Kevin Kavanagh, MD

Just months after many dismissed H5N1 as a past concern, the “bird flu” has returned with force—killing millions of birds, infecting mammals from cows to cats, and raising alarms among scientists who warn the virus is edging closer to human adaptation.

Fear of vaccine-related myocarditis is narrowing guidance, but the evidence is clear: COVID-19 infection triggers more myocarditis than vaccination, early doses cut pediatric long COVID, and myocarditis appeared in 2020—before vaccines existed. This piece restores the full risk–benefit picture.

Public health is under attack. The CDC shooting underscores how misinformation fuels mistrust and danger. In this climate, evidence-based protections like masking aren’t optional—they’re essential. Layered strategies remain our best defense against deadly pathogens.

As the FDA limits COVID-19 vaccine approvals to high-risk groups, healthy adults and pregnant individuals are being left behind. Learn how these changes could impact insurance coverage, long COVID prevention, and public health strategies.

The growing H5N1 avian flu outbreak threatens public health and food security. Without urgent action, mutations could spark human-to-human transmission, creating the next global pandemic.

Public health mandates, such as lockdowns, masking, and vaccination, balance liberty and safety, ensuring critical protections during pandemics like COVID-19 while fostering long-term survival through science.

Explore why CMS must expand COVID-19, influenza, and RSV reporting to include hospital-onset infections, health care worker cases, and ER trends, driving proactive prevention and patient safety.

The CDC HICPAC discussed updates to airborne pathogen guidelines, emphasizing the need for masks in health care. Despite risks, the committee resisted universal masking, highlighting other mitigation strategies

Masking, clean air, and vaccinations are essential in combating COVID-19 and preventing long-term impacts, as evidence mounts of long COVID's significant economic, cognitive, and behavioral effects.

New research highlights long COVID’s global impact, cognitive decline, and societal consequences, urging renewed focus on prevention, including vaccination, mask use, and better air quality.

Immunocompromised patients face heightened risks during medical visits. To ensure safer health care appointments, prepare by understanding COVID-19 transmission, masking, ventilation, and exposure.

The 2024 surge in infectious diseases like mpox, measles, and meningitis demands a paradigm shift in control strategies, emphasizing expanded expertise, improved airborne precautions, and rethinking cost-effectiveness in healthcare to prevent future outbreaks and protect public health.

The June 3, 2024, House Oversight Committee questioned the efficacy of the six-foot social distancing rule, highlighting its benefits and limitations in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The WHO suggests changing terminology to better understand pathogen transmission through the air, emphasizing N95 mask use and improved ventilation.

Opinion: Kevin Kavanagh, MD, examines a summary of studies on how COVID-19 may damage the brain's frontal lobes, alter personality traits and cognitive functions, and potentially reshape society's dynamics.

The CDC's recent decision to align recommendations for respiratory viruses, particularly COVID-19, has garnered support from the public and infectious disease societies. However, as the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) lends its backing to the CDC's harmonization efforts, concerns persist regarding the implications of this shift, especially considering the Omicron variant's unique characteristics and the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19's multi-system impacts.

A recent commentary by Dr. Amesh Adalja in MedPage Today challenges the perception of COVID-19 as solely a respiratory virus, highlighting its broader impact on the body. This analysis questions the notion that COVID-19 should be managed like common respiratory infections, urging a closer look at vaccine effectiveness, the rise of long COVID, and the need for enhanced measures to curb the virus's spread. Let's explore the complexities of COVID-19 management and the pressing realities faced by the US and the world.

CDC sends pathogen spread proposals for revision, raising concerns about potential harm and emphasizing the need for reevaluation.

Results of a study by Yan Xie and colleagues highlight the severe impact of COVID-19, with higher death rates, increased risks of long-term complications, and greater infectivity compared to seasonal influenza.

AI is helping health care professionals during the pandemic by improving accuracy and patient safety in radiology and disease prediction. Despite concerns about job replacement and misuse, AI promises to enhance health care accessibility, affordability, and accuracy.

Recent CDC HICPAC revisions regarding SARS-CoV-2 control face criticism from the World Health Network and others due to alleged breaches in committee structure and erroneous infection control guidance, potentially impacting COVID-19 management and immunocompromised individuals in health care.

An immunocompromised keynote speaker, Kevin Kavanagh, MD, shares strategies for safe air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing mask usage, vaccinations, and air quality monitoring, with mixed observations throughout the journey.

The interaction between the respiratory viruses SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV, poses ongoing challenges. Personal protective measures, testing, and vaccination are critical components of our strategy to mitigate the impact of these viruses.

Randomized controlled trials show masks are effective. With COVID-19, even one mistake in protective gear usage could lead to infection and obscure results.

The commentators at the recent HICPAC meeting had different reactions, ranging from concern to anger.

What is a COVID-19 infection? With the definition not consistent, the answer is far from simple.

In this opinion article, the authors discuss their concerns about the recent HICPAC/CDC proposals on infectious diseases.

In his analysis, Kevin Kavanagh, MD, explores the measures taken by the infectious disease sector in response to the pandemic, pointing out both effective and ineffective approaches. He also discusses how the pandemic has affected the treatment of other infectious diseases.

COVID-19, schools, and children are sensitive topics. Some worry about transmission in schools, while others don't see it as a concern. Which is it?

The rate of unemployment, long COVID, and immune system issues are still causing problems globally.