More evidence that COVID infections increase risk of other infections down the line.
A new study led by Drs. Miao Cai and Ziyad Al-Aly, looking at patient data in the US Department of Veterans Affairs, compared those who had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and those who did not, among both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. They found those who had a confirmed COVID-19 case were at significantly higher risk of contracting another infection (bacterial, viral, or fungal) later on compared to those that did not have a confirmed case of COVID-19.
This statistical association adds to the growing body of evidence that COVID can cause lasting damage to one’s immune system, regardless of the severity of symptoms. Letting COVID run rampant and stripping away more and more public health infrastructure is making us sicker with more than just COVID.
The Weather
The CDC-based wastewater map was updated on June 11th and depicts wastewater levels for the period May 31st to June 6th.
While temperatures may be rising as we enter summer, thankfully most state’s COVID levels are not. The vast majority of the US is experiencing “very low” levels. However, Guam is reporting “very high” levels, Louisiana is reporting “low,” and Mississippi is reporting “moderate,” which are all increases from our last report. Oregon, Montana, North Dakota and the U.S. Virgin Islands are reporting “limited/no data.” Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and New York are reporting limited coverage, meaning that the data is based on less than 5% of the population and may not be accurate for the entire state.
Regional trend data indicate that all regions remain at “very low” levels.
Other COVID News:
The FDA approved ensitrelvir as a novel drug to be used as post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19. A post-exposure prophylaxis is an emergency treatment used to prevent or mitigate infection after a potential exposure. The medication has previously been used in Japan. A recent study published in NEJM showed people in the ensitrelvir group experienced a 67% reduction in risk of getting COVID-19 compared to people in the placebo group.
The FDA’s Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted to recommend a monovalent XFG vaccine for COVID-19 shots for the 2026-2027 season.
Other Infectious Diseases
Rotavirus
According to WastewaterSCAN, rotavirus is still at “high” levels, with highest levels in the Northeast and Midwest. Rotavirus is an easily transmissible virus that can cause severe diarrhea and consequential dehydration in infants and children. The current rotavirus vaccine prevents 40,000 to 50,000 hospitalizations annually. Rotavirus is one of the vaccines that MAHA is making efforts to remove from the current vaccine schedule. Recently, Trump issued an executive order for HHS to move to adopt the limited schedule, putting more children at risk.
Measles virus has been spreading rapidly across the US for over a year now. The worst outbreaks have been reported in Texas, Utah, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Florida, but dozens of other states have also reported increased cases. In 2025, the US saw 2,288 confirmed cases. Just 5 months into 2026, we already have 2,030 confirmed cases. Because of this ongoing outbreak, our official “measles free” status that we’ve held for over 25 years is under review by the World Health Organization (WHO). Spain, Austria, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Canada, the UK, lost their “measles free” status in recent years due to uncontrolled domestic spread. The US must defend their case this November to the Western Hemisphere branch of the WHO, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The US must prove that the virus has not been spreading domestically for 12 months straight; meaning, officials need to show the outbreaks in different states are not connected. A variety of approaches can be used for this argument, with a major one focusing on the genetic similarities between measles viruses isolated from patients in different states. A recent independent study compared the publicly available genes of different measles samples across Texas and Utah and found the genetic sequences from isolates in Texas and Utah were very similar, suggesting connected outbreaks. This is not an official declaration, as that is left to PAHO, but the evidence is not looking good for the US.
These outbreaks across the world can likely be attributed to a variety of factors: misinformation about vaccine safety, poor access to vaccines, mistrust in government officials, and the dismantling of public health infrastructure by domestic and international parties. Once a country’s “measles free” status is gone, it must interrupt local spread for at least 12 months to regain its status.
The United States has now confirmed 5 cases of New World Screwworm (NWS), a flesh-eating parasite well-known among ranchers to devastate livestock. The confirmed cases are in 3 cattle and 1 goat in Texas, and 1 dog in New Mexico. NWS can infect humans in rare cases. The major threat posed to humans by NWS is more about threatening the meat product supply, and therefore prices amid an already agonizingly expensive economy. Unsurprisingly, the US had a long-standing program to monitor, prevent, and treat cases of NWS in animals, but Trump’s DOGE completely dismantled it. NWS is the maggot or larval form of the NWS fly, which lays its eggs in open wounds, where the maggots burrow and eat the host. A common method for controlling NWS spread is to release genetically modified sterile flies into the wild. These sterile flies mate with wild flies but don’t produce viable offspring so the screwworm cannot continue its lifecycle and transmission is stopped. Laboratory production of the necessary sterile flies is underway in the US, but likely could have already been ready to respond if the Trump administration had not cut the NWS monitoring program. Historically, NWS has travelled from South America and steadily made its way north.
Ebola
The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus continues to evolve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Reports show varying levels of cases and deaths, with at least 600 cases and over 100 deaths across both countries. One healthcare provider from the US has been identified to have contracted the virus and is now recovered after undergoing treatment in Germany. The US government is attempting to establish a quarantine facility in Kenya for Americans but is facing heavy local opposition, with local police brutalizing protestors and killing two. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted the importance of making sure Ebola does not spread to the US. This is something the administration should have considered before abandoning the World Health Organization and defunding USAID.
Last week, more Americans quarantined in Nebraska for Hantavirus exposure were allowed to return home. However, given the virus’ very long 42-day incubation period, the patients’ release is dependent on their home state providing additional 24/7 monitoring for at least 2 weeks. We hope the news surrounding this outbreak continues to be positive
The NWS, Ebola, Hantavirus, and Measles outbreaks are more unfortunate lessons in why international health collaboration is vital to the wellbeing of everyone and nationalistic selfishness helps no one. For public health to be the most effective, we must be proactive not reactive. Waiting until an outbreak starts to actually care about a disease is already too late. Prioritizing short-term economic gain and foreign-policy strong-arming only results in more disease and death, as we are learning in real-time.
Actions
Oppose New Jail Development: Read this article: No New Beds and get involved in the fight to oppose new jail developments.
Remove RFK Jr. petition: A recent report from Protect Our Care named RFK Jr. “Public Health Enemy No 1.” We continue to call for the removal of RFK Jr., and Stand Up For Science has created its own petition to remove RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. We encourage you to read it and sign on.
Engage your representatives: Tell Your Senators: Vote “NO” on Saphier for U.S. Surgeon General. Nicole Saphier has been nominated to serve as U.S. Surgeon General. We must speak loudly and clearly: She is totally unqualified to serve in this important role and must be rejected by the Senate. She has spread lies about measles, hepatitis B, and COVID vaccination, sells quack cures on Amazon, and has no public health experience. It takes <2 minutes to write to your Senators. Write to them now!
Notes: 1) The numbers in this report were current as of 06/11/2026. 2) Check out the links throughout & see our website for more at https://peoplescdc.org. 3) Subscribe to our newsletter: People’s CDC | Substack.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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