1/ Why do doctors like me & @meganranney ask how high the POTUS' fever has been, if his O2 levels have been low, whether he's required supplemental oxygen? It's the difference between moderate & severe COVID. This tells us a lot about prognosis & what treatments are indicated.
2/ If the president required supplemental oxygen, he has SEVERE COVID and should hand power over to VP Pence until he is clinically improved.
3/ POTUS was given remdesivir. *Assuming* evidence-/guideline-based use of remdesivir, this would also indicate that the president has SEVERE COVID (i.e. oxygen saturation less than or equal to 94% on room air, requiring supplemental oxygen/ventilator/ECMO).
4/ But we know the president doesn't abide by evidence and guidelines, so it's hard to know for sure if that's what his receiving remdesivir means.
5/ Dr. Sean Conley, the president's personal doctor, ended the press conference when asked whether the president had received dexamethasone. Dexamethasone is indicated in severe/critical COVID, but not mild/moderate COVID.
6/ Assuming a non-denial = tacit affirmation, the president has received dexamethasone. This would mean he has (at the very least) SEVERE COVID. He should transfer power to VP Pence until he's clinically improved.
7/ There are reasons NOT to give dexamethasone if COVID is not severe enough: psychiatric side-effects (e.g. agitation, confusion), suppression of adrenal glands, risk of bacterial/fungal infection. I don't think the decision to give dexamethasone would be cavalier.
8/ The questions Dr. Conley is avoiding / refusing to answer (highest temperature, lowest oxygen saturation, requirements for supplemental oxygen, need for dexamethasone) would tell us something about the president's prognosis. THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IS, ITSELF, A DIAGNOSIS.

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More from @celinegounder

Sep 1
1/ Why the confusion over COVID vaccines now?

What’s changed isn’t the science. It’s the process.

Policy is increasingly announced by officials online & outside the usual evidence review, creating mixed messages for families.

on @CBSMornings with @edokeefe @TheKellyOGrady
2/ Normally, FDA reviews products, then CDC’s vaccine advisers (ACIP) publicly weigh evidence & vote.

CDC adopts guidance, which insurers & programs like Medicaid, the Children's Vaccine Program (CHIP), & Vaccines for Children follow.

That process has been corrupted.
3/ This season, the FDA narrowed COVID vaccine approvals:
🔹People 65+
🔹People 6m to 64y if they have at least one risk factor for severe COVID (including pregnancy)

Off-label use:
🔹Healthy people 6m to 64y in consultation with your doctor
Read 10 tweets
Sep 1
1/ It’s been a chaotic week at the CDC.

The director was fired less than a month into her tenure, four senior leaders resigned in protest, & the agency is still reeling from a shooting at its Atlanta HQ.

on @CBSNews @FaceTheNation with @EdOKeefe
2/ These aren’t just headlines about “palace intrigue.”

What’s unraveling is the basic machinery that keeps Americans safe: vaccines, outbreak detection, lab guidance, and expert support for state health departments.
3/ Within hours of the firing of CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez’s, 3 leaders—responsible for vaccine safety, respiratory diseases, & the chief medical officer role—resigned.

Earlier that week, CDC’s head of data systems also stepped down.

More departures are expected.
Read 14 tweets
Aug 22
1/ After the shooting at CDC earlier this month, employees sent a blunt letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

They said that instead of standing with them, RFK Jr. is spreading conspiracy theories about the CDC & their work.

on @CBSEveningNews with @jdickerson
2/ They called this dangerous & made 3 requests:
🔹Stop spreading inaccurate health info
🔹Affirm CDC’s scientific integrity
🔹Guarantee safety of the HHS workforce

savehhs.org/letter/hhs-sta…
3/ Since the shooting, CDC staff say they’ve been harassed with phone calls.

Callers mockingly ask, “Are you resilient?” before playing gunfire sounds, echoing CDC’s own post-shooting messaging.
Read 12 tweets
Aug 20
1/ For the first time in decades, US pediatricians have released their own vaccine schedule, separate from the CDC.

Why? Because they no longer trust the government’s process.

Here’s what parents need to know. 🧵
on @CBSEveningNews with @jdickerson
2/ Earlier this year, the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee was overhauled.

All 17 experts were dismissed & replaced with just 7 appointees—several with a history of spreading vaccine misinformation or skepticism.
3/ The Vaccine Integrity Project was established to fill the void & brings together many of top vaccine experts.

Today, the Vaccine Integrity Project reviewed the most up-to-date science on the safety & effectiveness of flu, RSV & COVID vaccines.
Read 15 tweets
Aug 8
1/ New CDC data show just how much ultra-processed foods dominate U.S. diets.

Americans get ~55% of daily calories from UPFs.

Almost 2/3 of what kids & teens eat is ultra-processed.

on @CBSEveningNews with @TheKellyOGrady
2/ The biggest sources?

Sandwiches, sweet bakery goods, packaged snacks, & sugary drinks. 🥪🍩🥤
3/ So why does this matter?

Because a major new U.K. clinical trial—the largest & longest yet—found that even “improved” UPFs can’t match the benefits of minimally processed meals. 🍎🥗
Read 14 tweets
Jul 29
1/@DeionSanders’ bladder cancer diagnosis was caught by chance, during a CT scan for an unrelated issue.

with @nateburleson @vladduthiersCBS @AdrianaDiaz on @CBSMornings
2/ Most bladder cancers are found when people notice blood🩸 in their urine, the hallmark symptom.

But early cancers can be silent, as in Sanders’ case.
3/ His scans, done for blood clots, ended up saving his life.

Even though his cancer was high-grade, it hadn’t invaded the bladder muscle.

That allowed surgeons to remove his bladder & cure him.
Read 18 tweets

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