If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call 988 or message the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
The current outbreak that’s affecting birds globally isn’t considered a major issue for humans just yet, since all human cases have had direct contact with birds. It’s certainly possible, especially since we’ve seen mammal-to-mammal transmission already, but it would require a few more mutations to really spread between humans. Most likely, we’d see it first spread in a group of people who work directly with birds or pigs, and possibly to their close contacts. Officials would rush to contain that outbreak, but if it became more widespread, we’d look to other measures, including vaccination. While the US already has an H5N1 vaccine for humans, the chances that it works well for this strain are low, since it’s based on a strain that’s nearly two decades old. Researchers are working on updated mRNA vaccines that are more easily tweaked for new mutations. In a recent NBC interview, Dr. Gregory Poland from the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group says the recent bird flu outbreak and mammalian deaths are like “the rumbles prior to an earthquake.” We recommend doing some post-pandemic planning so your company is better prepared for the next big one.
Yes, she can continue to work even if exposed at home. There are no longer any work exclusions or quarantine requirements for people exposed to COVID, even if their exposures are prolonged, like a household member or child sick. That said, it’s very possible that she becomes sick soon, so she should monitor herself for symptoms and stay home if any new symptoms develop.
China is undergoing a new COVID wave and is on track to hit a peak of 65 million new cases per week toward the end of June. It’s mostly the XBB variant, which earlier this month made up about 15% of new cases in the US. China’s previous COVID surges haven’t translated into major surges in the US, which means we don’t necessarily expect a spike here based on theirs. We do expect to see XBB continuing to make up a higher percentage of new cases in the US as it continues to spread worldwide.
A large portion of the northern and western US was affected this week by smoke from massive Canadian wildfires. From the entire state of Montana all the way to New York City, poor air quality can have a negative health impact, from respiratory issues to eye and throat irritation and more. If your employees work outdoors, poor air quality may be an OSHA hazard that you need to protect against depending on your state (especially in California), so consult your legal team and company policies. Consider offering N95 or similar masks, moving outdoor jobs indoors when possible, requiring more frequent indoor breaks, and providing good indoor ventilation with limited outdoor air.
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