[Thread]. 1. Want to use a hamburger to figure out if you can trust research data?

@Bhekisisa_MG's #JoAisha (the inseparable @vandykjoan/@A_AbdoolKarim) has done exactly this in their 4-part #SputnikSeries.

Hint: When burger ingredients join forces, each 1's role = amplified.
2. The burger patty

Ground beef is the star of the traditional burger. Its scientific equal = raw data scientists collect.

But you can’t just slap mince onto a burger. You need a binder before you can call it a patty.

In research, a study protocol (rule book) = the binder.
3. What is the #SputnikV jab?
- It's a viral vector jab (like the #JnJ jab, it uses an adenovirus to sneak an unharmful form of the #COVID virus into your body)
- You get 2 doses (they're not the same)
- Sputnik is under review by Sahpra

More here: bit.ly/3gCbOXj
4. How does #Spunik's burger patty (raw research data and study protocol) measure up?

Not great.

Neither the preclinical data, raw data of the trial, nor the study protocol were made public. Study participants were also not diverse (mainly white): bit.ly/3gCbOXj
5. The basting

You can upgrade your burger with some basting, for extra flavour and moisture.

Similarly, the peer-review process enhances the credibility of a clinical trial, doubly so if the paper is published in a prestigious academic journal: bit.ly/3jhxjyj
6. How good is #Sputnik’s basting?

Not too tasty. The jab was approved in Russia before there was data from trials on how well the vaccine worked.

When results were eventually reported in The Lancet, scientists questioned the peer review process: bit.ly/3jhxjyj
7. The lettuce

Nobody likes a soggy burger bun. So, reach for a crispy lettuce leaf to help the burger keep its structural integrity + to keep the basting under control.

Enter medicines regulators, who review raw data + clinical trials to determine if a jab = safe/effective.
8. How crispy is the #Sputnik burger’s lettuce?

Wilted at best.

Sputnik has been approved in 60+ countries, but none have reputable regulators like the FDA/EMA, that SA relies on.

WHO hasn’t made a decision on the jab due to lacking data.

Read why: bit.ly/3B9zkmm
9. The burger bun

Burger buns represent the public’s safety + trust in medicines.

If a burger is not assembled correctly/missing an ingredient, you risk the whole thing falling to pieces in your hands.

Likewise, all parts of the burger = NB to the trustworthiness of research.
10. The burger bun (continued)

All ingredients of the burger rely on the integrity of individual researchers. If you use bad meat to make your patty then the entire burger is compromised. Wilted lettuce doesn’t do the burger any favours either.
11. What about the Sputnik burger buns?

A bit mouldy.

An independent survey showed 60% of Russian people are unwilling to get the jab.

The lack of transparency in Sputnik's research process = likely undermined the public + scientists' trust: bit.ly/3BenI1p

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More from @miamalan

17 Sep
[Thread] 1. #Phaahla on VACCINE PASSPORTS:

1. The aim of vaccination certificates = not to punish people, but to protect each other
2. Vaccination certificates will allow SA to introduce policies to open up more activities, e.g. larger sports events, for vaccinated people
2. #Phaahla: Vaccination certificates will allow vaccinated people more access to activities than unvaccinated people. But it won't deprive unvaccinated people from accessing essential services, e.g. health clinics. You won't need certificates to access such services.
3. How will vaccination certificates be accessed?
#Phaahla:
1. A link from which you can download your certificate will be sent to your phone (you can only download it if you have a smart phone)
2. Your vaccination site will be able to print you a certificate
Read 7 tweets
17 Sep
[Thread] 1. #Phaahla: Vaccinations of people below 18:
1. #Pfizer has been approved for use on people of 12+
2. SA, for the next month or two, will remain focused on vaccinating people of 18+ (higher risk people)
3. Main priority = 50+ (most vulnerable) before our 4th wave
2. #Phaahla:
1. We're not ignoring the fact that #Pfizer has been approved for use by people below 18 yrs + schools want learners vaccinated
2. We're hoping by the end of Oct we will have covered enough adults to then review our policy + consider vaccinating people of below 18
3. #Phaahla:
1. @HealthZA believes it will be irresponsible to "start running around" vaccinating teenagers before we haven't reached enough adults (high risk group)
2. Goal = to have 50% of people of 50+ vaccinated first (currently = at 30%).
Read 4 tweets
17 Sep
[Thread] 1. #Phaahla: SA's 3rd #COVID19 wave has been considerably longer than other waves:
1. First wave = 87 days
2. Second wave = 95 days
3. Third wave (so far) = 120 days
2. #Phaahla: When compared to the previous 7 days, overall new #COVID19 cases are down by 35%. The positivity rate (the % of tests that come out +) is down by 9.5% to an average + rate of 9.3%. That brings us closer to the WHO's recommend, "safer" +rate of 5%.
3. #Phaahla: Active #COVID19 cases are going down. The WC and KZN still have the highest numbers of active cases, but they're slowly coming down.
Read 5 tweets
15 Sep
[Thread] 1. How are we doing with #JnJ supply?

Here's what @healthza says we've received so far:

4 June – 300,000 (short expiry)
21 June – 1,253,600 (short expiry)
26 July – 1,454,400
9 August – 619,200
6 September – 1,413,600
13 September – 1,360,800
TOTAL – 6,401,600
2. How many doses does #JnJ still owe us?
We procured 31.2 million doses, so:
31,200,000 - 6,401,600 = 24,798,400
3. When will the rest of our #JnJ stock arrive?

Janssen/#JnJ = given @healthza tentative delivery dates for Sep + Oct, but the dates = not public.

But the quarterly delivery schedule is public:
Q3 (July - Sep): 9,100,000 doses
Read 12 tweets
11 Sep
[Thread] 1. How much more likely is an unvaccinated person to get infected with the #DeltaVariant vs a fully vaccinated person?

A new CDC report with US data found an unvaccinated person = 5x more likely to get infected than a fully vaccinated person.

bit.ly/3k3Q3le
2. Where does the CDC's data come from?

* It's real life data from between
- April 4 and June 19
- June 20 - July 17
* They looked at data from 13 US states
* Jabs that fully vaccinated people received = Pfizer/Moderna (92%), JnJ (8%)
3. What did the #DeltaVariant do to the protection #COVID vaccines offer @ infection?
It reduced vaccines' protection @ infection from 91% to 78%.
Read 8 tweets
10 Sep
[Thread].1. How is Northwest province doing with #VaccineRollOutSA?
* To reach 70% of adults by Dec, NW needs to do 20 000 jabs six days/week
* Where are they now? NW is doing 13 000 jabs/week
* Biggest challenge = vaccine hesitancy
2. How many #VaccineRollOutSA sites does NW have?
* 55 fixes sites (42 public, 13 private)
* 200 outreach sites
* NW has all the required equipment and also enough staff and funds to vaccinate all adults who needs a vaccine
3. Vaccine hesitancy in NW province = biggest problem. NW hlth dpt says the graph below shows that it's particularly difficult to get people to visit sites that are open over weekends, so there are huge dips in weekend vaccination numbers.
Read 7 tweets

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