Scientists were slow to recognize that Covid spreads through the air. Some are now trying to get ahead of the bird flu.

In early December 2024, a group of researchers published an article in the journal Science, entitled "A single mutation in bovine influenza H5N1 hemagglutinin switches specificity to human receptors".

Scientists also know a lot more about H5N1 bird flu than they did the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the US has been preparing for the threat of a new flu outbreak for a long time. Still, the virus is ...

It also recommends asking about recent close contact with a symptomatic person with a possible or confirmed case of H5N1. Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, director of CDC's National Center for ...