Coco

@theBrianaMills No prob 🩵

"None of us can wear a mask forever." Actually, we can and probably should.

We really need to get some things about airborne transmission straight:

Still masking #MaskUp

MENINGITIS TRANSMISSION Scientists at Bristol Uni have been investigating airborne transmission of meningococcus bacteria for the past few years. Their work is shedding new light on how meningococcus can survive in aerosol droplets due to the protective effect of human saliva.

🚨Distinctions between droplet & aerosol “were and are wrong.”🚨 Do NOT skip this 🧵 from @Mark_Ungrin detailing key points from module 3 of the UK‘s public inquiry on the (mid)handling of COVID-19 .👇

Halle FREAKIN' luyah.

Curious. If I show up for a surgery in #yyc and then refuse to proceed with the surgery due to lack of airborne mitigations to protect me ... what happens? I'm thinking it's time to make a point to the plague rats that work in the OR. Someone must do something.

Hot off the press, here’s the relevant extract in today’s Covid Inquiry report about the protection from different masks: 😷 Surgical masks: Designed to protect others but do NOT protect the wearer. 😷 FFP masks: Fit closely to the face & protect from both droplets & aerosols.

⚠️🦠The surge in meningitis and other invasive infections following the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly understood not just as a result of "immunity gaps" from lockdowns, but as a direct biological consequence of how the SARS-CoV-2 virus interacts with the human body. Research from 2024 through early 2026 has identified several specific physiological mechanisms—ranging from the degradation of physical barriers to long-term immune remodeling—that explain why individuals may be more susceptible to bacterial and viral pathogens after a COVID-19 infection. 1. Disruption of the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) The most direct link to meningitis is the virus's impact on the brain's protective lining. SARS-CoV-2 doesn't just affect the lungs; it significantly compromises the integrity of the Blood-Brain Barrier. * Increased Permeability: The virus increases the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), an enzyme that degrades type IV collagen in the basement membrane of the BBB. * Endothelial Damage: By infecting neurovascular cells, the virus triggers "mast cell activation" and restructuring of the cellular cytoskeleton. This creates "gaps" in the barrier that normally keep bacteria like Neisseria meningitidis (meningitis) out of the central nervous system. * Trojan Horse Entry: COVID-induced inflammation increases the transmigration of infected or activated leukocytes. These cells can "carry" secondary pathogens across the weakened BBB into the brain. 2. Mucosal Barrier Breakdown and "Ciliary Loss" Bacteria that cause meningitis often live harmlessly in the nasopharynx (the upper part of the throat). For these bacteria to become "invasive" and enter the bloodstream, they must bypass the mucosal immune system. * Mechanical Failure: SARS-CoV-2 causes ciliary loss—the destruction of the tiny hair-like structures that sweep bacteria and mucus out of the airways. Without this "escalator," bacteria can settle and colonize the tissue more deeply. * Epithelial "Leaking": The virus damages tight junctions (the "glue" between cells) in the respiratory lining. This allows bacteria to slip between cells and enter the bloodstream, a prerequisite for bacterial meningitis and sepsis. 3. Systematic Immune Dysregulation (T-Cell Exhaustion) While the "immunity gap" theory focuses on a lack of exposure, the "immune dysregulation" theory focuses on the damage done by the virus to the immune system's architecture. * T-Cell Exhaustion: Post-COVID patients often show signs of "T-cell exhaustion," a state where T-cells (the "generals" of the immune system) are functionally impaired and express high levels of inhibitory receptors. This limits the body's ability to mount a rapid defense against secondary viral and bacterial threats. * Lymphopenia: SARS-CoV-2 frequently causes a drop in total lymphocyte counts. Studies in 2025 have shown that even 12 months after a "mild" infection, some patients retain a signature of immunological hypofunction, making them significantly more likely (up to 46% more likely in some cohorts) to test positive for non-SARS-CoV-2 infections. * Interferon Suppression: The virus is highly effective at suppressing Type I and III interferon responses. These interferons are the body's first line of defense against both viruses and bacteria; when they are "dampened," the threshold for a secondary infection to take hold is much lower. 1/2

This is one of the best interviews I have listened to in a long time. Dr. B has an upbeat attitude and novel arguments for athletes to mask. What shocked me was that a little ways in, the host revealed she had been struggling with #LongCOVID and also masks.

@oxbits Convection setting if you have it ❤️

@cocomarvgrows thank you !!

Baked pumpkin seed/almond chips. Pressed with a tortilla press. I should be working.

Ten things they'll be telling us about meningitis before the end of the week:

COVID INQUIRY: MODULE 3 REPORT “Fundamental flaws in the UK’s approach to IPC [infection prevention & control] guidance, for example in relation to the use of PPE, put patients and healthcare workers at risk.” — Baroness Hallett, Chair of the Covid Inquiry Read more here… ⬇️

same

@profesh_fucker So complicated. Others will explain better than me. Helpful for some, big trouble for others. I take only when absolutely necessary.

Picking up my gabapentin today. Never took it before. How do we feel about it? Scared to ask but I am morbidly curious.

@Rocket57 @PacoOnPause The facial expression at the end & I’m💀

You are not sick in 2026 because of a lockdown that happened in 2020.

@Kenneth33071904 Reported

Hey y’all please report this account that is using my profile photo and handle x.com/scott_mcco9752…

Last day of quarter finals round to vote for positive masked representation in fitness & media! If I'm not in 1st at 9pm CST, I will be ousted from the competition. But currently, I'm still in 1st 🥳🥳🥳. mshealthandfit.com/2026/bailey