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Group A streptococci are the same bacteria that cause strep throat and scarlet fever, but invasive infections refer to more serious cases in which the bacteria spread to areas of the body that such pathogens normally don't reach, like the bloodstream. The CDC warned in its health advisory that although rare, "these severe and invasive diseases are associated with high mortality rates and require immediate treatment, including appropriate antibiotic therapy." (Planas and Bendix, 12/22)

Invasive group A streptococcal bacteria “can cause a range of illnesses, from pharyngitis (i.e., strep throat) and skin and soft tissue infections to uncommon but severe diseases such as sepsis, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis. These severe and invasive diseases are associated with high mortality rates and require immediate treatment, including appropriate antibiotic therapy,” according to the CDC. (Jacquez, 12/22)

Danuta Skowronski, MD, the epidemiology lead for influenza and emerging respiratory pathogens at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, said she's not yet convinced this year's flu season will be more deadly or lead to a greater number of hospitalizations than typical years. And as for immunity debt, Skowronski said she finds the idea unclear and ultimately unhelpful. "The piper must be paid at some point in nature; kids will get sick, and it has nothing to do with a more compromised immune system," Skowronski said. "It is the cohort effect, the accumulated residual cohort effect, especially [among] older children and teens, who have richer social networks." (Soucheray, 12/22)

Maine has recorded its first flu death of a child for the season. The child who died had tested positive for influenza A, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which announced the death Thursday. (Burns, 12/22)

Every morning at about 7 a.m., staff members in the transport department at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, start calling dozens of hospitals in the region. They’re looking for information from hospitals that provide pediatric care in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska – the states that make up the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Region 7. Specifically, they ask: “How many pediatric ICU beds do you have available?" (Edgell, 12/22)

Some of the most widely used decongestants don’t work, several studies have found, prompting doctors and researchers to call for ending sales of the drugs. Versions of Benadryl, Mucinex and Tylenol, which more people are taking now as reports of respiratory infections increase, are among dozens of over-the-counter pills, syrups and liquids that rely on an ingredient called phenylephrine to clear up stuffy noses. The ingredient has proven safe, but at least four studies have found the medicines don’t relieve congestion. (Hopkins, 12/22)

It's true. There is a network of warehouses, each the size of several Walmart Supercenters, located in top-secret locations across the country. And while much about the stockpile remains a secret, it continues to play a vital role in the COVID pandemic. (Heyward, 12/23)