10/7/2024

Good Morning SARS2PAians! 🍁🍁🍁

I haven't been posting much because the picture didn't really change all that much for us so far. Numbers for PA wastewater are going down except for a bit in Philly.: https://ibb.co/sPRmszP

KP.3.x.y still very much at the top of the leaderboard.: https://ibb.co/09g7CCV

The newest variants to watch are MV.1 and especially recombinant XEC for the winter. XEC is really taking off in France and the UK is expecting doing some numbers with this. It's already hit 10% in some parts of Canada. It's at 2% so far in PA.: https://ibb.co/tDk0N5m

XEC was at 1% of random sequencing in the US at the beginning of September and at the end of the month was at 6%.

This doesn't seem like much but when you consider how blazingly FAST KP.3.1.1 is, this is thoroughbred level faster.

XEC is expected to grow steadily all fall and winter, and could end up being the troublesome winter variant.

That's all I have for now, until I see (but hopefully not) XEC potentially doing the numbers.

QUICK REMINDERS: Grab those tests kits available through the mail now and don't consume raw dairy!! 🍁🍁🍁

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA #KP3 #XEC #MV1

#Wastewater

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands #mRNA #Novavax
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

9/16/2024

Good Morning SARS2PAians!

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather. ☀️😎☀️

__________
VOCs

Still, nothing much has changed, the top two variants which also make up the bulk of random sequencing are KP.3.1.1 and KP.2.3.:https://ibb.co/9NJNYpj

XEC is still around, though in PA it's still at the bottom of the sequencing list and doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

There is a new variant that is being watched closely, and that is MV.1. It's shown to be potentially as fast as KP.3.1.1 with some very strange, little-understood mutations. It's a good competitor to KP.3.1.1 and while not very different from current variants, the actual mutations are very concerning because some are so rare.: https://ibb.co/XSRQXVX

__________
Wastewater

Wastewater levels are HIGH according to WastewaterSCAN, and CDC also considers them HIGH (not "Very High".): https://ibb.co/bmqSXvn

On the PA wastewater dashboard we're overall stable with some increases, but on WastewaterSCAN Harrisburg again is rising quickly, which shows a need for source control.: https://ibb.co/9wCTx3s

___________

That's all I have right now as I run out the door today! Please get those updated flu/COVID vaccinations, stay safe and we'll keep an eye on MV.1 together! 👀 👀 👀

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA #KP3 #XEC #MV1

#Wastewater

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands #mRNA #Novavax
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Good Afternoon SARS2PAians!

1/2 for Sept. 9th, 2024

I hope you are having a healthy and productive late summer!☀️

__________
VOCs

The national mutation leaderboard hasn't changed much.: https://ibb.co/LP1L4LZ

There are no new mutations that are on the far horizon that can compete with KP.3.1.1 so far.

The closest competitor is the recombinant XEC, a combo of KS.1.1 and KP.3.1, and is maybe almost equally as fast as what we have now.

We have XEC already in PA.: https://ibb.co/JpnYfcJ

The good news is XEC, as I mentioned last time, has only 2 spike mutations different from KP.3.1.1, so any immunity granted against KP.x.y will also work very well against XEC.

Actually, the current versions are pretty stagnant. Stagnation is good as it gives us a breather, but it's also what happened between XBB and JN.1/KP.x.y.: https://ibb.co/BCqrTFN

Thanks to variant hunters, who constantly monitor virus genetics and then estimate growth rates (and some of which are not even paid to do this for us), we will have a few weeks to a month or two of any incoming fast, binding, or immune-evasive mutations.

Keep watching that space. It's important, especially as winter approaches.

__________
Wastewater

WastewaterSCAN still has our region at HIGH levels of SARS2.: https://ibb.co/wRCwRkK

Chester's numbers are not low, but much more manageable than in other areas. Harrisburg is doing much better as numbers keep going down there! Good work Hburg!: https://ibb.co/Pm9kF4H

Our region's numbers are going down after a peak already. This is a relief. We are still the HHS region with the lowest numbers.: https://ibb.co/3zcRKJL

PA, after quite a sizeable spike, is VERy quickly returning to numbers way below national average and more on par with the rest of the region.: https://ibb.co/VtVxDYX

We're doing something right. 💪

But remember, numbers are still in the moderate to HIGH range, so please keep working on source control.

According to CDC, there is NO state right now having anything less than "moderate" wastewater levels. Clearly this is defintely NOT a best-case scenario going into Fall.

Existing immune deficiency due to previous reinfections (and first time infections!) and already very high virus spread might make for quite a high-maintenance Fall and Winter this year.

__________
Kits, vaxes, etc.

Reminder that you can get 4 Federally funded tests kits by mail at the end of this month. Don't miss it!!

Covidtests.gov: https://aspr.hhs.gov/covid-19/test/Pages/default.aspx

There's also a tool from Vaccines.gov to find an mRNA KP.2 vaccination near you!!!

🔴Also reminder: if you have an uncomfortably strong reaction to mRNA vaccines, please do give Novavax a try. It's protein-based, and formulated much like a traditional tetanus shot, rather than mRNA.

https://us.novavaxcovidvaccine.com/find-a-vaccine

I am not in any way paid to promote Novavax. And I'm not the company President, but...I am in fact a client 😎

If you are unable to get Novavax, PLEASE.....get something.

🔴And gooooooo get a FLU SHOT too if you are able!

__________
Other Pathogens

 H5N1

There was a first case already of H5N1 infection in a person in Missouri, NOT linked, so far, to animal contact and not farm related.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/06/health/first-human-case-of-bird-flu-not-linked-to-animals/index.html

This is the current picture for H5N1. Found in 14 states.: https://ibb.co/pfrFxtT

This is ...pretty bad. This is getting progressively...kinda bad.

🔴Please DO NOT consume raw dairy products: raw eggs, undercooked/rare meat, unpasteurized dairy. Dippy eggs. Raw egg-based cookie dough. Just don't.

🔴Use extra caution with animals like rodents in your home, especially if you have to deal with them after they're trapped.

🔴Keep your cats indoors and dogs away from prey. H5N1 has a super-high kill rate especially in cats.

Stock up NOW on a few N95s (you will NOT want less than a genuine N95 for this thing), gloves, and MERV-13 filters for those CR boxes.

CDC can repeat "risk assessment low" all they want, we should NOT be screwing around with something than has an estimated baseline 20% kill rate, which is the reason I spend so much time on this subject in a SARS2 forum.

The current genetics of H5N1 is not scary, but giving this thing more chances to hit the lottery is the worst thing we could be doing now.

🔴Again: H5N1 cannot combine with the pathogen that causes COVID19, because one is a SARS and the other is an influenza. They are way too different from each other. But it CAN combine with influenza A and B....and we are entering that season soon.

We can do the best things in preparation NOW for a worst case scenario which means building up some basic PPE at home, avoiding exposure. Prepare =/= panic.

Please stay safe this coming Fall and keep that source control down!

☀️🍁☀️

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA #KP3 #XEC #FLuQUE

#Wastewater #Norovirus #Noro

#H5N1 #HPAI #BirdFlu

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands #mRNA #Novavax
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Good Afternoon and Holiday, SARS2PAians!

🔴1/2 Sept/2/2024

I hope you're having a GREAT late summer. ☀️

There's not much going on that is new right now in VOC land. Top variants are still KP.3, descendats of JN.1.

KP.3 is FAST. Super fast. It's like a heat-seeking missle, getting a lot of people that have never had COVID before, for the first time.

Including me 🙄 which is why I didn't post last week. I apologize yet again.

__________
My stuff (should you for some weird reason be curious)

I tested + almost a week and a half ago and am STILL testing positive. I am doing everything possible to not give this thing air. I'm wearing an N95 outside all the time now and only going out if it's necessary. I have 2 Corsi-Rosenthal boxes that go every moment I'm home to protect my pets. I'm feeling OK but not 100%...maybe 75%.

I am determined to keep testing every day as long as it's financially doable.

I'm monitoring my symptoms, both acute, long term, and especially cognitive (most scary and hardest to tell) for any further changes.

I think I have Novavax (I am not paid to write this, I wish I was 🙄) to thank for not being worse than this because it's been clinically proven to grant extra protection to upper respiratory passages, which is ground zero for where SARS2 enters the body...(at least against the older variants).: https://ibb.co/1fCjZvr

BA.5 Study Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10451060/

AGAIN...if you have an uncomfortably strong reaction to mRNA, please give Novavax a try as overall, it's been proven to cause fewer side effects AND be more cross-protective between current mutations.

But if you do not have access to Novavax...Please. Get something.

__________
XEC

As far as XEC (which is a recombinant of KP.3.3 and KS.1), it's still being monitored for spread as it's the only thing that can possibly even keep up with KP.3.x.y now.

The good thing is, it has a difference of only two spike changes from KP.3.1.1 (the top variant blazing around now) so vaccines will protect VERY well against it, too.: https://ibb.co/9yfCqFc

Both Novavax (JN.1 formula, the "trunk" of the current top variant tree) and mRNA (KP.2 formula, a "branch" of the tree that most closely resembles current variants) are very good matches to the top variants going around and they're all out for scheduling right now.: https://ibb.co/1RFn3HF

 GO GET VAXED! (...and for flu, too!)

Also get those 4 Federally-funded test kits through the mail when they're available in late September!: https://aspr.hhs.gov/covid-19/test/Pages/default.aspx

__________
Wastewater

Wastewater numbers are still VERY HIGH according to CDC and WastewaterSCAN nationally.: https://ibb.co/Wx4jyKy

PA's wastewater numbers continue to rise:https://ibb.co/QPfQvmK

...while the rest of the HHS regions' numbers have seemingly hit peak. According to CDC we've been bumped up to the VERY HIGH slot.: https://ibb.co/QczqW3m

Harrisburg is again getting hit really hard with viral spread, being at the top in wasteewater right now out of HHS Region 3. Please stay safe and wear a quality well-fitting respirator in crowded areas or places with suboptimal ventilation!

Continued in next post.....

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA #KP3 #XEC #FLuQUE

#Wastewater #Norovirus #Noro

#H5N1 #HPAI #BirdFlu

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Good Afternoon SARS2PAians!

I hope this cooler weather is bringing you some comfort after that ridiculously hot and humid past few weeks 😖

__________
VOCs

Nationally, KP.3.1.1 is still at the top of the leaderboard, as expected. This is one superfast variant, and also immune evasive to previous vaccination and infection due to antigenic drift.: https://ibb.co/rx5H4KB

One mutation that is closely being watched is XEC, a recombinant of KP.3.3 and KS.1.1.: https://ibb.co/bzFQX1j

Numbers are rather low right now: https://ibb.co/9bKFtWF

But it has a bit faster relative growth than what we're dealing with now.: https://ibb.co/S3701rR

It's already in PA and in 11 other States.: https://ibb.co/CW82KYL

It's not **superfast**, but if it's different enough than the upcoming vaccines AND existing immune priming, it has a lot of potential to add to the already high numbers and make this winter really.....somethin'. 😖

__________
Test Kits

 4 more Federally funded home delivered test kits are going to be available in late September.: https://ibb.co/L56XdjP

Keep watching Covidtests.gov for more info!: https://aspr.hhs.gov/covid-19/test/Pages/default.aspx

__________
Go Get a Vax or Two (soon)

KP.x.y based vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer have been approved and are steadily on their way to distribution; Novavax (probably JN.1) is coming soon, too.

🔴Reminder: If you have a very strong, rather inconvenient reaction to mRNA vaxes, please do give Novavax a try. It is more like a traditional tetanus shot in mechanics and is widely reported as causing little to no side-effects!

I do not work with any of these manufacturers (believe me I'd be making a looooooot more money if I did 💀) but I do have experience with both Novavax and mRNA shots if anyone has questions.

No matter what is available to you or not, please DO get something.

🔴Also get those flu shots coming up next month!

(Mostly because...well...the medical community does not want to deal with your entirely preventable severe flu on top of dealing with COVID patients and other people needing medical care.)

__________
Wastewater

Folks...nationally, wastewater is really high right now, especially in the West. The map looked like this last week when PA was lower.: https://ibb.co/DCsjJys

The current CDC wastewater map has PA at "high" levels now. The kids are almost ready to go back to school if not there right now, and source control is going to be very important.: https://ibb.co/10SGmBc

WastewaterSCAN has the entire country as experiencing HIGH wastewater levels.

Every classroom should have a Corsi-Rosenthal box in it to reduce illness. There should be no silly excuses not to give these to kids as we enter the fall, especially if you actually really do care about learning loss.

The regional wastewater trends looked like this: https://ibb.co/rG8HnmY

....where the East was noticeably lower than the rest of the country, but now Eastern levels have not peaked yet and are still going up even though the West might have peaked.

The current trend map looks like this: https://ibb.co/Dp2BWSn

.....with the other HHS regions peaking (hopefully). We're still rising but hopefully we'll peak soooooooon and that will be that.

Region 3 is looking much better as of right now, and Harrisburg is HANDLING IT and bringing those numbers way down!! Good job Hburg!: https://ibb.co/gTJr241

I hope you have a safe and loss-free late Summer and early Fall!

☀️🍁☀️

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA #KP3

#Wastewater

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Good Afternoon SARS2PAians!

Once again, I am requesting you accept my apology for shifting some posts to Monday instead of Friday. The past few weeks were...somethin'.

And I hope you are enjoying your SUMMER! ☀️

__________
 Wastewater

Nothing has really changed tho, wastewater numbers are going WAY UP nationally and kids aren't even back to school yet.: https://ibb.co/X555c7w

Wearing a quality respirator should be considered in crowds, in places of low ventilation AND in ANY close contact...even outside.

Controlling this stuff at the source (which is other people already infected) NOW will prevent LEARNING LOSS this winter.

We don't want LEARNING LOSS.....do we? 🤔

While regionally, our Northeast region is still doing much, much better than the rest of the country, and Chester is doing much better than a few weeks ago, Harrisburg is still AT THE TOP of wastewater results for our region. Please respirator-up and be aware of social contacts in H-burg!: https://ibb.co/bHXf3SP

__________
  Other Pathogens

🔴Mpox

There's....um...still quite a lot going on that's not SARS2.

Mpox has been declared a Public Health Emergency of international Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Org.

This is NOT...N O T the same beast as in 2022.

This is a different clade (Clade I) which is many times more deadly than the 2022 version.

***EDIT: CLADE I IS THE NEWER VERSION OF MPOX AND I'VE ALSO EDITED THE REDDIT POST.***

Mpox Clade II has been separated out on WastewaterSCAN and you can see testing results for it there.: https://ibb.co/WDMzmjM

Yes there are some vaccines for it,: https://x.com/sailorrooscout/status/1824100811351244818

and they are both from smallpox as Mpox is in the same family and they are genetically similar enough to be cross-effective.

One is JYNNEOS (Imvanex, IMVAMUNE) which is non-replicating and pretty much safe for everyone. The ACTUAL smallpox vaccine is live virus which makes it...not really all that ideal because you have to be soooooo much more careful with it, but STILL effective for life as long as exposure remains low.

Mpox is not new and there are effective antivirals against it; however this clade is NEW and its high death rate is of concern.

We MUST ramp up vaccine production against this disease.

🔴H5N1

H5N1 is a version of Influenza A and is also separated out on WastewaterSCAN.: https://ibb.co/LZpj7pT

There are still new herds testing positive for H5N1 (Bird Flu/Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza/HPAI).

We MUST pull out all the stops and keep testing our food supply chain, especially pigs. Pigs are asymptomatic against H5N1 (which is like the woooooorst news I will probably learn this entire year) and yet they are the ideal mix of human-like and animal-like genomes that could trigger dangerous mutations.: https://ibb.co/HBNpXVW

DO NOT consume non-pasteurized dairy.

DO NOT consume undercooked meat and eggs (no dippy eggs, y'all!)

You might want to consider Ultra-Pasteurized dairy instead of "pasteurized" dairy and plant-based meat replacements.

🔴Cats have an especially VERY high death rate from H5N1, with end results similar to rabies (massive brain swelling and damage). Please keep your kitties indoors and away from dead birds.

__________
 Fire/PM2.5

So far so good with wildfire smoke over here in PA. While most of Canada is enveloped in lower air quality, we are so far not in the windpath of it.

Keep those Corsi-Rosenthal boxes handy in case the wind takes a turn for the worst for us. Keeping windows tightly closed is good for wildfire smoke but terrible for pathogen control. CR boxes can make up for this loss of filteration!

Honestly, everyone should have a CR box at home, and every classroom should have one. Especially this winter.

  This winter is going to be...somethin'...if we don't do some source control NOW.

 We can do this with some empathy and a LOT of source control!

Please have a safe Summer and upcoming Fall! ☀️🍁☀️

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA #KP3 #S31Del

#Mpox #Wastewater

#H5N1 #HPAI

#pm2_5 #Fires #wildfires

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Good Morning SARS2PAians!

I hope you're enjoying this break from the brain-melting heat and humidity this summer. (It's so much better sleeping 😴)
Wastewater

My focus will be on wastewater as nothing has really changed mutation-wise. KP.3.x.y still wrecking us due to antigenic drift.

KP.3.x.y rising exponentially right now in wastewater. The positivity rate is not as terrible, but +rate is a lagging indication compared to wastewater.

CDC has the VAST MAJORITY of States experiencing VERY HIGH levels of SARS2 concentration in wastewater.: https://ibb.co/nR2kb6Q

PA is in the Moderate category on this map, and indeed the Northeast is in the lowest slot for WW increases out of all regions.:https://ibb.co/3r4j6KH

And actually the PA Wastewwater monitoring map looks much better than last time, but the peak isn't in sight yet.: https://ibb.co/9shCm3M

The highest raised levels in PA are in the Harrisburg region. Folks there might want to consider respirators in public and watch social contacts as school IS NOT going to make this metric better.: https://ibb.co/xG3rY4L

These increases nationally are matching what SHOULD be a post-Holidays winter wave.: https://ibb.co/sVwBs9L

There COULD be a chance that the latest KP.3.x.y variants are more gut-related, so people are shedding more in wastewater than compared to other variants, which in turn, means the +rate will not be as terrible...but using caution, wearing a quality respirator, keeping the air fresh and clean and being aware of social contacts means this wil be controlled for the new school year and we won't have to find things out the hard way.

PLEASE use some common sense and caution going into September.

🔴Vaccines have not been released yet, as soon as they are available, please get vaccinated with the newset version of COVID (JN.1 or KP.2) and the latest flu shot.

🔴Remember there is a two-week "prep stage" as it works through the system before a vaccine is fully effective.

 With some common sense and source control we can stop the uphill statistics and prevent lots of life, finance, and learning loss.

I hope you continue to have a GREAT SUMMER! ☀️🔥☀️

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA
#KP3 #S31Del

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Good Morning SARS2PAians!

I hope you're staying cool. Or at least dehumidified in this murky summer air. 😖

Reminder: I'll try to be better "approving" posts on Reddit in the future. I've approved of all previous posts so they should be more accessible now. I apologize not doing this sooner, I had a whole six months of family emergencies (not COVID) and those details kinda got lost along the way.

__________
VOCs

Nationally, the fastest mover so far, KP.3.1.1, has taken over the top slot in the variant leaderboard between Friday and today.

Friday: https://ibb.co/3Cx513s
Today: https://ibb.co/QCx4LPW

Genetic shift and waning immunity is causing a substantial uptick in ED visits in most States on the Eastern half of the contiguous US.: https://ibb.co/SncRcpj

There are still no new variants on the horizon that can compete with KP.3.x.y. so far, but it is blazing fast and immune resistant due to genetic mutations.

__________
Wastewater

Nationally, levels are now HIGH on every monitoring site, and in most States. They're actaully pretty much even with what is usually a winter outbreak.

The wastewater levels by HHS region keep rising, though the Northeast is the lowest of all regions.: https://ibb.co/hmYGbJ8

Please consider wearing a quality respirator in enclosed rooms and crowded areas so we can get these numbers down.

Compared to other areas though Pennsylvania is doing well, well below national averag: https://ibb.co/N9SM8Rb

but the Harrisburg area is getting hit particularly hard right now.: https://ibb.co/JnYLNVx

JN.1/KP.2 vaccines are supposed to be available starting late this month or September for all major manufacturers (Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax).

 PLEASE GET VACCINATED as soon as these are available.

__________
Other Issues

The fires in Canada and Western US are underway and spreading dangerous pollutants. PM2.5 levels are tolerable in PA right now, but remember respirators and Corsi-Rosenthal boxes will definitely help if things get out of control again.: https://ibb.co/ZhDFzvb

We are getting closer and closer to human-to-human transmission for H5N1, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI/H5N1).

 Please consider reducing dairy products in your diet and DO NOT drink or eat raw or undercooked animal products AT ALL.

  Consider moving up from "pasteurized" to "ultra-pasteurized" milk.

  Consider replacing meat with plant-based alternatives. (They can be delicious too!)

I hope we can cooperate NOW to make this winter healthy and safe for all of us.

We can prevent so much life, economic, and learning loss with jsut a little precaution and oding SOME form of source control.

Have a great (and dehumidified UGH) week! 🔥☀️🔥

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA
#KP3 #S31Del

#HPAI #H5N1

#Wildfire #CanadianFires #FireMonitoring #PM2_5

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Good Morning/Afternoon SARS2PAians!

I apologize for not posting for a week or so. I'm taking care of a needy relative (not COVID) and honestly sometimes that absorbs A LOT of my time, entire mornings and sometimes entire days.

Again, also it's also harder to get accurate info about SARS2 as most virologists I follow are getting totally absorbed into the extremely concerning HPAI/H5N1/bird outbreak monitoring and advocacy.

I hope you're having a great Summer and have recovered from the heat waves! 🔥☀️🔥

__________
VOCs

KP.3.x.y is still making its way through the world, causing rising numbers wherever it goes.

Most of our current mutations travelling around are some form of KP.3.: https://ibb.co/R74xdfC

There are no upcoming mutations/lineages that can compete with it so far.

__________
Wastewater, +rate

WastewaterSCAN shows national levels as HIGH everywhere in the US.: https://ibb.co/n0Fgg28

🔴In fact, SARS2 is THE ONLY PATHOGEN right now on WWS that is considered at HIGH levels!!

Levels are increasing in our HHS region (Region 5, and in fact PA has some of the highest levels tested here.: https://ibb.co/phrHxDD

The PA Wastewater dashboard has levels increasing substantially in McKean County and West Chester.: https://ibb.co/Nngwjt2

The National +rate, despite abysmal levels of testing, is very high right now and is in fact higher than it was IN JANUARY this year.: https://ibb.co/1dxn41F

PA's rate continues to upwardly climb as KP.3's shifted mutations are highly capable of immune escape.: https://ibb.co/Jn1MJs4

🔴Vaccines should be out by the major manufacturers (Moderna, Pfizer, Novavax) very soon, either next month or September. PLEASE get vaccinated as soon as possible.

__________
H5N1

These are outbreaks continuing almost daily in US cattle and bird farms.

A cluster of poultry workers with H5N1 symptoms is being monitored in Colorado. This is the first time a CLUSTER of H5N1 has occurred. Ten cases in one month...compare this to 880 cases in the entire world over 21 years.

51 herds so far affected in Colorado, which is also the only the state that seems to care enough to start some methods of mandatory testing and developing a tracker tool for outbreaks.: https://ag.colorado.gov/animal-health/reportable-diseases/avian-influenza/hpai-in-dairy-cattle

There have been 173 nationwide herds affected with H5N1 so far.

There is sufficient evidence that H5N1 is now travelling mammal-to-mammal. This is really really very bad.: https://ibb.co/9wnP7vp

🔴PAians might want to consider some increased food safety practices:

Move up from "pasteurized" milk to "ultra-pasteurized".

Consider non-dairy food sources such as plant beverages and tofu.

Do not consume meat that is NOT fully cooked. Have steaks medium insread of rare or medium rare.

🔴DO NOT🔴 consume raw/unpasteurized dairy products.

Just don't.

Don't be That Guy™.

__________
Fire Monitoring

Fire season is very much underway. So far, we are not in the path of dangerous PM2.5 levels.: https://ibb.co/HXscYcF

As fires spread in Canada and Western US it's just as important to watch these levels as they have a detrimental effect on air quality and long-term respiratory health!

The same precautions work against SARS2, H5N1, and wildfore smoke. Wearing a quality respirator (at least a very well-fitted KN95/N95 and making sure fllters are a high enough grade help control all these potential respiratory hazards.

🔴If you MUST keep doors/windows closed due to fire, oppressive humidity or a heatwave, PLEASE get yourself some MERV filters, a box fan, and go build a Corsi-Rosenthal box. Controlling oppressive weather hazards and PM2.5 smoke by keeping houses tightly closed is totally antithetical to controlling SARS2.

__________

Between PM2.5 monitoring, COVID and H5N1, that's....a lot going on.😳

But the methods of prevention and source control are all THE SAME: quality respirators and MERV13 filters.  

If we can keep SARS2 controlled enough during the summer, it will make for a much better, not-terrible Fall and Winter. But we must start controlling it NOW.

Hope you have a great weekend and again I apologize for dropping updates lately. ☀️☀️☀️

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA
#KP3 #S31Del

#HPAI #H5N1

#Wildfire #CanadianFires #FireMonitoring #PM2_5

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Good Afternoon SARS2PAians!

I apologize for my late post today and not posting at all last week. The situation did not change all that much last week so there was not that much new info to go on anyway.

Also, most virologists are slowly getting more absorbed into the more potentially devastating H5N1 pandemic currently playing out in the animal kingdom, which is totally understandable but...still takes away from SARS2/C19 discussion. 😣

🔴Just a quick reminder that if you need to keep windows and doors shut during this 🔥HEATWAVE🔥, you might want to start using or build a Corsi-Rosenthal Box as keeping houses and businesses tightly shut against the elements is diametrically opposed to virus control.

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VOCs

There are no recent drastic changes in the COVID19 landscape so far.

Nationally, KP.2.3 in the lead, and quite a few mutations based on KP.3 right after.: https://ibb.co/jgsnv72

The newest mutation to watch seems to be KP.4.1 which is in very low numbers, currently under 1%, for now.

There are no specifics on the Tableau site so for for PA as far as mutations are concerned.

In NY/NJ, LB.1.7 in the lead, and again KP.3.1.1 is shown to move fast over there at 10% of leaderboard share.: https://ibb.co/vCFVRmN

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+rate

Nationally, according to Walgreens, the +rate is going almost stright up. No doubt the East being shut inside for extreme hot/humid weather is NOT helping this, as is waning vaccination effectiveness due to mutational drift.: https://ibb.co/8M4ZFMb

🔴PLEASE get vaccinated when JN.1/KP.2 versions come out in the next few months.

Out of about 5,000 PCR tests done, over a third (39.6%) are positive.

This is a STRONG swing upward that started in April.

The swing upward is mirrored in PA, but only 52 tests have been done. If you aren't feeling well, PLASE use a home test and stay home if you are sick!: https://ibb.co/WnymxfP

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Wastewater

WastewaterSCAN has numbers considered HIGH nationally even though the CDC site is considering them LOW. (🙄): https://ibb.co/C7z96yy

Wastewater levels are LOW compared to the first Omicron wave but HIGH considering that we should not be experiencing this increased sickness in July at all.

In our HHS region, Region 3, we have quite a few stations reporting quickly rising numbers. Harrisburg and Chester rising steadily and now surpasses the highest stations in Maryland, which has been consistently high.: https://ibb.co/R7JXkND

Our region average has been going vertical in wastewater concentration in late June.: https://ibb.co/fSTXbPB

In Region 2 (NY/NJ), the Oakhurst Station has been going vertical and other stations steadily and slowly rising.: https://ibb.co/FzJL7BV

Again, extra caution by using quality air filteration (either by CR box or by a KN95, N95 or better respirator) will keep these numbers down for the summer.

Keep cool and have a GREAT WEEK! 🔥🔥🔥

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA
#KP3 #LB1 #DeFLiRT #S31Del #KP41

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !