Inside Medicine: Breaking News: Read three top CDC officials' resignation emails. by @jeremyfaust.bsky.social š bit.ly/4fVt2wt
Infectious diseases & genomics. Immunologist in (voluntary) exile. Minimal sarcasm. Fierce HOA (Hater of Acronyms). Personal account - opinions expressed are my own and not those of my employer.
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Inside Medicine: Breaking News: Read three top CDC officials' resignation emails. by @jeremyfaust.bsky.social š bit.ly/4fVt2wt
The bigger issue, Jon, is that the article was written as if we exist in a complete data vacuum and that nobody has analyzed any of the data even they mention.
Amazing - congrats!!
Launched today! Join 6 Nobel Laureates, 27 Members of the US National Academies & the Scientific Advisory Board of @accountabilityji.bsky.social in signing this petition demanding RFK Jr.'s resignation. www.change.org/p/demand-rfk...
The MAHA assault on vaccines will kill people & usher in a scientific Dark Age. RFK Jr has got to go. Please join me, my fellow @accountabilityji.bsky.social advisory board members, Nobel laureates, National Academy members, & colleagues calling for his resignation. www.change.org/p/demand-rfk...
Wondering what vaccines to get this fall or whether they will even be available? Most will be, but maybe for the last time. Make sure your family is up to date while you still can. open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...
The administration isnāt just taking vaccines away. They arenāt responding to outbreaks. They are not preventing disease. They are enabling it. Essential reading from @amymaxmen.bsky.social. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
I completely missed the news that David Nabarro died back in July. He was a very strong leader in the global health space - his deep insights and straight talk will be sorely missed. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Now itās #FEMA workers standing up to an administration that is destroying our capacity to respond to natural disasters. These workers have more integrity and courage than anyone in this White House. To them, their duty sacred. To protect Americans from the worst that nature can bring.
If you believe that keeping your head down and being quiet will spare you from this fate, you are mistaken. This will be all of us.
"exposure to public service broadcasting and broadsheet newspapers was associated with accurate belief stabilization and correction, whereas [...] social media consistently undermined accurate beliefs, increased transitions into misinformation or uncertainty, and hindered corrective belief updating.
As one can imagine, I have some thoughts. Hereās a thread no one asked for: 1. SCIENCE IN THE US IS POLITICAL. No matter how much you want to ignore that fact, it is supported by taxpayer dollars and is therefore, political by nature. 2. BUT it has had bipartisan support for decades, whichā¦
These rulings don't just have direct effects on the specific grants in question, but they have much larger indirect effects. If every federal grant can now be terminated with no notice for any (political) reason, no awardee can make any long term (> 3 months?) commitment to infrastructure or people.
This week's @thelancet.com cover and editorial www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
There is no solace for NIH funded researchers in this Supreme Court decision. Grants that were ripped away on dubious grounds, restored by a reasonable judge are now again terminated by an out-of-control Supreme Court. Labs will shutter, people will lose jobs. www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...
The man should open up a BBQ Stand - would be a huge success.
Nick Loman needs to have 10,000 followers (and the rest of us a few hundred) before it's sufficiently hot. Get on it.
In new study led by @bdadonaite.bsky.social, we measure how spike mutations affect function & antigenicity of spike of KP.3.1.1 strain of SARS-CoV-2. Sheds light on how key neutralizing epitopes are changing & importance of RBD up/down motion. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
New paper from @naturehealthglobal.bsky.social scientists identifies extensive spillover risk of an under-researched group of coronaviruses in China and Southeast Asia. š§µ naturehealthglobal.org/new-paper-id...
A few have asked me about this. XFG is the main lineage in the US at the moment. If there is a choice between a JN.1 or an LP.8 vaccine, I would take LP.8.
Yeah, it's been a minute...
Yup - they later caught up via other patents, however, this is probably the biggest blunder of all times in biomedical research.
For more information on that little saga: www.whatisbiotechnology.org/index.php/ex...
Monoclonal antibodies were invented at the institution I did my PhD - MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. A funny backstory to this is that Milstein tried to patent the finding, however, the MRC concluded that they were unable to "identify any immediate applications".. Oopsie š¤¦āāļø
ŠŃŠøŠ²ŠµŃ, ŃŠ¾Š²Š°ŃŠøŃŠø! Itās another glorious day in which Trumpās America is increasingly indistinguishable from Stalinist Russia, so I thought an armchair comparative analysis was in order. Specifically about Jay Bhattacharya's twin from times past, Trofim Lysenko. open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...
Once upon a time drawing these comparisons would have been criticised as going too far. But, given current events, it's like the US administration is being guided by a book called Wackos of History. rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/bhattachar...
Really recommend that everyone read this thread from Kristian. Receipts of the straight line from Bobby's rhetoric to the 500 bullets fired at the CDC last Friday.
God, this is disturbing Iām grateful to @kgandersen.bsky.social for compiling this thread of all the vile, horrific, extraordinarily dangerous things RFK Jr has said about the CDC But be warned: itās really disturbing Imagine working at the CDC & knowing that your boss thinks *this* about you
Only the ones who enjoy self flagellation.
And just a few examples of how we're already seeing this: 1ļøā£ Virtually no need RFAs posted since the new year 2ļøā£ Severe difficult in funding competitive grants 3ļøā£ Inability to fund new contracts 4ļøā£ Inability to fund supplements for existing grants Most of this because so many people have been fired.
Totally agree - tenacity and focus are the two key things to have for a successful PhD. Or bloody damn good luck š.
False. We all know that the most intelligent people become evolutionary virologists who study the origins of pandemics š.
A key point š is that the engine of scientific research has already been mangled, with further destruction planned. It's not simply "about the budget" for scientific research (which is what most focus on), it's the whole system. Yes, the budget needs to be maintained, but that's not sufficient.
I šÆ agree with all of that and it's important to remind people why it's still pretty cool to be a scientist. But to pin that on scientists somehow being extra intelligent, well, that just rubs me (and I think many others) the wrong way and completely undermines the larger (well-meaning) purpose.
H5N1 bird flu has now spread to U.S. dairy cattle, raising serious concerns as we head into fall. Scientists at @scripps.edu are working to prevent a wider outbreak and future pandemics, but this vital work depends on continued support. Join us in protecting public health at: ow.ly/fXAj50WGKB3
"cesspool of corruption" "Nazi death camps" news.sky.com/story/trumps...
"It's an issue of corruption. The CDC is a cesspool of corruption. The CDC is cataclysmically conflicted. It is no longer focused on human health. It is focused on money" [false] www.discovermagazine.com/the-robert-k...
"The vaccine program at CDC is a cesspool of corruption" [false] www.newsmax.com/newsfront/rf...
"CDC approved COVID-19 vaccines "without any scientific basis."" [false] abcnews.go.com/Politics/fac...
"I will clean up the cesspool of corruption at CDC" www.gbnews.com/politics/us/...
CDC recommendations have become "little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine". [false] www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...
"CDC is a vaccine company..." [they're not] childrenshealthdefense.org/transcripts/...
"withheld data" [they did not. again, the vaccines are safe and effective]
Let's take a look at some of the rhetoric RFK Jr. has used over the last couple of years in describing the CDC. First up, search his statements on X: x.com/search?q=fro... I'll show a few examples in the following. "cesspool" "crooked", etc.
NEW šØ The violence is the point. Elected Dems must call for widespread resignations (RFK, Bhattacharya, Prasad) in response to the CDC shooting. Public health must demand this of them, and the public must demand that of us. With @publichealthguy1.bsky.social in STAT: www.statnews.com/2025/08/15/c...
"Last weekās attack on the #CDC could have been a slaughter." Absolutely. And, importantly, thanks to the inflammatory rhetoric, falsehoods, disinformation, and conspiracy theories constantly spouted by the very same person who's responsible for the agency - HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He must go.
".. difficult to fathom why anyone intelligent enough to be a scientist.." Good lord, that is some of the most elitist bullshit I have read in a long time š. No wonder so many people think scientists are entitled smart-arses who think they're more intelligent than other people. We're not.
Postdoc position is still open! Definitely reach out if youāre keen on tracking pathogen evolution and spread (especially using wastewater š)!
Biologists, virologists, evolutionary biologist, and public health experts have much to learn from climate scientists on tackling misinformation. This is the model to follow and the culture to foster:
The main thing - is it not already clear - RFKr Jr is uniquely unqualified to lead the HHS. All main agencies under his watch - NIH, FDA, CMS - are also headed by incompetent contrarian peddlers of disinformation, conspiracy theories, and pseudoscience. This will, and already does, cost lives.
šØNew peer-reviewed commentary that I co-authored with Chris Beyrer is now out in the journal Vaccine, gift link below We show the ways in which the MAHA & MAGA guysāRFK Jr, Makary, Bhattacharya, Prasadāhave dismantled the US vaccine regulatory framework authors.elsevier.com/a/1lbDt,60n7... 1/5
Just a reminder that if you want to do your postdoc in the best city in the world, well, you might be in luck - our position is still open and we're hoping to fill it within the next couple of weeks, so hurry up!
Defending US democracy: the role of scientists @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Chances are, I would have written it. No question.
"I have not been targeted by a political figurehead in this way before," said the paper's 1st author. Welcome to the club! š«
This is pure poetry from @angierasmussen.bsky.social: "...he is a thin-skinned grasping bootlicker and not a brave intellectual dissident being unfairly silenced by the academic establishment..." rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/mrna-vacci...
American Scientist: Support Scientists Who Stand Up Researchers should not have to endure death threats or public attacks when they engage publicly and try to combat misinformation. By @michaelemann.bsky.social @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social šhttps://bit.ly/3J9hnhh
Yes, genitals often show the earliest signs of infection in people who had sexual intercourse, however, this very likely has to do with the close contact and not āsexual transmissionā per se, so describing it as āsexually transmittedā (like other STDs) would be misleading.
Of course. Certainly canāt disprove it.
Hah, yes. Snazzy website. All completely wrong, of course, but great design, so hats off to them. Looks great.
Yup. He (and others) might not realize it this exact moment, however, itāll become clear. Crystal clear.
š§µ in response to www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
It doesnāt actually matter to them whether they believe it our not. They simply continue to further the myth because itās politically beneficial for them to do so. Thatās the only thing they care about. Truth be damned.
Nothing but a sycophant. Very disappointing to say the least and sadly, for Taubenberger, this is going to define his career, not his scientific work.
Iāll belabor the point. We told you so. And now we are telling you so again because if we donāt do something as a scientific community now we are all gonna be cooked.
Smallpox was largely respiratory droplets, but longer range airborne spread also played a role - I'm sure, contact too. For Mpox, it's probably still primarily contact (hence, "sexual" transmission because it's close contact), however, I would not rule out respiratory transmission either.
It's a desperate situation, let me tell you. The after-effects of the Ebola epidemic and abdication of international support are still playing a large role in making this outbreak that much worse.
... and since it isn't mentioned specifically - no, Ivermectin will not work against Mpox, nor will Hydroxychloroquine. Nor bleach. We do, however, have effective, if imperfect and still in need of improvement, vaccines. They should be used and distributed equitably. It had to be said.
* "really important reporting..." I blame fat fingers.
Finally, we knowš isn't true. The outbreak in Sierra Leone is directly connected to the wider epidemic in West Africa and, specifically, to ongoing infections in Nigeria where, yes, the virus initially spilled over about a decade ago. But since then, this clade has been spreading human-to-human.
As for the comment about ".. even without sexual contact.", yes, that is correct - that's not new. That statement is contradicted later, so I'm not quite sure what they meant to say. To be clear, Mpox does not only spread via sexual contact, although it is strongly linked to sexual networks.
Just a few issues to point out. First one, a quote from me that's tagged onto "increased transmission". As I explained at the time, it's not necessarily that the virus has mutated to transmit more easily, it's more that, given the 'right' context, is showing its true potential.
This is really reporting 'inside' the response to the devastating Mpox outbreak in Sierra Leone. Critical reading, as we are facing a future in which we will increasingly be confronted with emerging diseases, even preventable ones. www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
Yup and yup. It's been so bloody obvious from day one - there's a reason why top climate scientists were some of the first to notice the issue, despite being completely outside their technical field of expertise.
Grateful to @marionkoopmans.bsky.social for writing this thoughtful piece in Nature Rev Micro. We canāt push back against anti-science movements without taking the threat seriously, proactively address our limitations, and engage with the public clearly & candidly. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The irony of seeing David Wallace-Wells and Emily Oster - two of the worst communicators during the pandemic - writing this piece is so thick that it goes all the way from New York to San Diego. I heard Amazon has a sale on mirrors. Feel free to pick one up, folksšŖ. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/o...
Not to belabor a "I told you so", but it's been clear for years that the whole "lab leak" discourse has absolutely nothing to do with a potential lab leak and everything to do with a broader anti-science agenda. I really, and truly, hope more scientists will realize this and take corrective action.
Imagine that. We now live in the upside-down world š.
The mRNA vaccines did EXACTLY what they needed to do. Prevented vast numbers of people dying or being seriously ill with COVID19 who would otherwise gummed up hospitals necessitate further lockdowns.
@defendpublichealth.bsky.social issued its report today: "Improving the Health of Americans Together: An evidence-based framework for addressing the root causes of illness in the U.S." Oh and we call for #RFKJr to go! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
I hate this timeline so much. Claims he's not here to "litigate the past," spends 3/4 of the op-ed further misinforming about mRNA vaccines.
I can relate.
What happens when people like #RFKJr, #MartyMakary, #RandPaul, #VinayPrasad churn out dehumanizing comments about scientists and public health workers? It can lead to political violence. It has happened in other settings. Now it's here.
I will never get over how creepy it is how the NIH X account is a full time propaganda machine now
When Dissent Becomes Domestic Terrorism / The call is coming from inside HHS by @angierasmussen.bsky.social "Whether through resignation or impeachment, Kennedy must be removed " bit.ly/45KQ9Gq
The shooting at CDC was domestic terrorism. It was instigated by the HHS Secretary's years-long campaign against an agency he oversees. open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...
"While much of the media is obsessed with the art of the dealāthe terms of surrender to Donald Trump being offered up by major universities around the countryāthis transactional lens obscures the fact that 'this isnāt negotiation. Itās authoritarian extortion.'ā www.thenation.com/article/acti...
I highly encourage folks to learn more about the ramp up towards militarized totalitarianism in other countries to draw the parallels with this: manufactured "crime" to justify use of force. And make sure friends/family you know who watch Fox News and the like recognize this is all BS
Gift link to the article: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/u...
What happens when the highest leaders in office spread misinformation about vaccines killing people, stolen elections, etc? A lot of people believe it. And it makes them furious enough to risk their lives in revenge. My heart goes out to public health workers rn. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/u...
"Public health workers are not the enemy:" former surgeon general Jerome Adams on yesterday's alarming attack on the CDC. www.statnews.com/2025/08/09/c...
āHis vilification and misinfo turned them into targetsā
Oh my god www.statnews.com/2025/08/09/v...
There are a lot of details in yesterday's sweeping executive order, but the bottom line is that it gives political appointees immense power over scientific grants, which have until now been stewarded by career civil servants and experts. My reporting: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Really good points in here: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Drown those damn bugs!! š
Can confirm - from working in healthcare during the pandemic to online SA/violence threats while doing scicomm and community response workā¦itās abhorrent. I worry that what happened today is reflective of an increasing risk to scientists/health professionals.
I have a complaint about Avi Loeb's latest work and I want to speak to management. medium.com/@steve.desch...
They'll realize it, but as you're saying, they'll continue on the same - misguided - path they're already on. This is how autocrats gain power.
