The hottest Infectious Disease Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health & Wellness Topics

Covid Situation Report: May 2, 2024

Independent SAGE continues • 179 implied HN points • 03 May 24
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. Covid positivity rates are rising, especially among people aged 65 and older. But overall, hospital admission rates for Covid remain relatively low.
  2. The Autumn 2023 booster significantly reduced hospitalization risks for older individuals, but its effectiveness decreases significantly after 15 weeks. A successful Spring 2024 booster campaign is needed to protect vulnerable populations.
  3. The Spring 2024 booster campaign started strong, with over 1.3 million doses given in the first two weeks. It's important for eligible individuals to get vaccinated as Covid levels may be increasing.

Outbreak Outlook - National - Dec 14

Force of Infection • 72 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Infectious Disease
  1. Flu season has begun — outpatient ILI is above baseline and test positivity rose to 8.1%, with H3N2 making up about 86% of samples and hotspots in New York, New Jersey, Colorado, and Louisiana. A small Thanksgiving-related dip in pediatric cases looks temporary and activity usually rebounds in the following weeks.
  2. COVID-19 is starting to climb from recent lows, with wastewater and regional indicators rising (especially in the Northeast), though severe illness remains very low and increases in ED visits and hospitalizations are small. Expect a typical winter uptick even if current burden is still low.
  3. RSV is still low nationally but is increasing in most states, with higher wastewater activity in places like DC, Florida, Kentucky, Colorado, and Louisiana, while ED visits and test positivity remain well below last year. Other respiratory viruses (adenovirus, parainfluenza) are still active, rhinoviruses are falling, and human coronaviruses and metapneumovirus are beginning to rise.

FOI Clinical is live

Force of Infection • 15 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Infectious Disease
  1. FOI Clinical is a new clinician-focused briefing that delivers updates on reportable diseases, emerging outbreaks, policy changes, and same-day alerts for urgent events.
  2. The first issue highlights a range of current concerns—measles clusters, pertussis trends, a shift toward influenza B, meningitis, tularemia, mumps, and Nipah—covering both domestic and international threats clinicians should watch.
  3. The product is a paid subscription ($18/month or $189/year) with a free trial and is built on the Force of Infection platform that has tracked respiratory viruses for many readers since 2022.

Join my projects: opportunities for patients/advocates and public health professionals

Force of Infection • 25 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. Voices in Print helps patients and advocates turn specific, actionable ideas into editorials for medical journals by pairing them with professional writers and removing cost and submission barriers.
  2. A Measles Response Repository is collecting operational data from health departments that handled measles outbreaks since 2024 to learn what strategies, staff time, and financial resources worked best.
  3. Both projects invite free participation through short submissions or surveys (without asking for personal health information) to improve clinical care and public health planning by amplifying lived experience and real-world data.
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Pregnancy and Immune Modulation

Who is Robert Malone • 7 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🔬 Science Infectious Disease
  1. Pregnancy doesn't simply suppress immunity; it systemically recalibrates immune responses via hormones, increasing some defenses and restraining others to allow fetal tolerance.
  2. Vaccines still protect pregnant people, but pregnancy often narrows antibody breadth against new variants and shifts responses toward innate effector mechanisms, so vaccine formulation or timing may deserve dedicated study.
  3. Breast milk provides a personalized mucosal immune layer—mainly secretory IgA—that protects the baby's gut and airways, helps shape the infant microbiome and immune development, and differs depending on whether the mother had infection (IgA) or intramuscular vaccination (IgG).

COVID Vax worsens long COVID--only 2% improved, 33% worse off

Who is Robert Malone • 16 implied HN points • 25 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Infectious Disease
  1. About 29% of people with long COVID reported their symptoms worsened after getting a COVID vaccine at least 90 days after infection, while only about 2% said they clearly improved.
  2. Worsening was linked to receiving the Moderna (mRNA-1273) vaccine and having a persistent cough at the time of vaccination, with no strong ties to age or sex.
  3. The results come from self-reported preprint data with modest effect sizes, so they are preliminary and highlight the need for more research and more individualized vaccination guidance for people with long COVID.

All the Sample-To-Answer qPCR Machines

ASeq Newsletter • 7 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🔬 Science Infectious Disease
  1. Many commercial systems fully automate sample-to-answer molecular testing and produce results in roughly 13–120 minutes.
  2. The market spans traditional qPCR platforms and newer isothermal or novel technologies, offered by a wide range of companies.
  3. Sequencing still needs extensive prep and trained staff, so automated sample-to-answer molecular platforms are more practical for rapid diagnostics, and several novel approaches are worth watching.

If You Visit a Sex Worker, Consider Using Carrageenan Lube

Viruses Must Die • 26 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Infectious Disease
  1. A lubricant made with carrageenan can reduce HPV infectivity, and a recent FDA‑supervised randomized trial found it safe and at least somewhat effective.
  2. Carrageenan is commonly used and generally regarded as safe in foods and cosmetics, but a product is treated as a drug only if it makes medical claims on its label.
  3. If you have sex outside a long-term relationship, it’s sensible to combine HPV vaccination, regular testing, and PrEP with using carrageenan lube as an extra layer of protection.

Cocooning using TDAP vaccine

Who is Robert Malone • 15 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. Vaccinating close contacts ("cocooning") was widely promoted as a way to protect newborns, but it has limited evidence and many programs now prioritize giving Tdap to pregnant women so antibodies pass directly to the baby.
  2. The current acellular pertussis vaccine often prevents symptoms but not infection, so vaccinated people can carry and spread pertussis without knowing it, meaning cocooning alone may be ineffective or could even raise risk.
  3. Requiring vaccination for visitors has proved hard to implement and can create real family conflict and isolation for new parents and grandparents, so the social harms and logistical costs are important considerations.

Outbreak Outlook - National - Jan 20

Force of Infection • 105 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. Flu, COVID-19, and RSV cases are improving, but norovirus has become more prevalent this season. It's important to stay cautious during flu season, as the numbers can change quickly.
  2. While COVID-19 levels are still somewhat high, there's a small hope that the situation is getting better, with fewer hospitalizations reported recently.
  3. Norovirus is on the rise this winter, likely due to a new strain. It's crucial to maintain good hygiene practices, like washing hands, to prevent infection.

Canada Is Losing The War On Measles

Marginally Compelling • 9 implied HN points • 22 Nov 25
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. Canada has lost measles elimination status because the virus has been spreading locally for over 12 months, so measles is now endemic there.
  2. The ongoing outbreaks seem to have started in undervaccinated, tight-knit communities (notably a Mennonite gathering) that seeded continuous transmission and occasional spillovers into the wider population.
  3. This shows how fragile disease control is and that high vaccination rates, strong surveillance, and targeted outreach are needed to prevent and contain wider outbreaks.

Outbreak Outlook, Jan 15

Force of Infection • 88 implied HN points • 16 Jan 25
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. Influenza-like illness was slightly down recently, but it's too early to declare we've passed the peak. It's a hopeful sign, and we'll see if the trend continues.
  2. Kids aged 0-4 showed some improvement in severe illness, while older age groups are still facing rising hospital visits. Trends often lag in adults, so changes might come soon.
  3. Covid-19 indicators are mixed; some emergency visits have decreased, but wastewater data suggests the virus is still spreading. More updates will come next week.

$100K prize money to any epidemiologist or infectious disease doctor who will debate me live for 1 hour and show I got it wrong on COVID vaccine risk/benefit

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 5 implied HN points • 12 Dec 25
🔬 Science Infectious Disease
  1. A $100,000 prize is offered to any US-based epidemiologist, infectious-disease specialist, or biostatistics professor with an h-index of 10+ to debate the mRNA COVID vaccine risk‑vs‑benefit live for one hour.
  2. The challenge hinges on Czech KCOR data and asks the expert to show that the cumulative net mortality benefit of two or three mRNA doses in the first two years likely exceeds the mortality risk; the debate will have three mutually agreeable unbiased judges and 30 minutes per side.
  3. Authorized employees of Pfizer or Moderna are explicitly invited to participate, framing the offer as a public call to prompt a real-time scientific dispute and draw attention to the vaccine safety question.

Outbreak Outlook - National - June 23

Force of Infection • 35 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. COVID-19 levels are currently low, but some areas are seeing a slight increase in activity. It's important to keep an eye on different regions as the situation can change.
  2. Influenza cases are very minimal right now, with fewer people visiting doctors for symptoms like fever or sore throat. Most age groups report low levels of flu illness.
  3. Norovirus cases are declining, which is a positive sign as we head into summer. Keeping track of these trends helps us stay prepared for any outbreaks.

Outbreak Outlook - National - October 28

Force of Infection • 51 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. Currently, respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 and RSV are at low levels across the country, which is a relief.
  2. Food recalls are happening for various products due to contamination, so it’s important to check what you have at home.
  3. There's a recommendation for a second COVID-19 vaccine dose for older adults and those at high risk to help protect against severe illness.

Well Being: Measles- Truth Versus Fiction

Who is Robert Malone • 14 implied HN points • 01 Mar 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Infectious Disease
  1. Measles is highly contagious and can lead to outbreaks, especially in areas with low vaccination rates. The U.S. declared measles eliminated in 2000, but outbreaks still happen due to various factors.
  2. Vaccines like the MMR vaccine have some failure rates, meaning not everyone is protected even after receiving it. This raises concerns about how many children might still be at risk.
  3. As more people travel internationally, the chance of measles spreading in the U.S. increases. More mandates for vaccinations may not solve the issue of rising measles cases, as herd immunity wanes.

Avian Influenza: Updated Threat Assessment

Who is Robert Malone • 19 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. The threat from Avian Influenza is considered low, similar to previous assessments. Recent cases mostly involve those working closely with infected animals.
  2. There is a concern about how fear and misinformation in the media can influence public perception of health threats. This can lead to unnecessary panic or government responses.
  3. California's state of emergency regarding bird flu may be influenced by interests in the state's testing and monitoring industry rather than actual health risks.

NEJM paper (2022): COVID vax will prolong the length of time you can spread COVID + flu shot stats show they don't work either

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 8 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Infectious Disease
  1. COVID vaccines may not actually lower the chances of getting infected. They can, in fact, allow you to spread the virus for a longer time.
  2. The flu vaccine hasn’t shown to be very effective either, raising doubts about the COVID vaccine's reliability.
  3. Data suggests that vaccinations don’t really prevent severe illness or death for older people. So it's unclear why COVID vaccines would be different.