(NEW YORK) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the first case of severe bird flu in the United States.
The federal health agency said Wednesday that the patient has been hospitalized in Louisiana. No identifying details about the patient were made available.
Genomic data showed the Louisiana patient was infected with a version of the virus recently found to be spreading in wild birds and poultry in the U.S., as well as found in some human cases in Canada and Washington state, according to the CDC.
This is different than the version of the virus found to be spreading in dairy cows and poultry populations in the U.S.
The Louisiana patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, although an investigation into the source of the illness is ongoing, the CDC said. This is the first case of human bird flu in the U.S. linked to exposure to backyard flock.
There have been 61 reported human cases of bird flu reported in the U.S. since April.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Authorities are looking into online accounts believed to be those of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate charged with murder in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street, that have posted about health struggles and possible medical successes.
Mangione appeared to operate a Reddit profile where he detailed health issues including back pain, brain fog and sciatica. The account made several posts on a subreddit dedicated to spondylolisthesis — a condition where a vertebra slips out of alignment. Mangione also might have planned to read or already read multiple books on back pain based on a Goodreads account associated with him.
Law enforcement sources have told ABC News that the Reddit profile — which has since been taken down — is being reviewed for additional details about the extent of the injuries mentioned. A Reddit spokesperson told ABC News regarding the page that their policy is to suspend accounts that may potentially be related to suspects in high-profile criminal investigations.
Mangione is accused of gunning down Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4. Written on the shell casings were the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” according to police sources. Mangione was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday after nearly one week on the run. He allegedly had a spiral notebook detailing plans about how to eventually kill the CEO, according to law enforcement officials.
Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania, where he faces charges including allegedly possessing an untraceable ghost gun. Defense attorney Thomas Dickey told reporters on Tuesday that Mangione will plead not guilty to the Pennsylvania charges. He said he anticipates that Mangione will also plead not guilty to the second-degree murder charge in New York.
The posts and reading lists paint a picture of someone seeking answers, sharing how spinal fusion surgery brought the author relief after years of discomfort.
“Chronic pain can be incredibly debilitating. It can affect every aspect of your life,” Dr. Joseph Shrand, chief medical officer of Riverside Community Care in Massachusetts and a Harvard Medical School faculty member, told ABC News.
While the Reddit posts suggest a spinal surgery was a significant moment in his life, the author of the posts said the procedure left him pain-free, and he frequently encouraged others to undertake similar procedures.
In an August 2023 post, the user remarked how his spinal injury was once “completely devastating” and worried he was “destined to chronic pain and a desk job for the rest of my life” before considering surgery.
Chronic pain, defined as pain lasting three months or more, affects about 50 million U.S. adults, according to the National Institutes of Health. Of these, 17 million Americans experience “high impact” chronic pain, which is so debilitating that it disrupts daily activities like work, self-care and relationships, the NIH says.
Women, older adults, and those living in poverty or rural areas tend to report the highest rates of persistent pain. So do people who are divorced or separated, identify as bisexual, or say they are generally in poor health, according to the NIH.
Studies suggest that chronic pain can put people at a higher risk of mental health struggles, as well as create a financial burden.
Research shows that between 35% to 45% of those with chronic pain experience depression, while anxiety disorders are similarly common. Pain may interfere with sleep, increase stress, and create cycles of declining mental and physical health.
“Chronic pain puts you at a disadvantage mentally because you may think other people see you as broken,” Shrand said. “There will be times where you may feel in such physical pain that it becomes emotional pain, too.”
Some studies suggest a biological link between chronic pain and mental health disorders. For example, depression can heighten pain sensitivity, reinforcing the connection between the two, according to a study in the journal Neural Plasticity.
Chronic pain affects every facet of life. It can limit employment opportunities, disrupt social connections and lead to cognitive challenges, including “brain fog.”
“People have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning because their backs hurt, which means that they’re potentially at risk of coming into work late, which then puts them at risk for the cascade effects of all those things that can happen because they are now perceived as a person who isn’t doing their job right,” Shrand said.
Chronic pain can lead to a substantial financial burden, as well. According to one Journal of Pain study, individuals with severe pain spend more than $4,000 more annually on health care versus those without pain.
Managing chronic pain requires a combination of medical, psychological and lifestyle interventions, but insurance often prioritizes medications and procedures with inconsistent results.
For instance, lumbar fusion surgeries — such as the one purportedly described by Mangione — are commonly performed but often fail to provide lasting relief, according to various studies.
When Mangione was arrested on Monday, he had “written admissions about the crime” with him, according to the New York arrest warrant.
Mangione had several handwritten pages on him that expressed a “disdain for corporate America” and indicated “he’s frustrated with the health care system in the United States,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.
The words on the bullets echo the title of the 2010 book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” Police are aware of the similarity, and are investigating whether one possible motive is anger at the insurance industry, sources said.
While the Reddit posts suggest a spinal surgery was a significant moment in his life, the author of the posts said the procedure left him pain-free, and he frequently encouraged others to undertake similar procedures.
One of Mangione’s apparent posts on the r/Spondylolisthesis subreddit in February 2024 referred to having had a surgery for the condition six months prior. The author said that “[w]within 7 days of the fusion I was on zero pain meds.”
Many widely used approaches, such as opioids or steroid injections, provide only temporary solutions to chronic pain. Meanwhile, treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, yoga and acceptance therapy show promise but remain difficult to access due to cost and insurance coverage gaps.
However, many chronic pain patients face a maze of treatments that don’t fully address their needs or the root causes of their pain.
Shrand said the best approach often requires a combination of solutions.
“You can’t just attack the physical. You’ve got to address the biological, mental and social aspects of life,” he said. “You can manage this pain — it’s part of your body, and we can find a way to take care of you.”
ABC News’ Peter Charalambous, Aaron Katersky, Kerem Inal, Chris Looft and Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
(MARIN COUNTY, Calif.) — Health officials in Marin County, California say a child with a suspected bird flu infection drank raw milk before getting sick.
“[Marin County Public Health] is reporting a suspected case of bird flu in a child who experienced fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk,” according to a statement. “The child has recovered, and no other family members became sick, indicating no person-to person transmission.”
“MCPH is actively investigating this possible case of bird flu linked to raw milk consumption with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” the statement continued, further noting that “raw milk, which hasn’t been pasteurized, poses a risk of spreading diseases, including influenza.”
For now, the child is only suspected of having bird flu, pending tests to confirm the diagnosis. However, officials are concerned about the risks of drinking raw milk in an ongoing bird flu outbreak in the state, with 32 human cases confirmed in the state so far, all but one of which officials say originated from exposure to cattle.
California health officials last week announced that it had “secured a broad, voluntary recall” of raw milk and cream products from supplier Raw Farm, LLC after it tested positive for the virus “at both retail and dairy storage and bottling sites.”
It’s not yet clear whether people can become infected with bird flu from drinking raw milk, but studies in cats and mice suggest the animals can get sick from drinking contaminated raw milk.
The CDC continues to warn against drinking raw milk, which can contain bacteria and viruses that can lead to gastrointestinal distress. In rare cases, it can lead to more severe illness such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause paralysis.
There have been at least 58 human cases of bird flu so far this year in the U.S., according to the CDC, almost all of which have been farm workers exposed to infected livestock.
(NEW YORK) — The rates of late-stage breast cancer at diagnosis have risen among women in all racial and ethnic groups, but Black women have been hit the hardest, according to a new study published in the journal Radiology.
The study, which looked at data from 2004 to 2021, found that advanced breast cancer rates have risen among women of all ages, with the sharpest increases in young women aged 20 to 39, and women over 75.
Black women experience advanced diagnoses 55% more often than white women and are more likely to die from the disease, the study found.
While mammography does save lives by catching cancer earlier, fewer than 70% of eligible women are up to date on their screenings, the study found.
This trend is particularly alarming because early detection significantly improves survival. Five-year survival rates drop drastically from 99% for early-stage breast cancer to just 31% when the cancer is more advanced and has already spread to other parts of the body, the study found.
However, disparities persist despite Black women having similar self-reported mammography use rates as white women.
“Black women tend to have more aggressive breast cancers, including a higher rate of triple-negative breast cancers,” study co-author, Edward Hendrick, Ph.D., clinical professor of radiology at the University of Colorado told ABC News. “There may also be differences in how findings are acted upon, reflecting barriers to high-quality care.”
The COVID-19 pandemic made things worse as well, Hendrick noted, with many women skipping or delaying mammograms.
“Volumes at screening sites for the year 2020 were down as much as 90% from 2019 levels,” he said. “These missed screenings contributed to higher rates of advanced breast cancers in 2021 and likely subsequent years.”
The study also pointed to other possible reasons for the uptick in later-stage diagnoses.
“Obesity in post-menopausal women increases breast cancer risk, as does prolonged exposure to estrogen from early periods or late menopause,” explained study co-author, Debra L. Monticciolo, M.D., a professor of radiology at Texas A&M University.
She added that physicians could help by offering a breast cancer risk assessment to their patients starting at age 25. Identifying high-risk women early would help catch cancers sooner, she said.
Despite the concerning statistics, the study suggested that solutions are within reach. Increasing screening rates, expanding healthcare access, and ensuring follow-up care after abnormal mammograms could make a difference.
“Improving equity in care is critical to saving lives,” Monticciolo said. “By prioritizing access to care for all and emphasizing the importance of early detection, we believe this trend of rising late-stage diagnoses can be reversed.”
Late-stage breast cancer diagnoses are not just statistics — they reflect missed opportunities for prevention and early treatment, Hendrick added.
“We could benefit from greater public awareness of the importance of catching breast cancer at its earliest, most curable stages,” he said.
Breast cancer accounts for about one in three new cancer diagnoses in women every year, according to the latest American Cancer Society statistics. More than 40,000 American women die from the disease yearly.
Esther Zusstone, MD, is a radiology resident at NYU Langone, and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Derek Crowe, a spokesman for the nonprofit People’s Action Institute, speaks with ABC News. (ABC News)
(NEW YORK) — Fury, anger and resentment toward the health care industry have exploded in the public rhetoric in the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing and one activist said that “volcanic” eruption of emotion has been boiling up for years.
People have been flooding social media posts with statements chastising UHC for its policies, bringing up times they were personally denied coverage or hit with huge bills for services.
In some instances, some users have even praised Thompson’s murder and the shooter, who is still on the lam and not been publicly identified as of Friday evening. UHC’s Facebook post memorializing Thompson was filled with “laughing” emojis and comments chastising the insurer before comments were shut off.
Derrick Crowe, a spokesman for the nonprofit People’s Action Institute, a social advocacy nonprofit that has protested UHC and other health care, told ABC News that he was horrified by Thompson’s shooting and offered his condolences to his loved ones.
However, he noted the anger online has been a long time coming.
“I think the reason that anger was pent up and it came out in such a volcanic way is that corporations have too much power in this country and they’re standing in the way of dealing with two big epidemics,” he told ABC News. “One is the epidemic of gun violence, which we saw an example of in Manhattan, and one is an epidemic of care denials across the country.”
Crowe said more than 250 million health claims are denied annually by health insurance companies. He claimed the UHC “by far leads the clear care denials of people’s claims when they’re seeking health care.”
He cited examples such as patients claiming they were denied coverage for a congenital defect or infant care.
“Many of the folks that we’ve talked to have had personal stories of needing acute health care quickly and have found that this company has been standing in their way,” he said.
When asked by ABC News about the increase in rhetoric against the healthcare industry following the shooting, a UHC spokesperson deferred to its latest statement about Thompson’s killing.
“While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place. So many patients, consumers, health care professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people have taken time out of their day to reach out. We are thankful, even as we grieve,” the statement said.
“Our priorities are, first and foremost, supporting Brian’s family; ensuring the safety of our employees; and working with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice. We, at UnitedHealth Group, will continue to be there for those who depend upon us for their health care. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn the loss of their husband, father, brother and friend,” the statement continued.
In the past, protests have been held against UHC in Minneapolis, where its headquarters are based, including one back in July.
Crowe said that his organization has led many movements to call out the insurance companies for their practices.
“The purpose of that action was to draw attention to the epidemic of claims, denials and care denials across the country, and to bring people who have had their health care directly affected by a care denial by this corporation to the place where the denial is coming from, and to demand that they stop putting profits over people’s lives,” he said.
Crowe reiterated that his group only supports non-violent and peaceful means of protesting the industry and condemned Thompson’s murder. However, he reiterated that the fight against greed in the health insurance industry needs to continue.
“We believe that in keeping with the principles behind the First Amendment, that there are democratic, powerful, nonviolent ways that we can take that private pain and turn it into public power when we bring people together. And we’re going to continue to do that. And we think that’s an essential part of making change in our democracy,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — Raw samples nationwide will now be collected and shared with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in order to test for bird flu, according to a new federal order issued by the agency on Friday.
The new federal order by the USDA includes three new requirements. Raw milk samples must now be shared upon request by dairy farms, bulk milk transporters or dairy processing facilities.
Herd owners with cattle that test positive for bird flu have to provide information that allows health officials to perform contact tracing and disease surveillance. Private laboratories and state veterinarians must now report positive bird flu test results to the USDA.
The decision comes after bird flu virus was found in samples of raw milk from a California farm, which issued a recall of all of its raw milk products earlier this week. The farm was also placed under quarantine by state health officials.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
LW, who asked not to show her face, is a 16-year-old transgender teenager challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical treatments that have improved her quality of life. (ABC News)
(WASHINGTON) — Medical treatments for transgender children, endorsed by major American medical associations and safely used for decades, hang in the balance at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday as the Biden administration and three families with transgender teenagers ask the justices to strike down a state law banning some gender-affirming care for kids.
The landmark case — U.S. v. Skrmetti — comes from Tennessee, which is among 26 states that have moved to prohibit administration of puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy to minors who seek to identify with, or live as, a gender identity inconsistent with his or her sex at birth.
Oral arguments mark the first time the nation’s highest court has openly considered a state law targeting transgender people. It is also the first time an openly transgender litigator, ACLU attorney Chase Strangio, will argue a case in the Supreme Court chamber.
The historic hearing thrusts the justices to the forefront of a cultural debate that has sharply divided the country and tested the limits of science and parental rights.
The outcome of the case could determine access to health care for hundreds of thousands of trans teens and more broadly influence how communities treat transgender people in hospitals, schools and on sports fields.
The government argues that Tennessee’s SB1, which was enacted in March 2023, violates the Constitution’s Equal Protection clause because it discriminates on the basis of sex to decide who can receive otherwise legal medical treatments available to youth.
“Put simply, an adolescent assigned female at birth cannot receive puberty blockers or testosterone to live as a male, but an adolescent assigned male at birth can,” the administration wrote in its brief to the court.
The Tennessee law expressly allows minors who are not transgender to receive gender-affirming treatments to address a “congenital defect, precocious puberty, disease, or physical injury.”
Denying discrimination, the state argues its law is a reasonable regulation of medical treatment based on its purpose, meant to protect children from potential long-term health risks and possible irreversible changes to the body.
The law’s Republican sponsors claim that contradictory scientific evidence and documented regret among some young people who have transitioned both warrant caution in developing standards of care.
The law also cites a “compelling interest in encouraging minors to appreciate their sex, particularly as they undergo puberty” and preventing them from becoming “disdainful of their sex.” The government says the text proves an intent to enforce gender conformity.
Hundreds of Tennessee transgender children were receiving treatments before SB1 was enacted, legislators concluded. It is not known how many suffered alleged harm.
The plaintiffs in the case include 16-year-old LW and her parents Brian and Samantha Williams of Nashville. After several years of successful hormone therapy, LW now has to travel out of state to continue treatments she says have dramatically improved her quality of life.
“I feel normal now,” LW said in an exclusive interview with ABC News last month.
“Our state legislature had made such a big deal out of parents rights during COVID, about masks and vaccines — that that’s for parents to decide these medical decisions for their children,” noted Samantha Williams. “And then, they made this medical decision for our child.”
Nationwide, an estimated 300,000 Americans ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Of those, nearly 100,000 live in states that have banned access to gender-affirming medical treatments for minors.
“It’s a case of enormous significance that presents fundamental questions about the scope of state power to regulate medical care for minors, of the rights of parents to make medical decisions for their children… and the level of scrutiny that courts should apply to laws that discriminate against transgender people in general,” said Deepak Gutpa, a veteran Supreme Court litigator. “This is a major, major constitutional civil rights issue.”
More than 60% of Americans say they oppose law banning certain types of gender-affirming medical treatment for minors, according to Gallup.
Major American medical associations have endorsed the treatments for more than a decade as part of “individually tailored interventions” to support trans kids and affirm their sense of self. Not all transgender children seek medical care to facilitate transition to another sex.
“It needs to be part of a very deliberate process that involves medical specialists, who are expert at doing this, and, again, are following the science,” said Dr. Ben Hoffman, a pediatrician and president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “It all begins and ends with science. This is not about any sort of agenda.”
Clinical practice guidelines from the American Endocrine Society, based on more than 260 research studies, recommend the use of puberty-delaying medications and waiting until a child reaches adulthood to consider gender-affirming surgery.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says the effects of puberty blockers are not permanent if treatment is discontinued. Many effects of hormone therapy can also be reversed. Long-term risks may include fertility challenges and possible harm to bone density, but the group says those risks require further study.
In contrast to the U.S. medical establishment, several European countries, including the United Kingdom, have reversed course on the use of gender-affirming treatments as a standard-of-care for transgender children, citing insufficient scientific evidence of long-term benefits.
“When you look at the totality of the medical research, to me there is more than enough uncertainty and evidence of bad outcomes for kids who’ve gone through these treatments when they reach the later stages in life,” said Tennessee Senate GOP Leader Jack Johnson.
A federal district court sided with the plaintiffs, temporarily halting enforcement of SB1, but the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reversed. The panel of judges concluded Tennessee had a rational basis for enacting the law.
“Kind of the whole ballgame in the case is the debate about whether there actually is discrimination on the basis of sex,” said Erin Murphy, a Supreme Court litigator and former clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts.
“It’s really not,” Murphy argued. “To say providing testosterone to a biological boy and biological girl is the same thing because testosterone is involved — it’s a different treatment that has different risks.”
David Cole, former legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the Williams family, says the court’s conservative majority will have to confront the legacy of its decision.
“I think there’s no question in 25 years that the court will have recognized that treating people differently because their gender identity is sex discrimination,” Cole said.
“The question is whether the court wants to write a decision will be overturned, you know, in the course of the next 10 years or 15 years,” he said, “or whether it wants to recognize what is going on, which is sex discrimination.”
A decision in the case is expected by the end of June 2025.
(NEW YORK) — A growing number of people under 50 are being diagnosed with more advanced stages of colon cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
The 2020 death of 43-year-old actor Chadwick Boseman due to colon cancer drew attention to the shift, and “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek, 47, announced his Stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis in November.
A diagnosis at a younger age was also the case for Brooks Bell, a Raleigh, North Carolina, entrepreneur who ran a data analytics company. At 38, she was alarmed to discover blood after using the rest room.
She said she called a telehealth doctor, who told her it may be hemorrhoids. She decided to get second and third opinions, which led to a colonoscopy referral and diagnosis.
“I found out that it was Stage 3 colon cancer,” Bell told “GMA3.”
In a different case, Los Angeles stylist Sarah Beran’s doctors suspected a parasite could be causing her symptoms. Ultimately, she said a colonoscopy revealed the truth.
“They found over 100 polyps on my colon, a mass on my rectum,” the 34-year-old said. “And that’s when my world changed.”
She had to undergo a colon transplant and 12 rounds of chemotherapy.
Even though the pair lived on opposite sides of the U.S., their experiences brought them together after Bell shared her story online.
“I reached out and asked her how I could get involved and help, so that more people don’t have to go through what we went through,” Beran said. “And we teamed up.”
The duo dreamed up a fashion brand with a cause, Worldclass. The streetwear and athleisure line includes hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts, tees, hats and totes — all designed to break the stigma about colon cancer.
“All proceeds go towards a colonoscopy fund that helps underinsured communities get screened,” Beran said. “So literally saving lives through fashion.”
Convincing people to get screenings has a specific goal, Bell noted.
“With colon cancer, we should be talking about prevention, being able to avoid the entire cancer experience, period, rather than just talking about early detection,” she said.
A proactive approach to health can make a huge difference, according to Beran.
“A colonoscopy is way easier than going through chemo and the surgeries and all the icky stuff that we went through,” she said. “So we’re lucky that we did catch ours in time and that we did advocate for ourselves. And we got in there and got our colonoscopies. And now we’re here now telling our story.”
(NEW YORK) — The deadly E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders was declared over on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In total, 104 people reported falling ill across 14 states with about one-third of them being hospitalized, according to the CDC.
The true number of people who got sick was likely much higher because many people recover from E. coli without medical care and are never tested, the CDC noted.
Americans between ages 1 and 88 were affected in the outbreak, according to he CDC. Colorado had the greatest number of cases with at least 30 people falling ill. The state also reported one death.
An outbreak notice was first released by the CDC in late October. Evidence from health officials’ investigation at the time showed that slivered onions served on Quarter Pounders were a likely source of contamination.
Nearly all the people who fell ill and were interviewed by health officials reported eating at McDonald’s and the overwhelming majority remembered eating a menu item that contained the fresh, slivered onions, according to the CDC.
The fast food chain’s distributor of the onions, Taylor Farms, initiated a voluntary recall of the onions in late October. McDonald’s stopped using the ingredient and removed the Quarter Pounder entirely off the menu in a dozen states.
The latest reported illness was on Oct 21. All the confirmed cases occurred before the onions were recalled and the ingredient was taken off of the McDonald’s menu at some locations, according to health officials.
The fast-food chain is no longer serving the recalled onions and there “does not appear to be a continued food safety concern related to this outbreak,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday. The agency also noted that its investigation is now closed.
McDonald’s North America chief Impact officer Michael Gonda and chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña shared a message on Tuesday, saying the announcements from the CDC and FDA provide “certainty and validation” that the outbreak is over and the risk to the public has remained low since late October.
While the issue had been fully contained — and any contaminated product associated with this issue had been removed from our supply chain as of Oct. 22, 2024 — it can now be classified as “closed” and remediated,” the message read, in part.
Flu activity is increasing slightly among children while RSV activity is elevated in the southern, central and eastern U.S., according to data updated Monday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of the week ending Nov. 23, the latest date for which data is available, 0.6% of emergency department visits were for flu and 0.4% were for RSV. While the overall percentages are low, they are higher than the percentages at the beginning of October, CDC data shows.
Meanwhile, about 5.6% of weekly tests are coming back positive for RSV and 2.5% are coming back positive for flu, according to CDC data.
Currently 14 states are experiencing moderate levels of overall respiratory illness: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The remaining states are seeing low levels.
Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer for Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor, said the current season is trending similarly to pre-pandemic seasons.
“Compared to the pandemic years, we’re witnessing a return to more traditional seasonal patterns of respiratory illnesses,” he said. “During the pandemic, measures like masking and social distancing significantly reduced the spread of viruses like flu and RSV. Now, with those measures relaxed, the circulation of these viruses resembles pre-pandemic seasons.”
He added, “These are typical seasonal increases. Every cold and flu season is different in terms of start, end and severity but, like clockwork, we see a rise in respiratory viruses during the fall and winter months.”
Brownstein said it is unsurprising that young children are currently the most impacted by these respiratory viruses.
CDC data shows that children aged 4 and under accounted for 6.7% of emergency department visits for COVID-19, flu and RSV compared to 1.1% among those aged 65 and older during the week of Nov. 23. Children aged 4 and under also had the highest rate of hospitalizations over the same period.
“Managing capacity is going to be on the minds of every pediatric hospital for the next few months,” Brownstein said.
The CDC also noted that cases of so-called “walking pneumonia” among young children remain high. The illness is due to a respiratory tract infection caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Brownstein said the best way for Americans to stay protected is to stay up-to-date with their vaccinations.
To prevent RSV, there are three vaccines approved for adults ages 60 and older as well as some adults between the ages 50 and 59 who are at higher risk. There is also a vaccine available for pregnant women between 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy.
For babies under eight months, there are two monoclonal antibody products available. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins manufactured in a lab that mimic the antibodies the body naturally creates when fighting an infection.
“Additionally, practicing good hygiene — like frequent hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when feeling unwell — can significantly reduce the spread of these viruses,” Brownstein said.
