BrightWolf

1/14 Is it possible that the pandemic, as we know it, is over? The article👇is well researched, although I still have concerns regarding estimations of flu mortality (usually overstated IMO). However let’s accept for now that #COVID19 mortality has become on par with influenza.

In 2020 I published a paper arguing that there likely was an element of CD8 T cell death in Covid. For the following years, I was met with overall antipathy from many professors for claiming covid was harming T cells. Now, a new publication highlights persistent T cell attenuation. sciencedirect.com/science/articl… I was punished the sin of being correct on my matter of expertise before I had done a postdoc or graduated medical school, and for an opinion contrary to many individuals who had incentives to downplay covid or a lack of scientific imagination. My claims were swiftboated, people tried to put words in my mouth, strawman me, and attack me personally. Vincent Raccaniello said the claims covid was harming T cells was "twitter science." Vincent Rajkumar, the editor of Blood, said it was "nonsense." Carlos Del Rio, a professor of Infectious disease said, "I'm exhausted reading such claims from non-immunologists." One immunologist and nephrologist at the Francis Crick institute, Rupert Beale, claimed that cranks were being taken as legitimate sources while I was a medical student. An immunologist at Novartis, Andrew Croxford, mocked me as if I was a self-described 'galileo,' after Zeynep Tufekci referred to me saying, 'not every crank is Galileo.' I'm sorry the truth had to come from someone who lacked pretense, completed fellowships, and several decades of life. It should have been enough to have published in the field, understood the issue, and have been able to articulate the rationale. There were many attacks to my livelihood and my affiliated entities, accusing me of fear-mongering. and writing pseudo-science. One group of Professors even saw it fit to write that the T cells were "Fit and Happy" following breakthrough covid. I have never seen in history someone lampooning an individual with the title of a scientific journal article. Their aim was total demoralization. Having been subjected to this, I believe it is a very unique experience, to be met with derision from 1) Established professors 2) Journalists at the New York Times 3) Journal publications A recent article in the BMJ highlighted how eminent immunologists are starting to believe Covid has harmed population immunity. I was included in the piece until the editor said they needed to avoid the controversy to save face, thereby erasing my advocacy and the absolutely unethical conduct of people who had fixed to attack me. Regardless, this is a significant result. With multiple covid infections, the issue becomes even more relevant. Please keep up to date with vaccinations and avoid covid with use of an N95 if you want to keep your immune system healthy.

Infuriating? Yes. Outrageous? Yes. Unconscionable? Also yes. Surprising? Not at all.

Spoke to someone about a heart arrhythmia that they developed in 2022. “I blame COVID”, they blurted out belligerently. I said “Yes, it can do that. I’m sorry that it happened to you.” The way their face & voice softened… the relief at not being belittled or gaslit.

@MeetJess All the blood, sweat and tears to reach the pinnacle of your profession, only to be derailed by the inability or refusal to understand that mitigating airborne infection is good for performance and good for business.

Kansas City Chiefs Have More Illness Hit Before Super Bowl 59 gridironheroics.com/kansas-city-ch…

@NobodyImpawtant Waiting for the inevitable “expert” to tell us it would be “so much worse” if we didn’t keep COVID under control thru repeated infection…

Who put the village idiot in charge?

The hygiene hypothesis is being eroded Infections at a young age correlate with severe infections later in life, few infections in youth correlate with less infections in adulthood Where was the “strengthening of kids immune system” from infections? cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobial-…

@1goodtern The people asking these sorts of questions are scared to death. They’re seeking assurances that it won’t happen *them*, but only to other people. The only answer is “It doesn’t matter. It can happen to anyone.”

This teenager in critical condition with bird flu... I've seen people asking "what previous conditions did he have?" Those people don't seem to understand that everyone who has had covid now has a previous condition.

Every time I read a post or study about how COVID infection after vaccination seems to protect well against future infections, I don’t think “maybe it’s a good thing to catch COVID”. I think “they should really be doing all they can to produce a whole virus vaccine”.

@RageSheen Curious as to how this arrangement would stand up to legal challenge

At the start of the pandemic I wrote about the strategy with National Cabinet, how it was nothing about ‘all working together’, or any of that nonsense. National Cabinet was the key weapon to destroy the public health response. Time to revisit, as the ‘Inquiry’ refused to. /1

Most people would accept measures like lockdowns if there was good reason (say, human to human outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza). The problem is politicians who are captive to the vocal complaints of the loud, brainless & extreme minority.

@1goodtern Seems to me a lot of parents resent having to take care of their own children, was horrified at being forced to stay home with them for a few weeks and were willing to believe any excuse that would send the kids back to school & childcare.

What has most surprised you about this pandemic? Let me go first: That parents took the word of proven liars that their kids couldn't catch Covid. Then when the kids caught Covid, the parents continued to believe the proven liars that the kids couldn't spread Covid...

@CovidCanada1 Vinay though, is a just a special kind of asshole

At this point, I would like to know.... is there a reason why doctors are MORE anti-science than the average person? I mean this as a serious question. The ppl who have gotten the most offended & quote 'personal choice' at me are doctors. No scientific explanation given.

The immune system isn’t what it used to be anymore. This poses serious challenges for health systems everywhere.

Is it just me, or are people these days making a point of always keeping doors and windows shut? It could be sunny and 23 C and the room would still be sealed tighter than a bank vault. And the looks you get if you dare to even crack open a window…

Yeah, what actually gnaws at the psyche of children is the unspoken realisation that the adults, including their own parents & authority figures, betrayed them, and chose holidays & brunch over safe guarding their health & futures.

You know when someone makes a stupid mistake, then do something even dumber trying to cover it up? That’s every govt & organisation right now, who did nothing to control COVID transmission. Clueless, panicking & clutching at straws.

Those who work in schools know that it would cost just a fraction of the casual relief budget, to fit out the entire school with good air purifiers, many times over. Continuously sick teachers are prohibitively expensive. That’s if you can even find relief staff.

@nick_coatsworth @Wendycarlisle I thought I had blocked you and all your ignorant, self-serving bullshit. In any case since you’ve defiled my timeline, how about providing some actual proof for your ridiculous claims? And no, don’t bother with that study they did when kids were learning from home.

@Wendycarlisle We must reject the conceptualisation of children as vectors of infectious disease. This led to school closures when COVID was (and is) most efficiently spread via adolescents and young adults. Some infections circulate mainly in kids and transmit to adults, but its not a rule.

Dear Schools. Save your money, and your time and ignore this. Any investment in air filtration is unproven and wastes precious resources. COVID is no more harmful to kids than any respiratory virus. Beware the activist (including the journalist who wrote this article).

Colin’s a quietly spoken superhero. He doesn’t wait for the world to catch on, he just gets on & does great stuff. For the sake of our kids, teachers, families & wider society pls read this fabulous Hayley Gleeson piece & check out covidsafetyforschools.org abc.net.au/news/2024-09-2…