South Africa & India pushed the WTO to suspend IP rights on #covid19 vaccines.

"Dozens of low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) support the proposal. However, HICs including the UK, the USA, Canada, Norway, and the EU have rejected it outright"

thelancet.com/journals/lance…
2/ " saying that..."the IP system is required to incentivise new inventions of vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments, which might dry up in its absence. They dismiss the claim that IP is a barrier to access, and argue that equitable access can be achieved through..." #covid19
3/ "voluntary licensing, technology transfer arrangements, and the donor-funded COVAX Advance Market Commitment for vaccines."

The current patent system, while incentivizing innovation, doesn't incentivize equity for life-saving medicines/ vaccines. #covid19
4/ This is a problem, especially during a global pandemic. We are not safe until we are all safe.

But even so, our (wealthy country) safety should not be what drives us to care about the safety of our colleagues in other countries. We should do that because we are human.
5/ Some will say this is too idealistic. I understand that developing new vaccines is a huge $$ risk. And those companies that produced these life-saving vaccines certainly deserve to profit. But *excess* profit at the expense of human life is just cruel. #covid19

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More from @AbraarKaran

12 Mar
🔺#BETTERMASKS🔺

Important paper from @BrighamWomens Dr. Klompas et al in @IDSAInfo — transmission of SARSCoV2 despite medical masks & eye protection (this is from our hospital); whole genome sequencing confirmation thanks to @MassDPH @lmadoff
#covid19

academic.oup.com/cid/advance-ar…
2/ “We describe 3 instances of SARS-CoV-2 transmission despite medical masks and eye protection, including transmission despite the source person being masked, transmission despite the exposed person being masked, and transmission despite both parties being masked.” #covid19
3/ Again— what does this imply for poorly ventilated, crowded community settings where vulnerable frontline non-medical workers have been getting infected, are wearing *poorly fitting cloth masks* and are NOT yet vaccinated?? #covid19
Read 5 tweets
9 Mar
1/ Some have asked why fully vaccinated can only visit with “a single household” of unvaccinated people who are low risk.

We still have high rates of circulating virus in community. Unvaccinated low risk people can still get sick/ pass on virus more than those who are vaccinated
2/ By having multiple unvaccinated households gathering w/ vaccinated person(s), you are then again creating a higher risk setup for disease transmission
3/ Also, vaccinated people can also still pass virus onwards, although less so than those who are unvaccinated.
This is why CDC is being very specific to say small gatherings with *low risk* unvaccinated has a cost/benefit in favor of social connection given low chance of harm
Read 4 tweets
9 Mar
Spoke w @HarveyLevinTMZ @charleslat @TMZLive regarding the role of athletes & public figures in addressing vaccine hesitancy, the focus here being on Lebron James’ recent decision to keep his vaccination decision private. #covid19 (part of conversation here)
2/ I recounted the story of my recent Lyft driver who asked about vaccines and said he didn’t trust politicians or the pharmaceutical industry. But we still had a productive conversation. And it ended w/ him a little closer to getting vaccinated. #covid19
3/ This brings up an interesting ethical dilemma re the role of public figures like athletes or movie stars etc who have significant influence - & who people may actually end up trusting or following more than politicians & others who have been politicized during the epidemic
Read 5 tweets
8 Mar
🔺CDC INTERIM GUIDANCE FOR FULLY VACCINATED🔺

🧵🧵🧵

1/ Much anticipated guidance released today from CDC for those who are fully vaccinated (> 2 weeks after second dose Moderna/Pfizer, or single dose J&J) - link below + more details/thoughts

cdc.gov/coronavirus/20… Image
2/ Here are the key recommendations but I urge you to click the link to read more details about each of these scenarios/ situations #covid19 ImageImage
3/ Important graphic here summarizing private gatherings among those who are all vaccinated or if you have a combination of fully vaccinated + unvaccinated AND low risk in small private setting

The latter would hinge on vaxx being unlikely to spread (although not impossible) Image
Read 11 tweets
3 Mar
🧵 1/ This morning in my Lyft to the hospital, my driver asked me about the #covid19 vaccines.

He said he was skeptical, both of the pharmaceutical industry, and even more so of politicians.

I often wonder how many conversations like this happen informally every day.
2/ He then asked me about hydroxychloroquine. He referenced the previous administration’s pushes for this. He asked if it worked and actually said he heard about a doctor in Texas that was “curing” patients with it.
3/ I encouraged him that the vaccines were in fact safe- I reassured that I had taken it over a month ago now & I was fine, as were all of my colleagues who have been vaccinated at work thus far. I tried to explain why hydroxychloroquine was not in fact a “cure” for #covid19
Read 5 tweets
1 Mar
🧵🧵1/ When people ask which mask is “good enough”, I often try to reframe it as better protection is better protection; everything we are doing is to reduce risk.

Is an N95 better than a cloth mask? Yea, it is

Is a cloth mask better than no mask? Yea, it is

#covid19
2/ If there was a good reason to not wear an N95 or equivalent mask during indoor crowded activities, then we wouldn’t be pushing for it.

But frankly, most of the reasons presented have been weak.
3/ The CDC Director on CNN once said it was bc they are hard to breathe through.

I don’t think so

I have worn them for hours at a time in the hospital

We are calling for people to wear them when in higher risk indoor settings. This likely won’t be for hours most of the time
Read 11 tweets

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