Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #112

[otto]

As of July 8, 2025, a total of 1,288 confirmed* measles cases were reported by 39 jurisdictions: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

Measles Cases and Outbreaks

Find the latest numbers of confirmed U.S. measles cases. CDC updates this page weekly.

www.cdc.gov

Those stats are very low compared to Canada, which is the second largest country in the world with 1/10 population of the US. People are more spread out, and still the rates are so much higher in Canada.

Ontario: 1,910 confirmed infections since its outbreak began in October

Alberta: 1,230 people have been infected with the highly contagious disease since March.

Alberta has highest measles cases per capita in North America as summer travel gets underway

Alberta has the most measles cases in North America on a per-capita basis, worrying experts who say summer events could push case counts even higher.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Attorney General Pam Bondi announces dismissal of charges against plastic surgeon accused of faking COVID-19 vaccine cards

Attorney General Bondi announced she is dismissing charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore, a Utah plastic surgeon.

www.cbsnews.com

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Saturday that she is dismissing the criminal charges against a Utah plastic surgeon who was currently on trial for allegedly issuing fake Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 vaccination records cards to people who sought fake vaccine cards.

Dr. Michael Kirk Moore, whose criminal trial was currently underway in Utah, was indicted by the Justice Department in 2023. Moore, his medical corporation and three co-defendants were accused of allegedly destroying more than $28,000 worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccines and distributing at least 1,937 falsely marked COVID-19 doses on vaccine cards in exchange for direct cash payments or donations to a charitable organization.

Moore pleaded not guilty to the charges, while one of his co-defendants entered into a plea agreement for a misdemeanor charge and another co-defendant entered into a diversion agreement. One co-defendant is currently on trial with Moore. A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to questions on whether or not the charges against them would be dropped as well.

 

[gremlin444]

It doesn't matter which vaccine Dr. Moore falsified records/vaccine cards for--measles, polio, etc. I'd be just as mad, and it would be just as illegal.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/14/maha-report-calls-for-fighting-chronic-disease-but-donald-trump-robert-f-kennedy-yanked-funding/85191107007/

The Trump administration has declared that it will aggressively combat chronic disease in America.

Yet in its feverish purge of federal health programs, it has proposed eliminating the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and its annual funding of $1.4 billion.

That’s one of many disconnects between what the administration says about health — notably, in the “MAHA Report” that President Donald Trump recently presented at the White House — and what it’s actually doing, scientists and public health advocates say.

Among other contradictions...

 

[otto]

This started with medical professionals pleading with the far-right provincial government to issue a warning about measles, and to create awareness about vaccine. The government delayed, playing down concerns. That's how the outbreak was not taken seriously and how the numbers have climbed so high.

"Alberta has now confirmed more measles cases than the entire United States has reported this year. The province has been battling outbreaks since March and as of noon Monday, total case counts in the province had ballooned to 1,314.

The latest update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that country has amassed 1,288 cases this year.

"Looking at the numbers it saddens me," said Dr. Sam Wong, the president of the section of pediatrics with the Alberta Medical Association.

"I think if we had gotten to it sooner — and taken it more seriously sooner — then maybe we would not have reached this milestone where one province actually exceeds the entire case count for the United States, which has got 10 times the population as Canada."
[...]

"We have heard stories that there may be underreporting in the U.S. but even the fact that we're close to those numbers is quite concerning given we have almost a hundredth the population."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-s-measles-outbreaks-surpass-case-counts-reported-for-entire-u-s-1.7584490

 

[Gemmie]

If you're not familiar with CIDRAP - Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy Research and Innovation Office, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. It's an alternative place to get good info from a reliable source IMO. And a 24 year study, with more than 1.2M kids isn't something to sneeze at. That's an impressive study and I would trust the results.

A 24-year study of more than 1.2 million Danish children adds to the already considerable evidence finding no tie between exposure to aluminum-adjuvanted childhood vaccines and autoimmune, atopic or allergic, or neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism.

Newsletter sign ups here: Newsletter signup

They no longer have a Covid only newsletter, but there are others to choose from. If you want Covid news you'd have to go to Topics & Project> All Topics A-Z and go to Covid. Or go HERE.

 

[Gemmie]

Severe COVID can catalyze arterial plaque growth, sparking deadly heart problems​

Severe COVID-19 infection can trigger extensive inflammation, resulting in the rapid growth of plaque in the coronary arteries and a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and other life-threatening cardiovascular events for as long as 1 year, reports a Fudan University–led research team in China.

More at the link: Report: Severe COVID can catalyze arterial plaque growth, sparking deadly heart problems

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Day care measles exposure forces Iowa family to take weeks off work for baby: 'It only takes one'

There have been at least 1,309 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. this year. Hundreds or thousands of other families have most likely had their lives upended after being exposed.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Gemmie]

Dear Dr. Roach: I’m unable to find out from my health care provider’s clinic whether they offer a vaccine for the specific variant of COVID that is now said to be spreading. Do you know if there is a vaccine for this, and who is making it?

J.A.

Answer: The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee at the Food and Drug Administration recommends against a new vaccine formulation this fall, so it appears that we will be using the same vaccine as last year.

Fortunately the current vaccine appears to be effective against the new NB.1.8.1 variant, which is now present in all areas that are monitored by the World Health Organization.

The FDA has approved a new, more-effective Moderna vaccine, but at the time of this writing, it has not yet been approved by the Centers for Disease Control.

The new vaccine gives high protection with less antigen. However, the specific variants of COVID used for the vaccine will not be updated this year.

More at link: Metformin can help anyone, not just diabetics, lose weight

 

[Gemmie]

Almost 20% of people who were hospitalized for COVID-19 infections early in the pandemic still had signs of impairment with brain function 2 years after infection, finds a new study in Scientific Reports.

"Infection with SARS-CoV-2 during the first year of the pandemic was associated with three to five times higher odds of cognitive impairment 2 years after infection," the authors concluded. "Survivors of the disease may require special attention from clinical doctors to diagnose and treat cognitive impairment."

More info at the link: COVID hospitalization linked to cognitive impairment 2 years later

 

[Gemmie]

New surveillance tool can predict COVID variants of concern

In Nature Communications, authors describe a novel web platform for genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus called CoVerage, which could identify variants of concern (VOCs) up to 3 months before the World Health Organization (WHO) is able to classify the variants that can lead to surges of COVID-19 activity.

Within months of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, new variants of the original wild-type virus emerged, and these VOCs have influenced virus dynamics, produced altered symptoms, and significantly enhanced immune escape, limiting vaccines ability to offer long-lasting protection against COVID-19.

Using the GISAID virus genome database, which has more than 16.5 million SARS-CoV-2 sequences uploaded and available, CoVerage looks at SARS-CoV-2 genome data by country of origin for strain dynamics and antigenic changes. The computer model then scans the sequences for changes to the spike proteins, and strains with significant alterations to the spike proteins are identified on a “heat maps.”

Predicts 2 to 3 months earlier than WHO <snip>

To read more, click here: New surveillance tool can predict COVID variants of concern

 

[Gemmie]

A new study from the University of Minnesota found that SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater accurately predicted the subsequent COVID-19 case count the following week in the community, adding further evidence to the usefulness of wastewater detection.
“Determining epidemiologic trends of virus spread and the burden of disease at the community level has become challenging. Tracking the spread of infection throughout the community as well as the emergence of new variants remains important,” the authors wrote.

The study took place from January 2022 through August 2024 and analyzed the correlation between symptomatic COVID-19 in healthcare employees and SARS-CoV-2 wastewater community levels in 215 wastewater samples from the Twin Cities Wastewater Treatment Plant.

SARS-CoV-2 detections in wastewater accurately predict illnesses within one week

The surges in wastewater detection accurately predicted case counts for the following week.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

RFK Jr. is considering firing all the members of the influential preventive services task force.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force plays an important role in protecting access to low-cost or free cancer screenings and tests for chronic diseases.

www.nbcnews.com

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering removing all 16 members of a highly influential advisory committee that offers guidance about preventive health services, such as cancer screenings, HIV prevention medications or tests for osteoporosis, according to two people familiar with the plan.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force is a group of independent doctors, nurses and public health experts who volunteer to regularly review volumes of the latest scientific research about diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and mental health, as well as mammograms for breast cancer.

Health and Human Services' spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in an emailed statement Friday that “no final decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS’ mandate to Make America Healthy Again.”...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Trump administration is launching a private health tracking system with Big Tech's help

The system could put patients’ desires for more convenience at their doctors’ offices on a collision course with expectations that their medical information will be kept private.

www.nbcnews.com

The Trump administration announced it is launching a new program that will allow Americans to share personal health data and medical records across health systems and apps run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness.

More than 60 companies, including major tech companies like Google, Amazon and Apple as well as health care giants like UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health, have agreed to share patient data in the system. The initiative will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications.

“For decades America’s health care networks have been overdue for a high tech upgrade,” President Donald Trump said during an event with company CEOs at the White House on Wednesday. “The existing systems are often slow, costly and incompatible with one another, but with today’s announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age.”...

 

[Lilibet]

Trump administration is launching a private health tracking system with Big Tech's help

The system could put patients’ desires for more convenience at their doctors’ offices on a collision course with expectations that their medical information will be kept private.

www.nbcnews.com

The Trump administration announced it is launching a new program that will allow Americans to share personal health data and medical records across health systems and apps run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness.

More than 60 companies, including major tech companies like Google, Amazon and Apple as well as health care giants like UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health, have agreed to share patient data in the system. The initiative will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps patients, and digital tools such as QR codes and apps that register patients for check-ins or track medications.

“For decades America’s health care networks have been overdue for a high tech upgrade,” President Donald Trump said during an event with company CEOs at the White House on Wednesday. “The existing systems are often slow, costly and incompatible with one another, but with today’s announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age.”...

Sounds good in theory…so why does it give me the creeps?

 

[Sundog]

Sounds good in theory…so why does it give me the creeps?

I think we need more information, but this is what they do in Canada and other countries that have government health insurance - your records are available across providers, etc.

Tomorrow I am going to see a specialist for a second opinion on a medical issue, and he can't access the imaging records and yet he works for the same health care entity that did the imaging tests (although he isn't the specialist who ordered the tests). And next week I am seeing a specialist in another county who works for a totally different and unrelated health care organization and he can get online access to the imaging due to an agreement the county has with the imaging organization. Anyway, I guess I see pros and cons of both systems.

 

[Niner]

I think we need more information, but this is what they do in Canada and other countries that have government health insurance - your records are available across providers, etc.

Tomorrow I am going to see a specialist for a second opinion on a medical issue, and he can't access the imaging records and yet he works for the same health care entity that did the imaging tests (although he isn't the specialist who ordered the tests). And next week I am seeing a specialist in another county who works for a totally different and unrelated health care organization and he can get online access to the imaging due to an agreement the county has with the imaging organization. Anyway, I guess I see pros and cons of both systems.

I believe here in Latvia we have that systems - everyone (dr, etc) can see all your medical care.

 

[Gemmie]

Sounds good in theory…so why does it give me the creeps?

My first thought was... I do NOT like sharing my personal data with anyone. And I really don't like when different organizations are connected in order for them to access my personal info. I just feel like that opens up too many ways for the bad guys to hack in and cross over into the connected sites. It's a big no for me.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Sounds good in theory…so why does it give me the creeps?

It's already creepy enough for me now where separate providers have all my information, even my dentist has my info from other providers and my prescriptions. I guess I signed all that access away somewhere.

I do appreciate it though when I get a test or scan somewhere and then the doctor can access it electronically immediately.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Sounds good in theory…so why does it give me the creeps?

Sharing data across health systems, I'm ok with that. But with private tech companies? NO NO NO