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Dec 27 • 24 tweets • 16 min read
To @keithbaldrey,
Actually, COVID-aware *are* in step w/ science; it’s “if we have to live w/ this virus, let’s be smart about it instead of #LetItRip nonsense.”

Let’s look at the science, shall we? And about public opinion…let’s look at that too.

A thread 🧵…

@GlobalBC
2/ First, who are these people you deride as “COVID zero”? Many have good reason to seek out info to keep ourselves & others safe:
- front line workers
- caring professions (schools, LTC, hospitals)
- immunocompromised or live w/ someone who is
- have #LongCovid
- have empathy
…
3/ So, with the above motivations, COVID-aware looked for evidence to understand what the world is facing w/ this virus.

No 1 basic fact: #COVIDIsAirborne, but unfortunately political forces (incl 🇨🇦PH) deny & obfuscate that.

It’s a massive failure. Mario Possemai says it best:
4/ The evidence that #COVIDIsAirborne was there all along.

So of course, 3 years in, COVID-aware advocates are aghast that there is still pushback from the ID community, from health authorities & from public health. Why pushback? Corruption?

Check out this paper from 1974!!
5/ What would acknowledgment of #COVIDIsAirborne mean?

Better control of viral transmission, for starters. Less ppl sick, less strain on workplaces & hospitals, less learning loss.

#CleanTheAir is a noble goal that benefits all. (Yet you mock, Keith?)

🇨🇦 engineer @joeyfox85:
6/ But aren’t we in a better place, since vaccines are available?

Unfortunately, COVID variants & #LetItRip policy meant 2022 was deadlier in BC than 2021 & 2020.

Maybe removing masks while #CleanTheAir hasn’t happened, was the wrong decision?

We need #VaccinesPlus. Layers!
7/ And that is just formally-counted deaths in BC, which we know is under-reported due to severe lack of testing.

Excess deaths in BC, even after adjusting for toxic drugs, tell an even worse story…

Take away: BC is *not* exceptional.

Medical professor @MoriartyLab explains:
8/ Deaths are not the only negative consequence of failed mass infection policies.

#LongCovid is real & affects many in BC. But because they can’t participate in society & because Dr. Henry downplays it, most BC’ians don’t understand the risks.

This doctor specializes in LC:
9/ What else does the science say? COVID aware citizens follow scientists, read the studies, engage w/ aerosol engineers, immunologists, doctors & more. Unbiased scientists raised the alarm: COVID harms the immune system.

Means *everyone* should avoid infection/reinfection.
10/ But what does @CDCofBC (& PH in most Western countries) do? Instead of warning the public, they double down on “immunity debt” theory as an explanation why viruses are hitting harder.

Except “immunity debt” is debunked. Getting infected to ward off infection makes no sense.
11/ And there is documentation of the active push to downplay COVID.

There are vested interests in *not funding* safety, even though it would save $ in HC costs.

Schools are a prime example. BC PH is led by those who believe in “Urgency of Normal”, a huge fail this fall. #bced
12/ In-school transmission is now proven in studies from many countries. Of course: schools are crowded indoor places, many w/ poor ventilation.

But Bonnie Henry’s emails prove BC PH was manufacturing an impression that “in-school transmission is low”. BC PH stubbornly pretends.
13/ Here’s just the latest study on in-school transmission. But there are more out there - you just need to look, Keith, and follow the right scientists to find out.

Connect the dots - gov’ts comms campaign is to NOT improve school safety. They don’t want to lead.

But kids?😢
14/ The result is the BC pop’n is poorly informed about risks. So much for “public opinion”, which you state as a reason for relaxing protections. A misinformed public can’t do a proper risk assessment.

And what are these risks? Studies on COVID’s harms are piling up…
15) First COVID harm that @CDCofBC hasn’t told the public about:

COVID is vascular, not respiratory. Risk of heart attacks and strokes go up, post-infection, even in mild cases.

Multiple studies prove this fact, yet Bonnie Henry & @adriandix STILL haven’t explained it.
16/ This study too, on COVID-19’s cardiovascular harms.

(And blood clotting/heart attacks/strokes from COVID was documented even in 2020, pre-vaccine! Why hasn’t DBH told people? By saying nothing, anti-vaxxers incorrectly say sudden deaths are caused by vax! More BC PH fail.)
17/ Second COVID harm that @CDCofBC hasn’t told the public about: COVID damages the lungs, even after mild infections, sometimes seen even a year later!

In kids too.

More reason to suspect COVID harms and not “immunity debt” for overwhelmed children’s hospitals this fall:
18/ And now studies show that previous COVID infection *increases* the chance of catching viruses like RSV, compared to those not infected.

Just as scientists like @fitterhappierAJ predicted. But never mentioned by @CDCofBC, DBH or @adriandix. (#LetItRip is obviously wrong.❌)
19/ Third COVID harm that @CDCofBC hasn’t told the public about:
COVID affects brain function.

Here, a study shows that serious COVID infection ages the brain. How long it lasts, we don’t know.

Why no precautionary principle? BC PH gambled on COVID being “like a cold”; NOPE!
20/ And this thread summarizes the many COVID harms that @CDCofBC hasn’t told the public.

There are many many more threads like this. You just have to look, @keithbaldrey.

@bcndp KNOWS they screwed up, so they have motivation to cover up the harms. But media shouldn’t. #bcpoli
21/ But it’s not just studies that COVID-aware pay attention to. Real world experiences count as well, Keith.

See healthcare workers’ reports. Note that most BC hospital workers are muzzled to keep their jobs. But that doesn’t mean BC is magically avoiding experiences below:
22/ And it *is* possible to do better.

BC PH & @bcndp are worried (rightly so) that people will catch on just how wrong they were to remove protections & promote mass infection, so now they are in full blown damage protection mode.

Check out NYC! ✅
Whereas @CDCofBC?Nada.❌
23/END

Many Asian countries modelled the way. Social norms of collective caring, of being a responsible citizen in a society. It *is* possible, but Western societies chose “You do you” instead.#bcpoli

Keith, why are you attacking those that follow the science AND want to help?
24/ Add on: Read this illuminating thread by @Lidsville, documenting the moneyed interests that are behind the push to less protections.

Right-wing libertarians influenced where we are right now, & media like @keithbaldrey lauding this approach w/o their own research contribute.

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More from @jheighton3

Jennifer Heighton Profile picture
Dec 8
🧵:
Key debunking:
Experts @fitterhappierAJ & @FurnessColin explain COVID-19 immune dysregulation, including why that theory is attacked.

Part 1:
In our immune systems, what are T-cells, and how does COVID-19 cause immune dysregulation?

Immunologist @fitterhappierAJ answers:
Part 2: Why the attacks on "COVID-19 immune dysregulation", despite evidence showing it is probably playing out now w/ more severe outbreaks of a variety of pathogens?

What forces are at play? Is it the fact that "herd immunity" would be dead as a theory?
@fitterhappierAJ :
Part 3:
@FurnessColin explains why COVID-19's behavior & rapid changes means we shouldn't discount COVID's immune dysregulation effects as a contributing factor to the current crises.

"It's hard for some people to unlearn."
More in this clip:
Read 5 tweets
Jennifer Heighton Profile picture
Dec 6
🧵:
Thank you @SoniaFurstenau & @SKGandhiMD for having your own press conference after the appalling @bcndp presser that had no real changes.

You’re right: the paediatric crisis in BC means more courage is needed. And that’s what WASN’T delivered by BC’s gov’t.
#BringBackMasks
2/ The Q is, how did our “leaders” let it get to the point where a simple health tool like masks is viewed as a “blunt tool” or “heavy handed” or a “stringent measure”?

All teachers know: words matter. If explained well, it becomes matter-of-fact, common sense.

No controversy.
3/ Instead, BC has a PHO who uses those phrases & makes the population 2nd-guess masks as a health tool.

Scientists who design, explain & study masks understand WHY they are effective as source control AND protection…does our PHO?

@bcndp, don’t you see the damage being done?🤷🏻‍♀️
Read 4 tweets
Jennifer Heighton Profile picture
Oct 2
I’m wondering when influential proponents of 1-way masking like @j_g_allen will admit they were wrong & advocate to #BringBackMasks?

So much harm is being done, right NOW, due to their “focused protection/personal choice” strategy failures.

Universal masking keeps society open.
2/ For anyone wondering about @j_g_allen & his influential push to one-way masking policies, read his @washingtonpost article from Dec/2021.

That article had major traction among policy-makers, as Allen built up a substantial following by then w/ his work on Healthy Buildings.
3/ The majority of COVID-conscious advocates saw the folly in 1-way masking: that unmasked infectious people would be spreading more virus particles in poorly ventilated and/or crowded spaces, and therefore the person with an N95 would be more exposed than universal masking.
Read 5 tweets
Jennifer Heighton Profile picture
Sep 23
Short 🧵:

Science-following #bced activists are right more than @CDCofBC, many times.

We predicted:
✅delta wave during BC’s “Hug Day” summer
✅removing mask protections during BA.2/5 would result in massive infection
✅schools are community hubs & need protections

Unlike ⬇️
2/ Now @CDCofBC claims mass infection is good for you because it gives “robust hybrid immunity”. Not proven.

They conveniently ignore #LongCovid, ⬆️heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, seizures.

And reinfections. @CDCofBC minimizing is ❌

Thread on reinfection risks, with links:
3/ @CDCofBC is also ignoring new variants on the horizon (they’ve done this EVERY time!).⬇️

Mass infection allows the virus the opportunity to mutate, & mutate it has. That fact has NEVER been explained to the BC public. One reason lowering transmission should be top priority.
Read 6 tweets
Jennifer Heighton Profile picture
Sep 20
Thread 🧵:
A tale of 2 🇨🇦airports & flights, Vancouver (YVR) & Calgary (YYC), using a CO2 monitor to measure air quality.

@yvrairport @FlyYYC

Here’s a handy graphic for reference: (H/T @zerocovidthai) Infographic picture. Title:...
2/ @yvrairport requires masks in the terminal, unless eating or drinking. Large signs are posted by entry doors to remind people of this rule.

The vast majority of people are complying. (Proves that universal masking policies DO WORK & “personal choice” ones don’t).

@bcndp? Photo shows a large sign. ...
3/ Vancouver Int’l Airport has 2 terminals, domestic & int’l. I’m in the domestic one. CO2 levels are pretty good, in various places throughout. Reasonably busy time.

One area to potentially avoid: restaurant where it’s crowded & everyone is unmasked to eat.

Alt text more info: B Gate waiting area in YVR ...Washroom in B gate waiting ...B Gate waiting area. Not to...
Read 20 tweets
Jennifer Heighton Profile picture
Jul 4
Tale of 2 restaurants:
Cactus Club Café & Earl’s Restaurant, Station Square, Burnaby, BC.

Right beside each other, newly-built restaurants, both busy.

#bcpoli #COVIDisAirborne

A thread: 🧵 Infographic picture. Title: Safer indoor air for workplaces.
2/
 Station Square, Burnaby:
Cactus Club - has glass floor-ceiling walls that open. Except they were closed. Outside temp 20C. Non-chalant “no” when asked if they would open walls, even partially. CO2 levels 850-880 ppm.

Patio area was closed, too, so indoors was it.😬

Grade: C- Photo shows interior of Cactus Club Cafe, Station Square, Bu
3/ Meanwhile…
Earl’s Restaurant, next door.
Heated, outdoor patio w/ roof overhead, open air. Plus the indoor part of the restaurant has windows that open; they were opened on this day.

CO2 levels on patio 450-480 ppm.

Grade: A Photo of Earls patio, Station Square Burnaby location. Taken
Read 6 tweets

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