Swine Influenza

Both cases were in Michigan residents who had contact with pigs at agricultural fairs.

The patient is a 42-year-old woman from Parana state who had underlying health conditions.

H9N2 avian flu has been confirmed in three children under 11, while H1N1v flu infected two preschool girls.

Medicare patient care-seeking for severe mental illness down in COVID-19

Significantly fewer adult Medicare beneficiaries with schizophrenia or bipolar 1 disorders had mental health-related outpatient, emergency department (ED), and hospital visits, as well as fills for antipsychotics and mood-stabilizing drugs in the first 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Long-haul COVID-19 likelihood associated with middle age, female sex

Researchers reporting on two non-peer–reviewed studies published this week on the preprint server medRxiv followed up months after adults' COVID-19 hospitalization and found that 55% to 71% have not fully recovered. Middle age and female sex were associated with a higher likelihood of worse recovery in both studies.

Investigations into 2 E coli outbreaks end with sources still unknown

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ended two separate Escherichia coli O157:H7 investigations on Dec 18. Neither of the outbreaks had a definitive source, although one triggered a food recall on a single brand of romaine lettuce.

Afghanistan, African nations report more vaccine-derived polio cases

Five countries across Asia and Africa report new circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), according to Global Polio Eradication Initiative's weekly report.

H1N2v flu case reported in Canada

Health Canada yesterday announced that a rare variant H1N2 (H1N2v) influenza case has been confirmed in Alberta, marking the province's only flu case reported so far this season.

Study shows lower case-fatality rate in COVID-19 second wave

A new study in Transboundary and Emerging Disease calculated the case-fatality rate (CFR) of COVID-19 infections in 53 countries or regions that experienced a second wave—or resurgence—of coronavirus activity, and found a significantly lower death rate among all confirmed cases than in the first wave.

This is the first study to compare the CFR in the first and second waves of the pandemic.