John Yang:
Four years into the pandemic, hospitalizations from coronavirus are at record lows, but new variants are also emerging. And now bird flu is in the headlines. It has been found in at least 36 dairy herds in nine states. But so far this year, only one human infection has been confirmed.
So how concerned should you be about all this? Caitlin Jeterina writes the popular newsletter Your Local Epidemiologist and was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in Health. I just got it. So, Caitlin, how worried should we be about bird flu?
Caitlin Jetelina, Author, “Your Local Epidemiologist'': Well, what's clear is that this continues to spread among cattle and other animals, but the risk to the general public is very low. is. This actually means there is nothing we can do other than not to touch dead birds or animals, not to drink raw milk, and to call our MPs for more biosecurity support. Masu.
But this is definitely not March 2020, or even January 2020. But, of course, the situation can change, and usually due to infectious disease outbreaks, the situation can change quickly. I think once we start seeing human-to-human transmission, alarm bells should start ringing for the general public.
Right now, public health is in an all-out effort to prevent another pandemic, with a focus on protecting the few Americans who are at higher risk: currently dairy and poultry workers. .
