others. What’s more, infants under 1 year of age had about the same mortality rate as the elderly in at least one study on the Chinese population. Since children may be able to spread this coronavirus without even showing symptoms (see below), and can still potentially face difficult symptoms, everyone should take precautions no matter their age. 3. MYTH: YOU’RE CONTAGIOUS ONLY IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS. This is one of the biggest issues to containing the spread of COVID-19; there are generally several days between contracting the virus and showing symptoms, and you can spread it before symptoms start. What’s more, some people will never have symptoms even though they are carrying the virus, and they can still transfer it to others. In fact, it’s now estimated that up to 10% of the cases in China were transmitted by someone who never had symptoms (2). 4. MYTH: THE VIRUS WILL DISAPPEAR WHEN IT GETS WARMER. While this virus does seem to thrive in colder, dryer environments, there’s no great evidence that it will die off due to warmer weather. Unfortunately, there are known cases in warm environments around the world already. 5. MYTH: STAYING AT HOME IS NECESSARY ONLY IF YOU’RE SICK. Earlier in the pandemic, the recommendation was to stay home if you had symptoms. Now that we know you can carry and spread COVID-19 even if you don’t have symptoms, it’s imperative that almost everyone stays home to stop the spread. As we avoid physical contact and close proximity with anyone outside our home, we’re hoping to reduce transmission from airborne particles from spittle, sneezes, coughs, etc. 6. MYTH: EVERYONE’S SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 ARE SIMILAR. While the COVID-19 virus is especially harmful to the respiratory system, the reported symptoms and severity of each have varied widely. Many people experience headaches, muscle aches, and fever. For others, it’s almost entirely respiratory symptoms. At least one study has stated that approximately 50% of 200 patients studied in the original Wuhan China outbreak also experience gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea (3). 7. MYTH: COVID-19 ONLY LIVES IN THE AIR MINUTES AFTER A SNEEZE OR COUGH After a sneeze of a cough, the COVID-19 virus can actually live in the air for up to 3 hours. In fact, scientists have confirmed that it is detectable in aerosols for hours. Think about that. Hours before you enter a store or building, the virus could be coughed into the air and still be there when you breathe it. What’s more, it can live on cardboard for a day, and plastic and stainless steel for 3 days. The amount of virus does diminish on the surface over these timeframes (4). While there’s not much you can do about what happens to the air hours before you arrive somewhere, here’s what you can do: Stay home as much as possible to minimize your risk If you’re at high risk of severe symptoms, wear a mask Wear gloves or sanitize your hands before and after all interactions with public surfaces and spaces 8. MYTH: ONCE YOU’VE HAD COVID-19, YOU ARE SAFE AND WILL NOT GET IT AGAIN. Unfortunately, this is not known for sure. But, experts suspect that immunity to COVID-19 is similar to other common coronavirus colds, and is likely short-term. The takeaway? Even if you’ve have COVID-19 and are recovered, still practice all the same precautions as are recommended for everyone else. Stay home. Practice social distancing. Wash hands and sanitize. Bottom Line While a lot of the truth that’s coming out from new studies is scary, the more correct information we have the better equipped we are to avoid and fight this virus. COVID-19 myths are rampant, but the recommendations are clear. Stay home, wash hands, and sanitize. Stay diligent and don’t let up your precautions. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

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