News and trends related to respiratory season

Respiratory Season Roundup

News and trends related to respiratory season

Swarm of COVID-19 variants could push a winter surge

The last two years have seen COVID-19 variants emerge one at a time across the world, but a multitude of viruses and a new “evolutionary phase” are making health experts nervous, according to The Washington Post.

There are currently multiple versions of the omicron variant, and each new subvariant seems to be stronger against immune defenses than the last. Each new strain of omicron has posed a similar threat, and it’s almost too much for experts to keep up with.

The report says that the “pace of evolution is so fast that many scientists depend on Twitter to keep up. A month ago, scientists were worried about BA.2.75, a variant that took off in South Asia and spawned a cloud of other concerning sublineages. In the United States, BA.4.6 and BF.7 have been slowly picking up steam. A few weeks ago, BQ.1.1 started to steal the spotlight – and still looks like a contender to take over this fall in Europe and North America. A lineage called XBB looms on the sidelines, and threatens to scramble the forecast.”

While it’s easy to get lost in the fray of each new strain, many experts say that focusing on any one possible variant is missing the bigger picture: each new mutation is affecting the receptor binding domain, where virusblocking antibodies dock, giving it an edge against an immunity defense, the report said.

Walgreens Flu Index shows higher activity

This fall, Walgreens launched the 2022-2023 Walgreens Flu Index to help communities track flu activity in their area and serve as an important reminder to get protected with an annual flu shot. Returning for its ninth season, the Walgreens Flu Index shows that to date, overall flu activity is more than 10 times higher nationwide when compared to the 2021-2022 flu season and has more than doubled over the past two weeks.

“As we head into the fall and winter seasons, our data show significantly higher flu activity early this year when compared to other flu seasons and it’s increasing across the United States, especially in southern cities,” said Anita Patel, PharmD, vice president, pharmacy services development, Walgreens. “As we return to pre-pandemic activities and spend more time indoors without a mask or social distancing, we are more vulnerable to respiratory infections. To help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses this season, the best thing you can do is schedule your annual flu shot and updated COVID-19 booster at Walgreens in one convenient stop.”

A national survey showed many are either unsure or do not plan to get vaccinated against flu during this flu season. With rising rates of flu, COVID-19 older and new variants in circulation and other respiratory illnesses, hospitalizations are expected to rise and could result in a strain on the healthcare system. To prevent flu and its potentially serious complications, the CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine by the end of October and before flu begins spreading during the holidays. If individuals are unable to get vaccinated until later, the CDC recommends still getting the flu shot because flu activity most commonly peaks in February and can continue through May. It takes about two weeks after the vaccine for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu.

CDC clears third vaccine-maker’s COVID-19 booster

The CDC cleared a third vaccine-maker’s COVID-19 booster for authorization in the U.S. on Oct. 19 following the FDA’s vote. Novavax’s monovalent booster is authorized for adults 18 and older, and the CDC said the decision offers another option for those who have completed the primary vaccination series but have not received a booster shot. It also could interest those who are wary of mRNA-based vaccines, like Pfizer’s and Moderna’s shots, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, said in a statement. According to the CDC COVID-19 tracker, 68.1% of the nation’s population has completed a primary series and 49% has gotten a booster shot.