Menu

Primary Menu

Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Me
Show Header Sidebar Content

Virology Down Under

Facts, data, info, expert opinion and a reasonable, occasionally grumpy, voice on viruses: what they are, how they tick and the illnesses they may cause.

Category: Uncategorized

Asymptomatic, acute and persistent COVID-19 symptom changes over the course of three infections

Posted onMarch 5, 2026March 5, 2026

Data from a UK healthcare worker cohort published in 2024 examined how signs and symptoms of COVID-19 changed after 1, 2, or 3 SARS-CoV-2 lab-confirmed infections. Those with no symptoms Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

How are asymptomatic COVID-19 cases tracking?

Posted onMarch 2, 2026March 3, 2026

In the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, data were assembled that defined how the virus spread among us, who, at the time, had never been infected. But the world’s Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Another way to look at flu season size

Posted onFebruary 28, 2026February 28, 2026

Peak height, number of cases, deaths, severity – these are all terms that are used to give you an idea of how big a flu season has been. Here’s another Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Catch them all? There are three different influenza viruses and they can co-circulate each season

Posted onAugust 22, 2025August 22, 2025

We tend to say we “caught the flu” this season. But there’s more than one flu virus. Because mild and asymptomatic infections can occur with influenza viruses, and because the Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

19th April Harvard webpage landing page snippet

What if Harvard loses?

Posted onApril 19, 2025April 23, 2025

The prestigious Ivy League private university has taken a stand against the Trump administration’s demands. Briefly (see the link above for full details), these set out a list that aims Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

The US 2024-2025 flu season and the vaccine

Posted onFebruary 13, 2025February 13, 2025

The United States has been having one of its biggest influenza (flu) years. Let’s look at how this season’s northern hemisphere flu vaccine, which most Americans most likely didn’t seek Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

people in facial mask standing on sidewalk

Not the “Chinese flu” label thing again…please

Posted onJanuary 6, 2025January 11, 2025

A few recent headlines have suggested something novel and infectious might be brewing among China’s children. But is it really novel? The hard-to-source headlines imply that we should be concerned. Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Unexplained hepatitis: severe liver inflammation among young children

Posted onApril 25, 2022May 11, 20222 Comments

Uncharacterised and so far rare cases of unexplained severe liver inflammation among young children. These cases of unexplained hepatitis have been appearing in elevated numbers worldwide since November 2021. The Read More …

CategoriesAdenovirus, Emerging disease, SARS-CoV-2, Uncategorized

COVID-19 cases slow a little in Australia

Posted onMarch 27, 2020March 28, 202014 Comments

Our borders have been shut to non-citizens for about a week and despite being regularly admonished for being terrible at obeying confusing, constantly changing or poorly communicated new rules, the Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Politically infectious period

Posted onMarch 20, 2020March 20, 20206 Comments

A senior Australian politician arrived in Australia from the United States (US) carrying a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Many infected travellers are arriving from the US at the moment. He self-reports becoming Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Wuhan remains the source, for now

Posted onJanuary 21, 2020January 22, 20202 Comments

Cases of the novel Wuhan coronavirus remain anchored in contact with the city of Wuhan in Hubei province. When that changes and we see human-to-human (h2h) spread occur outside of Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Buy a gift with real impact this year

Posted onNovember 19, 2019November 25, 2019

Hi All. This is just a small festive season appeal to you. Please consider spending a few dollars on those in need of our support in the lead-up to the Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

#Flunami2019: Australia’s biggest confirmed flu count on record

Posted onSeptember 1, 2019February 28, 20261 Comment

For those who love a good multiple of 1,000, or enjoy drooling over the passing of a historical threshold, yesterday was such a day for influenza (flu) counts in Australia. Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

They are us

Posted onMarch 16, 2019March 17, 2019

Kia Kaha New Zealand. Stay Strong. The use of hate and fear only creates more hate and fear. And it creates anger and loss. Tragic loss. Some articles online that Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Way up…

Posted onFebruary 9, 2019February 10, 20192 Comments

Australia has had a big summer of flu with numbers way up from what we’re used to. As my recent posts here and here flagged, it’s hard to know whether Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Post navigation

← Older posts

More of VDU

  • Pinterest
  • Google
  • Facebook
  • Mastodon

Recent Posts

  • Age and COVID-19: What’s with all the young kids? April 14, 2026
  • Asymptomatic, acute and persistent COVID-19 symptom changes over the course of three infections March 5, 2026
  • How are asymptomatic COVID-19 cases tracking? March 2, 2026
  • Another way to look at flu season size February 28, 2026
  • Whooping cough in 2024 was huge in Australia, but is declining in 2025 and 2026 February 19, 2026
  • Pathology lab PCR is not research lab PCR January 27, 2026
  • Is there more flu in Australia and New Zealand than normal for Christmas? Hell Yes! December 27, 2025
  • Catch them all? There are three different influenza viruses and they can co-circulate each season August 22, 2025
  • The “Infection Pause”: because it’s about fewer infections, not an immune debt to repay July 31, 2025
  • A Flunami in July July 27, 2025
  • COVID-19 is a Pandemic: What if it was a Pandemic Emergency? And what are they anyway? July 24, 2025
  • In Australia, COVID-19 deaths did decrease between 2023 and 2024, but it’s still a major killer. July 2, 2025
  • Flu down under is a July thing June 16, 2025
  • Q fever – an old zoonosis with a better diagnosis June 9, 2025
  • What if Harvard loses? April 19, 2025

All opinions are my own and do not represent medical advice or the views of any institution.

All graphics made by me are free-to-use. Please just cite the particular page, blog and me. A heads-up would be nice, but that can happen later.

Tags

anti-vaccination asymptomatic Australia avian influenza China Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC Ebola virus Ebola virus disease epidemic epidemiology EVD Flu flunami flu season genotype H1N1 H3N2 H7N9 HTLV HTLV-1c influenza influenza virus MERS MERS-CoV molecular epidemiology outbreak PCR pneumonia Queensland reporting respiratory virus rhinovirus RT-PCR SciComm science communication seasonal influenza social media SoMe summer transmission United States of America vaccine Wuhan Zaire ebolavirus

Regular reads…

  • FluTrackers-everything infectious, before it happens
  • Mike Coston’s Avian Flu Diary
  • ProMED mail
  • WHO Disease Outbreak News
  • HealthMap
  • STAT News
  • CIDRAP-timely infectious disease reporting
  • Kai Kupferschmidt
  • Martin Enserink

Recent Posts

  • Age and COVID-19: What’s with all the young kids?
  • Asymptomatic, acute and persistent COVID-19 symptom changes over the course of three infections
  • How are asymptomatic COVID-19 cases tracking?
  • Another way to look at flu season size
  • Whooping cough in 2024 was huge in Australia, but is declining in 2025 and 2026

All opinions are my own and do not represent medical advice or the views of any institution.

All graphics made by me are free-to-use. Please just cite the particular page, blog and me. A heads-up would be nice too but that can happen later.

Bluesky: @mackayim.bsky.social

Threads: @mackayim.2024

Mastodon: @mackayim2022@mastodon.social

 

Copyright © 2026 Virology Down Under. All Rights Reserved.
• The following link is used to verify that I 'own' the domain
for use with Mastodon
Theme: Clean Box Pro
Scroll Up
  • Home
  • About Me