1/x 🧵***New data *** A double🧦 Lancet headline paper @TheCrick in London from @stcshepherd @TurajlicLab @DavidLVBauer. Results are ASTONISHING about whether we need to protect the #immunocompromised #forgotten500k. thelancet.com/journals/lance… & thelancet.com/journals/lance…. Pls RT.
2/x For those who you don't know. @TheCrick is one of our UK's leading research 👩🔬💪heavy weights with some of the best scientists in the country like @stcshepherd @TurajlicLab @DavidLVBauer. For them to be weighing into the national pandemic landscape is timely & important
3/x. Paper 1⃣ asked the question about cancer patients. They are very #immunocompromised, especially @bloodcancer_uk patients. @stcshepherd @TurajlicLab assessed ~200 cancer patients from their study and looked at immune response to omicron. A study and measure of "protection".
4/x Complex figure now. This is a violin plot as scientist say blue shapes look like violin. If violins are lifted up it's good. If they're low it is bad. It says post vaccines, 56% of @bloodcancer_uk have some neutralisation (protection against omicron), 44% do not. Not great.
5/x. What have @thecrick & @stcshepherd said about @bloodcancer_uk & coronavirus? 👇. i.e. further evidence that in patients who are immunocompromised, and more protection is required beyond vaccination. 🫢. Next paper answers "what might this be?" (no surprises). Paper 2 is good
6/x. Paper 2⃣ thread here . It asks does antibody therapy work? specifically #Sotrovimab and #evusheld. Important as it is another petri dish assay, but this time showing exciting findings. 🐛🪲🐞 They call their work ***URGENT***🧐. It 💯% is.
7/x. It was a lab petri-dish test- neutralising assays. How likely was antibody therapy to work. He's a very candid and honest scientist 👇. To date drugs like #evusheld and #sotrovimab work well in humans, but don't seem to work in a petri dish.
8/x. Why does he call his work ***URGENT***🧐? Because many countries are making irregular decisions based on neutralising petri-dish assays, like stopping patients get good treatment like #sotrovimab, or in the case of #evusheld not buying it at all (UK solely).
9/x. Results now and they are very colourful (though still easy to interpret). Flat lines= don't work, Downward waves=neutralises + works. Each result repeated 3 times, 12 times for certainty. The lines for Sotrovimab and Evusheld have shifted. They STILL WORK with higher dose👇
10/x. Intriguingly, the authors hold no punches here. There is one argument "that the only way to show treatment works when a new variant comes is for 50% of patients get a sugar injection- a trial". The BLIND RANDOMISERS argument. Here's what he says-👇
11/x. What's my take? COVID cases are surging, up by 50% in the last month and continuing to rise. For most it will be a mild disease, but if you don't have an immune response or are #immunocompromised, this can't be guaranteed. The crisis of #forgotten500k is now widely known
12/x. There are half a million immunocompromised people in the UK. Many are still shielding, still in isolation, still unable to work, see friends or hug loved ones. They are #forgotten500k, unheard & calling on us to notice. They are at higher risk of being hospitalised & more.
13/x. 32 countries are delivering additional levels of protection this winter to protect immunocompromised patients who have not responded to the coronavirus vaccine, using new therapies, not available in the UK- prophylactic antibody therapies with #evusheld
14/x. Their only protection if infected, #sotrovimab might be removed too. There is no urgency regarding the absence of #evusheld access this Winter. To give an “immune” system and "level up" protection compared to the population. UK patients have to wait till next summer.
15/x. @TheCrick has weighed into the debate providing timely science confirming what the world knows globally. We should be protecting the immunocompromised in the UK with the best antibody therapies and everyone is now asking for it to happen before soon- before Christmas.
16/x The UK clinical community has also sprung into action. Patients, 125 clinicians from 17 medical specialities & 4 nations are now online with 19 charities and patient groups. And so many MPs like @libdemdaisy who rallied so many MPs who are hearing first hand the mental and
17/x. physical health impact of delayed decision making that is not yet "up to date" with science. I expect that's natural, when science moves fast 🏎️. However, with all the evidence presented, all showing the same thing, will the UK move fast once again or remain indifferent? 🤷
18/x. Thanks must go to both groups for "TOUR DE FORCE" papers. From one of the leading UK research institutions. Thoroughly brilliant research demonstrating 1⃣ the issue & 2⃣ solutions served on a plate🍽️. Let's hope there is action + compromise in the run up to Xmas 🎄🤶.
19/x. My thoughts are with our #immunocompromised patients. Thank you to supporters. Tens of thousands of people are backing #forgotten500k campaign for their Winter plan and call for more protection for the #immunocompromised. Hopefully authors might answer Qs 🤞.
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