Health hazards: Yes, there’s a new super contagious COVID variant in Florida, but salmonella is a problem too

Health hazards ranging from respiratory viruses to salmonella outbreaks to mosquito-borne illnesses are spreading through Florida, ruining the holiday spirit as the year comes to a close.

In the last few weeks, health indicators give Florida families a reason to be more cautious.

A report released Friday shows COVID-19 cases in Florida doubled from a month ago, spurred by a new highly contagious variant. Flu is sending thousands of Floridians to the hospital. Three food products in the last month — Quaker Oats granola bars, cantaloupe and onions — have forced recalls of products or investigations into salmonella outbreaks that even have led to some deaths.

And, a wet fall and winter in Florida has mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illnesses flaring.

For those who are desperately trying to stay healthy, here’s what you should know.

Q. What’s the deal with the new super-contagious COVID-19 variant?

A. The new COVID-19 variant that scientists call JN.1 is an Omicron offshoot. It now makes up about 44.1% of COVID-19 cases across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Friday. In the last few weeks the variant has made a steep rise in the U.S., mostly in the northeast region (New Jersey and New York). In the Southeast region, which includes Florida, JN.1 makes up about 40% of new cases.

So far, health experts believe the variant does not cause more severe symptoms than previous strains, but it appears to be extremely transmissible. So you may want to re-focus on hand washing, staying clear of anyone with sniffles or a cough, and possibly masking during travel.

The World Health Organization’s risk evaluation this week cited research suggesting JN.1 “displays a higher immune evasion” compared to its BA.2.86 parent, meaning if you have been infected, that might not helps as much as it did in the past. WHO says JN.1’s immune evasion is not enough to prevent this season’s COVID-19 vaccines from being effective.

Q. Which respiratory illnesses are sending people to the hospital in Florida?

A. Emergency departments visits for flu are increasing in almost all regions of the state, as are hospital admissions for those 65 and older, Florida Department of Health data shows. The worst of the flu symptoms are body aches, headaches and high fever.

Alicia Budd, lead of the domestic surveillance division of CDC, says it’s not too late to get a flu shot. “The flu strains now are well-matched to the strains circulating,” Budd said. “It may not prevent you from getting the flu, but it reduces severity … it helps prime your immune system so you are better able to respond and fight off infection or you don’t get as severely ill.”

Budd says wash your hands often this time of year, and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth as much as possible.

You may want to also use those same precautions to steer clear of COVID-19. After a dip in new COVID-19 hospital admissions in October and November, more people in the state are getting ill enough to be admitted.

RSV, which had been getting Floridians sick in early fall, appears to be on the decline. A state report for the week ending Dec. 16 shows the number of patients admitted to hospitals for RSV decreased from the previous three-week average.

Q. What’s happening with salmonella? Are people dying from eating granola bars?

A. No one has died from eating a granola bar, but they have died from eating pre-cut cantaloupe.

Earlier this week Quaker Oats recalled several of its granola products, including its Chewy Bars and Chewy Dipps granola bars and its granola-based cereals, saying they could be contaminated with salmonella. The affected products were sold in all 50 U.S. states and U.S. territories — including Florida.

Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, according to the Food and Drug Administration. In rare cases, the bacterial disease can be fatal.

The recall follows a horrible outbreak of salmonella linked to cantaloupe that was distributed in 42 states. In Florida, the tainted cut-up cantaloupes were sold mostly in Trader Joe’s stores. The outbreak has been tied to cantaloupes grown in Mexico and sold under the Rudy and Malichita brands.

People are getting sicker from the tainted cantaloupe than in most salmonella outbreaks, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in an update. So far in the U.S., four people have died and 129 have been hospitalized.

“If you cannot tell if your cantaloupe, including pre-cut cantaloupe or products containing pre-cut cantaloupe, is part of the recall, do not eat it and throw it away,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends.

Health officials advise getting medical care right away if you think you have eaten the tainted cantaloupe and have a fever higher than 102, diarrhea that won’t go away, vomiting that won’t stop or dehydration.

In November, the FDA also investigated a salmonella outbreak from recalled diced onions under the Gills Onions brand name; Florida is not one of the states where the onions were sold.

Q. Pesky mosquitos are biting like crazy in some Florida neighborhoods. Is there a way to know if they carry disease?

A. In Florida, extremely warm weather, flooding and more international travel has had its repercussions. Mosquito-borne diseases advisories went out several times this year, and scientists expect those alerts to continue.

Some of the mosquito-borne diseases discovered in Florida include West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, chikungunya fever, dengue fever — and this year, malaria.

The Aedes mosquitoes tends to be the disease-carrying culprit and can be identified by the distinctive black-and-white markings on bodies and legs. They bite mostly during the daytime — about two hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset.

The symptoms of these diseases may differ some but they include high fever (103 to 106 degrees F), stiff neck, headache and lack of energy.

Scientists at the University of South Florida are trying to create artificial intelligence algorithms to help identify and stop disease-carrying mosquitoes before they can infect humans. For now, the scientists say you can protect yourself: Drain standing water near your home; wear long sleeves, light colors and loose-fitting clothes when mosquitos are swarming; and wear insect repellent when outside.

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