Influenza Virus Symptoms

OKLAHOMA CITY — By the summer of 2021, Phil Maytubby, deputy CEO of the health department here, was concerned to see the numbers of people getting vaccinated against covid-19 slipping after an initially robust response. With doubt, fear, and misinformation running rampant nationwide — both online and offline — he knew the agency needed to rethink its messaging strategy. So, the health department conducted something called an online "sentiment search," which gauges how certain words are perceived on social media. The tool found that many people in Oklahoma City didn't like the word "vaccinate" — a term featured prominently in the health department's marketing campaign. "If you don't know how your message is resonating with the public," Maytubby said, "you're shooting in the dark." Across the country, health officials have been trying to combat misinformation and restore trust w...

The 1917-18 flu pandemic was one of the most deadly infections, killing approximately 50 million people at its peak. Despite its severity and impact, information surrounding the pandemic was limited because of the heavy censorship during World War I. However, Hispanic publications of the time allow us to have a better understanding of the impact of this disease. Last year, partnering with the University of Houston's Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Program, I researched the impact the influenza pandemic had as reflected in publications of the time. Most countries fighting in the war, including the United States, were concerned the pandemic decreased public morale toward the war effort and censored media outlets, documents and news articles regarding the subject. However, as a neutral power throughout the war, Spain did not engage in wartime censorship and had widespread publications and reporting on the influenza pandemic. Yet, because Spain was the only country repor...

Posted Date: 1/31/2023 Members of the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources present Mon Health Medical Center Family Birth Center and Quality staff with the Hepatitis B Prevention Program Award on Friday, January 27, 2023. The Family Birth Center at Mon Health Medical Center recently received an award from the West Virginia Division of Immunization Services (WVDIS) for their contributions to the Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program. Each U.S. state participates in a Hep. B Prevention Program which originated in 1991 from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the CDC's initiative to eliminate Hep. B transmission. These programs work in collaboration with local health departments, physicians, and hospitals to identify and track infants who are born to mothers infected with Hep. B. Mon Health Medical Center has provided information to the WVDIS to enable them to track infants born with disease exposure. This allows the WVDIS to...

If you've been following HBO's breakout hit The Last of Us— a story of people navigating a post-apocalyptic world where the cordyceps brain infection (CBI) has turned most of mankind into zombies—then you might be wondering if the "zombie fungus" is real (and if it affects humans). While the show is a freaky science fiction series based on a video game, the alarming spore-filled infection seen in the show is actually real. The Last of Us is reportedly based on the cordyceps fungus (specifically Ophiocordyceps unilateralis) , which is a so-called "zombie fungus" that infects ants. But while the fungus is a real thing, experts say it can't infect humans. Still, it's understandable to have questions. Here's the deal. What is the cordyceps fungus? Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a specialized parasite that infects, manipulates, and then kills ants, usually in a tropical setting, according to one scientific paper on the fungus. "The fungi sprea...

Hong Kong This week, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced they are "closely monitoring" a human case of avian influenza A(H5N6). The case was confirmed in a 54-year-old man, who became symptomatic on November 2, 2022, and was admitted for treatment on November 5, 2022. The man resided in Changsha, Hunan (Mainland China), and was in critical condition at the time he was admitted. Although this man is the only reported case of human avian flu, it is still notable for infection control purposes. Indeed, according to a CHP spokesman, "All novel influenza A infections, including H5N6, are notifiable infectious diseases in Hong Kong." Since 2014, only 82 human cases of avian influenza have been reported by Mainland China health authorities. To prevent further infections, travelers to Mainland China and other affected areas should promptly seek medical care if avian flu symptoms develop. It is critical to tell a health ca...

Media Advisory Monday, January 30, 2023 What A newly published paper in The Lancet shows that an experimental vaccine against Marburg virus (MARV) was safe and induced an immune response in a small, first-in-human clinical trial . The vaccine, developed by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, could someday be an important tool to respond to Marburg virus outbreaks. This first-in-human, Phase 1 study tested an experimental MARV vaccine candidate, known as cAd3-Marburg, which was developed at NIAID's Vaccine Research Center (VRC). This vaccine uses a modified chimpanzee adenovirus called cAd3, which can no longer replicate or infect cells, and displays a glycoprotein found on the surface of MARV to induce immune responses against the virus. The cAd3 vaccine platform demonstrated a good safety profile in prior clinical trials when used in investigational Ebola virus and Sudan virus vacci...

Although there are no immunizations that prevent the common cold, vaccines protect against symptoms shared with other respiratory illnesses. Examples include the COVID-19, influenza, pneumococcal, and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines. Pharmacists play a critical role in administering these vaccines and educating patients about them. Types of Vaccines Influenza It is important to encourage individuals aged 6 months and older to get their annual influenza vaccines, especially because flu cases got an early start this season. As of December 10, 2022, 48 jurisdictions were experiencing high or very high levels of flu activity. 1 Flu symptoms can include congestion, a cough, or rhinorrhea. 2 One notable update for this season is that the CDC now recommends 3 influenza vaccines for individuals aged 65 years and older, because evidence shows that they are more effective for this population. 3 These are the Fluad Quadrivalent, Flublok Quadrivalent, or the Fluzone High-Dose...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] J&J, Walmart, CareSource boost resources for black mothers    FiercePharma

B Turner, Content Editor January 27, 2023 Med Center Health began accepting appointments and walk-ins at WKU Health Services on Jan. 16. Dr. Abigail DeBusk is a primary physician at the Med Center Health WKU campus. She was formerly an orthopedic doctor serving primarily in sports medicine at Western Kentucky University [WKU]. She went over what services Med Center Health at WKU Health Services will be able to provide to students. "We offer a blend of primary care, as well as urgent care type things […] I know we're trying to also offer your primary care away from home," Dr. DeBusk said. On a primary care basis, Med Center Health at WKU Health Services offers routine physicals, TB screenings, allergy shots and are even able to do lab testing in their office. They are also offering mental health services. They are hiring a psychiatric nurse practitioner who will be able to help with prescribing psychiatric medication. Med Center Health is focused on providing we...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Total Point Urgent Care Center opens in Hollister    Branson Tri-Lakes news

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As Wake Forest University and its partners broke ground on a new medical school campus in Charlotte, a local doctor says the school could add major benefits to health care across the Charlotte region. Wake Forest, Atrium Health and other commercial and community partners broke ground on the new facility, named "The Pearl," this month. The innovation hub and medical school campus is set to bring more than 5,000 jobs to the region, according to information provided by Atrium Health. What You Need To Know  New medical school campus set to drastically change level of care in Charlotte region, local doctor says  New campus should provide local access to top specialists and research  Campus, set to open in 2025, will welcome first class of students in 2024 Located at the corner of Baxter and South McDowell, the roughly 20-acre site will take its first class of future doctors in 2024 and open in 2025...

CNN  —  A panel of independent experts that advises the US Food and Drug Administration on its vaccine decisions voted unanimously Thursday to update all Covid-19 vaccines so they contain the same ingredients as the two-strain shots that are now used as booster doses. The vote means young children and others who haven't been vaccinated may soon be eligible to receive two-strain vaccines that more closely match the circulating viruses as their primary series. The FDA must sign off on the committee's recommendation, which it is likely to do, before it goes into effect. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 09: A pharmacist prepares to administer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots during an event hosted by the Chicago Department of Public Health at the Southwest Senior Center on...