Long time since I posted. Will no longer be active on this account. Please find me on Bluesky.

RT @KCPubHealth: Free COVID tests are back! Get up to 4 tests mailed to your door by signing up at The kits will….

RT @EricTopol: The XEC variant of #SARSCoV2 has the most growth advantage of any circulating; updated graph below by @benjmueller (H/T @sia….

RT @WADeptHealth: Two doses of the mpox vaccine is the strongest protection. Maximize your protection against mpox and get your second dose….

RT @DrTedros: Identification of the first #mpox clade 1b infection in Sweden underscores the need for affected countries to tackle the viru….

While we wait for the new vaccine (which will be recommended for all individuals 6 months and older even if you had a prior vaccination), masking, ventilation, isolating when ill are the smart choices to prevent infection.

COVID is not the flu as much as we try to will it to be. We are seeing 2 major waves a year and I'm disappointed that when people need vaccine the most, we find ourselves in a transition period between the old and new vaccine formulations.

A lot is going on with SARS-CoV-2 and @EricTopol goes into great detail here: .One of the important points highlighted is that "COVID is not like Flu for an annual shot.".

As much as we try to wish COVID-19 to go away, it isn't working. It's still here and circulating at higher levels right now. We can't be normalizing the health impacts of COVID-19. Our most vulnerable community members are disproportionately impacted.

Our wastewater data also shows higher levels compared to the spring. When looking at WW data alone, it's hard for me to say whether this is an increase in cases and/or virus changes. But with ED visits and testing positivity up too, I see data pointing to increased COVID-19.

In June, I highlighted that King County was seeing a summer increase in COVID-19. We are still seeing elevated levels of COVID-19 across different metrics. Before the pandemic, we may not have associated the summer with respiratory illness. But COVID-19 has changed that.

Another incredible @KCPubHealth post on #LongCOVID by @MeredithLV who has elevated the voices of those who have experienced COVID-19 complications. Dr. @NikkiGentileMD at @UWMedicine talks about the importance of supporting of patients with symptoms.

Do your part to enhance community immunity. Protect yourself, family and friends by taking steps to ensure you are up to date with measles vaccination.

Like with many other communicable diseases, when infections increase, vulnerable populations are impacted the most. This year, there have already been 159 cases of measles in the US, more than all of 2023:

Have you talked to your doctor about your measles vaccine status? Now is a good time to have that conversation. Ahead of travel, I would talk to my doctor about vaccines and treatment I would need to stay safe while away. This is important for adults and children.

Why do we care about measles? Not only is it easily spread but it can cause serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis. Vaccination can provide effective long-term immunity so making sure we have immunity is an important step for all of us to take.

Measles is a highly contagious virus and folks can get an infection from an individual up to 2 hours after they have left a space (especially true indoors where ventilation is not great). If you're not immune and are exposed, there's a good chance the infection will affect you.

Confirmed case of measles in King County - please review this important announcement. Staying up to date with recommended vaccinations especially ahead of international travel is important in preventing these infections from coming back and establishing in our communities.

Each of us should do our part to help reduce infections especially when COVID-19 activity increases: vax, mask, ventilate, isolate when ill.

Important time to remind folks that when community infections increase, those people who will carry a disproportionate burden of the COVID-19 complications are those who have higher risk for severe disease and those that continue to experience disparities in healthcare access.