Impressive evidence - if no effect seen in Nordic countries then purported evidence elsewhere likely bias and risks clearly exceed benefits which are meagre at best lnkd.in/g4HWpinA

This summary that “covid is responsible for almost all excess deaths worldwide” is simplistic. It is a high level analysis showing great uncertainty - yes multiple problems in post covid world but are they attributable to covid or to worsening inequity etc?

Very interesting graphic presentation from Canada showing how intensity of COVID infection has changed over time in a setting where virus present over full 3 year period using wastewater surveillance unaffected by diagnostic testin…lnkd.in/gMSZgDSq lnkd.in/gF8pTEuS

This is a very long read but worth it to get to the punchline about which naked baby she saw, sufficient to put her off motherhood at least then, who later became PM lnkd.in/gwjP6Zrh

If you look at the study cited as showing higher long covid after re-infection it’s apparent it shows no such thing and does not claim to - it is mostly about what initial symptoms are predictive of persistent symptoms - a case of confirming preconceptions on part of John Snow

Clarification from Monica Gandhi that all the hype about the CDC meeting “outbreak” was just that - hype.

No idea why Kerryn Phelps posted this nonsense promulgated by a UK cardiologist sponsored by an Australian anti vaccine lobby group. What is it about cardiologists- Peter McCullough from Texas also a denialist. No fan of Pfizer but this same old about their trials in 2020 is tosh

The unanswered question from this - which is mainly saying covid deaths are under-counted - is (even if accept simplistic arguments underlying it) what is best response? Tern & friends want masks a la 2021 forever - this won’t work - 79 yr olds need boosters every 6m - period.

Great interview with Salman Rushdie post attack on him. As a devotee of Rushdie’s writing I recommend Victory City and all previous but also Rushdies comment here that “when you’re young you have to fake wisdom, when you’re old you have to fake energy” lnkd.in/g9Btff-X

Just seen this magnificent production - in 2023 we have around half the US population in the grip of lies, hypocrisy and self-righteousness - instead of just the population of Salem Massachusetts thecrucible.ntlive.com

Times are tough for data journalists - numbers, numbers but what do they mean? Wastewater surveillance only indicator reliable over time - hospitalisations by age group now next to meaningless, as is % of whole population & vaccine doses - need to see >60 lnkd.in/gbqsFY6N

Support here for a policy of restricting covid boosters to populations at risk of severe disease due primarily to age. This is a quite different paradigm to influenza and speaks to capacity of age-related capacity of immune system…lnkd.in/gAdyhkUU lnkd.in/gtWrvry7

Interested to see evidence underlying these assertions. Hoping that it’s not primarily the flawed VA series of studies out of US lnkd.in/g65PGDHd

This brief piece from Paul Offit justifiably criticises the basis for continued rejigging of COVID vaccines except for protection of population groups at greatest risk of severe COVID despite previous optimal boosting - ie adults >75. It’s time to critica…lnkd.in/gzpGhT-K

Presented at WPRO TAG today - a great example from Lao of how careful consideration by a NITAG of an important scheduling decision arrived at a well-reasoned choice - of option 3 lnkd.in/gSMSW3Hu

Very silver lining take on CDC study - VE for most dose numbers and outcomes was ~ 20% with CIs inc zero and limited to 60 day period. 12% controls any vaccine doses so v low population uptake. Vaccine works short-term (hopefully inc high risk) but policy? Flu vacc >> priority

While studies support the need to fast-track the development of interventions and therapies to prevent and/or cure long COVID, it’s important to prevent reinfections to reduce the future burden, write Prof Brendan Crabb and Suman Majumdar theconversation.com/long-covid-sym… via The Conversation - Australia + New Zealand

Receiving at least 2 doses of wild-type BNT162b2 vaccine was associated with a reduced risk of emergency department or urgent care and outpatient visits for COVID-19 in children younger than 5 years. ja.ma/44VDhtB

Vaccines that prevent so many deaths should be prioritised. GSK