Science News

Colds and Other Common Respiratory Diseases Might Surge as Kids Return to School

Science News, August 12 2021.

As U.S. schools resume in-person learning this fall, parents and administrators may have to deal with more outbreaks of colds and other seasonal respiratory illnesses than usual. If so, these outbreaks aren’t likely to be especially dangerous for school-age children, but could be problematic for traditionally more vulnerable younger siblings or elderly relatives, experts say. And because the symptoms of these illnesses often mirror those of COVID-19, it could make having kids back in the classroom — and keeping them there — that much more challenging. Read More >

Posted by Jennifer Welsh in 2021, Data Story, Feature, Health & Medicine, Journalism, Science News

COVID-19 Precautions may be Reducing Cases of Flu and Other Respiratory Infections

Science News, February 2 2021.

Heading into the dead of winter, doctors and scientists have noticed something odd: Missing cases of non-COVID-19 respiratory illnesses, specifically flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

“We’re seeing very low numbers of both of these infections, even now, while we’re in the peak season,” says Rachel Baker, an epidemiologist at Princeton University. “We really should be seeing cases go up.”

Instead, positive flu tests reported in December are a little less than one one-hundredth of all of those tallied in December 2019, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RSV’s drop in reported cases — to one two-hundredth of those a year earlier — is even bigger. Read More >

Posted by Jennifer Welsh in 2021, Feature, Health & Medicine, Journalism, Science News