Helen Branswell
Senior writer, infectious diseases & global health, @statnews. I block rude. #flu #Zika, #Ebola, #polio, #AMR. Neiman '11. 🇨🇦
Last synced from Twitter 19m ago
Glenn Close Reflects on Her Seven Oscar-Nominated Roles
Nearly 40 years after making her film debut in The World According to Garp—for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination—Close looks back on her most memorable movie characters.
Helen Branswell
Just realized that the fantastic Glenn Close, perennial Oscar bridesmaid, will be 3/4s of the way to an EGOT if she wins Best Actress for The Wife.
And she can sing...
30h
LISTEN: The AI hype machine & ketamine's future
In this episode, we talk about what could be the first novel treatment for depression in more than three decades, a ketamine-related drug from J&J.
‘Snake Oil’ Stem Cell Clinics Peddle False Hope for High Prices
Doris Tyler, a retired elementary school music teacher, had to drop out of her church choir two years ago when she lost her vision. Since she could no longer see the music, she would need to memorize…
Mark Berman, M.D. 2/13/19
Medical Device/Adulterated/Misbranded/Lacks PMA and/or 510(k)
Flu shots this winter providing moderate levels of protection, data show
Estimates indicate the vaccine offers about 47 percent protection against all influenza infections and and 46 percent protection against H1N1 viruses.
Helen Branswell
This #influenza season is far milder than last year's flumageddon. And the #flu shot is providing better protection this year too.
54h
The tricks that make measles so infectious
The measles virus is exquisitely adept at finding people who are susceptible to it, and infecting them.
1
Helen Branswell
#Measles is a nasty virus, but boy is it good at spreading. The very talented @HoganAlex & I explain how. Please take a look.
57h
2
Helen Branswell
Roses are red
Measles are contagious
That more kids aren't vaccinated
Is really outrageous.
statnews.com/2019/02/14/mea…
#PublicHealthValentine
53h
The 20 Best TV Dramas Since ‘The Sopranos’
It’s been 20 years since those ducks landed in Tony’s pool. A flock of extraordinary shows followed. These are the best dramas since 1999.
Helen Branswell
Loving this @nytimes exploration of the best American TV dramas since the Sopranos. Haven't seen them all, don't care to see some of 'em but many of my favs are on here.
Clear eyes, full hearts can't lose!
3d
PREDIMED trial of Mediterranean diet: retracted, republished, still trusted?
Arnav Agarwal and John P A Ioannidis consider what we can learn from the retraction and republication of an influential trial of Mediterranean diet
The Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) trial1 is one of the most influential randomised...
This Mediterranean diet study was hugely impactful. The science just fell apart.
Nutrition science is supposed to tell us how to eat. It’s in the midst of a crisis.
Infection Rates and Risk Factors for Infection Among Health Workers During Ebola and Marburg Virus Outbreaks: A Systematic Review
AbstractBackground. Infection in health workers (HWs) has characterized outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Marburg virus disease (MVD). We conducted a
Helen Branswell
2. That's not particularly high for an #Ebola outbreak; see the study I link to below. It's a bit disappointing, because there is vaccine. But cases are moving around a lot, taking Ebola to places where HCWs haven't been vaccinated.
3d
What happened to bird flu? How a threat to human health faded from view
Although the number of cases have subsided dramatically, “we don't know how the story's going to end," says one influenza expert.
4
Helen Branswell
Remember the OG bird flu, H5N1? Or H7N9? These once-looming threats have faded from headlines. Has the danger passed?
3d
MSF begins enrolling patients in clinical trial of potential Ebola treatments
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 12, 2019—Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) will participate in an ongoing randomized controlled trial (RCT) of four potential Ebola treatments in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, in collaboration with...
3
Helen Branswell
Official word from @MSF: Their #Ebola treatment centers in Butembo & Katwa are enrolling patients in the clinical trial that aims to determine whether experimental Ebola therapies work, and which work best. Testing 4 drugs.
4d
Saudi MERS total grows; WHO details Oman cluster
The five recent Omani cases are women from North Batinah governorate who lived in the same household.
Sean Parker calls gene-edited babies a 'Sputnik 2.0 moment'
Sean Parker believes the government needs to move far more aggressively in investing in biotech, life sciences, and health care.
Helen Branswell
In the '60s, the US & the USSR were locked in a space race. Today, the US & China are in a race for scientific dominance — & the US isn't positioning itself to win, philanthropist @sparker warns in a Q&A with @statnews.
5d
Multiple people treated for possible rabies in Houston County; 4-month-old stray puppy dead
The puppy was taken in by Dothan city and Houston County Animal Control. It died shortly after testing positive for rabies.
The Hot Zone Trailer: Julianna Margulies (Hazmat) Suits Up for Ebola Drama
Avert your eyes, germaphobes: Julianna Margulies is coming into close contact with the Ebola virus in the first trailer for the National Geographic limited series The Hot Zone. Based on the bestsel…
Can Lettuce Survive Climate Change?
Freak weather events—a new constant in our changing climate—may be making leafy greens less safe to eat.
University of California to get CRISPR patent, likely reviving legal dispute
The granting of the patent is a win for Caribou Biosciences, which licensed UC's intellectual property, but might force Editas to get out its checkbook.