Michael Mina
@michaelmina_lab
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Physician-Scientist, MD,PhD. Immunology, Epidemiology, Infectious disease, Autoimmunity, Biotech, Diagnostics, Math. CSO, CMO. Past: Harvard Faculty. DM’s Open
Boston, MA
Joined February 2019
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Pinned Tweet
IMPORTANT:
RAPID TESTS DO WORK WITH OMICRON
"But why are some people staying negative in the first days they have symptoms??"
This is expected. Symptoms don't = contagious virus
This is literally a reflection of the fact that vaccines are doing their job!
PLEASE READ
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Love this
A 17-yr old saw a need for early identification of infections after surgery, particularly in under resourced locations
Invented sutures dyed w beet juice that change color when the pH of an incision changes due to an infection
Clever
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CDC’s new guidance to drop isolation of positives to 5 days without a negative test is reckless
Some ppl stay infectious 3 days,Some 12
I absolutely don’t want to sit next to someone who turned Pos 5 days ago and hasnt tested Neg
Test Neg to leave isolation early is just smart
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I truly dislike the term "Natural Immunity"
There is no such thing as artificial immunity
A vaccine drives a NATURAL immune response
The question is simply "how do you want to start building that immunity?" Through a risky infection or via a safe vaccine
Me? I choose vaccine.
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WOW
We literally just landed a spacecraft on an asteroid 200 MILLION miles away, moving at 63,000 MPH, blasted it with nitrogen, captured the dust, took back off from the asteroid and sent data back to earth, arriving in 18mins.
Surely we can make
#COVID19
rapid tests available
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In UK, any household can get a **7-pack** of rapid tests every day for free…
An incredible example of what taking a true public health approach with regard to
#COVID19
testing looks like.
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I had COVID in January.
I was vaccinated
Now have had a terrible cough for months as a result. Daily will cough for 5-10 minutes straight
The lingering effects of COVID are real - even for very low risk people like me. Wish I had had access to Paxlovid treatment at the time.
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Holy cow.
Despite all the evidence,
@CDCgov
is still promoting an exceptionally dangerous practice of leaving isolation at 5 days without a negative test.
>70% of boosted people are still highly infectious at 5 days
WHY CDC are you standing by this when ALL the data says NO.
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Anyone else think it is crazy that in US, someone can buy cigarettes or drink liters of soda, but is not allowed to know their blood sugar levels w a simple sensor without having a doctor’s prescription.
Why in 2021 do we need doctors/prescriptions to know about ourselves?
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Dear Media
Please stop repeating anecdotes that physicians have seen mild cases of Omicron
The VAST majority of COVID cases of all variants are mild. The problem is a fraction are not, and when cases pile up, the fraction adds to a lot of hospitalization, death, and long-COVID
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HERE IS THE PLAN TO GET US OUT OF THIS
#COVID19
WAR
• NO lockdowns
• NO waiting for vaccines
• Reverses cases in weeks
A true public health approach focused on the ppl
To end the public health *WAR* we are in.
RAPID At-Home COVID Testing for All
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Please
Doctors, Nurses, Everybody
There is NO (ZERO) reason to tell a
#COVID19
positive person that they are not infectious JUST because 5 days has passed since they got symptoms
This is not true
Many (Most) still are!
If Rapid Test Pos.. Do NOT assume you are not infectious
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I'm
#COVID19
Positive.
Was bound to happen at some point
I feel terrible today: Fever, aches, chills (Immune mediated symptoms). Cough (maybe immune, maybe virus)
So, here we go.
I'll update this thread daily. See photo for rapid test results + infection/test result description
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17 years ago today, the Indian Ocean Tsunami killed >250k ppl in moments
I was a Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka and the hellish aftermath put me on a path of Public Health
There are silver linings in the worst of our world
Today, I think of the families who lost so much that day
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Did You Know:
When you swab your nose for a rapid test or a PCR test…. You do NOT want to go for the “snot and gooey” stuff.
Nope, the virus lives in the cells lining your nose.
You want the swab to rub against and “scrape” the cells of the nasal walls for the best sample.
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Dear
@POTUS
Biden,
The US is at a critical point & we need greater access to faster tests
Rapid tests are barely available bc they're regulated here as MEDICAL tools-holding them back
Please write an EO that makes COVID testing in US a Public Health good
Thanks
Ppl of the USA
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Anyone else frustrated that boosters will be the original vaccine? The power of mRNA vaccines is that they can be adapted quickly.
Why push for a vaccine that is already outdated. If we are going to boost - use a delta variant of the vaccine. Delta is our baseline now.
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I can’t believe this isn’t an SNL spoof of the last two years of my life.
Yes
@jrpsaki
we want tests literally delivered to every house through the mail.
Jen Psaki somewhat mockingly asks reporter at the White House Daily Press Briefing if the US should be sending out rapid
#COVID19
tests to every household.
In the UK you can order 1 pack (containing 7 tests) everyday.
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I haven’t waded into mask conversation bc I decided that to make a difference, I would keep on one major topic - tests (plus a 2nd being vax immunology Bc that’s what I usually study)
That said:
WHY? in all high hell doesn’t every American have a box of free N95s at this point!
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@elonmusk
Great question! It’s more complex question and depends on why the test is being used - ie: do you want to know if you are currently contagious/risky to others or if you have any remnants of RNA? The difference may sound trivial but it is massive
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Was Trump the superspreader?
For a year, I’ve suggested Trump was the likely superspreader at White House Rose Garden on 9/28/20
All were supposedly tested, so how would a superspreader enter?
Now we know Trump tested COVID positive 2 days earlier.
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On early exit from isolation at day 5
** There is likely NO single identifiable group of ppl who pose a greater risk of spreading virus than those leaving isolation at 5 days w/out a Neg test
Rate of being infectious at d5 may be >40%
*Test-to-Exit*
It’s smart Public Health
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Dear
@POTUS
(&
@PressSec
)
An ambitious, but simple plan to convert holidays into an time to REDUCE
#COVID19
1) Give every American 4
#RapidTests
2) Ask every American to test on Dec 25, 28, 31, Jan 3
3) Simultaneous mass severing of transmission chains can collapse outbreaks
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TRUMP mocking Biden for wearing a mask literally WHILE trump is likely already unknowingly infected with
#COVID19
. What a clown.
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WHAT!??!
FL Surgeon Gen standing in front of an "EARLY Treatment Saves Live" podium saying we need to stop testing
EARLY treatment is only possible if we test and diagnose early. Else our treatments are useless.
A test is not some conspiracy - it is how we see the virus!
As Omicron surges, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo says the state is working to "unwind" the COVID "testing psychology" that the federal government has prioritized.
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You know things have come full circle when people are starting to tell me that PCR takes a long time to turn negative and we should be using rapid antigen tests to test out of isolation bc PCR can be pos even when not infectious
I guess after 2 years, the message got out.
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With COVID, and all infections:
Symptoms occur for at least 2 VERY different reasons
1) Immunity Fighting the infection (fever, congestion)
2) The infection winning & causing harm (lose smell, breathing issues)
Symptoms do NOT define if you are infectious, the virus does!
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NOTE:
Do NOT use rapid tests in the cold.
If using rapid tests this holiday season and asking ppl to test before a gathering… or any time…
Suggest they be done before leaving the house, or in the car, etc. Someplace >55 F
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Here’s a frustrating secret
Today - in midst of Omicron - millions of Americans are begging for access to rapid tests, thousands dying daily.
Get this:
many manufacturers with very high quality rapid tests are begging To ship 100’s of millions of tests to US
But can’t.
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Q:Why do Symptoms start so early with Omicron?
A:When you have a BREAKTHROUGH infection, you already have immune memory that recognizes the virus FAST & causes IMMUNE symptoms very early
The virus often still “breaks through” but your symptoms have already kicked in days ago
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IMPORTANT:
RAPID TESTS DO WORK WITH OMICRON
"But why are some people staying negative in the first days they have symptoms??"
This is expected. Symptoms don't = contagious virus
This is literally a reflection of the fact that vaccines are doing their job!
PLEASE READ
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I cannot agree more with this
The
#COVID19
tests we are performing in the US are often not COVID tests in the way we think of them. A diagnostic test should diagnose in time to use the info.
W/ 7+ day delays, our testing often amounts to just “theater”.
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When I tweet about rapid tests, I get replies saying
“but… they are expensive, how dare you suggest this” etc
I want to be clear:
These are PUBLIC HEALTH tools
No Person should have to directly pay for a COVID test
I tweet to change policy & these should be free to people!
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Monitoring wastewater for viral load estimates outbreak size
In just a few weeks, in Pretoria S. Africa (north of Johannesburg) viral load detected in wastewater has reached similar levels as the peak of Delta
This at least indicates that transmission may be remarkably swift
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• No Prescription
• No Doctor
• Simple
• At-Home
• Rapid
FINALLY....
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This is great! Colorado is following in footsteps of UK/Europe
Anyone can order a box of 5 rapid tests for FREE from CO, EVERY WEEK!
(This, despite condescending views by our White House on the feasibility of sending people free tests in a pandemic)
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I’m sorry, I can’t get over this
If I knew a colleague was still bright positive on rapid antigen test, I would absolutely NOT ALLOW that person into the hospital, near a patient or in an office w other ppl.
Would CDC leaders want that person at their lunch/dinner table?
CDC’s new guidance to drop isolation of positives to 5 days without a negative test is reckless
Some ppl stay infectious 3 days,Some 12
I absolutely don’t want to sit next to someone who turned Pos 5 days ago and hasnt tested Neg
Test Neg to leave isolation early is just smart
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The US is doing SO bad on explaining to clinicians & ppl that oral treatment exists
My 96 yo Grandpa is in a senior center
A large outbreak hit 2 wks ago
The doc was not prescribing Paxlovid!
My Gpa was (+) & on 0 other drugs
It should’ve been reflex to prescribe Paxlovid!
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Symptoms are starting v early w Omicron (for a number of reasons I’ve discussed)
This means that there is a chance the virus isnt yet growing in the nose when you first test
Virus may start further down. Throat swab + nasal may improve chances a swab picks up virus.
Well, there it is. Today, with the “wrong” (i.e. cold) symptoms and after a string of negative LFTs, I finally took Twitter advice and swabbed my throat as well as my nose (no mean feat with that diddly stick). If you think you might have COVID, consider adding the throat sample
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I am 100% for getting people to drop isolation early.
Heck, I formally recommended it to CDC in May 2020 and Published the recommendation in J of Clin Infectious Diseases in April 2020.
But it was always with a negative test.
What the heck are we doing here?
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I'm very concerned that we are seeing rebound of active, replicating and likely infectious virus occurring frequently after COVID-19 oral treatment
This may call for a 8 or 10 day course of treatment rather than 5 days
Here's what I think is happening and what we should do
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Now that the GOV is again giving out free rapid tests ()
If you do turn Positive this fall/winter, your rapid test may tell you more about your status (at the time of testing) than you think!
How much time X how dark it gets
Here's how I think about it:
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Some of the most exciting vaccine news I've seen in a long time.
Now we will begin to see the major, much discussed, benefits of mRNA vaccines start to emerge.
The future of vaccines will be adaptable, combinatorial, possibly even personalized to individuals in the future.
Today, we shared positive pre-clinical data demonstrating our ability to combine 6 mRNAs against 3 different respiratory viruses in 1 vaccine: COVID-19 booster + Flu booster + RSV booster.
#mRNA
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A heartbreaking consequence of lapses in vaccination!
A measles outbreak is spreadinf in Philadelphia.
MEASLES! It sends kids to the hospital, erases existing immune memory (creating long term risks) and kills 1 in 1000
It was eliminated in the US, but we seem hell bent on…
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Yes, rapid antigen tests detect Omicron.
Most mutations on Omicron are on Spike. Rapid antigen tests detect Nucleocapsid protein - a different part of the virus then what we really care about or what is significantly altered in Omicron.
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🧵 Why some vaccines stop transmission & others don’t:
Vaccines that stop transmission are often against viruses that replicate internally first and only then transmit (like measles). So if the vaccine stops internal replication, it stops transmission.
For COVID vaccines…
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Now that it seems
@CDCgov
(and Media) have fully woken up to the major benefits of wastewater surveillance (which we’ve known since early in the pandemic)…
it’s a good time to ask…
WHY ARENT WE DOING THIS WEEKLY IN EVERY ONE OF THE >3000 US COUNTIES??
It’s so damn simple
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Recently, I was sure I had COVID
Runny nose, cough (lingered) slight fever
But I tested - rapid Ag, molecular, PCR, the works
Always Neg!
Maybe I missed it?
Ran antibody tests - which I’ve done every month or so.
No change!
Oh right… all those other viruses never left us.
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I’ll say it again:
Rapid tests have the same accuracy in asymptomatics as symptomatics
If someone says they are less sensitive to detect infectious people who are asymptomatic, they are wrong
The test does not care about your symptoms, it cares about how much virus you have
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Rapid Antigen Tests DO NOT stay Pos for 90 days
Rapid Antigen Tests Do NOT stay pos after you are infectious
PCR tests DO stay Pos after you are infectious
PCR tests CAN stay Pos for weeks+
PLEASE don’t confuse these
Test-to-exit w a Rapid Ag Test
If Pos, assume infectious.
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Really really appreciate this sign.
Just something to keep in mind over the holidays (and beyond)
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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has long been a mystery
Genetics, Infections,…?
Prior research shows almost outbreak like patterns
I am delighted to have been a part of this stellar research group - linking MS to exposure with Epstein-Barr virus infection
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On Omicron spread:
Vaccines keep ppl out of hospital - their most important attribute
However, vax’d can be infected & transmit. Yes, vax slow spread but by no means does vax mean you can’t be infected & spread
This is critical to acknowledge as we try to limit Omicron spread
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The H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows may be much much more extensive than has been reported.
Nearly 40% of pasteurized milk tested from throughout the Midwest (38/150 samples) had evidence of H5N1 RNA.
To prevent a pandemic, we have to get this under control.…
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Thread:
Rebound after Paxlovid is definitely happening
This is NOT bc Paxlovid isn't working w the variants & subvariants
This does NOT mean the drug isn't saving lives - it is!
But this didn't show up in trials
So what's going on?
It's not too complicated. I'll explain
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Rapid tests before visitors come into our home help keep our newborn baby safe
Couldn’t help but share this with the world
I call it:
“The culmination of the last nine months”
(This tweet is NOT meant for promotion or use of any particular tests - it is for fun)
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FYI. This article headline is wrong.
CDC is NOT saying
#COVID19
virus survives >17 days on surface.
Just that the viral RNA is DETECTABLE for at least 17 days.
That’s like saying that detecting DNA on a piece of hair post Morten means person is alive
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Can't recall last time I wasn't in a university w access to most scientific journals
Now I'm not (for now) and damn it's frustrating to not be able to read the papers as they arrive
Our taxes pay (in)directly for research. Publishers shouldn't be profiteering off our taxes.
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Getting tested during a pandemic is mostly to keep others around us safe. If +ve, the test wont change that
• Tests for
#COVID19
should NOT require MD order
• No person should have to pay for a test intended to help them not infect others
This is Public Health, not medicine
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People - esp doctors
PLEASE STOP saying that ppl who are highly POS on rapid Ag tests after 5 days are not infectious
There is NO reason to say this
All evidence suggest you are likely Infectious if POS
Biological evidence is MUCH more informative than “but it’s been 5 days”
My 5yo is still testing positive on day 15! 2 docs told me he’s no longer contagious and stop testing. We have a negative 8yo & now my Mum at home so seems silly to stop precautions we’ve had for 16 days if he’s testing positive still. Who else knows about rapids?
@michaelmina_lab
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@CDCgov
exit isolation at day 5 w/out Neg Rapid Ag Test = dangerous policy
Important New Research
We followed 260 Health Care Workers returning to work early
• ~58% Pos on Day 6 (72% if Boosted!)
• 50% w high virus load
• **Positivity 2x-3x HIGHER if Boosted**
A thread
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Is COVID19 behind us?
This is not a time for Congress to cease funding COVID19 response & preparedness
MARCH 15 2021: 1244 Deaths per day
MARCH 15 2022: 1260 Deaths per day
Lets not fool ourselves, even w vaccines & immunity, this virus is ravaging us this year as much as last
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A thought:
If masks are no longer mandated on flights, perhaps it’s time to double down on a rapid test before travel
It’s 2 minutes of actual effort and, the reality is that a flight where everyone tests within a few hrs before the flight is likely the more powerful safeguard.
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Should
@CDCgov
reconsider guidance on isolation & add a Neg test? Yes!
Why?
Bc relationship between symptom start & peak virus load has changed!
Guidance must keep up accordingly.
To explain: I made a (tough to read) chart based on real experience of Prof. Kato
@neurotheory
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Sorry - many of us knew this was going to happen. We have been yelling it since we shut down in March.
We didn’t act. Appropriately. As a nation. Period.
"People are tired," says
@GovMikeDeWine
on the Covid-19 surge.
"I don't think any of us thought we would see an uptick like we have... a month ago we had a thousand people in our hospitals... a week ago we had 2,000. Now we have over 3,000. So it's rolling through Ohio."
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Remember:
Only Public Health Failures are discussed
Outbreaks averted bc someone tests positive at home and doesn’t go to the gathering and doesn’t cause an outbreak are Not discussed.
This is Why Public Health always just appears like failures - esp when it’s working well!
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Surreal
It is not everyday you see something you fought remarkably hard for for 2 years straight
against massively entrenched thinking
actually come to fruition & announced by
@POTUS
Many scientists, advocates, public health ppl have helped make these available for US public
Good news, folks: You can get free COVID-19 tests delivered right to your home. Head to to get yours today.
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The continued message that breakthroughs are rare ultimately shoots us in the foot. They aren’t rare & public is seeing this
We need to be VERY clear about expectations of vaccines (protect from bad disease) and stop saying they stop infxn/spread
False expectations erode trust
The mixed blessing of the 95% VE: When Pfizer & Moderna reported late last year that their Covid vaccines were highly effective, our expectations for these vaccines soared. It's time for us to get more realistic about what the vaccines can do.
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AMAZING!
I just found out that if you are writing a thread, at the end of each tweet, instead of posting, you can hit the small plus button and continue on writing the thread without having to post it one tweet at a time… but have it all written out first.
🤯
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This is the part that hurts the most. The reason they are doing this:
"The change is motivated by science demonstrating... SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs... generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after"
That was BEFORE OMICRON.
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Rapid tests work very well to answer 🧵
AM I INFECTIOUS and a RISK TO OTHERS
This is THE public health ? we care about
I made a BIG chart of rapid tests
- Overall sensitivity vs any PCR pos - what FDA judges
- Sensitivity if infectious (97%!) - what we actually care about
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The Epstein Barr virus is a major driver of Multiple Sclerosis. If we can get rid of EBV, we can potentially eliminate MS.
In the midst of the
#COVID19
I was proud to help with developing the technology and scientific approaches that led to this groundbreaking discovery.
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) underpinning of multiple sclerosis (MS) in some people was a major breakthrough finding this year. It's not just a trigger, but may be a driver, such that its elimination could be a therapy for MS
@SciImmunology
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New estimate by CDC suggest 60% of
#COVID19
spread is absent of symptoms - 35% pre-symptomatic and 25% asymptomatic
Symptomatic testing is not and WILL NOT WORK to stop spread. Must catch it early & only frequent testing w rapid tests can do that at scale
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A common question today:
Q: “Can I get a flu vaccine at same time as a Covid vaccine?”
A: YES!
The immune system evolved to be able to respond to MANY targets simultaneously. Similar to parallel processes on a computer, the immune system has enormous parallel capability.
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Goes without saying at this point…
Test before exiting isolation to know you are no longer infectious
(Do not listen to the
@CDCgov
on this - Unfortunately it’s been wrong for months.)
5 days does NOT mean you are not infectious
MOST people remain infectious at 5 days.
How long to people shed culturable
#SARSCoV2
virus after Omicron infections?
Many >5 days (*median 5*, interquartile range 3 to 9 days), which goes against the CDC guideline of 5 days after symptom onset or + PCR test
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I don’t know how to be more clear:
A rapid Ag test is MUCH better indicator of whether you are infectious when exiting isolation than “5 days” or “10 days”
Those were attempts to find an amt of time that worked for most because accessible testing didn’t yet exist
Test-to-exit
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Testing in a pandemic is not medicine - It is public health
Testing to keep your neighbors safe should never require prescriptions
Regulating rapid tests as medical tests instead of crucial Public Health tools is THE reason we have no supply in US.
US is a major outlier
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I feel very distraught about what is happening w COVID in India. At moment, I am distraught (and extremely sad) bc this was 100% predictable.
Why in this pandemic do we keep “waiting to see” before we act. Once we are seeing, it’s always too late.
We haven’t learned a thing.
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THREAD
There is (rightly) concern about the variant SARS-CoV-2 strains. I want to talk about what this means for vaccines, our future, and why we MUST have contingency plans.
This thread is in response to many questions I've received.
1/24
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This decision by California DPH essentially encourages infectious ppl return to return to work/school & infect others
It is outrageous
They advise: if no fever, but blazing positive rapid test, no worries, go back to work/school!
Fever is Immunity working - Not that you are…
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A remarkable view into the biology of this virus and just how fast new (sub)variants take over
For flu - its on order of months/years when sweeps occurs
With SARS-CoV-2, immunity & high transmissibility put pressure on the virus to shapeshift - and the most fit sweeps
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The very dark lines on the test shown here indicate very high virus load
By definition:
To get this much virus protein to turn an Ag pos like this - REQUIRES bery active virus replication: Infectious!
This isn’t a PCR test detecting old RNA
This isn’t rare to see at >5 days
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I feel frustrated to see me and my peers getting vaccinated ahead of essentially every high risk person on Earth.
We are generally low risk, have access to incredible healthcare, are mostly in upper echelons of wealth.
Incredible inequities.
Our systems are so broken.
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The test doesn’t care about symptoms
Test ONLY cares about how much virus in a sample
Symptoms just help decide when to stick a swab in your nose
Cant believe that after 2 years of talking to
@NPR
& other media outlets more than I can count - this remains confused in headlines
Recent research — and plenty of anecdotes — suggest some rapid tests may be less sensitive at detecting omicron if you don't have symptoms.
Here's how researchers hope to make them more effective.
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COVID-19 Symptoms occur for 2 very different reasons
1) Symptoms can reflect that the virus is destroying your cells (loss of smell, difficult breathing…)
2) Symptoms (cold-like) can reflect that your body’s immune system is attacking the virus before it grows high
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🧵
Think rapid tests don’t work w Omicron?
In last few days almost everyone I know diagnosed, found out on rapid test & same for MANY MANY others:
PCR test one day - negative.
But then used rapid test day after - BC THEY WERE EASY & ACCESSIBLE & FAST -
Positive
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A question I get a lot since raised by Fauci/CDC:
Q: Do Rapid Ag tests stay pos long after people are infectious?
A: No, Rapid Ag tests don’t magnify the signal like PCR. They require a LOT of virus protein to turn Pos. That only exists w Active Replicating virus.
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FYI:
Symptoms are NOT required to be infectious
Symptom-free spread is MAJOR contributor to spread in this pandemic
High virus load (rapid Test Pos) is good indicator of infectivity
If you or your child no Longer has symptoms but Still Pos on rapid test -> Assume Infectious
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Epidemiology Lens:
CDC Decision to cut isolation to 5 days is to help the work force
But:
w/out a negative test- can backfire
Person A goes back infectious —>
Infects 3 People: B,C,D
3-5 work days saved for Person A
15 work days lost for B,C,D
Net Loss of 10-12 work days
CDC’s new guidance to drop isolation of positives to 5 days without a negative test is reckless
Some ppl stay infectious 3 days,Some 12
I absolutely don’t want to sit next to someone who turned Pos 5 days ago and hasnt tested Neg
Test Neg to leave isolation early is just smart
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This is honestly some of the most idiotic messaging I’ve seen this entire pandemic.
Come on Ireland - seriously?
Surely, You can do better.
🚨Antigen tests should only be used by those who are asymptomatic
🚨If you have symptoms of COVID-19, do not use an antigen test. Self-isolate and get a PCR test.
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YES
HOME RAPID TESTS WORK WITH BA.2 & BA.1 Omicron.
There is so much misinformation
Omicron & BA.2 are NOT mutated at the part of the virus that rapid tests detect
(It would be like someone getting plastic surgery on their face and then wondering if their shoes still fit)
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Important
Highly effective Merck and Pfizer COVID Treatments are likely to gain FDA EUA soon (I presume)
Both must be started within the first days of symptoms.
More reason to have RAPID tests in your cupboard. If you wait days for a lab test, the meds won’t work well
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I had to speak to my family who convinced the doc to prescribe it. His O2 sat was 65-75% at the time and getting worse daily
2 days after starting Paxlovid, he turned around
~12 days after first pos, he turned neg on rapid test
These drugs save lives remarkably well
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Routine reminder:
Rapid antigen tests are not affected by your symptoms
Rapid antigen tests do NOT care about symptoms - they do not detect symptoms.
Rapid tests work identically well to detect the virus regardless of if you are asymptomatic or symptomatic.
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Perspective:
China reports ~60,000 deaths in the past ~40 days and its front page news
Over same time, US (w 25% the pop) reported ~15,000
per 100,000 ppl:
China: 4.3
US: 4.5
Easy to lose sight & get comfortable w far too many daily deaths at home
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A friend getting on a flight to Europe in a few hours w 2 children.
#RapidTests
hours before potentially prevented a superspreader event on the ✈️ and airports.
Every transmission chain severed by knowing you’re positive is potentially 10’s - 1000’s of cases averted.
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NEW RESULTS:
Rapid Antigen tests work v well!
Not all are same - Some much better than others
This paper is a masterclass of how to study AND interpret the use of
#COVID19
rapid antigen tests!
Best study IMO to date of how to think about these tests
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Uncomfortable Fact:
PCR stays Pos far too long
Most who test Pos on PCR are No Longer contagious-Esp if no symptoms
Millions have Isolated entirely AFTER contagious
(Rapid tests don’t cause this)
Why won’t FDA evaluate tests for how ppl use them: to answer “Am I Infectious?
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Now that we are seeing vax'd ppl turn up PCR pos, only now will public health leaders FINALLY understand why
#rapidtests
have always been the appropriate **public health** test.
When the question is "Am I infectious", PCR is overly sensitive to reliably answer this.
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BIG NEWS!!
Rapid Antigen "Paper Strip" Tests get over-the-counter use from
@US_FDA
!
• NO prescription or doctor needed
• NO CLIA waiver
Simple, streamlined rapid tests will be available in US
First companies:
@AbbottNews
BinaxNOW
@QuidelDX
Quickvue
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Is the monkeypox outbreak much bigger than reported?
Of course!
The number of infections already detected, despite major limitations in getting tested, means we count only the tip of the iceberg
Let’s not reinvent the mistakes of COVID & pretend we detect most cases
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