Dr. Tara C. Smith
Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist, writer, K & teen wrangler. Antibiotic resistance, zoonotic disease, scicomm, zombies. She/her. No one's sweetie.
Thought Leader
| #92 | Infectious Disease |
Last synced from Twitter 5h ago
12 Years Ago I Stopped Vaccinating My Children. Then I Changed My Mind.
Lydia used to be anti-vaccine — until the pandemic and economic crisis made her question what others had been telling her. This is her story.
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Dr. Tara C. Smith
It's so nice to read positive stories about parents who changed their minds on vaccination. And kudos to @AboutPediatrics for being one of the sources that helped move the needle.
18h
ICE Hysterectomy Doctor Wasn’t Even a Board-Certified OB-GYN
Dr. Mahendra Amin has been accused of performing unnecessary uterus removals on detained immigrants.
Why misinformation about COVID-19’s origins keeps going viral
Another piece of coronavirus misinformation is making the rounds. Here’s how to sift through the muck.
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Dr. Tara C. Smith
On the Yan report: "It’s encroaching on pseudoscience, really,” says Robertson. “This paper just cherry-picked a couple of examples, excluded evidence, and came up with a ridiculous scenario.”"
32h
50 Experts to Trust in a Pandemic
Whose advice should you follow to stay healthy and informed? The health and science experts on this list.
It Took Divorce to Make My Marriage Equal
I spent 12 years fighting for an equal partnership, when what I needed was a divorce.
C.D.C. Didn’t Write Testing Guidance Published on Its Website, Officials Say
A controversial guideline saying people without Covid-19 symptoms didn’t need to get tested for the virus came from H.H.S. officials and skipped the C.D.C.’s scientific review process.
Skyhorse Publishing’s House of Horrors
Skyhorse Publishing, literary home to Michael Cohen, Woody Allen, and Alan Dershowitz, has struggled with bigger problems than a roster of political unsavories. Interviews suggest a history of workplace toxicity and inappropriate behavior.
Top Trump Health Aide Attacks Scientists and Warns of Armed Revolt
Michael Caputo, the assistant secretary of health for public affairs, told a Facebook audience without evidence that left-wing hit squads were being trained for insurrection, and he accused C.D.C. scientists of “sedition.”
Five Connecticut residents infected with flesh-eating bacteria in Long Island Sound
Vibrio vulnificus can cause serious illness and patients may need intensive care or limb amputation.
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Dr. Tara C. Smith
Let's talk about other pathogens that can kill you! Serious Vibrio vulnificus infections are pretty rare but can be fatal. A big risk factor: open wounds in brackish water.
5d
Stop Expecting Life to Go Back to Normal Next Year
Americans will need to take pandemic precautions well into 2021 — yes, even after a vaccine arrives.
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Dr. Tara C. Smith
Many of you probably know this already. The rest of y'all should start bracing for it.
5d
How can we make sure people trust a COVID-19 vaccine once we get one?
Vaccination is an insurance policy but University of Melbourne experts say if we want good COVID-19 vaccine uptake, we need to restore public trust and clarity.
Homecoming dances latest COVID-19 casualties
The pandemic killed high school proms. It put the kibosh on traditional graduation ceremonies, too. Now, as students...
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Dr. Tara C. Smith
Parents, please don't do this to circumvent cancelled events. (& why are health professionals?? Leader here is a nurse. HS classmate is organizing one near Columbus & she's a pharmacist).
6d
Help Florida's Returning Citizens Pay Fines and Fees
Donate today to help people with past convictions in Florida pay their fines and fees so they can move on with their lives.
A Global Health Star Under Fire
Former and current employees accuse Dr. Lucica Ditiu, leader of Stop TB, of harassment and bullying. The complaints threaten to slow prevention efforts worldwide.
Dakotas lead US in virus growth as both reject mask rules
Coronavirus infections in the Dakotas are growing faster than anywhere else in the nation, fueling impassioned debates over masks and personal freedom after months in which the two states avoided the worst of the pandemic. The argument over masks...
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Dr. Tara C. Smith
It's still hard for me to believe that people oppose masks so strongly in some areas, but here we are.
8d
Trump officials interfered with CDC reports on Covid-19
The politically appointed HHS spokesman and his team demanded and received the right to review CDC’s scientific reports to health professionals.
How Conspiracy Theories Are Shaping the 2020 Election—and Shaking the Foundation of American Democracy
Democracy relies on an informed public responding to real-life facts. But a growing number of Americans are untethered from reality.
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Dr. Tara C. Smith
"You cannot have a functioning democracy when people are not at the very least occupying the same solar system.” And though the focus here is the election, science plays a big role in several of these conspiracy theories.
9d