Cont: The One Covid-19 Science and Medicine Thread Part 5

[dann]

Given that we know the vaccines work and protect from severe illness it's a shame the chief medical voice in USA is a lying antivax scumbag, or more people would get the vaccine.
I'm constantly amazed that people I know over 60 don't get vaccinated, but they don't care. People prefer YouTube to medical science. The reach of Kennedy, Trump* et al extends a long way.
Ho hum.
*I bet he quietly gets the vaccine, because he thought he was a dead man walking when he got in the chopper.

Antivaxxers are not the only scumbags or the only liars.
Antivaxxers share the blame with Covid minimizers and Long-Covid minimizers/denialists – for instance, people who claim that the SARS-CoV-2 virus only kills people whose toe-tags have already been written. If that were the case and if Long Covid were all in the mind, why worry enough about the virus to get vaccinated if you're young and healthy? People who believe this claim will obviously be less inclined to get the shots.
There is also jumping to wrong conclusions whenever a study suggests that the vaccines may not work as well as they actually do or that hybrid immunity might be better than booster shots. That was the argument for abandoning all other precautions than vaccinations in many countries, "vaccinated + infected = super immunity," and that was the point when C19 deaths skyrocketed in some countries.


News:

COVID revaccination early in pregnancy not linked to higher risk of major birth defects (CIDRAP, April 13, 2026)
In a study published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection, researchers in Singapore uncover no tie between repeated mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in the first trimester of pregnancy and a significantly increased risk of major structural birth defects.

Long COVID costs world’s economy billions: analysis (CIDRAP, April 13, 2026)
Severe illness due to COVID-19 peaked around the start of 2021. But as many as 400 million people worldwide, at some point, have experienced a condition known as "long COVID," which is when symptoms persist for two to three months after an initial COVID-19 infection.
Some people with long COVID improve with time, while others have experienced lingering, debilitating symptoms with the chronic illness. A report last week by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projects that long COVID’s significant social and financial costs will continue well into the next decade.

 

[dann]

If I were as methodical as Jonathan Howard, I would have the links to statements made about the pandemic in this and the other C19 thread, so I wouldn't have to search for them again every time. Unfortunately, I'm not.

Since They Won’t Remind You, Here’s What Drs. John Ioannidis, Jay Bhattacharya, and Scott Atlas, Actually Said 6 Years Ago (Science-Based Medicine, April 11, 2026)
In a previous article titled The Covid Amnesia Project and the Plot to Erase 2020, I discussed the deliberate effort to erase the horrific scenes of 2020, the overflowing hospitals and morgues, led by doctors who now want you to believe we overreacted to COVID 6-years-ago. I also wrote that these doctors “don’t want you to remember what they actually said in 2020, their farcical forecasts and pro-infection agenda.”
Today, I will remind you. Unlike them, I think it is vital to resist pandemic revisionism and accurately remember what they actually said in the spring of 2020, especially because they now claim time has vindicated their pandemic vision, that they were basically right about everything.

Makary claims the COVID vaccine killed kids without evidence. (Jonathan Howard on YouTube, Jan 24, 2026 – 1:57 min.)


Howard has got them all – and he won't let them forget it!
It's the nightmare they'll wake up to once Trump no longer has their backs.

 

[The Atheist]

If I were as methodical as Jonathan Howard, I would have the links to statements made about the pandemic in this and the other C19 thread, so I wouldn't have to search for them again every time. Unfortunately, I'm not.

Obsession and foaming-at-the-mouth zealotry always work to get people to listen to you.

Also, people who overstate facts by using words like "skyrocketing" to describe a small increase. The fact that the statement itself is based on data self-admitted to be unreliable is hardly worth mentioning.

Due to varying protocols and challenges in the attribution of the cause of death, the number of confirmed deaths may not accurately represent the true number of deaths caused by COVID-19.

 

[dann]

Obsession and foaming-at-the-mouth zealotry always work to get people to listen to you.

The Atheist's hyperbolic posts disprove his claim. People stopped listening to him.

Also, people who overstate facts by using words like "skyrocketing" to describe a small increase. The fact that the statement itself is based on data self-admitted to be unreliable is hardly worth mentioning.

The numbers actually did skyrocket: "... when C19 deaths skyrocketed ..." It's easier to see when presented as 7-day rolling average.
And those numbers were based on diagnosed cases. They weren't "based on data self-admitted," but why be concerned about facts when only lies serve one's purpose?

Due to varying protocols and challenges in the attribution of the cause of death, the number of confirmed deaths may not accurately represent the true number of deaths caused by COVID-19.

The Atheist could learn from the kind of reservations made by Our World in Data. The statistics were from all around the world, and some countries had better statistics than others. In Denmark, at that point in time, C19 statistics were exemplary.

 

[Pixel42]

Covid-19 Inquiry: UK's vaccine development and rollout was 'extraordinary feat' - live updates

An estimated 475,000 lives were saved in England and Scotland, but the inquiry says a lower vaccine uptake among some groups should've been predicted.

www.bbc.co.uk

The description of how treatments and vaccines were quickly developed and deployed as a "great success" is in stark contrast with the inquiry's previous critical assessments of other parts of the UK's pandemic response.

 

[dann]

It was to be expected that the inquiry would be ignored.

 

[dann]

Long COVID:

Study links long COVID in kids to worse grades, attention, and social life (CIDRAP, April 17, 2026)
Children and adolescents with long COVID are significantly more likely to experience worsening grades, difficulty concentrating, and having limited fun with friends, according to a new study published in Academic Pediatrics.
(...)
“Efforts are needed to develop and evaluate interventions to mediate these negative effects of LC [long COVID] that could last through adulthood,” write the researchers. “Ongoing study will be needed to assess future recovery and deterioration of the health, functional, and even economic impacts of LC on children and their families.”

Efforts are needed to prevent children, adolescents and adults from getting infected again and again and again.

Six symptoms/conditions more common in long COVID, suggesting overlap with other post-viral infections (CIDRAP, April 16, 2026)
Only some post-acute conditions often attributed to long COVID truly occur more often after SARS-CoV-2 infection than after other viral respiratory diseases, according to a non–peer-reviewed meta-analysis published this week on the preprint server medRxiv.
(...)
Increased post-COVID risk was noted for pulmonary embolism (relative risk [RR], 1.77), abnormal breathing (RR, 1.59), fatigue or malaise (RR, 1.39), hemorrhagic stroke (RR, 1.23), memory loss/brain fog (RR, 1.34), and palpitations (RR, 1.23); heart rate abnormalities were of borderline significance (RR, 1.24). Pooled estimates of most other outcomes were inconclusive.
No increased risk was seen for anxiety or depression, acute coronary syndrome, cerebrovascular disorders, headache, loss of smell or taste, or sleep problems, which the authors said suggests substantial overlap between long COVID symptom and conditions and those occurring after other respiratory virus infections.

 

[dann]

Not-so-new variant:

Cicada, the SARS-CoV-2 Variant With a Surprising Trajectory (JAMA Network on YouTube, April 21, 2026 – 5:44 min.)
JAMA Medical News Director Jennifer Abbasi and Lead Senior Staff Writer Rita Rubin discuss “What to Know About Cicada, or BA.3.2, the Latest SARS-CoV-2 Variant Under Monitoring.”

2:35-->
– So what's important to know about BA3-2 clinically?
– Well, its spike protein, the part of the virus that binds to human cells, is greatly mutated compared with JN1 and its offspring, LP. 8.1, and those are the two variants targeted by the current COVID-19 vaccines. Laboratory studies show that cicada is highly immune-evasive. Fortunately, though, immunologist Dr. David Ho told me that the COVID-19 vaccines that we currently use are still effective in protecting against serious illness from BA3-2 infection. And although the mutations in its spike protein may make it better at escaping the immune system, they also make it worse at binding with human cells in the first place.

 

[dann]

Jay Bhattacharya delays publication of study about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations in the fall of 2025:

https://bsky.app/profile/lenasun.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3mk3da76lbs23

 

[The Atheist]

Not specific to covid, but relevant.

I'm currently waiting in a blood testing facility. There are 18 other people here in a very small waiting room. All seats are taken and 5 others waiting outside.

The staff, sensibly, are wearing masks and only one of the 23 people waiting is wearing a mask.

Just as 'flu season kicks off in our first cold snap.

 

[dann]

I am not sure that I get this right: Is it now sensible to mask up? Isn't it a sure sign that they're panicking?

Another point I think is clearly way above the heads of the panicking brigade, if we ask people to wear masks when the threat is absurdly low, good luck trying to get them to wear masks if a really deadly virus arises.

I remember a time (Aug '21) when whole threads were devoted to this theme:
Pandemic Panic Must Stop
FAFO!

 

[The Atheist]

I am not sure that I get this right: Is it now sensible to mask up? Isn't it a sure sign that they're panicking?

No. I've never said it was and I've stated many times that medical establishments should enforce masking to help mitigate against ALL respiratory diseases.

The vampire place would be an obvious target, with an average age of people waiting of well over 70.

I don't give two ◊◊◊◊◊ if people die from not using a mask, but the medical staff should be insisting on it.

 

[dann]

– see post 989:
CDC blocks publication of report showing COVID vaccine efficacy (CIDRAP, April 22, 2026)

:

Moderna’s combo flu-COVID vaccine receives European authorization (CIDRAP, April 23, 2026)
The vaccine performed well in a phase 3 trial, where a single dose elicited statistically significant higher immune responses against three influenza virus strains (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B/Victoria) and against SARS-CoV-2 in adults 50 to 64 years and 65 years and older.
The marketing authorization is valid in all 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. No major safety concerns or adverse events were seen in the phase 3 trial.

:

Paxlovid doesn’t reduce hospitalization, death rates in vaccinated high-risk COVID outpatients, trial shows (CIDRAP, April 23, 2026)
Two open-label, multicenter randomized controlled platform trials show that early treatment with the antiviral drug nirmatrelvir–ritonavir (Paxlovid) doesn’t cut hospitalization or all-cause death rates in vaccinated high-risk COVID-19 patients, although it does speed recovery.

triage:

Emergency departments 'having to choose between very sick patients' (BBC, April 24, 2026)
Devlin said this has been going on for about five to seven years, where "nurses and doctors are having to choose between who they treat and who they leave".

Did something happen five to seven years ago?!

 

[dann]

Long COVID:

Yaneer Bar-Yam on X, April 25, 2026
"We want medications for our lungs, our hearts, our stomachs, our immune systems, our brains — damaged by the Covid virus." "Real care, not cognitive behavioral therapy. Not meditation."
France, this week. At a psychologists' conference, Long Covid patients refused to be ignored. Grabbed. Pushed. Still speaking.
The full statement Translation: @GreeneWendy

Association Winslow Santé Publique on X, April 25, 2026
NON-VIOLENT PROTEST DURING A CONFERENCE ON #LongCovid.
We are people living with Long Covid and we are sick.
We want real care, not cognitive behavioral therapy or meditation.
We need medications for our lungs, hearts, stomachs, immune systems, brains damaged by #Covid.

(With a short video, 2:21 min.)

Association Winslow Santé Publique on X, April 25, 2026
We want real medical examinations, we want blood tests and medical imaging.
We will not let you off the hook and we will condemn all the projects, all the investments that psychologize LC.
If the virus persists in our bodies, our anger does too.
Nothing for us without us!

Association Winslow Santé Publique on X, April 25, 2026
This conference was organised by Pr C. Lemogne (psychiatrist and researcher) and B. Ranque (internist and researcher) in Paris, doctors that refuse to apply the international scientific research which unequivocally shows that our illness is biological, not psychological.

Association Winslow Santé Publique on X, April 25, 2026
This has been going on for far too long! We need research, prevention, advanced medical imaging, blood work, real care and especially medications NOT meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy.
HEAR US!

 

[dann]

Long COVID:

thetranscendedman on X, April 26, 2026
University of Exeter with Attomarker, 159 participants, a new antibody test suggests at least 62% of long COVID cases may involve persistent virus while 12% show overactive immunity, offering a path to more targeted treatments.

Diagnostic Classification for Long Covid Patients identifying Persistent Virus and Hyperimmune Pathophysiologies (medRxiv, April 22, 2026)
A multiplex diagnostic test is evaluated for self-reported long COVID associated persistent symptoms and a poor recovery from a SARS-CoV-2 infection. A mass-standardised concentration of total antibodies (AC), high-quality (HQ) antibodies and percentage of HQ antibodies (HQ%) is assessed against a spectrum of spike proteins to the SARS-CoV-2 variants: Wuhan, α, δ, and the Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.2.75, BA.5, CH.1.1, BQ.1.1 and XBB.1.5 in three cohorts. A cohort of control patients (n = 46) recovered (CC) and a cohort of self-declared long COVID patients (n = 113) (LCC). A nested Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, performed for the variant with lowest HQ concentration in the spectrum, produced an area under the curve and AUC = 0.61 (0.53-0.70) for the CC vs LCC cohorts. For the LCC cohort, the cut-off thresholds for AC = 0.8 mg/L, HQ = 1.5 mg/L and HQ% of 34% were determined, leading to a 71% sensitivity and 66% specificity derived by the Youden metric. The cohorts may be fully classified based on ROC and outlier analysis to give an incidence of persistent virus 62% (95% CI 52% – 71%), hyperimmune 12% (95% CI 7% - 20%) and unclassified, 26% (95% CI 18% - 35%). The overall diagnostic accuracy for both the hyper and hypo immune is 69%. All clinical interventions can now be tailored for the heterogenous long COVID patient cohort.

69% is far from ideal, but still ...
The Long-COVID minimizers should now be calling for everybody in studies based on self-reporting to be tested immediately.
We all know that (and why) they won't do that.

 

[Planigale]

Long COVID:


69% is far from ideal, but still ...
The Long-COVID minimizers should now be calling for everybody in studies based on self-reporting to be tested immediately.
We all know that (and why) they won't do that.

There is a serious weakness to this paper (apart from the major conflict of interest). They have done a whole lot of tests, and defined a combination of results that poorly differentiates healthy controls from the patient group. Any proper study of this type would then have validated the test in a second cohort.

They make a claim with no evidence 'persistent virus'. They have jumped from detecting people with low antibody levels to assuming this equates with persisting virus. If this was true, we would have seen long covid in people with low antibody production, but we haven't. Antibodies aren't hugely important in eradicating viral infections.

No legitimate journal / reviewer will allow the highlighted statement to be made. I can't think of any clinically used test that has such poor performance. They don't seem to have a statistician involved, so there may be technical criticisms about the statistics used.

I wonder if this pre-print is more about attracting venture capitalists to invest in the company?

Attomarker: Precision Diagnostics for Rapid Biomarker Tests

Attomarker is a leader in precision diagnostics, transforming healthcare with rapid, lab-quality results. Discover our 7-minute biomarker tests.

attomarker.com

 

[dann]

There is a serious weakness to this paper (apart from the major conflict of interest). (...) I wonder if this pre-print is more about attracting venture capitalists to invest in the company?

Attomarker: Precision Diagnostics for Rapid Biomarker Tests

Attomarker is a leader in precision diagnostics, transforming healthcare with rapid, lab-quality results. Discover our 7-minute biomarker tests.

attomarker.com

Yes, that's not unlikely, unfortunately.
I should have read beyond the abstract.

Prof Shaw is the Founder, CEO and Director of Attomarker Ltd, a spin-out company from his research group at the University of Exeter
(...)
The project was funded by Attomarker Ltd, ...

 

[The Atheist]

Jumping to conclusions based on faulty data?

Can't be.

 

[dann]

It obviously can be!
So can The Atheist's jumping to conclusions based on nothing but wishful thinking.

No. I've never said it was and I've stated many times that medical establishments should enforce masking to help mitigate against ALL respiratory diseases.

Yeah, right! Let's see the first time that happened! For the first couple of years post-vax, The Atheist was busy ridiculing people who were allegedly panicking when they took the virus seriously. The rest of the time when he was lying about people killed by COVID-19 already 'wearing toe tags'.

 

[dann]

– see post 989:
CDC blocks publication of report showing COVID vaccine efficacy (CIDRAP, April 22, 2026)

New turn of events:

Prof Gavin Yamey on bsky, April 27, 2026
Kudos to Dr @jeremyfaust.bsky.social for posting the Covid-19 vaccine paper that Jay Bhattacharya politically censored His politicization of science has been so extreme—& so dangerous Dr Faust obtained the censored paper from “someone close to the study”open.substack.com/pub/insideme...
https://bsky.app/#

Exclusive: Here's the Covid-19 vaccine paper the CDC censored.
RFK Jr. and the CDC’s top official, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, don’t want you to read this. That’s exactly why you should.
open.substack.com

Exclusive: Here's the Covid-19 vaccine paper the CDC censored. (Jeremy Faust on Substack, April 27, 2026)