Inclusive New Normal

New paper out in BMC Infectious Diseases, led by Natalie Wilson with Alicia Grima and Clara Lee: how we define hospital-acquired COVID changes whether we see its true mortality burden, and most common definitions hide it. 🧵

COVID raises your shingles risk. New data from 110,000+ patients out of Taiwan shows that post-COVID Shingles also raise risk of ➡️ Bell's palsy ➡️ Guillain Barré ➡️ Myasthenia Gravis Worst of all? Neurological vulnerability lasts for at least 3 years. buff.ly/H1N73zd

Join our webinar Community Centred Protection Strategies for Long COVID (28/5 at 13:00 CEST). Hear from WHO/Europe, @EU_Health, and Long COVID CSO representatives on tackling false information through WHO Long COVID Mythbusters. Register: luma.com/dk35p9y2

Während der Pandemie habe ich dem @rki_de früh mitgeteilt, das Patienten die nachts Luftfilter am Bett und damit keine 8h täglich mit kontinuierlicher Virus Reinhalation hatten, deutlich mildere #covid Verläufe hatten. Nun bestätigt sich dieser Weg anhand von CT Bildern

Close contact is not a mode of infection transmission. Close contact is a space where many modes of transmission can happen (and different modes of transmission require different preventative action). Another great graphic from @EvonneTCurran

Long COVID shows persistent immune, antiviral, and mitochondrial gene dysregulation 10 months post‑infection, linking IL‑1β, IL‑10, HIF‑1α, and NRF1 to symptom severity. It behaves as a chronic immunometabolic disorder.🧵

@ukhadds Agreed.

Here we go again. So many ways to stop this from happening (repeatedly). We need to do better. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

It's unfortunate that @P_H_S_Official seems to persist with the notion that all respiratory infections are seasonal so there's no need to bother tracking them much over Summer, despite the fact its last big Covid wave was July 2024 & new immune-evasive variants can arise any time

COVID-19 leaves detectable, objective blood-vessel and metabolic damage in the bloodstream nearly a year later, even if you feel completely fine and never had Long COVID symptoms - and there are biomarkers that prove it.

Infection transmits in many ways - tiny aerosols that accumulate like smoke, heavier droplets, & contact when landed on surfaces. All may be more likely at close contact but protection requires different approaches. So, surely all should be the default until proven otherwise?

🩵On #MEAwarenessDay we are sending an open letter to @rcpsych calling for alignment with current evidence. Supported by 20 organisations. +35 advocates, clinicians & academics! In democratic spirit we are offering a public sign-on opportunity 🔗👇️ #RCPsychIC #Garner

Today on International ME Awareness Day, we’re calling for better recognition, research & services for people living with ME & Long Covid in Scotland. With £4.5m now allocated by Scottish Government, the focus must now be on accountability & delivering real change for patients.

Is the NHS listening? What's preventing them? How can we change that? Come and join the discussion 👇

Pleased to share our latest COVID Mind Study @ Yale publication: "Vascular inflammation in neuropsychiatric long COVID" Elevated markers of endothelial adhesion in LC correlates with lower verbal fluency and learning. doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih…

@danaparish @questlove The tragic truth is that many studies have shown that Covid infections can reactivate dormant cancer cells & trigger growth of secondary cancers. The BuDS Disability Service charity have an excellent summary of the latest research at the link below ⬇️ buds.org.uk/covid-and-canc…

Your office air may be harming you. New research confirms portable filtration units cut indoor pollution in real offices. Ask your employer about air quality. go.corsirosenthalfoundation.org.uk/AmaHOw5 #CleanAir #AirFiltration

Air pollution doesn't just harm your lungs — it affects your brain. A new UK study links city air quality to cognitive performance across 51 areas. go.corsirosenthalfoundation.org.uk/QD4kyJJ #AirQuality #PublicHealth #CleanAir

One of the most important statements on scientific inquiry and public health to emerge in 2026 has come from Akiko Iwasaki at Yale University. Professor Iwasaki has been at the forefront of research into Long COVID, microclots, and post-vaccine syndromes, while also speaking openly about the barriers researchers can face when investigating complex or controversial health conditions. In a recent piece for Nature Reviews Immunology, she argues that science advances by confronting difficult questions, not avoiding them. As she writes: “The field has repeatedly been shaped by ideas that at first seemed divisive but later became foundational. The future of immunology depends on our collective effort to safeguard the freedom of inquiry with the same passion we have for scientific integrity.” Professor Iwasaki later shared that she wrote the piece “to promote thoughtful, respectful, and rational engagement with controversial science topics” and hoped it would encourage constructive dialogue within the scientific community. Open scientific discourse is not a threat to public health. In fact, public trust depends on it. People are more likely to trust institutions that are willing to ask difficult questions, investigate harms transparently, and engage respectfully with uncertainty when it exists. doi.org/10.1038/s41577…

#LocalElections 🗳 😷If you’re masking to vote, you can help! 📸Take a photo outside your polling station and share it with #MyMaskMyVote 🌳You can also ask for ID checks outside. Help us audit accessibility at the local elections. 🙏

A new large cohort study in Frontiers in Medicine looked at people who developed shingles after COVID-19. Could shingles after COVID be more than just a painful rash - with possible links to later blood-cancer risk?🧵