Health
The U.S. Is Having Its Mildest Covid Winter Yet
This winter’s Covid wave in the United States has been the gentlest to date, in a welcome reprieve.
According to wastewater data aggregated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not only was there less Covid circulating over the holidays than in previous years, but there was also less virus in the wastewater than in all the summer waves the program has tracked.
The Covid hospitalization rate stayed around half of what it was last year, and deaths fell too. In late December, around 600 people were dying each week. Last winter at that time, it was around 2,000. (During the Omicron surge at the end of 2021, weekly deaths were topping 10,000.)
Although wastewater levels can’t tell us how many individual cases of Covid there are, the recent data reflects a significant lull in the virus’s five-year assault.
“This is definitely the mildest Covid winter,” said Michael Mina, an epidemiologist and chief science officer for eMed. “In terms of hospitalizations, in terms of spread.”
A new low
One possible reason for the lull is that the population is still carrying some immunity from a large, later-than-usual summer surge, said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. This year’s vaccine was also a good match for the circulating variant, and more people got it this year than last, according to C.D.C. data.
The virus also didn’t acquire the kind of mutations after the summer wave that would have allowed for significantly faster transmission or greater sickness, epidemiologists said.
That’s not unexpected several years into a new virus, said Aubree Gordon, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan.
“You have two or three years of it being really bad,” she said. “Usually the first year is the worst — as far as incidence rates and severity goes — and then it settles out.”
Epidemiologists don’t know yet what a “baseline” Covid wave will look like, and there’s no guarantee that each winter will be milder than the last. But the chances of a new variant that can cause significant harm are much lower now, Mr. Mina said.
“Should we expect the variants to start to decline, in terms of how quickly they’re rising, and how aggressively?” he said. “The short answer is yes. The virus has grown up.”
Americans’ immune systems have become very familiar with the virus, said Mr. Mina, through vaccination and prior infections, and on average are more capable of recognizing and attacking it. That means we might have a lower viral load when we become ill, he said, or clear the virus faster, getting less sick and infecting fewer people in the process. Fewer infections also give the virus fewer opportunities to mutate.
Still other ways to get sick
That said, if it feels as if almost everyone you know has gotten sick this winter (or still is), you’re not wrong: It’s been another tough season for other respiratory viruses.
At its peak, the weekly flu hospitalization rate this year surpassed last winter’s high rate; hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus (R.S.V.) have similarly mirrored last year. (Norovirus, though not respiratory, is also notably high this year.)
Flu and Covid have had roughly the same death toll so far this season — around 8,000 to 9,000 people as of mid-January, according to C.D.C. estimates. Covid deaths since the start of last summer have totaled around 25,000. (Though getting one virus can theoretically lower an individual’s risk of getting another for a short time, it’s still very possible for multiple viruses to surge at once.)
The comparison with flu is useful because, like flu, Covid is here to stay. As with flu, there’ll be better and worse seasons. It might turn out that this winter was on the low side of our new baseline, Professor Gordon said.
But unlike with flu, there will probably be more waves outside of winter. While the timing of Covid’s winter surge has been relatively consistent — peaking in early January each year — its other waves have yet to fall into a clear pattern. A mild surge during the winter holidays could mean a worse one later this year, possibly even later this winter. And for people who are at higher risk, that will continue to translate into severe illness and death, as well as new cases of long Covid.
“There might be some good times, some bad times,” Dr. Chin-Hong said. “So whether or not we’ll get something later on? We have to have humility.”
But for now, there’s a measure of relief for Americans, as well as for the experts who’ve tracked the virus for five long years. “If I never saw a crazy variant for the rest of my life,” he said, “I’d be so excited.”
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Health
Parasitic infection causing ‘explosive’ stomach illness exceeds 1,000 cases in northern state
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Cases of cyclosporiasis infections are rising across America, with more than 1,000 people diagnosed in Michigan and more than 500 in Ohio.
This is the largest outbreak of its kind in Michigan’s history and one of the country’s largest in years, according to the Associated Press.
The parasitic infection can cause weeks of watery diarrhea. The source of the infections has not been identified and no deaths have been reported.
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Michigan officials announced the outbreak last week following the identification of more than 170 cases since June 22 in the southeastern part of the state. Typically, only about 50 cases are identified in Michigan each year, according to AP.
A cyclospora infection often causes watery, “explosive” diarrhea that can last for weeks or even months if left untreated, the CDC says. (iStock)
Similar illnesses have been reported in 28 other states, including neighboring Ohio, where diagnoses have popped up across the Michigan border.
Cases have been climbing since the CDC identified an uptick in infections in mid-June, with illnesses now reported in dozens of states.
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Michigan has now reported more than 1,200 cases and at least 40 hospitalizations. In Ohio, northwest counties have identified more than 500 cases, including at least 306 in Lucas County, according to the latest available local figures.
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Texas has reported at least 48 cases, and illnesses have been identified in numerous other states as health officials investigate the source.
The hallmark symptom of a cyclospora infection is watery, often “explosive” diarrhea that can last for weeks or even months if left untreated, the CDC says.
Other symptoms of cyclosporiasis include severe abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and significant weight loss. (iStock)
Other symptoms include severe abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and significant weight loss.
The official outbreak season for the parasite runs from May 1 through Aug. 31, a window where warmer temperatures historically coincide with a spike in infections, according to the CDC.
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While the infection can sometimes clear up on its own, it frequently requires antibiotics. The CDC advises anyone experiencing symptoms of cyclosporiasis to contact a healthcare provider for testing and treatment.
The CDC, alongside the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials, is actively investigating several multistate clusters, but they have yet to find a cause behind the spread.
Fresh produce should be washed thoroughly before eating, although this may not eliminate the risk of infection, the AP noted. (iStock)
Past infections have reportedly been linked to consuming contamined fruits or vegetables, or being exposed to contaminated irrigation water.
Fresh produce should be washed thoroughly before being eaten, although this may not eliminate the risk of infection, the AP noted.
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Michigan officials recommend purchasing salad mixes or whole heads of lettuce instead of pre-washed, bagged lettuce. Remove two to three leaves from the outer layer of the lettuce head before washing and cook vegetables when possible.
Fox News Digital’s Khloe Quill contributed to this report.
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Washington, DC – GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have become a prevalent part of American healthcare, and the current administration is getting behind the movement.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at the Great American State Fair in the nation’s capital on July 6, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz voiced his support for the use of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications, such as Ozempic, for appropriate uses.
“I’m a fan of GLP-1 drugs when used correctly,” he said. “They do help people who are overweight lose weight quite effectively. They’re not a replacement for diet and exercise, but they might jumpstart the system so it’s easier for you to use healthier tactics.”
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This is especially helpful for those who may have trouble moving due to joint pain or are experiencing internal dysfunction, Oz said.
Certain GLP-1 drugs are covered by Medicare for overweight candidates with certain conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and Oz projected the benefits will continue to benefit taxpayers.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is pictured in Washington, D.C., at the Great American State Fair, where he spoke about federal health policy. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
“We believe these are so effective in reducing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes that they’ll actually save money for the federal taxpayer, because [they’re] going to make you healthy enough that you don’t have to consume health services,” Oz said.
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“We think about 70% of all the money we spend on healthcare is caused by chronic conditions, and obesity is the No. 1 driver of all that, so it’s a smart decision.”
Oz recently announced the launch of the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, which will allow more seniors to access GLP-1 drugs for only $50 a month if they meet qualifying health criteria and receive prior authorization from a doctor.
The doctor expressed support for broadening affordable access to GLP-1 medications for Americans. (iStock)
“There are a lot of overweight people who don’t have high blood pressure, diabetes or other conditions, so they don’t get access to the drug normally,” he said. “We want them to have the ability to use it as well.”
Although these access shifts could boost Americans’ overall health — and in some cases could be lifesaving — Oz noted that there is “no silver bullet” when it comes to these medications.
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“I love the fact that the innovation that’s coming out of pharmaceutical companies is allowing us to save lives and make lives better,” he said. “But the real secret to longevity is eating right, exercising, sleeping, dealing with the stress of your life, finding some purpose in your existence [and] realizing you have agency over the future.”
“These are things that your mom would have told you [and that] you don’t need a doctor to be emphasizing.”
Medicating appropriately, combined with eating right, exercising and staying connected with others, can help make health goals attainable, the doctor said. (iStock)
While GLP-1s may not be a fix-all, combining these medications with foundational health practices “makes a lot of sense,” Oz said.
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“I don’t want people being fat-shamed … I don’t want you feeling guilty that you’re gaining weight even though everyone else around you seems to have figured it out,” he said. “It’s not that simple — our set points for hunger are different. We have different things going on in our lives.”
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“But if you realize how precious you are — the temple of the soul is so valuable. It’s the greatest gift your parents ever gave you, and you take advantage of every tool out there to make it work … which includes using medications when appropriate. That, to me, is MAHA.”
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