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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.

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Age and COVID-19: What’s with all the young kids?

Age and COVID-19: What’s with all the young kids?

Inspired by an online conversation and the hard work of others, I set off to examine age groupings among Australians confirmed as COVID-19 cases, based on testing using a quality-laboratory Read More ...

Another way to look at flu season size

Another way to look at flu season size

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 ...

The “Infection Pause”: because it’s about fewer infections, not an immune debt to repay

The “Infection Pause”: because it’s about fewer infections, not an immune debt to repay

There was a real, measurable shift in the peak season for several endemic human pathogens as well as a rebound in infections, coinfections, and disease severity among them after the Read More ...

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

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

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 ...

Flu numbers from the US…Peaky McPeakFace

Posted onMarch 3, 2018March 4, 2018

This year’s annual influenza (flu) H3N2 epidemic in the United States (US) has peaked. It’s been a big season in the US and the United Kingdom and in Canada, as it was Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsepidemic curve, epidemiology, Flu, H3N2, influenza, seasonal influenza, United States of America

World’s most dangerous animals set free…digitally

Posted onMarch 1, 2018June 19, 2020

You may have heard that from June 2018 onwards [1], a new mosquito emoji (from Japanese e (çµµ, “picture”) + moji (文字, “character”) [2]) will start rolling out to all Read More …

CategoriesCommunication, MosquitoTagsbacteria, communication, disease communication, emoji, mosquito, science communication, Unicode Consortium, virus

Flu may not be peaking even if it looks like it is right now…and here’s why

Posted onFebruary 10, 2018February 17, 20257 Comments

According to the latest flu report, the United States (US) influenza (Flu) season looks like it has peaked.[1] And perhaps it has. But the graphs are only as solid as Read More …

CategoriesCommunication, InfluenzaTagsepidemiology, influenza, lag, reporting, seasonal influenza, United States of America

Where is H7N9 in 2018?

Posted onJanuary 31, 20186 Comments

I’ve been watching avian influenza A(H7N9) virus cases in humans since they popped onto the radar in 2013 (it was among my first blogs, “H7N9 deaths” [1]). So I’m confident when Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsavian influenza, China, epidemiology, H7N9

Influenza type B viruses passes the baton to type A viruses in China…

Posted onJanuary 31, 2018May 2, 2018

What starts out as an influenza (Flu) A/H3N2 season may end up being a Flu B/Yamagata season. Or vice versa. Or with different players altogether. Flu is tricksy. We see Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsChina, exchange, influenza, seasonal influenza

Second human influenza A/H7N9 case for 2017/8 season…

Posted onJanuary 17, 2018January 18, 2018

It’s been a very slow start to the H7N9 season (=spillovers from infected poultry to susceptible humans) in China. Why it’s been so slow is unclear. The Hong Kong (HK) Centre for Read More …

CategoriesH7N9, InfluenzaTagsavian influenza, China, H7N9, influenza

Aussie Flu, UK Flu – who cares? Get vaccinated.

Posted onJanuary 15, 2018

Some thoughts from Dr Katherine Arden and myself  about where the flu viruses sweeping the UK came from. Is it the “Aussie flu”? The short answer is simply “No”. There Read More …

CategoriesUncategorizedTagsinfluenza, quadrivalent vaccine, trivalent vaccine

Influenza virus transmission: with or without symptoms, you’re dropping Flu virus

Posted onJanuary 14, 2018October 31, 202120 Comments

Influenza viruses infect our cells, but cell entry alone does not result in influenza (the disease). What happens after our cells get infected can depend on quite a few things. Read More …

CategoriesAerosols, InfluenzaTagsaerosol, airborne, droplet, droplet nuclei, Flu, influenza, influenza virus, transmission

Klassevirus…brief introduction to a Salivirus A

Posted onJanuary 4, 2018January 4, 2018

Klasseviruses are now assigned as members of the family Picornaviridae, genus Klassevirus, species Salivirus A.[4] Klassevirus-1 was first identified using deep sequencing [1] from a pool of 141 stool samples mostly Read More …

CategoriesUncategorizedTagsKlassevirus, Picornaviridae, salivirus, Salivirus A

Saffold virus…..brief introduction to a Cardiovirus B

Posted onJanuary 3, 2018

Until fairly recently, members of the family Picornaviridae, genus Cardiovirus, species Cardiovirus B [8] were thought to mainly replicate in the gut of rodents[1]. But in 2007 the genome of Saffold virus Read More …

CategoriesUncategorizedTagscardiovirus, picornavirus, Picornavridae, saffold virus, SAFV

Flu in the US – Week 51

Posted onDecember 31, 2017December 31, 20173 Comments

It’s been all about influenza type A in the United States (US) so far this annual 2017/18 Flu season. In particular, the influenza A H3N2 (A/H3N2) subtype has been dominating Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

How the 2013 influenza A/H7N9 was thought to have arisen….

Posted onDecember 27, 2017

This is a graphical resurrection of sorts. An old image of mine I made back in 2013/14 and some text from what used to be the H7N9 page on my Read More …

CategoriesUncategorizedTagsavian influenza, bird flu, evolution, H7N9, influenza virus

Avian influenza A H7N9 virus starts its 6th wave….

Posted onDecember 27, 2017December 27, 2017

It’s that time of year again! No, not time for more leftovers, but time to turn our eyes towards China for signs of H7N9 activity.[1] While this is a ‘bird Read More …

CategoriesUncategorizedTagsavian influenza, bird flu, H7N9, influenza

Why the current influenza season is a big one…

Posted onDecember 27, 2017

We wrote a little something on this topic for the Conversation back in November. It may be of interest you in the northern hemisphere. You can read the entire piece, Read More …

CategoriesUncategorizedTagscommunity engagement, Flu, influenza, SciComm

“Rhinovirus” occurs in people who are not sick ergo it never causes sickness…

Posted onDecember 27, 2017December 27, 2017

In a community study of healthy infants reported in 2015 the authors stated that “Our finding of low RSV prevalence in asymptomatic infants suggests that RSV is likely the causative Read More …

CategoriesUncategorizedTagsdistinct, genotype, HRV, rhinovirus, RV, RV-A, RV-B, RV-C, species

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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.

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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

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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.

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