1/ New occasional series: Nerdy Girls in the News!
As part of our scientific day jobs, your faithful NG team has done 140+ media spots about the pandemic (& counting!).
2/ To honor the work of the terrific journalists we support – all of whom are dedicated #infodemic fighters – we’ve decided to start sharing out a few of the Nerdies’ notable news appearances.
3/ First up: On a recent NBC panel, yours truly (Nerdy Girl Lindsey) provided tips about effectively surfing the COVID (mis)information waves. TL;DR: nbcnews.to/33EIB8t
4/
1️⃣ Science is a METHOD, not a stable set of facts. Updating beliefs as better evidence accrues is a marker of credibility.
2️⃣ Uncertainty is hard on our 🧠, & can lead to poor decision-making. Be empathetic/non-judgmental.
3️⃣ Trust your friends, but verify their info sources.
5/ Fellow panelists were former COVID deniers who caught the disease with tragic consequences. All of them are now committed to spreading accurate information in the service of educating others. Their stories are powerful, and they are brave for sharing them.
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1/ Q: Has almost everyone been infected with COVID by now?
A: Recent estimates suggest around 58% of the population in the US and over 70% in England have been previously infected, with BIG increases during the Omicron wave.
3/ ➡️ During the Omicron wave from December 2021-February 2022, this estimate increased from 33% to 58%.
➡️ Rates vary a lot by age, ranging from 33.2% for those over age 65 to 75% for those under age 18.
2/ Not likely. If your kids are suddenly getting sick a lot, this is likely due to “catching up” on exposures rather than a weakened immune system.
3/ Many families w/ young kids have been hunkered down for the better part of 2 years– a good % of a young child’s entire life. While isolation had *many* downsides, we can agree that not having to suction snot out of infant noses or clean up norovirus puke was a happy upside.
1/ Q: Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve).
2/ ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge.
3/ Burning fast could be a silver lining of super transmissible #Omicron. Cases rose & fell quickly in S. Africa (w/ hospitalizations & deaths still lagging). The UK appears to have turned the Omicron corner. Many US states appear past their peak in cases, w/ regional variation:
Unfortunately, this includes New Year’s Eve plans. The perfect storm of a new variant & holiday get-togethers is hitting communities & health care w/ FORCE! Testing is in short supply.
3/ Health care is under extreme pressure with surging cases. If you can avoid even one additional contact, you are helping. This is a temporary and urgent request (from a health care provider).