1/ Q: Has almost everyone been infected with COVID by now?
A: Recent estimates suggest around 58% of the population in the US and over 70% in England have been previously infected, with BIG increases during the Omicron wave.
1/Q: Did getting exposed to fewer germs for the last 2 years weaken our immune systems?
We've been hearing this question a lot. dearpandemic.org/fewer-germ-exp…2/ Not likely. If your kids are suddenly getting sick a lot, this is likely due to “catching up” on exposures rather than a weakened immune system.
Jan 27, 2022 • 17 tweets • 8 min read
1/ Q: Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve).
dearpandemic.org/are-cases-peak…2/ ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge.
Dec 30, 2021 • 10 tweets • 6 min read
1/ Q: Case numbers are jumping QUICK! What should I be doing?
A: Share your gifts without sharing COVID. Helpful gestures come in many shapes.
Unfortunately, this includes New Year’s Eve plans. The perfect storm of a new variant & holiday get-togethers is hitting communities & health care w/ FORCE! Testing is in short supply.
Dec 21, 2021 • 25 tweets • 11 min read
1/ Q: Is it true that #Omicron is less severe than previous variants?
A: We HOPE so, but we don’t know yet. The evidence so far is mixed.
dearpandemic.org/is-omicron-les…2/ We are WAY past due for some good variant news. But pinning our #Omicron hopes on a less virulent variant is not wise for 2 reasons:
1) It might not be less severe in those who are “immune naïve” (neither vaccinated nor with a previous infection—still millions of people).
Dec 21, 2021 • 4 tweets • 11 min read
Thanks to @jburnmurdoch for the shout-out & support for women putting in the work during the pandemic (yes-including data science ;).
1/ Nerdy Girl @drjenndowd (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen.
"Buckle up America."
dearpandemic.org/buckle-up-amer…2/ And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Things are not looking so good.
Apr 16, 2021 • 20 tweets • 11 min read
1/ Q: Do we know more about whether the vaccines reduce transmission?
A: YES! Evidence continues to mount that the vaccines DO in fact reduce transmission.
#vaccineswork dearpandemic.org/do-vaccines-re…2/ ➡️ While the Nerdy Girls are still dreaming of transmission being tested in the clinical trials (call us☎️), the data pouring in from around the world strongly suggests that the vaccines are very good (but not perfect) at reducing ALL infections & by extension transmission.
Apr 13, 2021 • 8 tweets • 4 min read
1/ Breaking news: Federal officials hit the pause button on #JohnsonandJohnson vaccine.
Giving themselves runway to perform all appropriate due diligence, the @US_FDA & @CDCgov have called for a temporary pause in the use of the #JandJ vaccine. 2/ Their diligence will analyze the cases of 6 U.S. women who developed very rare blood clots after receiving the J&J vaccine. Nearly seven million people have received this vaccine to-date in the U.S.
Apr 7, 2021 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
1/ A: “Great trend, but terrible levels.”
That’s the TL;DR from well-respected labor economist @aaronsojourner in response to last week’s release of the March 2021 jobs report.
👎The less good news: The economy was still approx. 10 million jobs below pre-pandemic trend.
Apr 6, 2021 • 9 tweets • 9 min read
1/ 💥It's been a minute since we launched on Twitter as the 3rd channel in the @DearPandemic line up.
Actually, it's been a year!
➡️We'd love to boost our year-old signal here with some new follows.
dearpandemic.org/the-nerdy-girl…2/ The pitch: We're a bunch of Nerdy girls posting real info on the pandemic. We curate COVID-19 content and battle disinfo for the greater good. We love facts.
1/ A: Make a copy, share it with your primary care provider, think before sharing it on social media, probably best not to laminate the original, and don’t panic if you lose it. 📱👛🍩 2/ 👌 DO THIS with your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card:
📷 Take a photo of the card.
Snap a photo of your official #CDC or other government-issued #vaccinationcard in case it gets lost. Take a photo after the first shot, and another one after your second shot.
Mar 29, 2021 • 16 tweets • 7 min read
1/ Do I need the vaccine if I’ve already been infected w/ COVID-19? Isn’t natural immunity better?
A: COVID-19 vaccines produce STRONGER & MORE CONSISTENT antibody responses than natural infection, meaning EVERYONE can benefit from the protection.
💥Don’t give away your shot! 2/ As more people become eligible for the COVID-19, we’ve heard some people who’ve already been infected, especially younger people, doubting whether they need the vaccine.
Mar 27, 2021 • 10 tweets • 5 min read
1/ Q: What is going on with the results from the United States AstraZeneca trial?
A: Despite a *strange* communication week, the new trial results show that the #Oxford/#Astrazeneca is safe & effective. GOOD NEWS!
2/ TLDR: The first results this week were based on data collected in the U.S. through a pre-specified end date for interim analysis of Feb 17th. They continued to collect data beyond that date & have now released updated results..spoiler alert..they are very similar (76% vs 79%).
Mar 10, 2021 • 27 tweets • 11 min read
Time to meet another Nerdy Girl! Introducing Dr. @shoshiaronowitz! Dr. Aronowitz is a researcher & clinician studying low-barrier substance use treatment, innovative delivery of harm reduction supplies, racial disparities in pain treatment in the context of the overdose crisis...
2/...the intersection of criminal justice and healthcare, and reproductive/sexual health.
Here at Dear Pandemic, Dr. Aronowitz is the lead on our (rather amazing) Instagram account. We have her to thank for the pithy, graphical & lovable Insta feed.
Yesterday, the United States @CDCgov issued new guidelines stating that 👏🏼 fully 👏🏼vaccinated 👏🏼 people can safely:
1️⃣ Visit other #vaccinated people indoors--without wearing masks or physically distancing! 😷
2/ 2️⃣ Visit unvaccinated people--without wearing masks or physical distancing, as long as the unvaccinated people (& the people they live with) are low risk for severe #COVID!
1/ A: Celebrate the mild #flu season & take what we have learned this year to inform future behavior. Harmful germs are not going away. 🦠 Illness from bacteria & viruses that make us sick do not “strengthen” the #immune system & contribute to significant complications & death. 2/ The lack of infectious illnesses will not #weaken your #immunesystem. Public health measures to combat #COVID19 including social distancing, masks, & extra hand washing greatly reduced the incidence of some bad microbes that cause common infectious illnesses such as the flu.
Mar 4, 2021 • 13 tweets • 7 min read
1/ Q: Can I go back to my indoor #fitness classes? 🚴♀️
A: The #NerdyGirls LOVE your efforts to stay fit 💪, but best to hang on to those online or outdoor workouts a bit longer.
TL;DR: Heavy breathing, no masks, and indoors is the perfect recipe for #SARSCoV2#transmission.
2/ A recent U.S. @CDCgov report described an #outbreak linked to an unnamed fitness facility in #Chicago in which *55 out of 81* attendees of an indoor high-intensity fitness class in Chicago were infected over the course of a week in August 2020.
Mar 3, 2021 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
1/ Q: Does the COVID vaccine only last 90 days?!
A: No. There is really no reason to think that protection from the #vaccines wears off after 90 days. We know the vaccines last longer than 90 days. But we don’t know how long. 2/ The @CDCgov recently updated their #guidance about quarantining after an exposure & included some changes for people who have been vaccinated.
Feb 25, 2021 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
1/ Q: Any news yet about whether vaccines prevent asymptomatic infection?
A: YES! We are getting a steady trail of clues hinting that the #vaccines DO IN FACT REDUCE INFECTIONS! 2/ The #clinicaltrials for the various #vaccines did not study whether they prevented asymptomatic infection or transmission. That’s because vaccines are thought of as medicine--something that operates at the individual level, not the pandemic-management level.