We tried to propose a strategy for how to do this in the early going without luck & also overlooked indoor air cleaning which we’ve come to see as the most efficient solution both for Covid & countering future pandemics (which most likely would also be airborne)
hbr.org/2020/05/a-pl...
Dithering on airborne spread without planning ways to reopen more safely (& later overselling vaccines as more definitive than they were) were central failings
Lockdowns should’ve been very brief up front to clarify with laser-focus & urgency the mode of transmission & then institute measures to reopen as safely as possible
In work led by Ben Pinksy, Grant Higerd-Rusli, Matthew Hernandez & @abraarkaran.bsky.social, in @thelancet.bsky.social, we describe the importance of testing a broader range of people for #H5N1 bird flu in order to check for potentially hidden spread & new routes of transmission
t.co/yZeHRcUV65
After 5 years, 150k papers and 17 million genomes, here's what we learned about SARS-CoV-2 and viruses in general.
It holds lessons for future pandemics - only if we listen. "We’re in a worse place in terms of pandemic prevention" @eddieholmes.bsky.social told me.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
"I know how lethal Donald Trump’s assault on America’s outbreak preparedness could be. We are sure to regret it," warns @craigspencer.bsky.social @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
NEW: As measles cases rise in Texas, pharmacies in some cities are running out of MMR vaccines. The surge in demand comes even as RFK Jr. and the CDC frame vaccination as a "personal" choice — my latest: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
I worry that the study will be politically influenced or outright doctored/falsified to show false results & associations with even bigger/broader ramifications for vaccines
bsky.app/profile/ranu...
These unanticipated, abrupt & cruel funding cuts will cost lives
Ebola outbreaks demand diligent & meticulous tracking of transmission chains
Even small lapses can allow spread to escalate dramatically & become hidden in ways that can take months to regain a grip on
A leaked recording shows that American officials fear the spread of Ebola in Uganda and beyond, because of the Trump cuts in foreign aid
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/h...
Exactly - this study would be needless, wasteful & ridiculous, but, even more so, treacherous
Given how this admin operates, there is a real risk it will pressure, doctor or falsify results to imply risks & links that are not real & then use that to undermine safe & proven vaccines
I only listed a few studies that include 100s of 1000s of children in my story. Here are more from the Autism Science Foundation:
autismsciencefoundation.org/autism-and-v...
I recently read accounts of the plague & it was jarring just how much it shaped & redefined social order/life in that era
Covid had a fraction of that impact but it’s fallout still fuels much of what happens now
A more severe pandemic is something we need to be doing more to prevent
In a measles outbreak, children as young as 6 months can be vaccinated early and then vaccinated again per the regular schedule. This is an extra vaccine and does not count towards the two they should have.
publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-to...
Dr. @gavinyamey.bsky.social & I highlight the serious risks of the U.S. withdrawing from the WHO,both for American & global health security. When the WHO is supported, the world benefits. In the face of rising infectious & chronic disease threats, we need solidarity, not isolation.
#GlobalSolidarity
In Nature Medicine, we highlight 8 steps to prevent H5N1 🦅 🐄 🐓 (bird flu) from becoming a pandemic.
Free access at rdcu.be/ea153
w/ @ranudhillon.bsky.social @abraarkaran.bsky.social Robert Garry
Cool paper from Florian Kramer & colleagues about a novel feature of circulating H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4. These viruses have a longer stalk in their neuraminidase (NA) enzyme, a key viral protein. This was not seen in past H5N1 strains (2002-2019)
Why does it matter?🧪
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Map is not up to date, RI, NY, WA not updated
Measles in US in 2025
164 cases
Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island, Texas
Most children, some too young to be vaccinated
82% under age 20
Vaccination Status
Unvaccinated or Unknown: 95%
1 MMR: 3%
2 MMR: 2%
www.cdc.gov/measles/data...
🧵
A screenshot of text that reads in part: "Our current assessment of the situation is that what we have is a fairly limited in time and very limited in geography cluster of unusual deaths. It has been proven negative for hemorrhagic fevers. Other samples have been taken, a systematic investigation, looking at all the suspect, even the extremely suspect suspect cases, has been done. And there clearly is, based on onset of symptomatology to death, it looks and appears very much more like a toxic type of event, either from a biologic perspective, like a meningitis or from a chemical exposure. And there have been– there is some indication now from the authorities that there’s a very strong level of suspicion of a poisoning event related to the poisoning of a water source, in relation to that specific village. So that’s under investigation by the appropriate authorities in country. We will continue to investigate. Clearly, and it’s something that, our press officer here at ECA mentioned to me many times, that we are very concerned about these events until we prove that there’s a mixed epidemiology and that many people are dying of malaria and other diseases."
In case you missed it, from Dr Mike Ryan at today's WHO press conference on those unexplained deaths in DRC
"very limited in geography"
"strong level of suspicion of a poisoning event related to the poisoning of a water source"
tinalexander.github.io/notes/2025/0...
Half of Covid-19 patients emitted infectious virus in respiratory particles smaller than 5 microns (>30 min to settle out). Culturability of aerosols was associated with lower neutralizing antibody titers, so immune response matters for transmission potential.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The tragedy is that, even w/inadequate efforts before this administration, we could still get ahead of H5N1
We recently outlined what a coherent strategy could be (& would now add poultry too) rdcu.be/ea153
None of this of course matters much if political will is opposing & institutions are gutted
Measles is an outlier in terms of contagiousness & markedly more contagious than even the most contagious Covid variant
Some affected areas seem to have pockets with markedly low vax rates
It will be difficult to prevent onward spread in these areas without mass catch-up vaccination
Thank you for clarifying and sending this along
There is expertise & experience in doing this
These campaigns have been successful even in places with active war, no roads etc.
(Joe Rhatigan & I studied this for the Global Health Delivery Project)
(3/3)
www.globalhealthdelivery.org/case-collect...
Measles has been reduced globally by mass vaccination campaigns premised on engaging communities on the safety & importance of the vaccine & then vaccinating thousands of kids within a matter of days
This is what we need to do in affected & vulnerable US communities now
(2/3)
The clear response *should* be to urgently engage communities on the need & safety of vaccination
Measles is super contagious - the avg infectious person infects ~12-18 people
For the most contagious Covid variant, it was ~9-12
Other measures likely won't be enough to stop this outbreak
(1/3)
I commend every parent who is choosing to do the right thing by vaccinating their child as the measles outbreak spreads. There's no shame in changing your mind on a stance you were wrong about. Especially when it concerns protecting children from disease.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Samples have been sent further afield for testing.
For now WHO only reports "Metagenomic sequencing and additional investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of
illness and deaths in the two health zones".