Plague News: COVID, Bird Flu, Destruction and Resistance - 7.9.25

In this issue:

• General Shitshow
• Bird Flu Updates
• New COVID Variants in the U.S.
• Measles
• Recommended Reading

Accurate, informative and unbiased news coverage on bird flu, COVID-19 and measles has become increasingly difficult to find in the past few months.

At the same time I, personally, am busy and underwater looking for work and wish I had more time to spend on this newsletter.

Nonetheless, I'll try my best to at least get this out once a month.

I also was waiting for RFK Jr. to get sued (let's go Massachusetts) to complete the bullshit loop. Once again I apologize for his face all over the place but he is the Main Bad Guy, at least when it comes to mitigating the plagues and saving lives.

BONUS FUN: The American Medical Association wrote an "open letter to the American public" on the effectiveness of respiratory virus vaccines, particularly in childhood.

General Shitshow

Doctors and public health organizations sue RFK Jr. in Boston court over vaccine policy changes

The lawsuit alleges that Kennedy and other political appointees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have flouted federal procedures and systematically attempted to mislead the public.

WBURMike Stobbe, Associated Press

Who is in charge at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?

RFK Jr has direct control, but Senate testimony in May that someone else is running the agency has created confusion

The GuardianMelody Schreiber

Health secretary RFK Jr. abruptly fires CDC vaccine advisory panel

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken the extraordinary step of firing the expert panel that advises the CDC.

STATHelen Branswell, Chelsea Cirruzzo, Daniel Payne

Former top CDC vaccine expert on why she resigned in protest over firing of advisory panel

Earlier in June, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of a key vaccine advisory panel and handpicked eight new members, including several who have expressed skepticism about some vaccines. The move prompted the resignation of Dr. Fiona Havers, one of the CDC’s leading vaccine experts. Ali Rogin speaks with Havers about her decision.

PBS NewsAli Rogin

Then there's this: US Senate Democrats demand Kennedy explain canceling bird flu vaccine contract

"This is a grievous mistake that threatens to leave the country unprepared for what experts fear might be the next pandemic – and there appears to be no rationale for this decision other than your ill-informed and dangerous war on vaccines," Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth wrote in a letter seen by Reuters. – 6.18.25 (Reuters)

Bird Flu Updates

RFK’s proposal to let bird flu spread through poultry could set us up for a pandemic, experts warn

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins have expressed interest in letting H5N1 outbreaks spread unchecked through U.S. poultry farms. Health experts warn it could lead to a new pandemic.

Live ScienceBen Turner

CDC streamlines H5N1 avian flu reporting

The shift reflects the current public health situation, marked by declines in human cases as well as animal detections.

CIDRAPLisa Schnirring

There is an outbreak of bird flu in Cambodia leading to several human infections. No human-to-human transmission, many of the infected had been in contact with sick and dead birds. We don't want human-to-human transmission.

Cambodia confirms 12th H5N1 avian flu infection of the year

The latest case marks Cambodia’s ninth since early June.

CIDRAPLisa Schnirring

Cambodia reports three new bird flu cases as human H5N1 infections spike

A 36-year-old woman, admitted to intensive care, is the latest in a string of new infections in the last 10 days

The TelegraphSarah Newey

Cambodia Reports Fifth Bird Flu Death This Year

Cambodia registered its fifth bird flu death this year after a 52-year-old man died from the virus, the health ministry said on Saturday.

BarronsAFP - Agence France Presse

I believe now six people have died this year in Cambodia from bird flu. I cannot find any recent U.S. coverage of the bird flu that is comprehensive or relevant.

New COVID Variants in the U.S.

National COVID-19 trends, July 8 - The Sick Times

The U.S.’s much-anticipated summer COVID-19 surge seems to be underway, but slowly and unevenly as the variant picture remains uncertain. As of late June, disease levels are increasing across the South and West Coast, but staying relatively low on the East Coast and Midwest. But our most recent available data are from before July 4, a holiday that typically accelerates outbreaks.

The Sick Times - Chronicling the Long Covid crisisBetsy Ladyzhets

Mass. reports 377 confirmed COVID-19 cases in a week. See the latest data from Mass. - The Boston Globe

Here’s a look at the latest coronavirus numbers in Massachusetts, including case numbers, deaths, demographics, and more.

The Boston GlobePrint this Article View Comments

Feeling Hoarse? You Might Have the New ‘Stratus’ Covid Variant

The World Health Organization has added the variant, known formally as XFG, to its monitoring list. A dry, irritated throat is among its main symptoms.

WIREDMarta Musso

New COVID-19 ‘Stratus’ Variant XFG Now In 38 Countries, WHO Monitoring

The new XFG SARS-CoV-2 variant is behind a COVID-19 surge in Southeast Asia and has been designated by the World Health Organization as a “variant under monitoring.”

ForbesBruce Y. Lee

But it’s a good idea to stay aware about and monitor what’s happening with COVID-19 around you, because you can’t necessarily expect the public health system to do that for you now. - Bruce Y. Lee (Forbes)

‘Razor Blade Throat’ Symptoms As ‘Nimbus’ COVID-19 Variant Spreads

As the NB.1.8.1 variant, informally dubbed “Nimbus,” continues to spread, there have been more informal reports of “razor blade throat” as a possible COVID-19 symptom.

ForbesBruce Y. Lee

Good COVID News!

Promising results from Phase 1 human trials of McMaster’s inhaled COVID-19 vaccine

McMaster University’s inhaled COVID-19 vaccine safely generates immune responses associated with protection in the lungs, recent clinical trial data show. The Phase-1 study, which ran . . .

Brighter World

Measles

The US just recorded the most measles cases in 30 years

Are summer camps and family vacations going to be hot beds for measles?

VoxDylan Scott

Episode 51 – The Measles Outbreak and the Role Anti-Science Plays in Threatening Public Health with Dr Peter Hotez

Episode 21 - New HIV Prevention: “What I’m Excited About” with Dr Raphael Landovitz

IAS-USAMichelle Valderama

Recommended Reading

“I pretty much haven’t worked since 2020”: How the effects of Long COVID have harmed professional musicians and DJs

Though the 2020 COVID pandemic had many negative effects on the music industry, an underreported aspect is how Long COVID has left some professional musicians unable to continue with their careers

MusicRadarAdam Douglas

Where Has All the Bird Flu Gone?

All quiet on the American front for H5N1, but not necessarily the good kind of quiet

Rasmussen RetortsDr. Angela Rasmussen

Long COVID is Now the Number One Chronic Illness in Children

Repeatedly mass infecting kids with COVID is not a public health strategy. It’s a fast pass to declining population health

The GauntletJulia Doubleday

Editor's Note: I do not consider, Newsweek (which is heavily quoted in The Gauntlet article), a reliable source, although I believe the general premise of the article is accurate.

MA AG Sues RFK Jr., Feds Over $11 Billion In Healthcare Grant Cuts

AG Andrea Campbell’s office said MA joined 22 others in looking to recoup what she said was $118 million in lost Massachusetts grants.

PatchScott Souza

How do you sleep at night?

LeVar “Var” Lawrence is a resident of Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center, a public nursing home on Roosevelt Island in New York City. On March 13, 2020, as coronavirus spread through the city, Coler closed its doors and locked in residents, who were confined to the nursing home and

Welcome to Hell WorldLuke O’Neil

Luke also has a new book out:

My new book! ‘We Had It Coming’

A haunting yet darkly humorous exploration of a world teetering on the edge of collapse.

Welcome to Hell WorldLuke O’Neil

If you want to purchase high-quality masks and PPE, I recommend Bona Fide Masks.

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Plague News is a round-up of pandemic and infectious disease news focusing on so-called New England and the rest of the so-called United States.

Rhinestone Mice is my all-encompassing art and life project.