Measles Cases Reported In Midwest While Outbreak Grows In Florida
The first measles case in five years was reported in Chicago, while three cases and the potential for more raised concern in Michigan. Also: news on meningitis, RSV, covid, and more.
Chicago Tribune:
First Case Of Measles Detected In Chicago In 5 Years
Chicago public health officials on Thursday said they had identified the first case of measles in the city since 2019 and urged city residents to make sure they were vaccinated against the disease. Illinois saw five measles cases in 2023, public health officials said. (Kubzansky, 3/7)
USA Today:
Michigan Reports Three Measles Cases As Numbers Grow In Florida, Other States
Three new measles cases and hundreds of potential exposure have been reported in Michigan, one of the latest states impacted by the spread of the infection across the U.S. (Walrath-Holdridge and Jordan Shamus, 3/7)
Houston Chronicle:
Meningitis Cases In Texas Prompt Vaccine Reminders
Multiple people in Houston have been infected with a severe bacterial disease that triggered a statewide health advisory last month, according to the Houston Health Department. Between November and February, four adults and three children in Houston were infected with meningococcal disease. This highly infectious but vaccine-preventable illness can lead to meningitis, or inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes. (Gill, 3/7)
On RSV and covid —
Stat:
RSV Shot Was 90% Effective At Preventing Hospitalizations In Kids
A new monoclonal antibody product to protect against respiratory syncytial virus was 90% effective at preventing little children from being hospitalized with RSV, according to new data from the first season it was in use. (Branswell, 3/7)
CIDRAP:
Body's Response To COVID Differs In Men, Women, Researchers Report
COVID-19 affects men and women differently, with men having greater increases in skin temperature, breathing rate, and heart rate, concludes a study published yesterday in PLOS One. (Van Beusekom, 3/7)
Bloomberg:
Why Do Women Get Worse Long Covid? Study Points To Testosterone
A new study by a prominent team of researchers from the Yale School of Medicine and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has found that women with long Covid had significantly lower levels of testosterone compared to those who had recovered from their infection. (Jarvis, 3/7)
Axios:
America's Split On Whether The Pandemic Is Over
Free COVID tests are over, for now. So are guidelines for infected people to isolate. Half of the country thinks the pandemic is finished. But, in reality, COVID-19 is still with us. Though the official trappings of the crisis keep fading away and it's increasingly being treated like the flu, the virus remains an ever-present threat that's killing hundreds of Americans every week and consuming health care dollars and resources. (Goldman, 3/8)
