<
https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2026/01/15/experts-call-for-n95s-over-surgical-masks-as-flu-covid-viruses-spread/>
"Nationally, we are seeing very high levels of influenza and, again, a growing
wave of COVID-19 infections. A new variant of influenza A H3N2 called subclade
K is driving some of this epidemic. Subclade K has already appeared in Japan
and Europe and is more severe, especially in the elderly and very young.
Last week, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported
39,945 hospital admissions, up from 33,301 admissions the week before. While
numbers have varied some week to week, they have been relatively high. There
have been 19 pediatric deaths so far this season. The CDC estimates that there
have been at least 15,000,000 illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 7,400
deaths from flu so far this season.
COVID-19 levels are increasing, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Pertussis
are also circulating, causing considerable illness. On January 10, Mike
Hoerger, Ph.D., a health analytics expert who runs the Pandemic Mitigation
Collaborative, posted, “There is now a 1 in 4 chance of exposure in a room of
15 people. Risk varies considerably by state. We are approaching an average of
5 infections per person since pandemic onset.” This level of exposure has
significant implications, given the millions of people infected, the toll of
long Covid, and the quickly growing knowledge of long-term damage from
infection. Note, too, that there is no curative treatment for long Covid and
that 80% of long Covid clinics have closed as of April 2025. At the same time,
there are increasing work requirements for Medical Assistance, which many of
these patients will simply not be able to meet.
We have learned a lot about how COVID-19 spreads— the World Health
Organization, which was initially resistant to the idea, agrees that
transmission is largely airborne. Even the US Environmental Protection Agency
begins by saying, “Spread of COVID-19 occurs via airborne particles and
droplets."
Via Susan ****
Long overdue. We've known this since 2020.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
