The Dose (January 3)
Respiratory season is getting ugly, Covid vaccines are effective, Costco eggs, and H5N1, backyard flocks and bird feeders.
Happy New Year! We’re back to it after some much-needed time off. Here’s the public health news you can use this week.
Fall respiratory weather report: High and increasing
It’s getting ugly out there, folks. The number of people going to the doctor for a cough or fever (defined as an “influenza-like illness” or ILI) is well above epidemic levels at this point. The sickest communities are in the West and South, but the entire map below will soon be lit up red.
The “big three”—flu, Covid–19, and RSV—are increasing quickly. Flu is causing the most burden on healthcare systems, but Covid-19 wastewater is increasing fast, which means hospitalizations and deaths will soon follow.
Norovirus—think nausea, vomiting, diarrhea—continues to have quite the season, with the number of positive tests and outbreaks abnormally high. Norovirus spreads through contaminated surfaces, so as always, wash those hands. Unfortunately, this virus is one of the hardest viruses to kill, so a quick dose of hand sanitizer doesn’t work. Bleach-based products on surfaces are the best.
Fall Covid-19 vaccine provides additional protection
The first data on the effectiveness of this fall’s 2024-2025 Covid-19 vaccine is in, and it’s looking good!
A preprint was released on patients at a Veterans Affairs hospital. Scientists tallied the number of people who did (and did not) have Covid-19 from September- November 2024 and whether they got this fall’s Covid-19 vaccine (specifically the Pfizer 2024-2025 KP.2 formula). Among 44,598 infections, the Covid-19 vaccine reduces:
Hospitalizations by 68%
Emergency department and urgent care visits by 57%, and
Outpatient visits by 56%
The vaccine worked best for those over 65 years old. This study is very preliminary (it only covered two months with little Covid-19 transmission), but the findings aren’t surprising—they are generally consistent with what scientists have found in previous years.
It’s easy to wonder if we’ve had enough Covid-19 boosters by now, but as the virus mutates, vaccines—like flu vaccines every year—provide additional protection to our immune systems.
H5N1, severe disease, backyard flocks, and birdfeeders
A Louisiana resident is in the hospital after contracting H5N1 from their backyard flock. This case had the same H5N1 strain as a teenager in Canada who was fighting for their life last month. (A recent NEJM case study described how severely sick this teenager was: intubation for 3 weeks, temporary support to the heart and lungs called ECMO, plasma exchange, 3 antiviral medications, and more.) The H5N1 strain involved in both severe cases—called D1.1—is found among birds and differs from the strain circulating among cows (B3.13).
If you have a backyard flock, you should take precautions to reduce the risk of spreading disease:
Keep your flock contained: isolate your birds from visitors and other birds.
Prevent germs from spreading by cleaning shoes, tools, and equipment.
Reduce the risk of transmission by avoiding sharing tools and equipment with neighbors.
Know the warning signs of infectious bird diseases among the flock, including fatigue, abnormal drop in egg production, swelling or discoloration of the eyelids/comb/wattles/shanks, stumbling or falling down, diarrhea, or unexplained death.
If one of your birds is sick or dies unexpectedly:
Avoid contact with the sick or dead bird. Assume other birds in the flock and their enclosures, droppings, feeders, and water sources are also infectious. (If you can’t avoid contact completely, take steps to protect yourself.)
If possible, isolate the bird from other animals and pets. (Don’t let your dog near it.)
Immediately report sick or dead birds to your state veterinarian or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (1-866-536-7593).
What about bird feeders? Birds that gather at feeders (like cardinals, sparrows, and bluebirds) do not typically carry H5N1. The USDA does not recommend removing backyard bird feeders for H5N1 prevention unless you also care for poultry. The less contact between wild birds and poultry (by removing sources of food, water, and shelter), the better.
Beware of salmonella linked to some Costco eggs
FDA set the highest safety alert—a Class I recall—for some Costco eggs, distributed to Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Handsome Brooke Farms Kirkland brand of organic pasture-raised eggs is linked to possible Salmonella exposure.
Class I designations are reserved for products with the highest possible health risk, meaning there’s a “reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.” There are no recorded human cases yet, but let’s keep it that way—spread the word and throw these eggs out if you have them in your fridge.
So… what’ll be “healthy” in 2025?
‘Tis the season of New Year's resolutions! According to a recent AP poll, most resolutions this year focus on health, exercise, and diet.
Fifty percent of people aim to eat healthier, but what’s really considered healthy these days? Well, just in time for the new year, FDA updated the definition to align with the latest science. (The last time this definition was updated for food labeling requirements was in 1994!)
Starting in February 25, 2025, if a company wants to claim their new food is “healthy” on a package, they must meet two requirements:
The food must contain a certain amount of one of the five food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, dairy).
The food cannot exceed added sugar, sodium, or saturated fat limits based on the food and its customarily consumed amounts.
The changes remove limitations on total fat and cholesterol and the required provisions of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein, and fiber—things that could simply be added to foods.
Basically, this updated definition aims to focus on more nutrient-dense foods, emphasizing food groups (and the overall nutrition profile) rather than individual nutrients in isolation. While this is progress in the right direction, it’s imperfect. For example, full-fat plain yogurt cannot be “healthy” under this guidance, but low-fat flavored yogurt with some added sugar could be.
What’s next? Reporting food as “healthy” is voluntary. Foods already on the market must comply by February 2028.
In the meantime, FDA is developing a “healthy” symbol that could be used for front-of-package labeling. While only time and research will tell how effective these labeling strategies are, it’s a step in the right direction, updating considerably outdated nutrition guidance, encouraging industry to reformulate foods, and making it easier for the public to make healthier choices.
Bottom line
You’re all caught up for the beginning of the year! Have a wonderful weekend.
Love, the YLE team
Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) reaches more than 295,000 people in over 132 countries with one goal: “translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people feel 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:
As usual vital and relevant information grounded in scientific reality. Keep on keening on, doc!!!
My husband and I both have RSV. (We tested positive) We are both 75. And I will tell you it is the worst virus we have ever had. It has been a week now and we are still miserable and coughing. It has gone to our lungs, my husband worse than I and we have seen the doctor who is keeping tabs on us. We did not get the vaccine. And I so wish that we had...