The hottest Respiratory Illness Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health & Wellness Topics

Viruses we don't test for

Force of Infection • 139 implied HN points • 23 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Respiratory Illness
  1. Many different respiratory viruses besides flu and COVID cause what people call “a cold,” but they are rarely tested for and so much illness goes unnoticed even though these viruses shape seasonal outbreaks.
  2. Common under-recognized viruses—like adenoviruses, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, seasonal coronaviruses, and rhinoviruses/enteroviruses—usually cause mild cold-like symptoms but can cause serious illness in young children, older adults, and immunocompromised people, and some have distinctive complications (e.g., adenovirus conjunctivitis or parainfluenza croup).
  3. Prevention is similar across these pathogens: good ventilation, staying home when sick, hand hygiene, and high-quality masks (like KN95) reduce spread, while vaccines or specific treatments are limited and broader therapies are still under development.

Flu still hanging on

Force of Infection • 61 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Respiratory Illness
  1. Influenza activity remains stubbornly high across much of the country, driven by the South and Midwest. Young children have the highest outpatient ILI rates, and Flu B is rising as Flu A wanes.
  2. Norovirus test positivity has reached season highs, especially in the Midwest and Northeast, while RSV activity is holding steady. COVID-19 activity and hospitalizations are relatively low and declining.
  3. Numerous food recalls affect many products and stores, so check your pantry, and public health concerns include a large measles resurgence tied to low vaccination and an avian flu outbreak in Pennsylvania poultry.

Outbreak Outlook - National - February 8

Force of Infection • 71 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Respiratory Illness
  1. Influenza is widespread across most states and remains especially high in young children, though emergency visits and hospitalizations have been falling recently.
  2. COVID-19 activity is roughly steady overall, with wastewater signals and regional trends rising in the Midwest and Northeast while hospitalizations continue to decline.
  3. RSV and several other respiratory viruses are elevated and climbing. Norovirus activity is high nationwide and a measles outbreak in Jalisco raises travel-related risks for the upcoming World Cup.

Widespread flu activity overshadows holiday season

Force of Infection • 124 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Respiratory Illness
  1. Flu is surging across many states with emergency visits, test positivity, and hospitalizations doubling or tripling in places and in some areas already exceeding last year’s peaks.
  2. Other respiratory viruses — RSV, rhinoviruses/enteroviruses, adenovirus and metapneumovirus — are also on the rise, while COVID-19 is increasing in some states but remains generally low.
  3. Multiple food recalls and non-respiratory outbreaks (growing measles clusters, a salmonella outbreak tied to raw oysters, and rising norovirus wastewater signals) add extra public health risks, so check recalled items and follow basic hygiene steps.

State of Affairs: Feb 22

Your Local Epidemiologist • 904 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Respiratory Illness
  1. Influenza-like illnesses are still prevalent, especially among children, and the season could continue until April or May.
  2. COVID-19 levels in wastewater are high nationally, with a strange pattern in the South, but hospitalizations remain lower than last year.
  3. Flu hospitalizations are stable, RSV cases are decreasing, and there is concern about a rising number of measles cases across several states.
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Adventures with the Common Cold

Outspoken with Dr Naomi Wolf • 2 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Respiratory Illness
  1. Certain traditional remedies—like hibiscus, pomegranate, black currant, mauby, vitamin C, nasal rinses, garlic, ginger, and chicken soup—are presented as having antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immune-supporting effects. Using these remedies early is described as helping to shorten and relieve severe cold and flu symptoms.
  2. Mainstream medicine and large pharmaceutical companies are criticized for prioritizing vaccines and commercial drugs while underpublicizing or sidelining research on cheap, traditional treatments. This dynamic is said to create an information gap that keeps people from learning about home-based options.
  3. Individuals are urged to learn and use early self-care measures and traditional treatments to prevent colds and flus from worsening and to reduce reliance on hospitals and pharmaceutical interventions. Prompt, informed action at home is framed as a way to limit complications like bronchitis or pneumonia.