H1N1 NEWS SCAN: WHO committee meeting, effect of media messages, Tamiflu and transmission

H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza

WHO committee may meet to decide to end pandemic
The Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) may meet next week to review infection data from the Southern Hemisphere and recommend that the agency announce an end to the pandemic, sources "familiar with the matter" told Bloomberg News. WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said that Director-General Margaret Chan will decide on whether to declare a post-pandemic phase guided by how the virus behaves, adding that the agency hasn't set a date for an announcement.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-19/swine-flu-fizzles-out-who-may-declare-end-to-pandemic-alert.html
Jul 20 Bloomberg News story

UK media reports aided public calm, prevention steps
UK public service ads and media coverage of the H1N1 pandemic helped alleviate public concern and improved protection measures like using hand sanitizer, according to a new study. Telephone surveys of more than 38,000 people between May 2009 and January 2010 found the levels of those who were very or fairly worried varied between 10% and 33%, with those exposed to media messages less likely to worry. Among protection steps, 33% reporting carrying tissues with them and 10% bought sanitizer.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195186.php
Jul 20 Medical News Today release

Tamiflu helped blunt household transmission
A study exploring the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in preventing household transmission of pandemic H1N1 flu found that early treatment reduced the odds of secondary infection by 42%s. In the study of 362 Milwaukee households, 135 had information about oseltamivir use, 25 of which reported early use of the drug. The authors concluded that the findings may have implications for future pandemic flu control efforts.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/10/211
Jul 20 BMC Infect Dis abstract

This week's top reads

  1. FDA significantly limits COVID-19 vaccine recommendations

    Critics said today’s announcement is more evidence of the current administration’s willingness to undermine public trust in vaccines.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    FDA building

  2. USDA suspends southern border livestock imports over New World screwworm threat

    As cattle detections track northward, Mexico recently reported its first human case.

    Lisa Schnirring
    screwworm larva

  3. Meta-analysis: Zika-infected pregnant moms 4 times more likely to have babies with microcephaly

    Five of 22 studies noted that over 50% of newborns had microcephaly, and the same number of studies observed that over 5% had congenital Zika syndrome. 

    Mary Van Beusekom

  4. Woman dies of Creutzfeldt-Jakob almost 50 years after taking prion-contaminated growth hormone

    The patient, who presented with gait imbalance and tremors, wasn't diagnosed until she was in a coma, shortly before she died.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Woman in hospital bed

  5. HHS expected to discontinue COVID vaccine recommendations for some groups

    When CDC advisers widened their recommendation in 2023, most members were swayed by data, including those for long COVID, showing that no group is at low risk for the virus.

    Lisa Schnirring

  6. Data suggest COVID-19 reinfections less likely to cause long COVID

    The risk of long COVID was two to three times higher after the initial infection (14.8%) than after first (5.8%) or second (5.3%) reinfections.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    LONG COID

  7. WHO advisers say current strains OK for COVID vaccine production

    Current vaccine strains show high neutralization against the latest variants, but the LP.8.1 antigen may provide similar or moderately higher cross-reactive antibody response.

    Lisa Schnirring
    senior vaccination

  8. Texas announces more measles cases, including first in Dallas area

    Two cases near the Dallas area are now included in the large outbreak, which now totals 717 cases.

    Lisa Schnirring

  9. US measles outbreak grows to 1,024 cases

    Texas remains the country's hot spot, with 718 cases. 

    Chris Dall
    Doctor treating child with measles

  10. Saudi Arabia confirms 9 MERS cases, including hospital cluster

    Since 2023, the country has ramped up MERS-CoV testing as part of sentinel surveillance.

    Lisa Schnirring
    hospital isolation

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