Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
Jan 24, 2021 22 tweets 10 min read Read on X
SWITCH TO PREMIUM MASKS—I’ve been saying it for months. We need to switch to KN95, KF94, or European FFP2 masks ASAP. The new #b117 #COVID19 is just too contagious. Cloth isn’t enough anymore folks. Germany 🇩🇪 & Austria 🇦🇹 mandating on all public transits. washingtonpost.com/world/europe/e… Image
2) there are many masks that have 94/95% filtration... Image
3) N95 masks are more rare outside of hospitals because they are in shortage and needed by HCWs. You might find some NIOSH N95 from wood working, but note those are often not fluid resistant. ImageImage
4) Like Germany and Austria, in France, the country’s health advisory council on Monday discouraged the wearing of inefficient cloth and homemade masks, also arguing they may not offer sufficient protection against the more highly transmissible coronavirus variants.
5) of all the masks tested, N95 grade and surgical masks were superior this mask study. N95 class the best — they didn’t test KN95 but we know they are similar in filtration (but less perfect in fit tightness). But KN95 and KF94 and FFP2 all 94/95% good.

advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/36/e… Image
6) FFP2 masks (resemble KN95) in Europe are now $1.2 each these days ($2-3 before) after EU negotiated with manufacturers.

Also get this — low income families get these premium FFP2 masks **for free**!!!
7) Some call FFP2 masks “N95” on some boxes in EU. This was just 2 euros each. Made in U.K. 🇬🇧 as well as in Germany.
8) My favorite premium mask is the South Korea 🇰🇷 made KF94 that everyone wears there. It has a folding system that leaves more space for your mouth — so much that you forget you’re wearing a mask when you’re speaking! You can find them online.
9) Double masking (like Joe Biden when he traveled last year) also works. Or if you have a mask with a vent, wear another mask over the vented one.
10) There are also kids FFP2 and KN95 masks for better fit for kids too. Masks must FIT TIGHTLY or else leakage around nose bridge makes it less effective.

GOOD FIT == mask will expand when u exhale and push inward when you inhale. If your mask doesn’t, it’s too loose.
11) I honestly fiddle with nose bridge of a new mask a lot sometimes when i first get a new one— I press the nose bridge tightly first and then stick it on my nose to shape it. Pre press it then put on nose to shape it most efficiently. If you glasses fog up—there is a leak.
12) There are fake N95 / KN95 being sold right now. Just be careful. I can’t say which are real or fake but they do exist.

Staples and many major stores now sell KN95s. Presumably (?) they sell legit ones. I also directly order KF94 from S Korea & FFP2 from relatives in Europe.
14) To be clear, cloth masks do work too, just to lesser degree. And cloth is to catch your droplets more rather than be good inhalation filters. That’s why cloth works best when >95% of people wear them. But if many anti mask, then that is less effective.
14b) This was last week—they now mandating the premium masks in more places in Europe now. As result they are being given out free or subsidized to just $1.20 each in stores in Europe. We need Biden WH to DPA produce them here soon.
15) For more on the science of masks and an good detailed evidence thread, see this earlier 🧵 below.
16) Why do I care so much?

1 year ago today, I posted the “HOLY MOTHER OF GOD” warning to the world.

Hope it helped some folks keep their families safe. Please be careful everyone.

nymag.com/intelligencer/… Image
17) Why am I so concerned about #B117? Because many many models all show it will likely take over countries in infect and we lose buffer of what little containment we do half if it takes over.
18) Notably, the #B117 variant virus is such a beast—suppose we have 1000 cases/day now... with an R=0.86 we could reduce it to 500/day in 2 weeks.

➡️But w/ added contagiousness of B117 variant that has ~60% higher R, in 2 weeks, 3000 new cases/day instead—

6x vs old ⚠️ Image
19) UK 🇬🇧 former health minister now also urging mandates for premium masks on mass transit and shops. news.sky.com/story/covid-19…
20) What is the best source of premium masks? That would be @projectn95. Their masks are the most thoroughly vetted as authentic. And they are a nonprofit organization.
21) @projectn95 also fulfills N95 grade masks for both public and healthcare providers. Their email is listed below.

I receive zero commissions and not been paid in any way for this post.

@projectn95 is simply one of the best nonprofits.
projectn95.org/ppe-for-public Image
22) A reckoning of all the ways the Trump WH failed on PPE procurement and lack of sufficient mask production.

nytimes.com/2020/11/17/mag…

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More from @DrEricDing

Feb 26
BREAKING—FDA suddenly cancels meeting to update next season’s flu vaccines, with zero explanations. Any delays will jeopardize next year’s vaccine supply chain. Image
2) Folks who follow me know that I’m no bullshitter. I criticized past pandemic response right and left, and have called balls and strikes without bias. And I often say things that doctors & epidemiologists are whispering among themselves but don’t say publicly. (Cough cough) ⬇️
3) While I don’t recommend hoarding… I think stocking up on flu antivirals, which you can obtain prophylactically (preventively) from doctors if you ask nicely why you’re high risk, can be a good idea. I know many doctors, epidemiologists and virologists who do for their family.
Read 6 tweets
Feb 26
Doctors are debunking RFK Jr’s claim that 20 hospitalized measles cases in Texas are there for mainly quarantine. Doctors on the ground say the 20 kids hospitalized are having trouble breathing. Oh and they are all unvaccinated against measles, which RFK Jr neglects to mention. Image
2) RFK Jr told Trump today there’s now 2 measles deaths.
3) RFK Jr is a tear with his FDA today. A dark Darwinian future lies ahead for America.
Read 4 tweets
Feb 26
BREAKING—Reports coming in about potentially *2 measles deaths* in Texas, not just one, according to an HHS briefing to the White House today.
2) Earlier today, one measles death in an unvaccinated child was reported in Texas. Image
3) It seems to be RFK Jr who said it in an official Trump WH cabinet meeting today. Not saying he doesn’t lie, but he is now HHS Secretary
Read 6 tweets
Feb 21
Woke or biology? There are actually more than the basic “male” XY & “female” XX sexes. Why? Because biology also creates people with single X chromosomes, or extra chromosomes like XXX, XXY, XYY, or XXX+, plus many 🧬genes. 👉All I’m asking is— please be kind to others. Thanks🙏 Image
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2) “The most frequent SCAs include Turner syndrome (45,X), Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY), Trisomy X syndrome (47,XXX), and Double Y syndrome (47,XYY).”

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10…
3) “The phenotype seen in SCAs is highly variable and may not merely be due to the direct genomic imbalance from altered sex chromosome gene dosage but also due to additive alterations in gene networks and regulatory pathways across the genome as well as individual genetic modifiers.”
Read 5 tweets
Feb 16
I'm shocked a lot of doctors don't know about this newer flu antiviral drug called Baloxavir (XOFLUZA)... that shortens your flu illness by 33%, and reduces your viral load by day 2, versus what a placebo takes 5-6 days to achieve. Baloxavir also seems superior to TAMIFLU (oseltamivir) for smashing your viral load on 2 day, achieving what takes Tamiflu 3-4 days. CDC even lists Baloxavir on their website as one of the top 4 drugs that it tracks whether it works against new flu strains (it works)Image
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2) "Baloxavir was associated with significantly more rapid declines in infectious viral load than placebo or oseltamivir (Figure 3A and 3B)."
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
3) Adverse events for baloxavir were no different than placebo. in fact theres even hints that it could be lower than Tamiflu.

"Adverse events that were considered to be related to the trial regimen were more common in oseltamivir recipients (8.4%) than in baloxavir recipients (4.4%, P=0.009)"Image
Read 13 tweets
Feb 14
⚠️WORST FLU SEASON ever since 2002-2003 when we began to track flu (red, first graph). Worst hit this year are children ages 0-4 and 5-17. ▶️We also have significantly LOWER flu vaccine uptake this year, one of the lowest flu vaccine coverages (red 3rd graph). Indisputable facts. Image
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2) I don't need to tell you that certain US states have vastly lower vaccination rates than others. See map (lighter green, less flu vaccination coverage), and which have higher (darker green)...

If you want to see details and demographics on which state has the LOWEST flu vaccine coverage rates... the data is here.
cdc.gov/fluvaxview/das…Image
3) It’s not just the flu that is going around… Gaines County, TX, where the epicenter of the measles outbreak is, has one of the lowest measles vaccination rates too.
Read 7 tweets

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