aetiology

@aetiology@med-mastodon.com

Infectious disease epidemiologist

#epidemiology #zoonoses #antibiotic #resistance #vaccines #scicomm #dogs #running #zombies

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aetiology, to random

We had several boxes of these that are recalled. If you buy Quaker, check your products. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/quaker-recall-december-2023-granola-salmonella/

aetiology, to random

Ah, early morning voting and then coming home to my beloved chickens.

(We...do not own any chickens).

8 chickens in the leafy yard

aetiology, to random

"Masks don't work"
"Vaccines don't work"
"Distancing doesn't work"

(They do. Just imperfectly).

I've heard so many of these types of comments over the past 3 years, I thought it was time to write a bit about how one big aspect of infection is a numbers game. /1

aetiology,

/2 When we think of it that way--what is the number of microbes needed to cause an infection?--we can think about how masks, vaccines, distancing, ventilation, hand hygiene, and more can collectively reduce our exposure.

aetiology,

/3 In the best cases, these interventions reduce the dose of the microbe to a number too low to cause infection. This is the basis of the "swiss cheese" layering defense that was touted early on, and is still important today. My article @ Quanta discusses this. https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-many-microbes-does-it-take-to-make-you-sick-20230927/

aetiology, to random

The administration needs to do more to combat antivaccine disinformation. People are dying because of purposeful lies, and folks in this area have been shouting about response for years. It won't just go away.

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/20/biden-anti-vax-movement-00116516

aetiology,

@Blob_Calder all over AV circles, including from some antivax physicians.

aetiology,

@Jon_Kramer care about their kids who have no choice, and immunocompromised people they may be around then.

aetiology,

@Blob_Calder this addresses some of it. https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/where-mrna-vaccines-and-spike-proteins-go

aetiology, to random

When I was very young, a cousin became seriously ill with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It might have been the first time I understood that an infection could possibly kill you (and, that disease names were ridiculous, because he lived in the South, not the Rockies).

RMSF is still around and still terrible. Lena Sun describes the horrible deaths of children south of the border in this article, and how dogs and their ticks are responsible for the spread. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/interactive/2023/tick-diseases-rocky-mountain-spotted-fever/

aetiology, to random

Ah, remember the good ol' days when the CDC would inform about COVID increases before they got to hospitalizations and deaths, both lagging indicators?

"After COVID hospitalizations climbed nearly 22% this week, the CDC is predicting further increases over coming month as new variants spread. This replaces previous projections from the agency that admissions would "remain stable or have an uncertain trend.""

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-masking-coming-back-covid-variants-experts-2023/

aetiology, to random

This is a horribly sad story, made worse by the fact that Jacob's death is being used to make people fear the COVID vaccines. Per CDC reports, he died from sepsis from a Clostridium species, but Jacob's father didn't receive that information and the coroners dispute it.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/michigan-teen-death-fueled-anti-091528189.html

aetiology,

@femme_mal absolutely. Why would they?

aetiology,

@femme_mal suspect local paper might not have experienced science reporter to dig into this? (I know of Zilwaukee mostly from the bridge as we vacation further north on 23 but don't know the big paper in that area. Bay City?)

aetiology, to random

Postmortem on last year's #measles outbreak in Ohio. As bad as it was, it could have been worse thanks to laws the Ohiob legislation passed during the pandemic.

"Roberts also had to steer the city’s measles response in accordance with the Ohio Statehouse’s passage of Senate Bill 22, a pandemic-related law that took effect in 2021 and stripped certain powers from local and state health departments. “I couldn't tell all daycares to close...”"

https://www.columbusmonthly.com/story/lifestyle/features/2023/08/15/central-ohio-doctors-discuss-the-columbus-measles-outbreak-and-why-it-might-not-be-the-last/70598839007/

aetiology, to random

Spoke recently with Sophia Paffenroth at Mississippi Today about HPV vaccination. Mississippi overall has had high vaccination rates for those required for school attendance as they had no exemptions besides medical (that has changed and we'll see how it affects uptake), but the HPV vaccine is not required and rates are pretty abysmal.

https://mississippitoday.org/2023/08/21/hpv-vaccine-mississippi/

aetiology, to random

Great job, Kentucky. After an increase in whooping cough cases, they're providing many vaccines free at the state fair and adding in ride tickets. https://www.wlky.com/article/unlimited-ride-kentucky-state-fair-vaccination-wristbands/44828622

aetiology, to random

#Influenza is still a significant risk to both mothers and babies, which is why the flu #vaccine has long been offered during pregnancy. A new study shows this was the case during the 1918 pandemic as well, when increases in stillbirth and low-birthweight babies were seen in a Swiss cohort. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/pandemic-influenza/swiss-data-1918-flu-pandemic-show-steep-rise-low-birth-weight-stillbirth

aetiology, to random

I love it when people claim our founding fathers would be against vaccination, when there's so much evidence otherwise. Just released from the American Society for Microbiology archives: Thomas Jefferson from 1826, establishing a public clinic at the University of Virginia providing medical advice, smallpox vaccines (free!), and surgery to all peoples.

https://lib.guides.umbc.edu/c.php?g=836720&p=5975476

aetiology,

@chargrille have you read "contagion of liberty"? All about this topic. https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12707/contagion-liberty

aetiology,

@ravenonthill @chargrille technically it wasn't a vaccine. It was live smallpox rather than Jenner's cowpox (or horsepower, as it may have been). So yes, potentially deadly but safer than smallpox taken "the traditional way".

aetiology, to random

Yet another reason I'm still masking and trying to avoid #COVID: all sorts of cardiovascular issues, even for those who had a mild case. With heart attacks in my dad and 2 grandparents, I'd prefer to keep mine as healthy as I can.

"For up to a year after a case of COVID-19, people may be at increased risk of developing a new heart-related problem, anything from blood clots and irregular heartbeats to a heart attack –- even if they initially seem to recover just fine."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-took-a-toll-on-heart-health-and-doctors-are-still-grappling-with-how-to-help-3

aetiology,

@Dr_Elizabeth97 is frustrating that so few bother. And I'm in a school of public health.

aetiology,

@q_aurelius mine just might be the last in his school.

aetiology,

@chargrille that's awful. And especially in the US, terrifying for what that means for his future and his family with our terrible safety net.

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