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First, make sure you have the right information. They’re really only at risk if they were exposed to someone with active TB disease, and even then, their risk is very low. If they were actually exposed to active TB, or if they’re not sure and can’t figure out if it was really active TB, they should stay home from work until they’re seen by a doctor and tested for TB. It’s not likely that this employee will be infectious right away since it takes time for bacteria to multiply enough to have active TB that can spread to others. Some people with latent (non-active) TB never develop TB disease. The employee can return to work with a doctor’s note clearing them to work in a foodservice setting, if applicable. Again, no note is required unless they were definitely exposed to someone with active TB.
Source: CDC
Over 1,500 Americans are dying each week this winter from COVID, compared to under 200 for flu. This is much, much lower than the height of the pandemic when 25,000+ people died in a single week in January 2021, but it’s still 1,500 parents, friends, and community members lost every week. A major reason so many people are dying is that relatively few are getting the updated vaccine. Over 80% of adults don’t have it, meaning they are less protected, especially if they haven’t been infected in the last few months. Vaccines don’t last forever - that’s why we get the flu shot every year, and COVID shots will have to be the same. Another reason for so many deaths is that antiviral treatments like Paxlovid are underused in just about a quarter of cases, even though they’re incredibly effective at preventing deaths. Ultimately, as long as cases are high, deaths will increase since a huge number of people getting sick translates to more people dying, even if it’s only a tiny percentage of the whole. To protect yourself, get the updated booster (it’s not too late!), ask your doctor about Paxlovid as soon as you test positive, and continue to take sensible precautions if you’re at higher risk.
Source: ABC
After nearly four years, it appears that COVID isn’t particularly seasonal, unlike other respiratory viruses, like flu and the common cold. Those viruses are very sensitive, and the heat and humidity of summer make them less stable and, therefore, less effective at spreading. A new study shows that airborne transmission of COVID doesn’t seem to be influenced by environmental factors like heat and humidity. That means we can continue to expect spring/summer waves like we’ve seen over the past few years and that human behavior and immunity levels will continue to be the driving factor in when we see spikes.