Thread by @DrEricDing

An outbreak in Ireland 🇮🇪—what’s the source? 61 #COVID19 cases from a student social gathering, 16 from a hotel wedding.

Why haven’t we learned college parties & indoor weddings are a bad idea yet?

Some say I’m overdramatic in tweets, but this is why I shout from the rooftops.

https://twitter.com/publichealthmw/status/1357411516933431296

2) If anyone knows me personally, I’m actually not a loud or dramatic person. I’m quite low key in person. And I never cared to really use Twitter in the decade that I’ve had an account. I’ve only begun using during the pandemic because of the lack of urgency for public health.

3) when I shouted aloud in Jan 2020, i only had 2000 or so followers collected over 10 years. It didn’t define my life or career. But I see the power in which we can mobilize action if we join together to warn others. And that is my only goal. nymag.com/intelligencer/…

4) To be clear, I have no book deals in the works, I have no YouTube channel, I don’t really use FB or do live events that much, I have no merch store, and I certainly don’t have any publicist trying to get me TV show appearances (whisper, some experts do).

5) hence I only really do this Twitter thing to warn the public. I’ve even put other career advancing projects on hold so I can focus more time doing this, because the pandemic is a crisis, and there is a fierce urgency of now to act and save lives.

6) This is also why a volunteer team of scientists and health advocates have teamed up to co found COVID ACTION GROUP— an all volunteer team focused public health action. Our group doesn’t seek any donations. The group does NOT “do consulting” for clients.
covidactiongroup.net

7) Others on our team include: @yaneerbaryam @VanGennepD @kprather88 @JoshuaPCohen1 @nntaleb @TiffanySJames @DrRobDavidson @DrZoeHyde @SafaMote @robmay @ShellyMBoulder @realsmartchange @DailyJLee @kimsev1 @chrisjkocher @hjluks @DrDomPimenta covidactiongroup.net/team/

8) Our COVID ACTION GROUP puts out guidance to the public. It seeks to advocate and to warn the public. That’s our plan. That’s it. Zero other agenda.

covidactiongroup.net/#field-guides

9) We do have a more US-centric focus though. Thus, if you are based in the UK, the closest volunteer group similar to us is @IndependentSage, which also is a great group of precautionary-principle driven public health advocates. They are great. independentsage.org

10) p.s. We also have an amazing COVID ACTION GROUP cofounder alum— former @FAScientists president @AliNouriPhD who has just joined Biden administration as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy! Thank you Ali for bringing me to FAS and being a mentor this year.