Covid-19 summer wave, flying flesh-eating maggots, radioactive shrimp, DEI research cuts, publication fraud, and science fighting back in the best way
The Dose (August 25)
While summer winds down and my daughter heads to first grade (cue the usual mix of pride and twenty forgotten forms), public health is heating up. Covid-19 is climbing, shrimp are showing up radioactive (but only slightly—yay?), the Supreme Court has research funding stuck in bureaucratic purgatory, and, yes, flying flesh-eating maggots are suddenly on the radar.
There’s also good news: The science community is pushing back in the best way with clarity and courage.
Note: I see all of your Covid-19 questions! Thanks for sending them in. With so many moving parts, I’ll be doing a deep dive later this week. Stay tuned.
Disease “weather” report
Covid-19 continues to climb nationwide. While emergency department (ED) levels are still lower than this time last year, we’re on track to surpass the peak of last winter’s wave with no slowing down in sight.
Most people showing up in emergency departments right now are kids under 18—a pattern we’ve consistently seen during past summer waves. This is mainly because of the return to school, which expands their social networks and creates more opportunities for the virus to spread.
Hospitalizations are also slowly rising, but still predominantly occur among those over 65 years old and infants. The states with the highest levels of hospitalizations are Hawaii (6.5 per 100,000), followed by Florida (5.5), reflecting their leading role in Covid-19 transmission and hinting at what may soon unfold nationally.
About 130 people are dying each week right now from Covid-19.
What does this mean for you? It’s mask-wearing season, that is if you want to avoid getting sick and/or missing back-to-school events and weddings. I started while traveling—in indoor crowded areas, like the airport—because I just don’t have the time to get sick.
Measles cases continue to pop up sporadically across the country, but there’s some very good news: the West Texas and Kansas outbreaks are officially over. An outbreak is declared finished after six weeks with no new cases, equal to two incubation periods (the time between when someone catches the virus and when they start showing symptoms). Hitting this milestone means there are likely no “surprise” cases still hiding out.
This success reflects tireless work by local public health teams, strong community response (including vaccination), and the virus finally burning itself out. The official case count is 762 in Texas and 87 in Kansas, though the true number was likely ~10 times higher. Two children died, and many more were hospitalized, with over 90% unvaccinated.
Food safety alerts: Check your fridge for…
Radioactive shrimp. Yes, you read that right. The FDA recalled raw frozen shrimp from several brands (Southwind Foods, Sand Bar, Best Yet, Arctic Shores, Great American Seafood Imports, First Street, and Great Value) sold at retailers including Walmart in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.
Why? Inspectors detected trace levels of Cesium-137 (a radioactive isotope left over from nuclear reactions) in shipping containers and samples of breaded shrimp.
Cesium-137 is used in medical devices and gauges and is also found in trace amounts in the environment—mainly in soil, food, and air—because of past nuclear weapons testing and nuclear power plant accidents. It behaves like potassium in the body, meaning it spreads into soft tissue, but it can damage cells and DNA. The primary health risk is through long-term, repeated low-dose exposure, which can eventually lead to cancer.
What does this mean for you? The risk is low (levels detected are below “levels of concern” for imported foods), but if you have this brand, toss out the shrimp as a precautionary action.
Raw milk from Sunshine Dairy in Pennsylvania was recalled due to listeria contamination. No illnesses have been reported.
This is the fourth raw milk recall since mid-July. Raw milk sales are increasing, partly due to the appeal to nature fallacy. There’s a reason why we’ve pasteurized milk for almost a century— it ensures that milk is safe to drink, cutting down on recalls like this.
Supreme Court confirms cancelled DEI research grants
The Supreme Court ruled by a 5-4 vote on Friday that the proposed NIH grant cancellations, affecting over $800 million from 1,700 grants deemed to have DEI aims, could proceed. These research topics ranged from heart disease, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, alcohol and substance abuse, and mental health issues. Importantly, not all of them have a clear DEI component.
Backstory: Although Congress has already allocated funds to NIH, the administration claims it can use these funds for politically aligned grants (i.e., not DEI). This is technically true: Congress dictates how much each place gets, not how the institute then spends it. The big issue is that they are essentially breaking thousands of contracts.
In May, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts blocked the cuts, finding that the administration couldn’t retroactively cancel already awarded grants. The May ruling only applied to scientists and in the 16 states that sued.
On Friday, the Supreme Court stayed that decision, which means the lower court's decision is paused, not on the merits, but on jurisdiction. The majority held that Judge Young lacked authority to decide the case and that challenges must instead be brought before the Court of Federal Claims.
The impact: For now, the DEI grants are (again) cancelled. Inside NIH, staff are frustrated by the constant whiplash—grants cancelled, reinstated, and cancelled again—slowing down the entire system and preventing new awards from being issued. Researchers, meanwhile, are devastated for the communities they serve, as these grants addressed well-documented health inequities. Their loss threatens to widen existing gaps in health outcomes and access.
If research cuts continue (DEI and beyond), the projected economic loss will be enormous next year: $47 billion and 202,000 jobs lost.
Fraudulent papers on the rise
Fake papers are doubling every year and a half, according to a recent study. “Paper mills” are publishing papers with fake data, images, and plagiarized writing—and they’re rapidly growing. The authors found evidence across almost every field, including CRISPR and mRNA research.
Why is this happening? The authors note that a lack of resources drives research misconduct because of the pressure to publish. Papers lead to recognition, which in turn leads to jobs. So growing inequity in resource access could be behind this growth in fraudulent publications. The federal cuts to research won’t help.
What does this mean for you? It’s hard to tell legitimate studies from fraudulent ones, but remember we rely on scientific consensus (multiple studies by reputable scientists) when evaluating evidence.
Good news: The scientific world is finding its ground
Over the past few days, we’ve seen the scientific and medical community lean into following the evidence with precision, clarity, and courage:
Spotting bad science: Dr. Jess Steier, a public health scientist (and a dear friend of YLE), published a brilliant interactive explainer in the New York Times showing how the vaccine–autism myth is built on discredited research from a small group of authors. She walks through deceptive methods and falsified data—and contrasts it with 40 independent studies of 5.6 million people showing no link. It’s a powerful way to help the public do its own research and meet the moment of deep curiosity and questions.
AAP leads with clarity: The American Academy of Pediatrics has released its official vaccine schedule, which includes recommending the COVID-19 vaccine specifically for children under two and those who are high-risk, as well as for all kids who want it. This directly counters RFK Jr.’s confusing guidance and equips families with the information they need to move forward with confidence.
Standing up together: In the wake of the CDC shooting, more than 750 current and former HHS and CDC leaders signed a letter to Congress denouncing RFK Jr.’s role in spreading falsehoods, undermining trust, and endangering lives. Signing this letter is not without risk, and it shows the courage of people inside the field signaling a clear message: public health workers are the protectors of the country’s health. If they are unsafe, then Americans are unsafe. You can read the letter here and support public health by signing the letter here.
Question Grab Bag
Flying flesh-eating maggots? I didn't have this on my bingo card.
Neither did I, but it’s real.
Meet the New World Screwworm (NWS), a parasitic fly eradicated from the U.S. decades ago that’s now creeping north, just 350 miles from the border. The fly’s larvae burrow into the wounds of animals, devastating livestock and wildlife. If it crosses into the U.S., the stakes are high: past outbreaks have infected more than a million cattle, and a similar event today could cost billions and drive up meat and dairy prices. The good news is that USDA could deploy a fascinating and effective strategy: releasing hundreds of thousands of sterilized flies, which mate but produce no offspring, eventually crashing local screwworm populations.
Human cases are very rare, though emerging details suggest a traveler recently returned to Maryland with an infection acquired abroad. (In Central America, where NWS is now endemic, 444 cases have been reported since the beginning of 2024.) It’s painful, but treatable if caught early by surgical removal of the larvae from the wound. There are questions about whether testing and reporting took too long, so I hope more details emerge quickly. Regardless, the odds of this case sparking an outbreak here are essentially zero.
For now, this is a classic watch-and-prepare situation.
In case you missed it
Late Night’s John Oliver credits YLE: Katelyn Jetelina gets a shoutout on the MAHA episode for contributing to their deep research. Watch the episode here.
Parasite maggots that fly? Matt Willis unpacks what California could be facing soon in YLE California.
Legionnaires’ outbreak in NYC: Five deaths reported—YLE New York answers the city’s top questions.
Bottom line
Have a wonderful week! May it be free of Covid, fraudulent science, and radioactive shrimp. And for all the parents out there—may you also find a little sanity as school gets underway.
Love, YLE
Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) is founded and operated by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, wife, and mom of two little girls. YLE is a public health newsletter that reaches over 380,000 people in more than 132 countries, with one goal: to translate the ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below:
A question regarding masking: You mentioned that, with Covid cases on the rise, you’re returning to masking in “indoor crowded areas, like the airport.”
I am always a bit confused by statements like this. Epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm awhile back shared that he *thinks* he got Covid from an elevator ride with a few friends (virus lingering there from a previous occupant). Back-to-school events often have 25 to 30 adults in a classroom, etc. and no ventilation. Isn’t that a crowded indoor event? Would you mask there, or would the social pressure to not mask inhibit you if no one else was masking?
How about the fitting room at TJ Maxx on a busy Saturday morning, where every spot is taken? Or a public restroom, etc.? Or any public indoor place with poor ventilation? It’s so hard to gauge what is “safer,” while knowing that you can’t entirely eliminate risk.
Early in the pandemic I began using an Aranet meter to monitor CO2 (serves as a proxy for ventilation and potential airborne virus risk), and sometimes the waiting areas in airports are much better than other places people go every day. (It’s boarding, deplaning, and waiting to take off where air quality is poor, according to my CO2 meter.)
I’m embarrassed to still be asking these questions 5+ years on and appreciate any guidance you can give on this topic.
None of my doctors or their staffs are masking, even during a Covid wave in our area. Not at the urgent care (where I just went for routine lab work because they share the same space) - and the waiting room was full of unmasked people coughing and complaining of fevers and sore throats when they checked in! A friend had to take her husband (who is receiving chemo) to the local hospital emergency room last week and no staff there were masked, though they advised my friend’s husband not to stay overnight “because the hospital is full of Covid.”
I feel like I live in upside down world, and I’m the only one who still cares about this.
My grandson went back to school 3 weeks ago and tested positive for Covid on Friday. He's doing okay, but there are no guidelines from the school on when to return, other than to say "when he feels better". Just an FYI from California. Thanks again for all you do!