Monkeypox seems to be fading. It made the mistake of choosing a population deeply experienced in pandemic control. Question is whether it actually goes away or just becomes another low intensity endemic virus. So, at this moment, i would say flu and covid are the major actors.
10 Likes
10 Likes
Just posted about this in the covid thread. Overwhelmed is understating it. We are usually running 150-200+% capacity right now, and turning people away. We really have reached the âwe literally cannot see more kidsâ level. I am currently down to about 7 min per patient. That is not sufficient, but what is the option? Wait times in the ED are often 6-8 hours, most of our urgent cares donât see kids or wonât take Medicaid. Or both. I donât know what is going to happen next, but we have not hit sick season yet.
15 Likes
8 Likes
RSV, Influenza and a seemingly endless variety of respiratory and GI viruses are killing us right now. We are pushing 70/day in walk-in clinic. (For clarity, these are patients 2 of us are expected to see in 90 min. You do the math, it is too depressing for me) Get your shots, wash your hands, stay home if you or your kids are sick! For the sake of your providers, if nothing else!
13 Likes
5 Likes
The influenza wave hasnât quite started yet here in Finland, at least as far as I know, but I did get my flu shot this week. As usual, it gave me a sore upper arm for a couple of days, with no other side effects.
4 Likes
Just got news that one of my colleagues lost her 13 yo daughter to one of these things. Healthy young girl, not feeling well for a couple days. Stayed home from school, when Mom went to check on her she was unresponsive. Couldnât get her back. No clue what happened, but sounds like a cardiac event. we are gutted here.
16 Likes
13?!? Iâm gonna go find a nice corner to go cry in.
13 Likes
Thatâs fucking awful. Iâm so sorry for your colleague.
11 Likes
TB too. Thereâs always more.
10 Likes
4 Likes
And more
Concern is rising over the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Uganda that is now swiftly spreading in the densely populated capital city of Kampala. The outbreak is caused by a lesser-seen species of Ebolavirus, the Sudan virus, for which there is no proven vaccine or treatment.
(Reminder that Ebola is actually really hard to catch, travels poorly and is very unlikely to become a global concern. It is, however, a really nasty bug and a great local concern. My hope is that, after the monkeypox experience, we will pay more attention and resources on these tropical diseases. I also realize that is probably a vain hope. But we go on.)
14 Likes
Itâs looking like twice as high as the baseline.
14 Likes
This is really exciting.
What makes it especially exciting is the use of the mom as essentially an antibody-generating machine. The only effective therapy we have now is Synagis, which is a pooled high-titer anti-RSV immunoglobulin shot given every month to high-risk babies during the RSV season. At over $2500/dose. This strategy is to immunize Mom, let her make the antibodies which cross over to babyâs system via the placenta and gives fairly long-lasting protection. It is passive immunity and wanes over time (4-6 months duration) but truly, that is mostly all we need. Get them past 6 months and the risk of severe illness drops dramatically. Especially given this yearâs case load, this is very good news, if it pans out.
16 Likes
Good for older people too?
8 Likes
They are currently doing a phase 3 trial in adults that will run through 2023. So yeah, most likely.
ETA: And very sadly, the usually excellent comment section got derailed entirely by a âleft as I can beâ commentor who blew a gasket over the use of âpregnant peopleâ in the article. Even my favorite places can become nests of transphobia in a split second.
14 Likes
Doesnât sound like he can be very left at all. He should have that checked out.
8 Likes
My niece was a preemie and needed this. Her mom dreaded the dosing. She said it was very thick and hard to administer. Had to hold the kid tight. Nothing like the quick jab of a flu or COVID vaccine. The mom would have killed for this vaccine. She had a holding-on-as-long-as-possible pregnancy and would have had time to get the vaccine before the premature birth. Through luck and fierce diligence, the kid made it through her first RSV season without a hospitalization.
ETA: oh, good job Ars!
ETAA: maybe not such a good job. They allowed further discussion. 
8 Likes
