In this important episode of Transmission Interrupted, host Jill Morgan is joined by a distinguished panel of experts to provide a comprehensive update on respiratory illness trends for the 2025 season. Dr. Ryan Maves (infectious diseases and critical care medicine, Wake Forest University), Dr. Kari Simonson (pediatric infectious diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center), and Dr. John Horton (clinical affairs, gynecology and obstetrics, Emory University) share the latest data and evidence-based recommendations for healthcare providers and the public. The discussion covers the full spectrum of respiratory viruses currently impacting our communities, including influenza, RSV, COVID-19, and pertussis. The panel addresses the unique risks facing infants, children, pregnant individuals, older adults, and those with underlying health conditions. Listeners will gain valuable insight into current vaccine guidance, the role of updated testing strategies, and protective measures that go beyond vaccination—such as proper mask use, respiratory and hand hygiene, and the importance of source control and eye protection. This episode offers practical guidance for both healthcare workers and the public as we enter another busy respiratory virus season. Drawing on real-world experience and the latest research, our guests emphasize steps we can all take to reduce transmission, protect vulnerable populations, and maintain safety in both clinical and home settings. Guests John Patrick Horton, MD, MBA Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for Gynecology and Obstetrics Emory University Dr. John Horton is the Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for Emory University’s Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. He also serves as Emory Healthcare’s Division Director for General Gynecology and Obstetrics, and Interim Operations Director for the Gynecologic Specialties Division. Additionally, Dr. Horton is the Director of the Obstetric Rapid Response Team at Emory Healthcare and is Associate Professor at the Emory University School of Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Ryan Maves, MD, FCCM, FCCP, FIDSA Professor in Infectious Disease and Critical Care Medicine Office of Global Health Wake Forest University Dr. Ryan Maves is a Professor of Medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he serves as medical director of transplant infectious diseases and as a faculty intensivist at North Carolina Baptist Hospital. A graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine, he entered active duty in the U.S. Navy in 1999. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships infectious diseases and critical care medicine at Naval Medical Center San Diego. During his military service, he served as the flight surgeon for Carrier Air Wing SEVENTEEN embarked onboard the USS George Washington (CVN-73), at the Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 in Lima, Peru, conducting preclinical and clinical studies in antimicrobial drug resistance and vaccine development, as director of medical services at the NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, and as ID division chief and fellowship director in San Diego. He retired from active duty in 2021 and joined the faculty at Wake Forest. He is the chair of the ABIM Critical Care Medicine Examination Board, co-chair of the SCCM Congress Program Committee, and Chair-Elect of the Chest Infections and Disaster Response Network in CHEST, as well as deputy editor for outreach for the journal CHEST and contributing editor for Critical Care Explorations. He is an author of over 150 scientific manuscripts, 15 textbook chapters, and 100 conference abstracts and invited lectures. He lives in Winston-Salem with his wife, Robin, whom he met in the traditional manner (in the ICU, next to a ventilator), and their three children, Astrid, Robert, and...
