Capital bureau reporter for @orlandosentinel. Former statehouse reporter for @TDonline. Last Tallahassee bureau reporter for @TampaTribune. @UF, @TheAlligator.
Apr 21, 2022 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Black house members just staged a sit-in on the floor of the House chamber.
They are saying they will not be denied. We will occupy the floor.
Apr 21, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Meanwhile, there is district packing all over the place says Tampa Rep. Fentrice Driskell . There's so much packing in the 14th and 15th, "I don't know how you can fit more into that suitcase."
And when members asked Chair Leek for answers, he had none, she said.
"Poor. Chairman Leek couldn't answer questions because he didn't draw this map, committee members didn't draw. We are in dereliction of duty… We heard over and over again the governor is like any person in this process who wanted to submit a map.
Oct 8, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Florida passed New York on Monday to be the nation's third-worst state for deaths. Florida's now reporting 56,407 deaths to New York's 55,590 deaths, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
New York was hit especially hard at the beginning of the pandemic, when testing was limited and health officials were saying it was spread primarily through surface contact, not breathing.
May 15, 2021 • 127 tweets • 15 min read
I'm here at Ruby Diamond auditorium on the FSU campus where interviews with presidential candidates continue. Looks like they started 15 minutes early without announcing so we missed first few minutes of interview with Fla. Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.
We are not allowed to livestream these interviews apparently, so there's no playback.
Mar 2, 2021 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
Florida Senate begins with National Anthem sung by Sen. @JeffreyBrandes and his daughter. Who knew he had such a sweet tenor voice?
Fla Senate President @WiltonSimpson introduces Attorney General Ashley Moody as the "strawberry queen."
Jan 13, 2021 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Virus mutation not unexpected, Swamy said. The hope is it is not as bad as the original disease. Right now it appears new strain is more infectious. Pfizer hit two new strains with the vaccine in lab setting, and the vaccine appeared to work.
There could be combos that would render the vaccine ineffective, Swamy said, but nobody has seen that happen yet. Manufacturers can quickly alter the mRNA vaccine if necessary to combat any new mutations.
Jan 13, 2021 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Concern about Miami Dr. who died after getting vaccinated. How to measure risk not easy, Swamy said. Side FX are rare, there were a few deaths reported in both studies, which is public information. Those were older individuals with underlying conditions, she said.
Individuals 65 and up and with underlying medical conditions who are at higher risk were included in COVID vaccine studies, Swamy said. That's not usual, because most trials seek healthy individuals. But we didn't have the luxury of time, she said.
Jan 13, 2021 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Uncertainty about what to do if you had COVID or have it now, Swamy said. Having COVID affection itself is not protective against getting it again. People in study did get reinfected, she said. Emphasized need for two doses to get prolonged immunity.
Individuals should wait until they are no longer symptomatic for COVID before getting vaccine. If you have no symptoms and met all criteria, you are not going to be infectious to other people.
Jan 13, 2021 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Swamy said we expect side fx from vaccines, up to 40k got vaccine during trials, and now close to 10 million have gotten vaccine, many with no side fx. It's more about sustained symptoms. If patients do have symptoms, they tend to be mild, data shows.
Even then, when we see symptoms, they occur within first 48 hours. At Duke, if any symptoms persist after 48 hours to contact vaccine provider or primary care provider. headaches, fatigue, feverishness, body aches, joint pains are common. Most common is soreness at site of shot.
Jan 13, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
The plan is to get second dose after three weeks, but OK if it's four weeks later, Swamy said.
Spearman said CDC has answers to many questions. You don't want to mix Pfizer and Moderna doses between first and second shot. Probably OK, but not studied in trials. If you start with Pfizer, follow up with Pfizer.
