I’m seeing a good amount of flu in my practice still, so appreciate the national validation chart.
Having milked a cow, and seen the udders up close, pasteurize my milk, please.
I’ll break this rule for some high end cheese from DiBrunos in the Italian Market down the street every once in a while…😋
Measles, Covid, Ladapo, seniors, Florida make for a perfect storm. If I make it to retirement I’m absolutely headed north instead! Hygge over humid, community over hyper-individualism, embryos are not people deserving more protection under the constitution than women.
We are in Florida and have COVID in our household for the first time (that we know). It came home with the 10-yo from school. They are usually the only one masking at school and have no option for outdoor (safe) eating. They are still testing positive on RAT's on day 7. Their school said they could come back on day 5 regardless of test results as long as they didn't have a fever. They never had a fever. Public health as a whole is completely broken, and is essentially nonexistent in Florida.
Thankfully, we are not willfully/maliciously ignorant and our family's COVID mitigations (isolating the infected child in a separate room, high quality masking indoors, open windows, tons of HEPA filters/CR boxes in every room, outdoor dining, serial testing, Betadine Cold Defense nasal spray, CPC mouthwash, as-up-to-date-as-possible vaccinations, etc.) have prevented spread to any of the other 5 members of the household (so far), including high-risk members. However, we also know that we are very privileged to be able to do these things, but so very frustrated that we have had to do them completely on our own with absolutely no support from supposed experts and officials. I honestly know more about COVID than any of our medical doctors where we live which is apparent by the fact that NONE of them mask at all. We live in the dumbest of times and there is absolutely no excuse for it.
I can tell you why the wastewater level of Covid are high in FL. Only 6.89% of people are boosted with the latest booster. Bad messaging and the illegality of mask mandates, even in hospitals, are a major contributing factor. They are actively trying to make the vaccines illegal here. And according to studies, 70% of household transmission starts with a child and we can't get protections in schools. It will never get better until we get better support from the CDC and other agencies that are currently failing at public health and safety. Just look at who our SG is and what he's done here. Vulnerable communities can no longer safely participate in public life. I no longer see a future where I will ever be comfortable in public spaces again.
I continue to be utterly appalled at the behavior of Florida officials. They should be doing everything they can to maximize measles vaccinations of children, flu shots for everybody, and COVID boosters for those at high risk.
Quick question about vaccines in general: The last time I had boosters for all of the childhood vaccines was when I was 26 (for grad school). I’m now almost 60. Do people my age need to get boosted again given the trend of non-vaccination of some children these days? Or is it too small of a population to worry about? (And no other concerns — I’m completely vaccinated for everything available seasonally!)
With regard to high wastewater COVID in Florida and the South you report: " South has a very weird pattern." It is not so weird. Due to public health nihilism these states are an extreme outliers. Looking at their stats, I have to assume that new cases are hugely underreported (compared to other states), that their reported COVID death rate is rather higher (especially Florida), and you can assume a large population vulnerability due to lack of vaccine take up, and disregard for masking in public assemblies and other systemic measures. Fortunately the dominant variable does not seem to cause a lot of serious morbidity.
[The Washington Post] “Tax records reveal the lucrative world of covid misinformation,” headline of article dated February 21, 2024, accessible to all here: https://wapo.st/49on7f5
According to the WaPo article, “The influx of pandemic cash enabled organizations to deepen their influence in statehouses, courtrooms and communities across the country.”
Closing paragraphs read as follows:
“Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said he thinks the funding of misinformation by conservative donors is particularly disheartening because their communities faced higher rates of coronavirus vaccine refusal — and death — during the pandemic.
“In his view, he said, ‘we should be as a society really concerned that people are spending this amount of money to distort the truth.’”
It seems clear that stabilizing at stubbornly high - in excess of epidemic rates - levels of respiratory illness will be the best we can hope for, for the foreseeable future. Aren’t we proud of what we‘ve accomplished for ourselves, for our children and our children’s children?
Pasteurization is good, don't get me wrong. But part of the problem at the time was that milk producers weren't regulated at all and were adding all sorts of bad things to make bad milk LOOK fresh. (See the "swill milk" scandal in NYC.) For rural people who knew the farmers they got milk from, there was much lower risk (and we aren't usually in that situation anymore).
You wrote : “E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheese.” It would be nice to have some context here – like how much of that contaminated batch of raw cheese was consumed by people who did not get sick. Were the people who got sick more at risk due to a weakened immune system or other health condition? How often does raw milk cheese make people sick, as it’s widely used in Europe?
Certified raw milk is much more expensive to produce and is tested far more frequently than conventional milk. In some part of the U .S. it’s illegal, and is sometime sold underground there.
Here's something few people know:
“It is true that raw milk produced as “intended for pasteurization” and sourced from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) is generally unsanitary and unsafe to consume raw. Such milk is being produced in conditions where animal health is compromised, antibiotics are utilized, hormones are used to stimulate higher levels of milk production, there is an abundance of manure, and there is a corresponding high rate of pathogens. This type of milk is generally commingled with milk from multiple dairies, which increases the risk of pathogenic exposure.”
So we have a sterilize the filth program. Years ago health authorities found cases where milk intended for pasteurization was not pasteurized and thus made many people sick. They lumped those cases together with the few certified milk cases and then said look at all the evidence saying raw milk is dangerous. I don’t know if they are still doing this devious “science.” You can get sick from pasteurized milk also.
As far as potential benefits from raw milk, that is debatable. If a newborn calf was fed only pasturized milk, would that baby cow thrive ? I suspect not.
There are people not vaccinating their children and how about not testing or treating for Strep! Yup, inconceivable. They may recover but are carriers for 2 weeks. What is wrong with people?
It also looks like the Fla surgeon general tells parents of kids with measles that they can return to school if their symptoms are getting better?? Nothing about timing with the onset of rash.
Thank you for this very helpful update. Seeing a lot of ILI--some testing positive for flu and some that "feels" like Covid, but not testing positive on rapid tests. I do wonder if the rapid tests are just less helpful at this point.
I’m seeing a good amount of flu in my practice still, so appreciate the national validation chart.
Having milked a cow, and seen the udders up close, pasteurize my milk, please.
I’ll break this rule for some high end cheese from DiBrunos in the Italian Market down the street every once in a while…😋
Measles, Covid, Ladapo, seniors, Florida make for a perfect storm. If I make it to retirement I’m absolutely headed north instead! Hygge over humid, community over hyper-individualism, embryos are not people deserving more protection under the constitution than women.
We are in Florida and have COVID in our household for the first time (that we know). It came home with the 10-yo from school. They are usually the only one masking at school and have no option for outdoor (safe) eating. They are still testing positive on RAT's on day 7. Their school said they could come back on day 5 regardless of test results as long as they didn't have a fever. They never had a fever. Public health as a whole is completely broken, and is essentially nonexistent in Florida.
Thankfully, we are not willfully/maliciously ignorant and our family's COVID mitigations (isolating the infected child in a separate room, high quality masking indoors, open windows, tons of HEPA filters/CR boxes in every room, outdoor dining, serial testing, Betadine Cold Defense nasal spray, CPC mouthwash, as-up-to-date-as-possible vaccinations, etc.) have prevented spread to any of the other 5 members of the household (so far), including high-risk members. However, we also know that we are very privileged to be able to do these things, but so very frustrated that we have had to do them completely on our own with absolutely no support from supposed experts and officials. I honestly know more about COVID than any of our medical doctors where we live which is apparent by the fact that NONE of them mask at all. We live in the dumbest of times and there is absolutely no excuse for it.
The southern states are not "weird." They are willfully ignorant.
I can tell you why the wastewater level of Covid are high in FL. Only 6.89% of people are boosted with the latest booster. Bad messaging and the illegality of mask mandates, even in hospitals, are a major contributing factor. They are actively trying to make the vaccines illegal here. And according to studies, 70% of household transmission starts with a child and we can't get protections in schools. It will never get better until we get better support from the CDC and other agencies that are currently failing at public health and safety. Just look at who our SG is and what he's done here. Vulnerable communities can no longer safely participate in public life. I no longer see a future where I will ever be comfortable in public spaces again.
I continue to be utterly appalled at the behavior of Florida officials. They should be doing everything they can to maximize measles vaccinations of children, flu shots for everybody, and COVID boosters for those at high risk.
thank you for continuing to write, publish! I really appreciate your view and insights
Quick question about vaccines in general: The last time I had boosters for all of the childhood vaccines was when I was 26 (for grad school). I’m now almost 60. Do people my age need to get boosted again given the trend of non-vaccination of some children these days? Or is it too small of a population to worry about? (And no other concerns — I’m completely vaccinated for everything available seasonally!)
With regard to high wastewater COVID in Florida and the South you report: " South has a very weird pattern." It is not so weird. Due to public health nihilism these states are an extreme outliers. Looking at their stats, I have to assume that new cases are hugely underreported (compared to other states), that their reported COVID death rate is rather higher (especially Florida), and you can assume a large population vulnerability due to lack of vaccine take up, and disregard for masking in public assemblies and other systemic measures. Fortunately the dominant variable does not seem to cause a lot of serious morbidity.
[The Washington Post] “Tax records reveal the lucrative world of covid misinformation,” headline of article dated February 21, 2024, accessible to all here: https://wapo.st/49on7f5
According to the WaPo article, “The influx of pandemic cash enabled organizations to deepen their influence in statehouses, courtrooms and communities across the country.”
Closing paragraphs read as follows:
“Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said he thinks the funding of misinformation by conservative donors is particularly disheartening because their communities faced higher rates of coronavirus vaccine refusal — and death — during the pandemic.
“In his view, he said, ‘we should be as a society really concerned that people are spending this amount of money to distort the truth.’”
It seems clear that stabilizing at stubbornly high - in excess of epidemic rates - levels of respiratory illness will be the best we can hope for, for the foreseeable future. Aren’t we proud of what we‘ve accomplished for ourselves, for our children and our children’s children?
*Fermented* raw milk (yogurt, kefir, etc.) can have benefits and is much less likely to be contaminated. https://consensus.app/papers/microbes-milk-fermented-dairy-products-wouters/3fb3440b140454b4bbb9dacbf0f85071/?q=fermented+raw+milk
Pasteurization is good, don't get me wrong. But part of the problem at the time was that milk producers weren't regulated at all and were adding all sorts of bad things to make bad milk LOOK fresh. (See the "swill milk" scandal in NYC.) For rural people who knew the farmers they got milk from, there was much lower risk (and we aren't usually in that situation anymore).
You wrote : “E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheese.” It would be nice to have some context here – like how much of that contaminated batch of raw cheese was consumed by people who did not get sick. Were the people who got sick more at risk due to a weakened immune system or other health condition? How often does raw milk cheese make people sick, as it’s widely used in Europe?
Certified raw milk is much more expensive to produce and is tested far more frequently than conventional milk. In some part of the U .S. it’s illegal, and is sometime sold underground there.
Here's something few people know:
“It is true that raw milk produced as “intended for pasteurization” and sourced from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) is generally unsanitary and unsafe to consume raw. Such milk is being produced in conditions where animal health is compromised, antibiotics are utilized, hormones are used to stimulate higher levels of milk production, there is an abundance of manure, and there is a corresponding high rate of pathogens. This type of milk is generally commingled with milk from multiple dairies, which increases the risk of pathogenic exposure.”
So we have a sterilize the filth program. Years ago health authorities found cases where milk intended for pasteurization was not pasteurized and thus made many people sick. They lumped those cases together with the few certified milk cases and then said look at all the evidence saying raw milk is dangerous. I don’t know if they are still doing this devious “science.” You can get sick from pasteurized milk also.
As far as potential benefits from raw milk, that is debatable. If a newborn calf was fed only pasturized milk, would that baby cow thrive ? I suspect not.
For those interested in reading the other side here’s a website I quickly found: https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org
There are people not vaccinating their children and how about not testing or treating for Strep! Yup, inconceivable. They may recover but are carriers for 2 weeks. What is wrong with people?
Your thoughts on the many older adults who didn’t get the MMR vaccine because it didn’t exist when they were kids?
It also looks like the Fla surgeon general tells parents of kids with measles that they can return to school if their symptoms are getting better?? Nothing about timing with the onset of rash.
Thank you for this very helpful update. Seeing a lot of ILI--some testing positive for flu and some that "feels" like Covid, but not testing positive on rapid tests. I do wonder if the rapid tests are just less helpful at this point.