2025-11-21 General

There’s been a lot of news this week, but most of the articles it’s been politicians-in-other-countries-doing-stupid-things. It hasn’t just been the USA, either: UK, Scotland, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, and I forget who else all made appearances. That hasn’t left much mindshare for articles about the science and/or Canada. 🙁 COVID-19 Long COVID This paper… Continue reading 2025-11-21 General

2025-11-14 General

I want to remind people again to get a flu shot this year. There’s a new substrain — H3N2 subclade K — which apparently is more contagious and nastier if you catch it. The flu shot isn’t hugely effective against infection but it has some effectiveness (especially for children!), and even if it doesn’t stop… Continue reading 2025-11-14 General

2025-11-07 General

COVID-19 Long COVID 💉 This paper from USA (2025-11-01) reports that vaccination cuts the risk of Long COVID in adolescents by 36%. This paper from Alberta (2025-11-07) (and this press release on the paper) reports on differences between men with Long COVID and women with Long COVID. The study notes that testosterone normally helps keep… Continue reading 2025-11-07 General

2025-10-31 General

COVID-19 Long COVID 🎉 This paper from USA (2025-10-21) reports that 74.3% of Long COVID patients in a Phase 1 study of rapamycin showed significant improvements in fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and orthostatic intolerance. COVID-Related Excess Death and Sickness 🫄 This article about this paper from USA (2025-10-30) reports that babies who were exposed to SARS-CoV-2… Continue reading 2025-10-31 General

2025-10-24 General

COVID-19 Vaccines 🎉 This isn’t about a vaccine exactly, but something that acts like a vaccine — i.e. it prevents you from getting sick. This paper from USA (2025-10-21) describes a small Phase 1 study in healthy adults of a plasmid DNA which, when injected, made the study participants’ cells make tixagevimab and cilgavimab —… Continue reading 2025-10-24 General

2025-10-11 General

COVID-19 I want to mention that I have seen multiple couples — some that I know personally and some on teh socials — express shock that one half of the couple could test positive while being symptom-free or almost symptom-free while the other got their posterior kicked by COVID-19. Yes, folks, asymptomatic COVID-19 infections are… Continue reading 2025-10-11 General

2025-10-06 General

NB: I am travelling, so this is going to be shorter than normal. I have stopped talking about some things because I decided to focus (mostly) on things that are more actionable. For two examples: papers about vaccine trials or biomarkers for Long COVID. For both, it takes a looooooong time for the papers to… Continue reading 2025-10-06 General

2025-09-21 General

Long COVID 🎉🎉🎉‼️ This case studies paper from USA (2025-02-09) reports that all nine of the study patients who got stellate ganglion blocks for three consecutive weeks improved significantly! I’m surprised that I missed it in February, and that there hasn’t been more excitement about it, as these are hugely encouraging results! 😢 This study… Continue reading 2025-09-21 General

2025-09-13 General

COVID-19 Vaccines 💰 This preprint (2025-09-04) estimates that the return on the investment in developing COVID-19 vaccines was between $59.8–$475 per dollar invested. COVID-Related Excess Death and Sickness This paper from USA (2025-09-08) reports that children who had COVID-19 infections were more likely to have new-onset depression afterwards. Compared to children who did not have… Continue reading 2025-09-13 General

2025-09-05 General

COVID-19 Government This article (2025-09-03) says that Public Health Agency of Canada will be laying off about 300 people, about a tenth of its headcount. That article plus this article (2025-01-23) report that the PHAC headcount: Vaccines 💉 Okay, folks. Last week I told y’all that Americans could get vaccines in Ontario and Quebec, but… Continue reading 2025-09-05 General