Currently I am vice chair for the section of nutrition at the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Dr. Tanya Hofmekler is now chair of the section. I recently attended a Board Meeting which received reports from a number of committees. One of the presentations from Dr. Evan Anderson (infectious disease specialist), provided an update on the coronavirus, the flu, and other emerging infections.
Key Points:
- Coronavirus appears to be more contagious than the flu but less contagious than many other infections like measles
- CDC has website which is update for the coronavirus which is updated frequently: 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Situation Summary
- This is a bad year for the flu (see “red line” on last two slides). The number of hospitalizations/mortality in young children (0-4) is increased compared to previous years, though the number of cases has been higher in previous years
- There is now an FDA-approved Ebola vaccine
- A single case of measles can cost $50,000 for public health to respond; direct medical costs could be much higher
Slide above was accurate on 2/8/20
Satire from The Onion
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