@erictopol Sir, what is the current status of universal vaccines?

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biontech-pfizer-starting-testing-universal-coronavirus-vaccine-h2-2022-06-29/

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04784767

@erictopol

NYC hospitalizations are up sharply. #XBB

@erictopol thank you for raising the alarm. The "let it rip" philosophy has led us to this point and I fear getting the "Genie" back in the bottle - having mask and vaccine safety requirements - will be a daunting task.

#CovidIsNotOver
#GetBoostedNow
#COVIDisAirborne
#WearADamnMask
#MaskUp

@erictopol @alaric the only issue I have is “let our guard down” framing

Scientists didnt, doctors didnt, nurses didnt.

Right wing agitprop astroturfed “peoples movements” funded by corporations and oligarchs deliberately spent millions on stochastic terroristic social media campaigns to gain power and preserve profits on the bodies of millions

To the point babies are showing up in ICU with fucking MEASLES.

Our guard wasn’t let down, it was shot in the back.

#covid

@erictopol

Washington Post won't let me read it without giving them money.

@erictopol

Shared this with our head of school. Not that it will do any good. 😔

@erictopol

It would help if Biden would share about XBB.1.5 and what we need to do to protect ourselves and the importance of supporting researchers!!

I am not so much tired of COVID, I am, rather, tired of ignorance and denial.

#WearAMask #Wear#Covid #XBB

@erictopol Thanks. Re this, “ to develop the next-generation vaccines that will block infections, such as universal, variant-proof vaccines with extended duration of protection.”

It should be possible to find and target an antigen common to all variants, yes?

@erictopol Thank you for your efforts!

Science is wonderful, but when it is distorted and employed irresponsibly to make a pandemic seem over when it is not, then we need to call out those who are doing this. Their words and deeds will contribute to more illness and death. 

“The Asteroid, Covid, and the Selling of Scientific Progress”

https://upnight.com/2023/01/08/first-lets-kill-all-of-the-philosophers-covid-and-the-use-and-abuse-of-science/

@erictopol You're right, it's nowhere near acceptable.

My prediction for a future mutant variant of Omicron is that it develops the ability to create a severe, debilitating symptom that will devastate the population.

Then everyone will be crying that they didn't do something more.

Leaving this to its own devices is the dumbest thing the Government can do. Literally everything gets better with practice.

@erictopol
Public health communications about COVID19 are complex:
The best advice that can be given to a group of 280 million people with the aim of producing the best outcome for the whole group can be very different to what the best advice would be for a sub-group or for an individual.

eg. The early "General public don't need to mask" message had the effect of keeping masks more available for medical workers, which in turn would allow hospitals to keep functioning if things went very bad.