This winter has seen a relentless wave of seasonal illnesses, with norovirus cases skyrocketing throughout the UK and flu cases setting records in the US. Hospitals are at capacity, emergency rooms are full, and flu outbreaks among children have resulted in school closures. The magnitude of infections is staggering, and many people are left wondering—why is everyone getting ill?

Norovirus, which is commonly referred to as the "winter vomiting bug," has been hitting the UK particularly hard this winter. The North West area is worst hit, with a daily average of 72 patients being admitted to hospital with the virus over the past two weeks. Statistics from NHS England show that hospitalizations due to norovirus have skyrocketed by 22% over the course of only one week, to an average of 1,160 patients per day. This is over twice the figure seen over the same period last year, when the norm was 509 patients per day.

Experts say that cases of norovirus normally increase throughout autumn and peak in winter, but this year, the rise came earlier and continues to increase. NHS officials point out that hospital staff are being put under huge pressure to deal with a large number of norovirus patients as well as other winter bugs.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the National Medical Director of NHS England, was worried about the rising infections, saying, "There is no let-up for hospital staff who are working tirelessly to treat more than a thousand patients each day with this horrible bug, on top of other winter viruses."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, the US is having its worst flu season in more than a decade. In early February, doctor visits and hospitalizations due to the flu reached a 15-year peak. Emergency rooms are clogged, and in most states, hospitals have imposed visitor limits to stem the spread of infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that to date, at least 33 million individuals have contracted the flu, resulting in 430,000 hospitalizations and 19,000 deaths, of which 86 were children. The flu has resulted in a number of schools closing as a result of outbreaks, and cases continue to increase.

What's Making Everyone So Sick?

Experts say that a mix of factors is causing the high flu and norovirus cases this season. Post-pandemic socialization, lower immunity because of lower exposure in past years, and unstable vaccination rates might all be at play.

Regional Medical Director of NHS England North West, Dr. Michael Gregory, cautions that norovirus cases are still high and might keep spreading across hospitals and care homes. "We're looking to the half-term break as a break, but it's important that we all do our bit to prevent further spread," he said.

In the US, besides the flu, other viruses including COVID-19, RSV, and gastroenteritis infections are also reporting spikes. Figures from the CDC indicate that emergency room visits of RSV and COVID-19 have reduced but COVID-19 infections are high in most parts.

Identifying the Symptoms

Flu and norovirus have similar symptoms, but the way they infect the body differs.

Flu Symptoms:

• Fever
• Body aches
• Chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Fatigue
• Stuffy nose
• Norovirus Symptoms:
• Sudden vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea

Norovirus Symptoms:

Norovirus illnesses usually last between two and three days, compared to flu illnesses lasting a week or more. In both conditions, susceptible populations such as young children, the elderly, and those who are immunocompromised are more likely to have severe complications.

Norovirus, also called the "stomach flu," is a highly contagious infection of the gastrointestinal tract, not a respiratory virus. It transmits quickly from contaminated food and water and contact with contaminated surfaces, causing such symptoms as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain.

What You Can Do to Stop Its Spread

Because of how fast both viruses spread, medical professionals highly recommend preventive actions.

For Norovirus:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water, especially after using the toilet or before preparing food.
• Avoid visiting hospitals or care homes if experiencing symptoms.
• Stay home for at least 48 hours after symptoms subside to prevent spreading the virus.

For Flu:

• Get vaccinated annually to reduce the risk of severe illness.
• Avoid close contact with sick individuals.
• Practice good respiratory hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes.
• Stay home at least 24 hours after the fever has passed without the use of medication.

Dr. Gregory again emphasized the need for hygiene, saying, "Good handwashing habits can significantly reduce the spread of norovirus. Soap and warm water remain the most effective way to kill the virus."

Treatment and Recovery

Most people can be treated for flu and norovirus at home with supportive therapy. Rest, hydration, and taking over-the-counter drugs to control symptoms are the road to recovery.

For flu, antiviral drugs like Tamiflu may prevent more severe symptoms from occurring if taken within 48 hours of symptom onset. The CDC advises high-risk groups to seek advice from their physicians regarding antiviral medication.

For norovirus, hydration is crucial, as diarrhea and vomiting have the potential to cause rapid dehydration, especially in children and the elderly.

Flu season in the US remains at its peak, and UK norovirus cases are still on the increase. Although some experts are optimistic that cases will decrease by spring, the unpredictability of viral outbreaks dictates that caution must be maintained.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities are calling on people to adhere to preventive measures in order to mitigate the burden on medical resources. Vaccination, hygiene, and self-isolation when ill continue to be the best lines of defense against such illnesses.

COVID-19, a pandemic that shook the world, and its variant, still continues to be around, especially the new 'Frankenstein' strain, that is said to be the contagious of all. However, the answer to what really was the source of the virus has not been found. Though there are certain theories that associate bats with it. While researchers have time and again said that more research is needed in this. A coronavirus carrying a genetic feature was found in the viruses that cause COVID-19 and MERS. This has been discovered in bats in Brazil. This may put some light back into the global range of bat-borne viruses that are capable of jumping to other species.

What Is The Virus Called?

The virus is called the BRZ batCoV. It was detected in Pteronotus parnellii, a small insect-eating 'mustached' bat, which is common across Latin America, The samples were collected in the states of Maranhao and Sao Paulo and the findings were released in a study as a preprint ahead of peer review publication. The study can be accessed at bioRXiv, and is titled: A Divergent Betacoronavirus With A Functional Furin Cleavage Site In South American Bats.

What Did The study Find?

The study, released Monday as a preprint pending peer review and publication, identifies the virus as part of the betacoronavirus family, the same group that includes SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and the original SARS virus. Genetic sequencing revealed a small segment of the virus’s spike protein that can be cleaved by enzymes in both animal and human cells, a trait that allows certain coronaviruses to infect cells more efficiently.

Interestingly, such furin cleavage sites have not been observed before in bat coronaviruses from the Americas, suggesting that these features may have evolved independently within South American bat populations.

The discovery is significant because a similar cleavage site in SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein sparked widespread debate during the pandemic, with some alleging it was evidence of laboratory engineering. However, subsequent research has demonstrated that comparable sites occur naturally in several coronaviruses, including this newly identified Brazilian strain, underscoring that such adaptations can emerge through normal viral evolution.

The new study is led by scientists from the University of Osaka. They had identified a previously unknown coronavirus in bats from South America, the first of its kind detected in the Western Hemisphere. The research, conducted by Kosuke Takada and Tokiko Watanabe in collaboration with teams from the University of São Paulo, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and several international laboratories, found that the virus is related to MERS-like coronaviruses but distinct enough to form its own lineage.

Until now, similar viruses have only been found in bats across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The discovery marks a major step in understanding the global diversity and evolution of coronaviruses, particularly those circulating among wildlife.

Importantly, researchers emphasize there is no evidence that the newly detected virus infects humans. However, they note that such discoveries highlight the urgent need for continued monitoring of animal populations that could harbor viruses capable of crossing into humans.

Experts say the finding reinforces the value of global wildlife surveillance programs, which serve as an early warning system for potential zoonotic threats. Tracking these viruses before they spill over into human populations remains a critical step in preventing future pandemics.

Virologist Steven J Hatfill, long known for his controversial views on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments has now been asked to resign from his role as Chief Medical Officer at the US Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness ad Response (ASPR).

He was a vocal critic of the mRNA vaccines and proponent of hydroxychloroquine as the treatment for COVID-19. He has now been asked to step down, this has come in less than six months of him joining the agency,

Resignation Request From Senior Officials

According to Hatfill, the request for his resignation came directly from Matt Buckham, Chief of Staff at ASPR, who informed him that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had personally asked for his removal.

“He stated that they were taking ASPR in a different direction,” Hatfill said in a written statement released Sunday. “I refused to resign and asked to speak to the Secretary directly. It appears that the Secretary is being sequestered, and HHS is in a free fall.”

While Hatfill maintains he has not yet been formally terminated, an administration official speaking anonymously described his removal as “for cause,” indicating that the decision had already been finalized internally, as reported by Bloomberg.

Was There A Dispute Over Vaccine Policy and Public Messaging?

Hatfill’s departure follows growing internal tensions over the administration’s recent decision to terminate nearly two dozen mRNA-related vaccine projects valued at around $500 million.

The decision, supported by a 181-page report that Hatfill helped compile, argued that mRNA-based vaccines “fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.” The claim echoed statements made earlier this year by Secretary Kennedy, who has long questioned the efficacy and safety of certain vaccines.

However, health experts and multiple peer-reviewed studies have repeatedly found that COVID-19 vaccines significantly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death — even if they do not always prevent mild infections.

Controversial Statements Hatfill Has Made

Shortly after contributing to the vaccine report, Hatfill appeared on Stephen K. Bannon’s War Room podcast, where he made several alarming claims about vaccine safety.

“It was more dangerous to take a vaccine than it was to contract COVID-19 and be hospitalized with it,” he said during the interview. He further alleged, without evidence, that “the vaccines have injured hundreds of thousands” and that an unknown number of people had died from vaccination.

These remarks drew widespread criticism from the scientific community, with experts reiterating that vaccine safety is continuously monitored through established federal systems and that serious adverse effects remain exceedingly rare.

Before joining HHS, Hatfill served as a White House adviser during President Donald Trump’s administration, where he promoted hydroxychloroquine as a potential COVID-19 treatment — a claim that was later discredited and led U.S. regulators to revoke its emergency authorization in 2020.

Hatfill also gained notoriety in the early 2000s when he was named a “person of interest” in the FBI’s investigation into the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people and sickened 17 others. He was formally cleared of any wrongdoing in 2008, and the government paid him $4.6 million to settle a lawsuit related to the case.

As of 6.17am on October 30, 2025, the AQI in Delhi is recorded at 406, and falls under the category 'Hazardous'. Major pollutants are PM2.5, PM10, CO, So2, No2, and O3. We have long known air pollution's impact on respiratory health and lungs, however, it is beyond that. With levels as high as 'hazardous', the pollution could also damage our kidneys.

Dr Sanjeev Gulati, nephrologist in Fortis, Delhi, writes that the detrimental effects of air pollution are not only evident in the respiratory and circulatory system, but it can also extend to renal function. He writes, "The kidneys are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of environmental pollutants due to their critical role in filtration. Environmental and occupational exposure to pollutants remains a common cause of kidney disease globally, especially in developing countries."

Up to 22% of the global disease burden and 23% of deaths are attributed to environmental pollution. There have been various studies that show the long-term exposure from particulate matter and how it is linked to an increased risk of membranous nephropathy and decline in renal function.

What Is Membranous Nephropathy?

It is a kidney disease caused by the damage to the kidney's filtration system. This could lead to significant protein leakage into the urine. This could happen due to the PM exposure.

In fact, a 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology highlighted the role of air pollution in the rising risk of new kidney diseases. The study was able to track 2.5 million veterans, who were free of kidney diseases in 2003 and 2004, over an average of 8.5 years. The researchers then compared their health outcomes to air pollution levels. The study then found that for every 10 microgram increase in pollution per cubic meter of air, there was a 25 to 37% increase in new kidney disease case, a 36% rise in rapid kidney function decline, and a 31% increase in the risk of kidney failure requiring dialysis.

How Does Pollution Damage Your Kidney?

Dr Sean Hashmi, MD, MS, FASN, a board-certified nephrologist and obesity medicine specialist in the Southern Carolina, US, in a video on his YouTube channel that he uploaded to explain the impact of air pollution on kidney says, "your kidney is force to process a chemical soup day after day after day. And the main villain here is PM2.5."

Dr Hashmi notes that once the PM2.5 is in your bloodstream, your body treats them like foreign invaders. "This triggers powerful inflammation throughout your system. Inflammation is your immune system's response to injury and threat. However, when inflammation becomes chronic [due to long exposure of PM2.5], it can damage healthy tissues."

He says, as a result, these particle-filled blood arrives in your kidney. "Your kidneys have millions of tiny filters glomerulus, they are like cluster of blood vessels that act like coffee filters for your blood. The constant flow of abrasive particles creates low-grade sand blasting on these fragile filters. Over years this leads to permanent scarring and reduced kidney functions."