Coronavirus & Monkeypox Tidbits #204 8/7/22
Announcements:
First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I'm getting.
Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don't be shy about that.
My latest:
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Emerging in Community Settings
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/978627
Election volunteer opportunities:
NOPE Neighbors: https://www.nopeneighbors.org/volunteer
If you like calling and talking to voters, Power the Vote is assembling weekly volunteer opportunities. These are remote opportunities that you can do from home! Click on this link to find out more: https://docs.google.com/
News
Covid:
94% of communities are classified as having high transmission, a level for which CDC recommends masking while indoors and using public transportation.
Preparedness, or lack thereof:
How the Strategic National Stockpile Fell Short
The Strategic National Stockpile gained widespread notoriety in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic after it failed to provide healthcare workers with lifesaving resources and supplies. Those early failures were related to a series of choices about resource procurement "made by an obscure governing body" without input from healthcare workers or domestic manufacturers, according to an exclusive report by NBC News.
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Taste & Smell Loss
Most patients with smell or taste dysfunction related to COVID-19 reported complete recovery of their senses at 2 years, according to a cross-sectional survey conducted in Italy.
Among 119 patients with smell or taste dysfunction within 4 weeks of COVID onset, 88.2% reported complete resolution at 2 years, 9.2% reported a decline in symptom severity, and 2.5% reported unchanged or worsening symptoms, said Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo, MD, of the University of Trieste, and colleagues.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/100068?
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How many animal species have caught COVID? First global tracker has (partial) answers https://t.co/RkzIgiXyT2?
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) August 7, 2022
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Heart disease after COVID: what the data say
Some studies suggest that the risk of cardiovascular problems, such as a heart attack or stroke, remains high even many months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection clears up. Researchers are starting to pin down the frequency of these issues and what is causing the damage.
In one study1 this year, researchers used records from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to estimate how often COVID-19 leads to cardiovascular problems. They found that people who had had the disease faced substantially increased risks for 20 cardiovascular conditions — including potentially catastrophic problems such as heart attacks and strokes — in the year after infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Researchers say that these complications can happen even in people who seem to have completely recovered from a mild infection.
Some smaller studies have mirrored these findings, but others find lower rates of complications. With millions or perhaps even billions of people having been infected with SARS-CoV-2, clinicians are wondering whether the pandemic will be followed by a cardiovascular aftershock. Meanwhile, researchers are trying to understand who is most at risk of these heart-related problems, how long the risk persists and what causes these symptoms.
It’s a gaping hole in an important area of public health, says Katz. “We don’t understand if this changes the lifelong trajectory for risk of a heart attack or stroke or other cardiac events — we just don’t know that.” Here, Nature looks at the questions that scientists are asking and the answers they’ve uncovered so far.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02074-3
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Monkeypox: First, a primer on what we know:
The Number of cases Monkeypox cases around the world surpass 25,000 cases. USA accounts for 25% of all cases.
Transmission:
Old CDC: (July) monkeypox spread from person to person is principally respiratory
Now • Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
- Contact with respiratory secretions.
Three of four air samples collected during a bed linen change in one patient’s room were positive for DNA (didn’t culture). This is of concern because smallpox can (rarely) be transmitted by air, and monkeypox is related.
Transmission is thought to occur primarily through respiratory droplets,
- contagious before a visible rash appears and can continue shedding the
virus weeks after symptoms have dissipated
See https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-07/22_0712_st_monkeypox_mql.pdf
In Africa, rodents are the major reservoir for infection. We need to get this under control, if we still can, before it gets into the animal population in US/elsewhere.
First compelling evidence that monkeypox virus isolated from semen of a person w infection can replicate in cell culture. This means sexual transmission in the traditional sense is possible. Virus shedding in semen can persist for weeks after recovery.
DHS: • MPXV is resistant to desiccation in hot and cold environments.
• MPXV may be stable for days to weeks in water, soil, and on refrigerated food.
• MPXV is susceptible to inactivation under acidic conditions.
EPA recommends the use of bleach and a number of quaternary ammonium reagents for use as a disinfectant.
Treatment and prevention:
Very limited vaccine (Jynneos). Tecoviramat (TPOXX) is hard to acquire.
Prognosis:
Very painful disease and the pain sometimes requires hospitalization. Most do not.
1 mo recovery—who can afford being off work that long??? (NYC saying not to use public transportation; call health dept regarding laundry)
Full recovery is typical...but there have been 2 deaths in healthy adults from meningitis/encephalitis.
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Not The Onion--from the CDC:
This isn't from the Babylon Bee. This is straight from the CDC on how to have safe sex with monkeypox. I'm shocked they didn't recommend masking while having sex. https://t.co/XCTYYzutWJ pic.twitter.com/MtDU6ZH4Qw
— Garret Lewis (@GarretLewis) June 17, 2022
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You loved playing “Allergies or COVID?” Now get ready for “Mosquito Bite or Monkeypox!”
— Kingfisher & Wombat (@UrsulaV) August 2, 2022
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https://twitter.com/GeorgeMonks11/status/1555561046307442689?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
Monkeypox reported in Illinois daycare worker, US cases top 7,000
Adding another element to quickly evolving monkeypox developments, Illinois health officials today announced that they are investigating a case in an adult who has links to a daycare.
Daycare probe to assess exposure to kids, other adults
The daycare is located in Rantoul, Ill., which is isn't far from the Champaign-Urbana area, according to a local media report. Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Illinois Department of Public Health announced the case, saying they were working closely with the infected adult at the daycare.
So far, no other cases have been found, but assessments are underway on all adults and children at the facility.
At a briefing today, Sameer Vohra, MD, JD, state health director, said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allowing vaccination for those younger than 18 who may have been exposed to the virus and that anyone with guardian approval will be vaccinated today, according to NBC News.
The virus can spread through close skin-to-skin contact with body fluids, sores, and contaminated items.
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Illinois officials confirmed that a daycare worker — who also works as home health aide for one person — tested positive for monkeypox.
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) August 5, 2022
Kids and others potentially exposed are being offered vaccines.
What we know now with @FenitN @bylenasun. Developing.https://t.co/RrZ7I3TeCF
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#Monkeypox: Many lab technicians refuse to take blood from possible patients | CNN https://t.co/9qAewudiel
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) August 7, 2022
US cases top 7,000
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday reported 485 more monkeypox cases, raising the national total to 7,102. The new milestone comes 1 day after the Biden administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency.
In Washington DC, the virus has spread to the homeless population, with two recorded cases. The city has the most cases per capita in the country and is launching weekly walk-up vaccination clinics to help control the outbreak.
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US declares monkeypox a public health emergency
Today 8/4 officials from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared the ongoing monkeypox outbreak in the United States a public health emergency, paving the way for an increase in funding for tests, vaccines, and treatments for the poxvirus.
(WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) at the end of July.
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BREAKING: The White House today declared monkeypox a public health emergency.
— NPR (@NPR) August 4, 2022
A public health emergency can trigger grant funding and open up more resources for various aspects of a federal response. https://t.co/4haxeNdaIu
House Homeland Security Committee leaders request details on federal monkeypox response
“We are concerned that the pace of the Federal response to monkeypox has enabled the virus to spread for two months, and delays in distributing tests and vaccines have harmed efforts to contain the virus.”
They added that the American public health system is profoundly broken – and that has opened the door to greater consequences related to public health emergencies and pandemics. They noted that, even though the United States had more than a million doses of Bavarian Nordic’s JYNNEOS vaccine ready to go at a plant in Denmark, it took two months to approve their distribution.
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Polio:
Sobering article: With cases breaking out in countries thought to be free of the disease, the world's battle against polio is not over. (The Guardian)
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The polio virus has now been found in seven different wastewater samples in two adjacent counties north of New York City, health officials said.
So far, only one person has tested positive for polio—an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County who suffered paralysis.
But based on earlier polio outbreaks, "New Yorkers should know that for every one case of paralytic polio observed, there may be hundreds of other people infected," the state's health commissioner, Dr. Mary T. Bassett, said in a statement.
40% of kiddies in Orange and Rockland counties are not vaccinated vs Polio
Other:
Back-to-school may mean back-to-outbreaks -- and not just of COVID. (Axios)
Get your kids vaccinated and up to date!
Global vaccination rates plummeted during the pandemic and have yet to rebound, leaving more kids and teens vulnerable.
- Worldwide measles cases increased 79% for the first two months of 2022 compared to 2021.
- New York health officials confirmed the first case of polio in the United States in almost a decade, in Rockland County, where the current polio vaccination rate among two-year-olds is 60.5%, compared to statewide average of 79.1%, per the New York health department.
- COVID vaccination rates lag in teenagers and children, and a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey found more than four in 10 parents will not vaccinate their children under 5 years old against the virus.
- Reality check: Politics is fanning anti-vaccine sentiment in the U.S. and around the world, writes Peter Hotez, a vaccine researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine in Nature.
Diagnostics:
still an incredible, negligent last of testing.
Drugs and Vaccines:
Covid:
Worth a read: Opinion | Faust Files: Paul Offit on His Vote Against Bivalent COVID Boosters https://t.co/1mjvm3nVxN
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) August 7, 2022
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Another thought-provoking interview w @DrPaulOffit: Opinion | Faust Files: Paul Offit on Vaccines and Long COVID https://t.co/OdFek9DZ9x
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) August 7, 2022
Monkeypox:
FDA to consider fractional dosing of Jynneos vaccine
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, said the FDA was considering authorizing fractional dosing of Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos, the only vaccine approved for use against monkeypox in the United States.
Intradermal injection at one-fifth the dose strength, as opposed to intramuscular injection, would stretch the supply of vaccine, which has been in high demand in virus hot spots such as New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco.
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Call for Tpoxx trials
In other news, an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine today asks officials to consider clinical trials of tecovirimat (Tpoxx)—an antiviral drug approved for treating smallpox—to test for efficacy against monkeypox.
Scientists from the FDA, CDC, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases asked for the drug to be tested under the FDA's Animal Rule.
"This pathway allows for approval of drugs for serious or life-threatening conditions when it is not ethical to conduct efficacy studies in humans and not feasible to conduct field trials to study the effectiveness of a drug or biologic product," they wrote. "Under the Animal Rule, efficacy is established on the basis of adequate and well-controlled studies in animal models of the human disease or condition of interest; safety must be adequately evaluated in people."
Drawing comparisons to the antiretrovirals used to fight HIV, the authors said these trials will provide data needed for clinical and regulatory decision making in the United States.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2210125?
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Tecovirimat (TPOXX) was approved by "Animal Rule" for smallpox. It is now approved in UK & EU for monkeypox. There are ~1 million doses stockpiled in the US but getting access is hard. @NEJM today the case threading the line between easier access vs datahttps://t.co/KTOGdEXUZO pic.twitter.com/oMNSaVZHq2
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 3, 2022
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These data are based on comparing the IMMUNE RESPONSE and inferring protection against SMALLPOX from the DryVac vaccine used in the 70s.
— joseph osmundson (all pronouns) (@reluctantlyjoe) August 3, 2022
This MIGHT hold! But sure as shit it might not.
Devices and Masks:
https://twitter.com/Globalbiosec/status/1553545055088300032?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
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https://twitter.com/BoomerangChris/status/1554954973242626048?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
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If you feel it's a high-risk environment, certainly dispose of the N95.
— Lazarus Long (@LazarusLong13) August 5, 2022
But N95s last a lot longer than we think and retain filtration efficiency:https://t.co/FLQE6BQwy8
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https://twitter.com/trishgreenhalgh/status/1554398753192296450?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
Epidemiology/Infection control:
COVID-19 infection in crucial brain regions may lead to accelerated brain aging
A new study by Houston Methodist researchers reviews the emerging insights and evidence that suggest COVID-19 infections may have both short- and long-term neurological effects. Major findings include that COVID-19 infections may predispose individuals to developing irreversible neurological conditions, may increase the likelihood of strokes and may increase the chance of developing persistent brain lesions that can lead to brain bleeding.
The coronavirus infection can cause long-term and irreversible neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in the elderly and other vulnerable populations. Several brain imaging studies on COVID-19 victims and survivors have confirmed the formation of microbleed lesions in deeper brain regions related to our cognitive and memory functions. In this review study, researchers have critically evaluated the possible chronic neuropathological outcomes in aging and comorbid populations if timely therapeutic intervention is not implemented.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-08-covid-infection-crucial-brain-regions.html
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Most reliable estimates to date suggest one in eight COVID-19 patients develop long COVID symptoms
One in eight adults (12.7%) who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience long term symptoms due to COVID-19, suggests a large Dutch study published in The Lancet.
The study provides one of the first comparisons of long-term symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection (often called 'long COVID') with symptoms in an uninfected population, as well as measuring symptoms in individuals both pre- and post-COVID-19 infection. The inclusion of uninfected populations enables a more accurate prediction of long-term COVID-19 symptom prevalence as well as improved identification of the core symptoms of long COVID.
Prof Rosmalen continues, "Our study approach looks at the symptoms most often associated with long COVID, including breathing problems, fatigue and loss of taste and/or smell, both before a COVID-19 diagnosis and in people who have not been diagnosed with COVID-19. This method allows us to take pre-existing symptoms and symptoms in non-infected people into account to offer an improved working definition for long COVID and provide a reliable estimate at how likely long COVID-19 is to occur in the general population."
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-08-reliable-date-covid-patients-covid.html
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…2. Thus, even double-rapid tested cases with bad symptoms are not reportable, adding dramatically to undercount and high variability across states. Public health relies on good, consistent reporting. Another time where our insistence on states rights leaves us lacking.
— Anne Baber Wallis (@abwallis) August 2, 2022
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Important note on the new @WhiteHouse #longcovid report! It mentions that ~1M ppl may be out of work due to LC. That is based on a @BrookingsInst report I wrote 8 months ago. I am currently updating the figures — now that we have more data, we know it’s actually 2-4M+
— Katie Bach (@kathrynsbach) August 4, 2022
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.@AbraarKaran pointed to a study that found “viable virus for at least three hours in aerosols under experimental conditions.”
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) August 4, 2022
Richard Corsi, dean of UC Davis’ College of Engineering, called another study's figures an “underestimate.”https://t.co/4F7wjTeViu
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Children and teens who’ve had COVID are at greater risk for blood clots, heart problems, kidney failure, and Type 1 diabetes, according to a new report released Thursday by U.S. health officials.@NjbBari3https://t.co/b8PCaiPBTn
— Kate Pritchard (@KatePri14608408) August 4, 2022
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New @TheLancet
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 4, 2022
The first prospective study of #LongCovid with symptoms documented before Covid and w/age and sex-matched controls
1 in 8 people (12.7%) developed Long Covid after #SARSCoV2 infectionshttps://t.co/nnZsWWa0jV pic.twitter.com/qovHNMvXpd
Monkeypox:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today shared new epidemiological details about US cases, which said 99% were in men, especially those who had recent male-to-male sexual contact and that ethnic minority groups are the disproportionately affected.
The CDC detailed epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of US cases, based on 2,891 that were reported as of Jul 22. Writing in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the CDC said of the men who reported their sexual partners in the 3 weeks before they got sick, the majority had multiple partners. Of 88% cases with available information, 28% were among Hispanic of Latino people, 26% in Black people, and 41% in White people.
Though a febrile prodrome and rash are typical symptoms, the team found that 42% didn't report any prodromal symptoms. Rashes appeared on various parts of the body, including the genitals, arms, face, and legs.
Officials from the World Health Organization yesterday provided more details on the outbreak in Africa. Household transmission—not sexual contact—is the likely route of exposure for most cases, and 60% of cases are in men.
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Apologies:
FYI here you have some info about the scooter story (basically it is a fake account specialising in political propaganda).https://t.co/FIX1KSgIy2https://t.co/OvJZMKrhvn
— SergioEfe (@SergioEfe) August 3, 2022
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I’ve been seeing a lot of questions about Monkeypox vs chickenpox so this is today’s Infograph.
— Violet Eglantine Shakespeare (@VioletEglantine) July 31, 2022
For More fully sourced info and Alt text see my pinned tweet. Protect kids. Be well <3 pic.twitter.com/w2cbByQopO
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Yes! As a non-virologist & non-sanitation expert it seemed sus for a few reasons but I do know that not mixing them is a standard recommendation from every poison center! Cause people like Denise do sometimes end up harming themselves for no good reason. https://t.co/I9ZMpUquFZ
— Ryan Marino MD (@RyanMarino) August 1, 2022
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So CDC is telling people to go back to work with infectious Monkeypox because we, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, can't provide financial supports and other necessary supports so people can isolate at home?
— Myra Batchelder #WearAMask (@myrabatchelder) August 2, 2022
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2/n be prevented , there is one good news however - vaccination can cut this permanent blindness incidence down to half ie from 10% to 5% ,smaller complications down to single digits from 30% , HOWEVER we are currently woefully short of vaccines and need time to scale up ctd) pic.twitter.com/RoCxx3KkAC
— R P Shah Memorial Trust for Kids & Global Health (@Rpshahmemorial1) August 1, 2022
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Tell you what, if Singapore is using AIRBORNE PPE for Monkeypox cases, how about the rest of us do too?https://t.co/e7Yrv1R9Bs pic.twitter.com/8N79RbVyoX
— Dr David Berger, aBsuRdiSTe cROnickLeR (@YouAreLobbyLud) August 1, 2022
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https://twitter.com/Boghuma/status/1554607447192571906?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
Tips, general reading for public:
StayAtHome
Wash your hands.
Rinse and repeat.
Politics:
Covid:
The fact that these two headlines coexist is what really grinds my gears. Enough, @CDCgov! pic.twitter.com/PgxlCRAmDY
— Ebony Jade Hilton, MD (@EbonyJHilton_MD) August 5, 2022
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As we argue today over improved ventilation and clean air in public spaces, let me tell you the story of how clean water was introduced to the UK, of how politicians opposed it and how things changed. It is a very instructive tale.... pic.twitter.com/cz9PyKrjzk
— Stephen Reicher (@ReicherStephen) August 4, 2022
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New CDC Guidance just dropped pic.twitter.com/nyS4vddDdf
— Jenka (@babiejenks) August 3, 2022
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Imagine the level of audacity it takes to release a report showing a spike in serious and even life threatening issues in kids post-Covid, the VERY SAME WEEK you recommend dropping what few official precautions schools had left. https://t.co/b4ntOXXMDL
— Stephanie Tait ♿️ (@StephTaitWrites) August 5, 2022
Monkeypox:
We need to support those at risk of #monkeypox to get tested, come forward for care, w/o worrying about medical bills should they need to be admitted for pain management, serious complications of the disease. We need a program for the un/under-insured as we did with #COVID. 2/
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) August 5, 2022
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https://twitter.com/GeorgeMonks11/status/1553919513531408384?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
Polio:
~40% of 2 year olds in Rockland County are not vaccinated against polio, which was detected in wastewater, hinting that hundreds of ppl may be exposed.
— Alok GET UR VAX Patel (@AlokPatelMD) August 5, 2022
And... polio can cause paralysis. Thanks to vaccines the majority of ppl have never seen a case.https://t.co/3teQ4O5xUv
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During her student nursing in the late 40's my mother worked in a pediatric polio ward. our entire small town went to the high school gym to be vaxxed and I remember my mother hugging us kids and weeping with relief. every church rang their bells for 15 min when it was done
— So it goes (@jimbolint) August 5, 2022
Medicine:
Orthopedic surgery is a boys’ club. Just 6% of the surgeons are women, and those women have startlingly high breast cancer rates. One likely cause is as simple as it is infuriating: many lead shields for doctors don’t cover the edge of the breast. https://t.co/wJr7UgCCuu
— Julia Lurie (@julia_lurie) August 4, 2022
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Pharmacy Benefit Managers pic.twitter.com/mE3P6L7NjT
— Dr. Glaucomflecken (@DGlaucomflecken) August 3, 2022
Climate:
Buried lede: Scientists believe Earth is spinning faster than usual "...because of rising temperatures on Earth. Ice caps melt and lead to angular velocity increase." https://t.co/9IeBH0dvOR
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) August 4, 2022
Biden/Dems:
Huge jobs report. W/revisions more than 550,000. It's a boom not a recession.
— Simon Rosenberg (@SimonWDC) August 5, 2022
Here's our monthly economic thread:
16 yrs Clinton Obama = 33.8m jobs
18 months Biden = 9.6m jobs
16 yrs Bushes Trump = 1.9m jobs
5 times as many Biden jobs as last 3 GOPers COMBINED. 5x. 1/ pic.twitter.com/jdO4TBh0So
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Hell of a week for Biden:
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 5, 2022
-528k July jobs added
-Unemployment at 3.5% (50-year low)
-Zawahiri killed
-CHIPS Act passes
-PACT Act passes
-Inflation Reduction Act deal
-Gas hits 50+ day low (median US price below $4/gal)
-Kansas protects abortion
And he oversaw it all with COVID.
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If the Inflation Reduction Act is passed, it'll reduce the deficit by $101.5B with $203.7B added to the revenue via IRS, which comes out to a total decrease of $305.2B in the deficit over the next decade.https://t.co/YZtbcAriMm pic.twitter.com/C7N2b2pooi
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) August 3, 2022
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To be clear: jobs lost early on are not necessarily the same ones being added. Lots of reallocation among industries. E.g., leisure/hospitality still way below prepandemic level. Transport/warehousing way up. See interactive version of chart below at link https://t.co/zQRnG9pGuP pic.twitter.com/mvBYfUN9FL
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) August 5, 2022
GOP/CPAC/Orban/Rising fascism:
Greg Abbott shows up for the CPAC Klan rally but did NOT bother to attend a single 1 of the 21 Uvalde funerals
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) August 5, 2022
Ted Cruz shows up for CPAC and the NRA bloodfest but did NOT bother to attend a single Uvalde funeral
They’ll show up for the rabid racists but not for their victims
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I never want to hear another word about “her emails” from a group of people who are ignoring important govt officials wiping their phones.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) August 3, 2022
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New Financial Disclosures Show Kyrsten Sinema Is Raking in Cash from Big GOP Donors https://t.co/AL3GiLRZ5z via @RollingStone
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) August 4, 2022
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Orbán urges Christian nationalists in Europe and US to ‘unite forces’ at #CPAC https://t.co/9cL46Vfn0F
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) August 5, 2022
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The Nazis had opinions on this too. https://t.co/yl53PySpwi
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) August 5, 2022
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Thoughts and Prayers - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody https://t.co/g8mCOkMCjl via @YouTube
— Drew Lewis (@drewlewismd) August 5, 2022
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Nazi ideals have resurfaced in America under the guise of the Republican Party. It is our turn to fight them as our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents once did. pic.twitter.com/ml7iWwlFkr
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) August 6, 2022
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In February 1939, 22,000 people in Madison Square Garden saluted German-American Bund leader and Nazi agent Fritz Kuhn as he demanded a “white, Gentile-ruled United States.” pic.twitter.com/bBwxJ3mKbb
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) August 6, 2022
Trump:
After Trump is finished hosting the Saudi Arabian 9/11 golf tour, raking in more bone-saw blood money, and playing golf on the grave of his ex-wife — maybe Letitia James can reschedule Trump’s deposition for sometime this week. I think Trump is done “grieving.” Make him testify.
— Dash Dobrofsky (@DashDobrofsky) July 30, 2022
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Full text of NJ tax code for land used for human burial.
— Brooke Harrington (@EBHarrington) July 31, 2022
No stipulation regarding a minimum # of human remains necessary for the tax breaks to kick in--looks like one corpse will suffice to make at least 3 forms of tax vanish. @alexcobham @RichardJMurphyhttps://t.co/WOHuuJhFmk
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New: Rep. Matt Gaetz was caught on a hot mic assuring Roger Stone that Trump would likely pardon him shortly before Stone’s criminal trial in 2019. “The boss still has a very favorable view of you … he said it directly.” https://t.co/GcePQC3vcg
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) July 30, 2022
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https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1555310680152186883?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
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So, according to USA Today, $60,000 in donations, including those from Trump's impoverished, hopeful supporters, were used to pay for his wife's high fashion.
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) August 5, 2022
Wang/3rd party:
Money tells the real story.
— Jon (@landbutcher) July 31, 2022
https://t.co/PFkWJ3a0SN
SCOTUS/Kavanaugh:
Wray confirms: Kavanaugh tips from tip line were sent to Trump White House without investigation; and Trump White House directed what witnesses FBI would interview.
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) August 4, 2022
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Sen. Whitehouse grills Director Wray's about how the FBI handled its sham investigation into Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation process pic.twitter.com/IrfFrbYQEO
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 4, 2022
Abortion/Contraceptives:
Minnesota trial focuses on pharmacist who refused to provide morning-after pill https://t.co/ejipQs9YSj via @medical_xpress #ReproductiveRights #EmergencyContraception
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) August 6, 2022
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The 24 states that banned abortion, or probably will, tend to have the weakest social services and the worst results in several categories of health and well-being, such as child and maternal mortality and teen birthrates, a New York Times analysis found. https://t.co/Lub36c9eQU pic.twitter.com/seDzJ3YeAy
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 28, 2022
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Volunteer networks in Mexico aid at-home abortions without involving doctors or clinics. They’re coming to Texas. “This acompañamiento model is communal and based on the idea of collective rights, and that is something the U.S. doesn’t know how to do.”https://t.co/IioxNLPMzA
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) August 5, 2022
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/Anita_Wahine/status/1554935380746465280?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
IN state Rep. Davisson (R) argues for requiring forced birth of non-viable fetuses.
— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) August 4, 2022
Asked what he would tell children of a mother going through pregnancy resulting in stillbirth: "[None] of us are guaranteed tomorrow. We must accept death as a consequence of life." pic.twitter.com/cAUEDEOZ8n
~ ~ ~
The 6 Opus Dei Catholics on the Supreme Court underestimated the determination and power of American women
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) August 4, 2022
Hell hath no fury like 163 million American women deprived of their rights https://t.co/z5waxGZ3wl
LGBTQ:
Just to clarify, this is not a ban. This is just the start of the rulemaking process. We have to continue the fight going forward.
— Elijah Manley (@iElijahManley) August 5, 2022
Guns/Jones:
https://twitter.com/williamlegate/status/1554877521329393664?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
Veterans:
Which group was ACTUALLY disrespecting our vets? pic.twitter.com/gOpv07jN7D
— Pam Keith, Esq. (@PamKeithFL) July 30, 2022
~ ~ ~
That’s Mr. Meghan McCain. You know the lady whose father was a POW in Vietnam. He only likes certain veterans.
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) July 31, 2022
~ ~ ~
You’re not supposed to admit you fucked over veterans out of spite. https://t.co/ofwedAsjp3
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) July 31, 2022
~ ~ ~
Holy shit. Rand Paul just said he opposes health care for veterans because they can’t prove they got their health problems while serving. https://t.co/eTPq43vgBH
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) August 2, 2022
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/JodiePP1948/status/1554745204397453312?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
Florida:
Defiant Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren responds to Desantis attempt to suspend him: “Based on the Governor’s track record with unconstitutional orders, this will be just as unconstitutional .. as a dozen other things the Governor’s signed.” pic.twitter.com/mSR0iguYGL
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 5, 2022
~ ~ ~
So @GovRonDeSantis, you removed a duly elected official because he signed a pledge not to do something… does this mean you’ll also suspend the Seminole Sheriff who pledged not to enforce an assault weapons registry?
— Dan Daley (@DanDaley) August 5, 2022
I’ll wait. https://t.co/tiMFSTC7mQ
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1555157122958123010?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
Today’s political stunt is an illegal overreach that continues a dangerous pattern by Ron DeSantis of using his office to further his own political ambition. It spits in the face of the voters of Hillsborough County who have twice elected me to serve *them*, not Ron DeSantis... pic.twitter.com/RzPXksSSWa
— Andrew Warren (@AndrewWarrenFL) August 4, 2022
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/jzfriedman/status/1555665157388484617?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
Rick Scott just called Democrats “book burners.” Republicans are banning books on slavery & the Holocaust in red state schools. Rick Scott has fully embodied Joseph Goebbels: accuse Democrats of what the Republican Party is doing themselves. CPAC is a Fascist Cult. See below:
— Dash Dobrofsky (@DashDobrofsky) August 5, 2022
Michigan:
https://twitter.com/BarbByrum/status/1555552623159398405?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
Mississippi:
Gov. Tate Reeves ended federal pandemic rental assistance in Mississippi today, calling the program -- which gave 90% of funds directly to landlords -- a "socialist experiment" https://t.co/iagajUjqFI
— Molly Minta (@mintamolly) August 3, 2022
Missouri:
https://twitter.com/annieschulte/status/1553738845383950338?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
Pennsylvania:
Another reason to vote AGAINST #Mastriano. He will appoint the Secretary of State, critical to #elections, and refuses to reveal who that person is. Vote for @JoshShapiroPA https://t.co/Jij2QtxMuT
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) July 31, 2022
~ ~ ~
Good thread on Fetterman:
https://twitter.com/KylaInTheBurgh/status/1555612419346546692?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
https://twitter.com/KylaInTheBurgh/status/1555612424350334976?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
https://t.co/Rhiw8SsIRB Thread
Tennessee:
BREAKING: Amy Weirich, the Republican DA of Shelby County (Memphis), has LOST re-election to reform-side Dem Steve Mulroy.
— Taniel (@Taniel) August 5, 2022
Weirich is the DA who prosecuted Pamela Moses, the Black woman who registered to vote erroneously & ended up with a 6-year sentence: https://t.co/2yBGfN9Koy
Texas:
A “preacher” armed with a semiautomatic rifle showed up at Beto O’Rourke’s townhall in Hemphill, Texas, to challenge O’Rourke’s position on … abortion, calling it murder. A month after 20 people were murdered with an AR-15 in a Texas elementary school. This is America. pic.twitter.com/GhImmym6hy
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) July 31, 2022
~ ~ ~
In rural America, the quality of maternal health care (measured by the number of women who die) is about the same as Syria's. This is the reason why.
— Claire Suddath (@clairesuddath) August 4, 2022
https://t.co/XaTitgI9Vi
Russia/Racism:
Injustice in black and white pic.twitter.com/wmMWfVNL7z
— Chantelly (@chantellym) August 5, 2022
~ ~ ~
Tameka Drummer, 48, is now in the 14th year of a life in prison for being caught in possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana in Mississippi in 2008.
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) August 4, 2022
What Russia is doing to Brittney Griner is evil. What America's "justice" system does to many of our own people is also evil. https://t.co/OACHJekNlL pic.twitter.com/LraNKJceuj
~ ~ ~
U.S. Senate votes 95-1 to bring Finland and Sweden into NATO.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 3, 2022
The one no vote was Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
Feel good du jour:
https://twitter.com/DailyBee_/status/1553217685420478472?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
“After he learned that the Missouri chapter of the Ku Klux Klan was impersonating him in order to spread racist messages to kids, Mr. Rogers took them on — and won.”https://t.co/c8Dquv6B0d
— Seth Daire (@SethDaire) July 30, 2022
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/LaurieHosken/status/1553471130400276480?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
Incan whistle jars making animal sounds pic.twitter.com/OgMm7bLfTx
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) July 31, 2022
~ ~ ~
Ippitsuryu is an ancient Japanese tradition of creating the flowing, river-like body of the dragon in just a single stroke. In this video, artist Keisuke Teshima shows the mesmerizing balance required by this technique [full video: https://t.co/RvNblanQll] pic.twitter.com/596Idmp3Tq
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 5, 2022
~ ~ ~
Many were in iron lungs, many were paralyzed, all were confined and isolated together.
— Blimi Marcus DNP RN (@MarcusBlimi) August 5, 2022
And Eleanor, a teacher, created Candy Land for them, where children who could no longer move freely could dance their pawn along a colored, meandering, candy-strewn path. pic.twitter.com/BqRb4Z3IZa
~ ~ ~
West Texas storm chaser Laura Rowe captured this picture of a MATURE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM, illuminated at varying heights from the setting sun. (May 17, 2021) pic.twitter.com/xlQMXXNVy0
— Alice Liu (@chunkmusic) August 6, 2022
~ ~ ~
Shelter from the Storm pic.twitter.com/xkIguv6B26
— Lukas Corso (@lukas_corso) August 4, 2022
Comic relief:
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1555894144974848000?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
Very funny thread:
https://twitter.com/RoboticoEl/status/1549905799832535040?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
I'm an aerospace engineer. I have on at least three occasions came out of a convenience store and opened a car door and sat down into someone else's unlocked car while wondering why the interior looked weird and where my stuff went.
— Korey Kruse (@KoreyKruse) July 21, 2022
~ ~ ~
When an article says "some scientists think" then remember this: I, a scientist, once thought I could fit a whole orange in my mouth. I could, it turns out, get it in there, but I hadn't given sufficient thought to the reverse operation.
— John Kennedy (@micefearboggis) August 3, 2022
whole thread at https://t.co/TJfJS66uOo
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1555605301235048449?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
Sea lions playing in huge waves near Santa Barbara - California -
— Gabriele Corno (@Gabriele_Corno) August 5, 2022
by Lawofthelandnsea pic.twitter.com/E0XNbwUgN3
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1555788110562205696?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1555658086710493192?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1555535163030994945?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
Perspective/Poem
Dimie Ogoina has been a worldwide leader on #monkeypox. He saw this coming. No one listened. https://t.co/fPLlyPcadK
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) August 1, 2022
~ ~ ~
https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1554194961804845056?s=20&t=Xj0axlz5Z7Cyux-K4hNgEA
~ ~ ~
"You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive." pic.twitter.com/dAGqKtlW5k
— حيدر (@dialectichiphop) August 2, 2022
~ ~ ~
I made u all something pic.twitter.com/TXeyuWH3jt
— ABOLISH THE POLICE (@RoomofOnesOwn) August 4, 2022
Bits of beauty:
