Breaking News: Influenza

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21-Sep-2021 2:15 PM EDT
Shrinking Waveforms on Electrocardiograms Predict Worsening Health and Death of Hospitalized COVID-19 and Influenza Patients
Mount Sinai Health System

Spotting changes in the heart’s electrical activity may prompt more-aggressive treatment and monitoring.

Newswise: Flu Season Is Around the Corner–Get Your Shot Now
Released: 13-Sep-2021 11:25 AM EDT
Flu Season Is Around the Corner–Get Your Shot Now
Cedars-Sinai

Masking, physical distancing and other measures employed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic virtually eliminated influenza during the 2020-2021 flu season. But Cedars-Sinai physicians say the flu is headed for a comeback and they urge everyone 6 months and older to get their flu shots.

Released: 12-Sep-2021 1:05 PM EDT
Flu Season Returns: How to Stay Safe
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

While social distancing and wearing masks kept last year’s flu season at an all-time low, experts expect flu cases will soar this year as students return to school and employees go back to the office and are urging people to get their flu vaccine to prevent the nation’s health care system from being overwhelmed by influenza and COVID-19. David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, discusses what you should do to protect yourself during the upcoming flu season.

Newswise:Video Embedded ohio-state-flu-shot-initiative-addresses-racial-inequities-in-health-care
VIDEO
Released: 30-Aug-2021 12:55 PM EDT
Ohio State flu shot initiative addresses racial inequities in health care
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is aggressively working to address health care inequities and protect the health of all people, starting with initiatives to improve access to flu vaccines.

Released: 19-Aug-2021 3:00 PM EDT
VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE: Breakthrough Cases and COVID Boosters: Live Expert Panel for August 18, 2021
Newswise

Expert Q&A: Do breakthrough cases mean we will soon need COVID boosters? The extremely contagious Delta variant continues to spread, prompting mask mandates, proof of vaccination, and other measures. Media invited to ask the experts about these and related topics.

30-Jul-2021 10:25 AM EDT
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Researchers Identify Approach for Potential Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Vaccine
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Scientists at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have identified two proteins that could be used for a potential vaccine against nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). Working in a mouse model, the investigators found that administering two bacterial adhesive proteins that play a key role in helping the bacteria to latch on to respiratory cells and initiate respiratory tract infection stimulated protective immunity against diverse NTHi strains, highlighting the vaccine potential.

Released: 1-Jul-2021 3:35 PM EDT
Vaccines grown in eggs induce antibody response against an egg-associated glycan
University of Chicago Medical Center

Researchers have found that viral vaccines grown in eggs, such as the H1N1 flu vaccine, produce an antibody response against a sugar molecule found in eggs, which could have implications for the effectiveness of these vaccines.

Released: 1-Jul-2021 1:20 PM EDT
Liquid chalk highly effective in killing SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A viruses
University of Melbourne

Melbourne researchers have found that liquid chalk, commonly used in gyms to improve grip, acts as an antiseptic against highly infectious human viruses, completely killing both SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and influenza A viruses.

Released: 4-Jun-2021 6:00 AM EDT
Lessons from the last pandemic point the way toward universal flu vaccines
University of Chicago Medical Center

A new study from the University of Chicago and Scripps Research Institute shows that during the last great pandemic—2009’s H1N1 influenza pandemic—people developed strong, effective immune responses to stable, conserved parts of the virus.

Released: 18-May-2021 5:45 PM EDT
Towards a universal flu vaccine for Indigenous populations
University of Melbourne

Researchers have identified specific influenza targets that could be used to better protect Indigenous people from experiencing severe influenza disease through a universal, T cell-based vaccine.

Released: 11-May-2021 3:15 PM EDT
How to predict severe influenza in hospitalised patients
University of Melbourne

Published today in Nature Communications, the team from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute), Alfred Health and Monash University sought to understand which patients would recover quickly from influenza and which would become severely ill.

Released: 10-May-2021 12:50 PM EDT
Scientists develop better way to block viruses that cause childhood respiratory infections
University of Wisconsin–Madison

By engineering a short chunk of protein, or peptide, that can prevent the attachment of human parainfluenza viruses to cells, researchers have improved a method in rodent models intended to help keep children healthy.

Released: 4-May-2021 8:00 AM EDT
New Clinical Practice Guideline on Community Acquired Pneumonia;
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

In its latest clinical practice guideline on community-acquired pneumonia the American Thoracic Society’s guidelines panel addresses the use of nucleic acid-based testing for non-influenza viral pathogens. The guideline was published online in the May 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. An explainer video may be viewed here.

Released: 15-Apr-2021 2:45 PM EDT
UGA to Establish National NIH-funded Center to Fight Flu
University of Georgia

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the University of Georgia a contract to establish the Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research (CIDER). The contract will provide $1 million in first-year funding and is expected to be supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH, for seven years and up to approximately $92 million.

Released: 15-Apr-2021 10:00 AM EDT
Penn Medicine Awarded Nearly $7 Million for First Year of Contract to Study Influenza Viruses
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Penn Medicine has been selected as one of five sites across the country to serve as a Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response (CEIRR), with the goal of better understanding influenza viruses around the world along with learning about the viral strains that have the potential to cause pandemics. Penn Medicine has been awarded nearly $7 million in first-year funding.

Released: 23-Mar-2021 4:25 PM EDT
Flu shot associated with fewer, less severe COVID cases
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

People who received a flu shot last flu season were significantly less likely to test positive for a COVID-19 infection when the pandemic hit, according to a new study. And those who did test positive for COVID-19 had fewer complications if they received their flu shot.

Released: 19-Mar-2021 9:00 AM EDT
New research shows substantially higher burden of COVID-19 compared to flu
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

The team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center demonstrated that COVID-19 cases resulted in significantly more weekly hospitalizations, more use of mechanical ventilation and higher mortality rates than influenza.

Released: 9-Mar-2021 12:25 PM EST
Immune cell implicated in development of lung disease following viral infection
Washington University in St. Louis

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have implicated a type of immune cell in the development of chronic lung disease that sometimes is triggered following a respiratory viral infection. The evidence suggests that activation of this immune cell serves as an early switch that, when activated, drives progressive lung diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Released: 2-Mar-2021 8:25 AM EST
Vaccine development software shows promise in influenza effort, could help defeat coronavirus
Los Alamos National Laboratory

A novel computer algorithm that could create a broadly reactive influenza vaccine for swine flu also offers a path toward a pan-influenza vaccine and possibly a pan-coronavirus vaccine as well, according to a new paper published in Nature Communications.

   
Released: 24-Feb-2021 12:15 PM EST
Flu vaccination this season likely to be highest ever
University of Georgia

More U.S. adults reported receiving or planning to receive an influenza vaccination during the 2020-2021 flu season than ever before, according to findings from a December 2020 national survey.

15-Feb-2021 9:00 AM EST
The Original Antigenic Sin: How Childhood Infections Could Shape Pandemics
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

A child’s first influenza infection shapes their immunity to future airborne flu viruses – including emerging pandemic strains. But not all flu strains spur the same initial immune defense, according to new findings published today by University of Pittsburgh virologists.

   
Released: 10-Feb-2021 5:35 PM EST
1918 influenza signals warning for potential future pandemic reemergence
Michigan State University

As we struggle to vaccinate faster than COVID variants spread, new research from Michigan State University used health data following the initial 1918 influenza spike to provide insights to what “pandemic reemergence” will look like for our future.

   
Released: 4-Feb-2021 11:55 AM EST
Unusual 2019-2020 flu season linked to more transmissible strain
University of Georgia

The 2019-2020 flu season in the U.S. was unusual in a number of ways. Cases picked up in August rather than the more typical fall and early winter months, and it hit children particularly hard.

Released: 2-Feb-2021 2:30 PM EST
Houston Methodist expert notes COVID-19 precautions lead to historic drop in flu cases
Houston Methodist

A silver lining is emerging amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Influenza numbers are way down – 98 percent down, according to the CDC. Locally, during flu season last year, Houston Methodist’s system of eight hospitals saw 250 to 450 flu cases per week. This year the hospital system has seen only 2 to 5 flu cases per week so far. The numbers tell a striking story. Handwashing, masking and social distancing work.

Released: 28-Jan-2021 8:35 AM EST
The Medical Minute: Flu cases down, but keep your guard up
Penn State Health

Flu cases are down this year, mostly because all the COVID-19 precautions like hand-washing and social distancing. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay vigilant. In fact, it might be more important now than ever.

Released: 26-Jan-2021 9:40 AM EST
Hospital worker flu shots could mean fewer deaths
University of Georgia

Research from the University of Georgia shows that state laws promoting flu vaccinations for hospital workers can substantially reduce the number of influenza-related deaths.

Released: 21-Jan-2021 12:15 PM EST
COVID-19, influenza and suicide fuel increase in deaths among ICE detainees
University of Southern California (USC)

Thirty-five people have died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since April 2018, with a seven-fold increase in deaths even as the average daily population decreased by nearly a third between 2019 and 2020, a new USC study shows.

   
Released: 12-Jan-2021 2:30 PM EST
Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Typically, the winter months bring the peak of flu season. As cases of COVID-19 have soared in the U.S. over the past few weeks, however, cases of the flu have remained extremely low.

Released: 11-Dec-2020 12:20 PM EST
Pre-existing influenza immunity impacts antibody quality following seasonal infection and vaccination
University of Chicago Medical Center

New research by scientists at the University of Chicago suggests a person’s antibody response to influenza viruses is dramatically shaped by their pre-existing immunity, and that the quality of this response differs in individuals who are vaccinated or naturally infected. Their results highlight the importance of receiving the annual flu vaccine to induce the most protective immune response.

3-Dec-2020 2:35 PM EST
Mount Sinai Researchers Advance a Universal Influenza Virus Vaccine
Mount Sinai Health System

A vaccine that induces immune responses to a wide spectrum of influenza virus strains and subtypes has produced strong and durable results in early-stage clinical trials in humans, Mount Sinai researchers have found.

Released: 19-Nov-2020 4:05 PM EST
E-cigarette Users at Greater Risk of Poor Immune Response to Viruses
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

In a controlled study, scientists found that smokers and e-cigarette users exhibited significantly altered immune responses to a model of influenza virus infection, suggesting increased susceptibility to disease, including COVID-19

10-Nov-2020 8:00 AM EST
Patients Hospitalized with Severe Cases of Flu Do Better Than Those With COVID-19
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

A new study published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society reveals how patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 fared, compared to those hospitalized with severe seasonal influenza. The study is believed to be the first in the U.S. to directly compare clinical features, laboratory results and health outcomes between patients with the two diseases.

Released: 22-Oct-2020 1:50 PM EDT
UNLV Physician: Why COVID-19 Makes Flu Shots More Important Than Ever
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)

As the race for a COVID-19 vaccine intensifies, health care officials are reminding the public not to forget another important vaccine this fall: the flu shot. Flu season in the U.S. technically began in September, with illnesses expected to peak in December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Less than half of Americans received a flu vaccine during the 2019-2020 flu season, and a staggering 405,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths were attributed to influenza.

Released: 22-Oct-2020 11:55 AM EDT
Key details about broadly neutralizing antibodies provide insights for universal flu vaccine
University of Chicago Medical Center

New research from an immunology team at the University of Chicago may shed light on the challenges of developing a universal flu vaccine that would provide long-lasting and broad protection against influenza viruses.

Released: 15-Oct-2020 3:40 PM EDT
How to stay safe from flu during the COVID-19 pandemic
University of Chicago Medical Center

University of Chicago Medicine infectious diseases expert Dr. Allison Bartlett explains what to know to stay safe this winter from both influenza and COVID-19.

Released: 4-Oct-2020 10:05 AM EDT
Battling Flu During the Pandemic
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

A Rutgers infectious disease expert explains why the flu vaccination is more important than ever this year

Released: 2-Oct-2020 4:45 PM EDT
Users of blood pressure medicine have a lower risk of dying from influenza and pneumonia
Aarhus University

Drugs to lower blood pressure of the type ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers reduce the mortality rate of influenza and pneumonia.

Released: 1-Oct-2020 8:05 PM EDT
Why It's More Important Than Ever to Get Your Flu Shot This Year
Cedars-Sinai

This year's flu season won't be like any other, due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Because the flu and COVID-19 can present in similar ways, anyone who experiences overlapping symptoms of the two viruses may have to assume it's COVID-19 unless testing is performed, according to Cedars-Sinai experts.

Released: 28-Sep-2020 12:05 PM EDT
Marriott Library digital exhibit finds echoes of today’s pandemic news in century-old headlines
University of Utah

The J. Willard Marriott Library is launching a new digital exhibit to explore the 1918 flu pandemic in Utah through contemporary newspaper articles. The articles show how the issues and divisions that have appeared in the COVID-19 pandemic are, unfortunately, nothing new.

Released: 25-Sep-2020 9:45 AM EDT
World Lung Day 2020: Respiratory Groups Call for Research to Prevent, Detect and Treat Respiratory Infections
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Today, on World Lung Day (WLD), the American Thoracic Society is united with members of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) and WLD partner organizations to advocate for respiratory health globally and call for more research to prevent, detect and treat respiratory infections.

22-Sep-2020 11:50 AM EDT
Antibodies protect against wide range of influenza B virus strains
Washington University in St. Louis

Researchers have identified two antibodies that protect mice against lethal infections of influenza B virus, report scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Together with an antibody that targets the other major kind of influenza viruses that infect people — influenza A — these antibodies potentially could form the basis of a broad-spectrum flu drug that could treat almost all flu cases.

Released: 23-Sep-2020 2:00 PM EDT
Flu Season Returns As The COVID-19 Pandemic Continues
Johns Hopkins Medicine

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues with no end in sight, the annual flu season emerges once again. Cases of the flu have already begun to surface around the nation, and there are some reports of co-infection with COVID-19. Johns Hopkins Medicine experts say now is the time to take action to fight against the flu. Doctors recommend that everyone age 6 months and older get the flu vaccine each year to prevent infection from the virus or reduce the severity of the illness.

Released: 22-Sep-2020 5:05 PM EDT
New vaccine strategy harnesses ‘foot soldier’ T-cells to provide protection against influenza
University of Wisconsin–Madison

As Americans begin pulling up their sleeves for an annual flu vaccine, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have provided new insights into an alternative vaccine approach that provides broader protection against seasonal influenza.

Released: 18-Sep-2020 4:05 PM EDT
Claims circulating on social media stating that the common cold or flu can be mistaken for COVID-19 are misleading
Newswise

The claims rely on the faulty assumption that there is no method to distinguish COVID-19 from the common cold and the flu.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 9:00 AM EDT
How Will COVID-19 Affect Flu Season?
Cedars-Sinai

With flu season fast approaching, health officials are urging the public to help contain the spread of influenza and avoid another outbreak amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The two viruses are very similar, and it's going to make this flu season very challenging.

Released: 8-Sep-2020 9:00 AM EDT
Flu Season Meets the COVID-19 Pandemic: Johns Hopkins Medicine Experts Available
Johns Hopkins Medicine

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the world in sometimes devastating and unexpected ways, a more well-known illness — the flu — will make its annual debut in the coming weeks. Flu activity tends to increase in October and can run as late as May. It’s too soon to tell how flu season will definitively affect the current pandemic. However, Johns Hopkins Medicine experts say prevention will be key in reducing the spread of both illnesses, including getting an annual flu vaccine, washing hands, wearing a face mask or covering, and maintaining proper physical distancing.



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