Thread by @BillHanage

Closing thoughts on this hellish year. I am feeling really low right now, but here are some of the people I’ve valued over the last 12 months. This is in NO way an exhaustive list and is biased towards the contacts I made in 2020. It's a place to start thanking, not to finish 1/n

Writers - talking to @edyong209 , @zeynep and @apoorva_nyc has always been great. When it comes to the great @kakape has almost been therapy (honorable mention too for @yayitsrob who has done and written wonderful stuff) 2/n

I've been delighted to get to know folks like @Dr2NisreenAlwan @drjenndowd @HZiauddeen and @DrDomPimenta and the remarkable @dgurdasani1. Was honored to be a part of thelancet.com/journals/lance… 3/n

The ID pros like @KrutikaKuppalli @BhadeliaMD and @syramadad or those into outbreak response like @JeremyKonyndyk or the many (inc some of 👈🏼who could fit in both categories) 4/n

On the epi side @GidMK @gregggonsalves @nataliexdean and special mention for @firefoxx66. And explainer of contact tracing extraordinaire @kj_seung 5/n

Then there are those who are not (or did not start out) ID pros but have been great, like @adamhamdy @overdressjen or @ImpactMovie or the wonderful person who gifted me the phrase #OptimismSpa and who I can't find now. Thank you. I hope we get more chances to use it 6/n

And it wouldn't be a thank you without a shoutout to the likes of @angie_rasmussen @florian_krammer or @LubanLab who I turn to when it gets more virological or vacciney than I can handle on my own 7/n

to add to the 👆🏼 - @MackayIM who transformed my understanding of much in the early stages, but importantly introduced me to the work of @EIDGeek who has been a touchstone of good sense and decency throughout 8/n

I want also to mention people like @javid_lab @apsmunro or @sdbaral (among others!) I might not necessarily always agree with, but who I learn from. That’s part of the point of getting better at science, probably the most important bit 9/n

And friends like @rezendi, @baym or @CT_Bergstrom. I am truly lucky to know people like you. You do find out a lot about people in a pandemic... 10/n

And last but VERY much not least - the redoubtable @alanmcn1. I am so proud to know you. And may all your two bit trolls quit bothering you, detach themselves and come my way - my sarcasm engines need feeding 11/n

In closing: as I type we are learning more about a new viral variant, with unclear but potentially worrying properties, that has already spread to who knows where - because most places are not looking for it.

Isn't this where we came in?

12/end