Saturday, August 24, 2024

We Wish Dr. Fauci A Speedy And Complete Recovery, From Relatively-Rare Case Of Mosquito-Born West Nile Virus...


This has to be a stunning coincidence -- in his mind. What are the odds, given how out of the main this virus is, here in the US -- even during hot, wet summers (like this one)?

In any event, this fine man is one of our life-science heroes -- so this is simply and mostly a get well card, from us. To be sure though, there is no vaccine -- so the trick is never to get it in the first place. Here's the story:

. . .Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a longtime public health official who headed up the United States' response to the coronavirus pandemic, was hospitalized about ten days ago, he said Saturday. At the time, he was suffering from fever, chills and severe fatigue.

Fauci said he left the hospital three days ago and is expected to make a full recovery at home.

The West Nile virus is primarily spread by mosquitoes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. . . .

There are no vaccines to prevent West Nile virus or medicines to treat its symptoms, but most people infected with the disease do not feel sick, according to the CDC. About one in five people infected develop a fever and other symptoms. About one in 150 infected people develop a "serious, sometimes fatal, illness," the CDC said. . . .


Even so, with the even rarer EEE virus now turning up in New England, and causing at least a few small towns to impose curfews, from dusk to dawn -- since they cannot afford a municipal mosquito spraying programs. . . we should all be careful -- and do wear repellant, as at least some protection -- when venturing into the deeper boggy woods. Onward.

नमस्ते

1 comment:

condor said...

In an interview with STAT's Helen Bracewell, he said he'd never felt sicker in his life, than those first few days. . . but well-recovered, now. Excellent.