Coronavirus Tidbits #259, August 20, 2023

Critically important HICPAC meeting Tues, Aug 22 - Pls take action

Excerpts from my letter to my Senators and Reps, as well as John Sarbanes, because he serves on the Health Oversight committee, which provides CDC's funding:

HICPAC (Healthcare Infection Control Advisory Committee) advises the CDC on guidelines for infection control in healthcare settings. They met in June and published slides summarizing their draft guidelines here.

The planned HICPAC revisions will water down infection control protections, particularly for aerosol transmission and MDRO (multiply drug-resistant organisms).

Most immediately worrisome is their conclusion that plain surgical masks (aka “baggy blues”) are equivalent to N95s and provide adequate protection to healthcare workers  (and patients). There has been abundant evidence to the contrary. You can read more about the issue here.

HICPAC’s proposal also fails to include ventilation, UV disinfection, and HEPA filtration, all essential for an airborne pathogen, nor enhanced protection from elastomeric masks or PAPRs.

The group did not include experts in aerosol transmission, ventilation, or worker protections, nor representatives of healthcare workers in its meetings.

to ask the HICPAC and CDC to make the process transparent, to hold public meetings, provide transcripts and references, and seek public comment. They are allotting 35” to next week’s meeting, and plan to vote at this meeting, per their agenda.

While they just invited public participation, they do not provide meeting notes, minutes, transcripts, or a draft policy beyond their slides.

In fact, Jane Thomason, Lead Industrial Hygienist at National Nurses United, told me that they had submitted a FOIA request for the committee’s evidence review in its entirety and the minutes from the last nine months of working group meetings. These were denied.

Please do not allow HICPAC to rush through these drastic changes to infection control, as they will put nurses and patients at increased risk of acquiring COVID, MDROs, or new emerging pathogens.

You can submit written comments by August 25, 2023 to hicpac@cdc.gov. Written comments, not to exceed one page, should contain:

•  the submitter’s name
• address
• organizational affiliation (or just public)
• topic being addressed.

It is appropriate to communicate personal experiences in engaging with the healthcare system and the risk of infection to point to the need for high levels of safety and that those who are at risk should be participating in the policy making process.

NNU has put together some important talking points https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GVvo0a3qru_1IcpO56Nj4VW3waNdwXapjFTAopwNjxY/edit

I'll be writing a post for Forbes, hopefully for tomorrow, on this.

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New variant BA.2.86:

Promising development re a nasal vaccine--not yet ready for prime time, though

Secret hazardous bioengineered lab in S Cal

Pharma Greed:

Covid vaccine manufacturers are going to charge more than $110/dose for the new XBB.1.5 boosters when available in mid-September. The US government previously paid ~$25/dose, supplied free of charge, and subsidized these companies with untold $ billions.

<45% got the bivalent booster free of charge. (Max 43% for >65 yo. Otherwise 18-20%) This will clearly worsen inequities with high risk people, who can't afford it, but would derive the most benefit.

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Other:

Locally-acquired Malaria in Maryland!

Specifically, P falciparum, the nastier strain of malaria. DOH says the patient had no travel. They suspect a mosquito bit a returning traveler who had malaria, and then this person. Lucky it was picked up!

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RSV:

American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants, especially those at high risk, receive the new preventative antibody nirsevimab to protect against severe disease caused by RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)

https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2023/american-academy-of-pediatrics-recommends-medication-to-prevent-rsv-be-given-to-all-infants-and-urges-equitable-access/