Excellent piece on the sad state of US Public Health.
"Current life expectancy numbers are a warning sign and it’s just getting worse. By 2040, we’re expected to decline further, with the largest drop in rankings in life expectancy among high-income nations." 1/3
"In a sad case of Stockholm Syndrome, many public health leaders, including CDC Director Mandy Cohen, have identified a need to regain the trust of the American people, while never admitting that that there is an active project to undermine the agency and public health in general
By ignoring the political machinations at work, public health plays into the hands of the right, by suggesting all these wounds to public confidence are self-inflicted."
It's sad to see so much venom towards scientists, doctors, and covid-careful individuals on this app - one of the reasons so many have left. I left FB because it became a cesspool of disinformation, and I was impressed with the quality info direct from scientists and docs here.🧵
Having a common enemy - a mutating virus infecting, sickening, and killing so many - should have brought us together. And I think it did for a brief moment. Then, it became highly politicized, and bad actors exploited folks' uncertainty, unfamiliarity, and fear.
And yes, there were many policies and interventions that were polarizing. We can Monday morning quarterback it forever, but we'll never all agree on the right balance between individual freedom and collective responsibility. Sadly, we seem further apart on this point than ever.
Despite baked-in racial bias, pulse oximeters continue to be relied upon for covid, qualifying for home oxygen, and more. They're used at home, on ambulances, in clinics and hospitals. The FDA is aware but moving slowly, which is why we filed a lawsuit.🧵 nature.com/articles/d4158…
This lawsuit demands pulse ox manufacturers/distributors fix the devices, label them as to their flaws, or stop selling them in California. But even if we're successful, this doesn't extend beyond CA, and the FDA can continue approving faulty devices as they've done for decades.
No doubt, this flaw has resulted in morbidity and mortality, especially at the height of the pandemic when beds and oxygen were not always available. Yet the device continues to be used and can lead to denial of home oxygen among other treatments. We should all be outraged. 3/6
Thank you, @DrJudyStone and @Forbes for interviewing me for this fantastic article about California's shocking move, recklessly encouraging contagious people to go unmasked into schools and pubic places - in the middle of winter no less! 🧵1/4 forbes.com/sites/judyston…
Just 1 contagious child can infect many more in 1 day, let alone coming to school contagious many days in a row! The order admits that the contagious period begins 2 days before symptoms start through 10 days after. There's a buried *recommendation* to mask x 10d. Seriously? 2/4
More platitudes about being "in a better place" and having "the tools" mean little when we still have a mutating virus, worrisome impacts of repeat infection, undervaccination and no real treatment for kids. What's it about? Is this really about improving school attendance? 3/4
Thanks, @CalMatters, for interviewing me about these wild new "guidelines" encouraging contagious people to get back to school and work, despite our ability to easily test and prevent much unnecessary spread. Promoting reckless disregard for everyone.🧵1/8 calmatters.org/health/2024/01…
“'Instead of staying home for a minimum of five days, individuals may return to work or school when they start to feel better,' state public health officials said in an unsigned statement."
I wouldn't want to sign it either. 2/
The notion that this is reasonable as long as we're careful around vulnerable people is just 🤯. How do you know who's immunocompromised? What about vulnerable household members? This policy will surely level the playing field - we'll all be made vulnerable at this rate. 3/
I haven't said anything about this yet - at first, it was because I was speechless. Then I hoped no one would notice. Now that advocates, reporters, concerned parents, and outraged colleagues have reached out, I see that's not going to be the case.🧵1/7 ktla.com/news/californi…
Contagious people are being encouraged to go to work/school. This decision is not evidence-based, and it clearly does not consider the impacts of long covid, the need for people to rest and recover when sick, or the ramifications of increased transmission such as new variants. 2/
The consistent dialing back of precautions every time we think we're in "a better place" is what keeps up from actually getting to a better place. Zero mention of the burden of repeat infection or risk of long covid. I wonder if they listened to Dr. @zalaly's brilliant testimony.
WHO is emerging as more reliable and vocal than any US health leadership on the pandemic, despite its lack of complete data or authority to obtain it. A dramatic turn compared to pre-pandemic times. We've heard repeatedly from WHO during this surge. It's crickets from CDC and WH.
"Whether we acknowledge it or not, the world is still in a pandemic, Van Kerkhove said, citing the virus’s lack of a seasonal pattern...and its continued, rapid-pace evolution."
“Five years, 10 years, 20 years from now, what are we going to see in terms of cardiac impairment, pulmonary impairment, neurologic impairment? It’s year five in the pandemic, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about it.”