Canada specific FAQs on the updated Covid-19 vaccines
🧵 1/8 Options available:
Pfizer and Moderna: both of these will target the KP.2 variant.

The mRNA vaccines are anticipated to be available around the middle of October.

Unfortunately Canada did NOT purchase any Novavax for 2024-2025.
2/8

We are in a summer COVID surge and this has lead to many questions! In this post @LizMarnik and I share things to consider to protect yourself, what we both do & consider in our own actions and recommendations for others to help make society safe & equitable for all.
🧵 1/8 Why are cases increasing? Mostly due to new variants, summer behaviours such as travel and really, because that’s just how pandemics work.
2/8

So much disinformation on AstraZeneca's announcement re: withdrawing their COVID-19 vaccine, so I thought I should go back and review the timelines of what occurred in Canada.

Hang on, because this is going to be a wild ride. Thread, and a long one. /1
theguardian.com/business/artic…
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine was first approved in Canada on Feb. 26, 2021. /2
cbc.ca/news/politics/…

New post on Rapid Antigen Tests. Will post the entire thread here instead of just a link, given importance.

A master thread with current data: key concepts, which brands are more sensitive, tips to improve sensitivity & important considerations. 1/7 Recent CDC MMRW Report found overall sensitivity of RATs was 47% compared to PCR.
The peak percentage of positive RAT was 59.0% occurred 3 days after onset of symptoms.
Highest on days when fever was reported, lowest on days when no symptoms were reported. 2/7

Avian Flu:
Current situation, context and what you need to know 1/8 AVIAN FLU - A BRIEF HISTORY:
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is caused by Influenza A H5 and H7 viruses. The current highly infectious strain of Avian Influenza that is spreading is the H5N1.
H5N1 is not new. 2/8

In science & esp medicine, risk is a tricky thing to contend with - besides of course being a mathematical one - and involves many considerations in order to have a more fulsome understanding.

In this post @LizMarnik and I attempt to explain these concepts. 1/9 In simple terms, risk is the probability of an event occurring. In statistical terms, the risk of an event occurring is simply defined as its probability.
2/9

A week ago, a new paper was published evaluating the safety of Pfizer, Moderna & AstraZeneca vaccines. Unfortunately, the media’s response with sensational headlines has been both irresponsible & misleading.

Here is a deep dive I did with @LizMarnik & @niniandthebrain

🧵 1/10 Study in question:

2/10 sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Does Long Covid alter the immune system?

New evidence suggests this may indeed be the case.

Study summary in collaboration with @LizMarnik
1/7 This is the study we attempt to summarize:


2/7 nature.com/articles/s4159…

A few months ago this year I was lucky to be included in the taping of a fairly big TV show as an extra.

The number of Covid-related safety precautions they took throughout the entire taping was incredible:
🧵 First, I needed to get a same day PCR test done.

An entire dedicated testing team that was completely outdoors was set up just for the acting crew.

The results were sent directly to the manager handling extras. You were not allowed inside until they received the results.

Two new Canadian studies demonstrating the efficacy of masks.

These studies show that mandatory masking, esp during periods of high respiratory viruses in the community, can result in reductions in absenteeism, prevent infections and deaths & reduce economic burden. 🧵 1/9 First study by @NishaOttawa , @DrKevinSchwartz , @KevinAnBrown et al.

This study examined whether school-based mandatory masking policies were associated with reduced educational disruptions due to COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses 2/9

A thing that invariably shocks a lot of people is when I say I don’t trust most science-related books or documentaries.

So, I want to explain why, and situate it within one of my all-time fav things: evidence. 🧵 /1 What constitutes good evidence?

First, all data is not created equally.

When it comes to publications, most people, including academics, tend to read the abstract and perhaps skim quickly through the data. /2

New study comparing myocarditis due to Covid-19 vaccines vs infections.

There was a markedly higher risk of heart failure and death for myocarditis associated with Covid-19 infections compared to Covid-19 vaccination.
1/4 Subanalysis of age 12-39 & no comorbidities showed Covid-19 infection related myocarditis was assoc with 5.8x higher risk of heart failure or death vs vaccine related myocarditis.

Confirms Covid-19 related myocarditis far less severe with vaccinations than with infections.
2/4

Part 1 of the series on Covid-19 vaccinations and pregnancy, fertility and breastfeeding.
This one focuses specifically on the updated data we have in pregnancy - from the impact of infections to safety and benefits of the vaccine. 🧵1/11 Risk of severe outcomes due to Covid-19 infection in pregnancy continue to be high for the pregnant person.
Studies show these risks are highest for those unvaccinated. 2/11

Many questions about the recent study on mRNA vaccines & IgG4 antibodies over time, so @LizMarnik & I teamed up again to address. Lots of misrepresentation/extrapolation of data.

In this post we discuss what IgG4 antibodies are, what the paper shows & what it means. 🧵 /1 A recently published study has been making the rounds and causing some confusion. Here we attempt to explain the findings of this study and why a lot of the information being circulated is incorrect and not supported by the findings of this study. /2

The amazing @DrSamiraJeimy and I collaborated on a post because we are both tired of seeing the term ‘immunity debt’ being thrown around.

We also get into why we are seeing a record number of pediatric hospitalizations, so stick with us.
🧵(1/8) So what is this ‘immunity debt’ concept?

Claims that lack of exposure to infections weakened children's immune systems, causing them to have severe infections.

There is no evidence that this is real.
(2/8)

Deep dive on Novavax, which was just approved in Canada as another potential Covid-19 vaccination (1/7) How it’s made (2/7)