Michael Mina
Epidemiologist, Immunologist, Physician, Harvard Public Health/Medical School. Discuss vaccines, immunity, infectious diseases, public health
Thought Leader
| #20 | Infectious Disease |
Last synced from Twitter 3h ago
Thank You for Spieling podcast: 8 - Fun with COVID-19 Antibodies!
Fomites! Droplets! Aerosols! B-Cells! T-Cells! Vaccines! The only thing that's missing from this episode is a big yellow school bus! In this episode I'm joined by Dr. Preeyam Patel, an immunologist, to talk about what happens inside our immune...
From more testing to smart testing: data-guided SARS-CoV-2 testing choices
We present an in-depth analysis of data from drive through testing stations using rapid antigen detection tests (RDTs), RT-PCR and virus culture, to assess the ability of RDTs to detect infectious cases. We show that the detection limits of five...
2
Michael Mina
Rapid test data!
@MarionKoopmans and team evaluate rapid “paper-strip” Ag tests against likely contagious virus samples
Here @AbbottNews PanBio and SD Biosensor rapid tests perform very well to detect infectious virus
But, not all tests are equal
medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
1/ twitter.com/marionkoopmans… pic.twitter.com/qe7w2bg3bZ
8d
What reinfections mean for COVID-19
One of the key questions in predicting the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused
by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is how well and how
long the immune responses protect the host from reinfection. For some viruses,...
College Says Students May Have Sought COVID-19 Infection To Boost Plasma Donor Payout
Brigham Young University-Idaho says it is "deeply troubled" that students may have intentionally tried to contract COVID-19. A nearby plasma center offers $100 for each donation with antibodies.
Estimating epidemiologic dynamics from single cross-sectional viral load distributions
Virologic testing for SARS-CoV-2 has been central to the COVID-19 pandemic response, but interpreting changes in incidence and fraction of positive tests towards understanding the epidemic trajectory is confounded by changes in testing practices....
Coronavirus Reinfections Are Real but Very, Very Rare
A case in Nevada has spurred new concerns that people who have recovered from the infection may still be vulnerable. That’s unlikely, experts say.
Webinar: COVID-19 Testing: What You Should Know | The New York Academy of Sciences
This panel discussion will delve into key themes including: (i) The science behind COVID-19 testing (ii) What is really needed to more safely open schools, return to offices, and engage in other activities? and (iii) Understanding how new COVID-19...
Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine study paused due to illness
Clinical trial pauses are not uncommon, but they are generating outsized attention in the race to test Covid-19 vaccines.
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Michael Mina
Vaccine trials are working! And by that I mean, due diligence is being done. Safety signals are being monitored.
To some, this will feel like crashing into a wall. But these pauses are routine and part of the process. Stop, investigate, start again.
9d
Baylor AD: Outbreak likely linked to false negative
Baylor's athletic director says the team traced their COVID-19 outbreak to a false negative test that allowed someone infected with the virus to travel with the team.
1
Michael Mina
Like WH event, it is not a false negative test that causes transmission nor “is to blame”
Testing HELPS REDUCE SPREAD - potentially by huge margins. but cannot absolutely stop it
Locker rooms, close quarters, flights, close dinners: it’s not the test..
9d
Your Coronavirus Antibodies Are Disappearing. Should You Care?
Declining antibody levels do not mean less immunity, experts say. Besides, two widely used tests may detect the wrong antibodies.
1
Michael Mina
3) Immunity cont’d:
Antibodies go high w primary infection and wane quickly. We know this. Yet it led to massive confusion/concern. People like @VirusesImmunity luckily chimed in to remind that this is normal and @apoorva_nyc wrote a nice about it
nytimes.com/2020/07/26/hea…
7/
9d
Scientists Confirm Nevada Man Was Infected Twice With Coronavirus
It's the first confirmed case of coronavirus reinfection in the U.S. The case underscores that everyone should be social distancing and wearing masks, including COVID-19 survivors.
11
Michael Mina
So important in this pandemic to NOT let RARE events make the headlines & grab our attention
@NPR - this should NOT be a headline unless you’re going to have daily headlines that say “Millions NOT reinfected today with COVID19”
People are scare enough
10d
As Trump returns to campaigning, his aides preview a final sprint.
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Michael Mina
This should anger anyone who cares about others.
Did the man learn nothing. 30+ people infected. @POTUS & @ChrisChristie go to hospital w/ #COVID19 & only thing he thinks is to repeat & put many more unmasked ppl together & at risk
Selfish
10d
The Third Wave of the Pandemic Is Here
The coronavirus is once again gaining ground, with no end — or plan — in sight.
"Dying in a Leadership Vacuum" - Defended - HIV and ID Observations
This past week, the Editors of the New England Journal of Medicine published a piece entitled “Dying in a Leadership Vacuum.” It’s a scathing indictment of the United States government’s response to COVID-19, in particular our inability to have a...
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 with SHERLOCK One-Pot Testing | NEJM
Correspondence from The New England Journal of Medicine — Detection of SARS-CoV-2 with SHERLOCK One-Pot Testing
6
Michael Mina
Excellent to see this out!
In the new generation of tests
In @NEJM describing CRISPR/ Sherlock based RNA test like PCR but potentially easier to perform and, while not a paper strip, can be miniaturized to a simple instrument in the home or workplace
12d
From Trump on down, people of means have shaped our COVID-19 experience. That must change.
White House butlers, maids, plumbers, florists, doormen and cooks were not in that Rose Garden photo and their positive COVID tests don't make headlines.
DoD Test of Viral Spread on Commercial Planes Reveals Good News, General Says
TRANSCOM undertook the research in order to determine the safety of DoD-contracted Patriot Express.
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Michael Mina
This is the type of ambitious experimentation and development we need.
DoD setup to test potential virus spread on commercial flights.
Spoiler, not surprising but with high air exchange + HEPA filters, virus spread LOWER than other indoor settings
12d
Emory medical students visually explain Cochrane COVID-19 evidence
Emory medical students, infectious disease fellows, and several professors and editors are working to turn COVID-19 evidence into easy-to-read visuals.
A call for diagnostic tests to report viral load
> Science's COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center and the Heising-Simons Foundation
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began, battles have raged over testing: Which tests should be given, to whom, and how often? Now,...