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

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

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

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 ...

Measles takes your immune memories

Posted onApril 9, 2025April 9, 2025

Acute measles virus (MeV) infection can be serious You may have heard that the United States is having a multistate outbreak of MeV infections, mainly causing its worst outcomes among Read More …

A measles infographic: virus, symptoms and white blood cells

Posted onMarch 27, 2025April 3, 2025

Here’s a measles infographic prepared using a range of sources and some feedback from the public. It aims to present measles symptoms and the levels of the virus and white Read More …

United States influenza: biggest season in 15 years of data

Posted onFebruary 18, 2025February 25, 2025

The United States has been suffering from many influenza virus infections. And it looks like those are translating into a “flunami” of hospitalisations, which has resulted in the US CDC Read More …

No new A/H7N8 chook farms hit in Victoria so far

Posted onFebruary 17, 2025February 17, 2025

Two poultry farms in the southern Australian State of Victoria have been quarantined for high pathogenicity avian influenza A/H7N8 infections, but spread to additional farms has not been observed so Read More …

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 …

An illustration of a spherical RSV virion.

A good news RSV vaccine story for adults

Posted onFebruary 5, 2025February 5, 2025

An overview of a new study in adults showing the Abrysvo respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine preventing lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by RSV infection among older adults, a Read More …

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in Australia – a 2022 study and the current state

Posted onJanuary 29, 2025February 19, 2025

A brief overview of a report describing the 2022 discovery of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in Australia. This was the first local outbreak in southern Australia and set the stage Read More …

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 …

SNAPDATE: MPOX cases in Australia, 14.09.2024

Posted onSeptember 14, 2024October 19, 2024

MPOX, the disease resulting from Monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection, continues to rise rapidly in Australia, as elsewhere in the world. It is unclear if Australia has rolled out more of Read More …

In Australia, COVID-19 deaths may have stopped decreasing

Posted onSeptember 6, 2024September 9, 20241 Comment

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published excellent data on deaths due to or with COVID-19 in Australia from 2022 to July 2024. Deaths dropped between 2022 and 2023, but Read More …

It takes a while to gather death data

Posted onSeptember 5, 2024September 5, 2024

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published some excellent data on the sad topic of mortality (death) in Australia. In doing that, they nicely defined why it takes patience to Read More …

Update on Monkeypox virus (MPXV) transmission in Australia

Posted onAugust 6, 2024February 17, 2026

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) causes MPOX. A ‘global outbreak’ of infections and disease became noticeable in 2022. The MPOX outbreak continues, and below is an update on the ongoing MPOX cases Read More …

More PCR cycles don’t mean magic results

Posted onAugust 5, 2024February 13, 2025

The quote below has been circulated for a while, amplified by those with no PCR understanding. Its focus is to make you believe that too many PCR cycles create false Read More …

Stop Hijacking Definitions To Farm Anger And Clicks!

Posted onDecember 29, 2023February 9, 2025

It’s a funny old time to be a scientist. Advances are being made as ever, and new knowledge around airborne virus infection and transmission is accruing like never before. Not Read More …

What is “Immunity Debt”?

Posted onDecember 2, 2023July 30, 20253 Comments

Something called “immunity debt” has been in the news quite a bit lately. Most recently, because of what looks like a multicountry Mycoplasma pneumoniae epidemic, but before then, in the Read More …

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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