Five simultaneous outbreaks of norovirus, birdflu, influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus are occurring across the county, putting a strain on health care systems nationwide. Norovirus outbreaks have more than doubled, with 1,676 reported between Aug. 1, 2024, and Feb. 5, 2025. Meanwhile, birdflu has caused 67 confirmed cases and one death in the U.S. since 2022, while over 950 cases worldwide have resulted in a nearly 50% mortality rate. Influenza remains widespread in the country, with nearly 24.5% of tests coming back positive in early March and 16 flu-related deaths that week, totaling 114 deaths this season. COVID-19 cases, however, continue to decline weekly while RSV is similar to last week.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Peter Mancuso, associate professor of nutritional sciences at the School of Public Health, explained the winter season is a particularly potent time for infectious disease outbreaks. He said a decrease in vaccination rates and vaccine efficacy wearing off as time passes since an individual received their last dose are the biggest culprits for the steep increase in simultaneous outbreaks this particular season.
“People in the winter months are indoors and you’re exposed to a lot of people,” Mancuso said. “There’s that seasonal pattern, and then there’s lower vaccination coverage, so there are fewer people getting the flu vaccine or the COVID-19 vaccine, and there’s this concept of waning immunity.”
However, according to Mancuso, the bird flu is not a viable threat to most University of Michigan community membersMancuso said another factor worsening the outbreaks is fatigue from public health measures, making them less cautious around viral infections.
“It seems people have gotten tired of the public health measures in terms of distancing, masking, better, improved hygiene,” Mancuso said. “We’ve let our guard down against COVID-19 as well as these other viral infections. So the message would be get vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19, wash your hands. Getting enough sleep and two to three cups of vegetables per day … I wouldn’t look to social media for guidance for prevention of infectious diseases. I would look to trusted sources like the Centers for Disease Control.”
In an interview with The Daily, Ben Torralva, a lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said the various outbreaks this season have been less disruptive to his teaching than expected.
“Surprisingly this term, given all of the viruses and disease … I’ve actually observed a very, very low level, I would say, of people missing classes due to any of those mentioned diseases,” Torralva said. “There’s been almost zero COVID-19, and the only thing that I’ve really seen is a little bit of flu, but not in any way out of the ordinary. I think about how many students I personally have in my classes … there’s close to 200 and maybe one to two individuals with symptomatic COVID-19 symptoms this semester, which is really low.”
An email was sent Feb. 19, 2025 from Dr. Robert Ernst, the Chief Health Officer at the University, at the beginning of the semester informing students and faculty of the disease outbreaks being reported in the news. Ernst wrote the University Health Service has diagnosed multiple cases of influenza and outlined guidelines and preventative measures, but did not mention any of the other diseases.
Torralva said the COVID-19 has had lasting mental health effects on the community and there is a necessary balance to be struck for preventing the spread of other diseases.
“I think living in a state of high anxiety can, you know, have its own detrimental health effects, definitely,” Torralva said. “And so I think (being) aware of situations and (being) given information is good … but then also to let them relax once maybe the worst of what might have been expected is not turned out to be the case.”
In an interview with The Daily, LSA junior Jay Tycner, a pre-medical biochemistry student, said he feels that the severity of these outbreaks are often overlooked among his peers on campus.
“I think it’s just because it’s such a small percentage (of individuals who are sick) that a lot of people assume that that small percentage of risk never applies to them,” Tycner said. “But when something like the flu spreads super easily as any respiratory virus just from breathing, talking, sneezing…People do die. People end up hospitalized.”
Daily News Contributor Anuttara Lath can be reached at anuttara@umich.edu
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