Clinical Lab Scientist; Advocate for: Democracy, Science, NIH, Ukraine, Vaccines, COVID prevention
The Great White North
Joined October 2013
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Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
Steven Spielberg wears a respirator while being interviewed outside the opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on September 19, 2026.
Respiratory protection doesn’t have to be unusual or disruptive. For many people, it remains a simple, everyday way to reduce the risk of airborne infection and help protect their health and the health of those around them.
#MaskUp #COVID19 #COVID #PublicHealth #InfectionPrevention
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
Stars, just like us! Steven Spielberg wearing a black KN95 outside
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
Understand what is coming. Food in the store now is priced based on the cost of transportation a couple of weeks ago. Time is short to stock up before prices increase dramatically as new shipments arrive
If you decide to wait plan on increasing your budget by a lot
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
BREAKING: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tests Positive For COVID-19 Before Congress Leaves Capitol Hill.
"The New York congresswoman said she is open to traveling to Florida to campaign while actively battling the virus. "
floridianpress.com/2026/09/a…
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
An observation on cefixime in a severe COVID infection.
My husband got infected with the latest strain recently. It was severe, and by day 5 he was not improving but going downhill. My brother, a family physician abroad who has seen thousands of COVID patients since the pandemic started, suggested cefixime 400 mg a day. He said he doesn't know the mechanism, but his severe patients have improved on a 5-day course, and he extends it to 7 to 10 days depending on the progress.
Within 24 hours of the first dose, my husband started to get visibly better. He took it for 7 days and had recovered by the end of the course.
The obvious caveat: this is one case, and I can't separate the drug from the natural course of the illness. What struck me was the timing of the change and that my brother reports the same pattern across many patients.
A possible mechanism: there is work proposing that SARS-CoV-2 can interact with and replicate in gut bacteria. If that holds, an antibiotic acting on those bacteria could reduce the viral reservoir. It is early work and not yet replicated, but it is the hypothesis that fits what we saw.
P.S.: This is an experience, not medical advice. I am sharing it in the hope it gets some scientists' attention and they may think to design a study.
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
The health and economic impacts from Covid-19 will likely continue for another two decades, according to a report out today from the world’s wealthiest countries.
politico.eu/article/rich-cou…
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
I wear a respirator in public spaces because I still haven’t found an airborne pathogen that seems right for me. I’ve looked into a few diseases (long COVID, influenza, RSV, measles etc) and non of them just ‘click’, never get that feeling that’s one I want.
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
As an epidemiologist and a LIFELONG caregiver for my parents, I wish people understood that there is a HUGE chasm between sickness and death when it comes to chronic illness.
Your quality of life can decrease so much that you wish you WERE dead. And refusing to take precautions is just passive suicidal ideation in my opinion
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
/4
H/T @scott_squires for his picture collection that you find here: drive.google.com/drive/folde…
H/T @lady_bourg for linguistic review.
H/T @NukitToBeSure for picture.
Link to part one: nitter.cf/RogerGustafsso2/status…
1/
Why is no one talking about Long COVID anymore? Millions are suffering, thousands are newly diagnosed weekly, yet it has become a hidden crisis.
The symptoms span chronic fatigue, brain fog, and vascular damage—comparable in disability to major chronic diseases.
#LongCOVID
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
"Sweden, which famously did not close its schools (for the PISA ages tested), scored its worst in 2025, and, in fact, lost an entirety of THIRTY POINTS on the PISA metric (15 MONTHS OF LEARNING LOSS) during the 2018-2025 natural experiment in which they kept their schools completely open with no closures."😬👇
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
I’m a Canadian teacher over here mentioning the cognitive damage from repeated infections. Mild infection = 3 point IQ loss. Many children (and teachers!) have been infected at least 4-6 times over the last 6 years.
amenclinics.com/blog/does-co…
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
📢💉Nuvaxovid/Novavax availability update for Friday, September 11th, 2026:
What’s new today:
To my very pleasant surprise, @SanofiUS already isn’t leaving much for me to do here. On day 3 of availability, it’s become pointless to continue reporting on specific cities because availability is so widespread.
Feel more than welcome to continue sharing any experiences that you have. I’ll still continue to pay attention to any patterns that emerge, reporting on any online scheduler progress, adding new independent pharmacies, etc. And above anything else, I enjoy hearing about everyone receiving their market-leading COVID protection!
🔴CVS:
Widespread availability reported. Nuvaxovid (“Novavax”) has now been added to the online scheduler. On the booking page itself, it will be listed as “Sanofi-Pasteur.” You can also check inventory by visiting the following webpage and selecting “Nuvaxovid Covid-19 Vaccine/2026-27 Inj 2026-27”: cvs.com/pharmacy/rx/check-in…
🟢Publix:
Widespread availability reported. From the corporate pharmacy director: Shipments should have arrived at all locations at this point, and all should be scheduling appointments. For now, make sure to call ahead and confirm stock, but Nuvaxovid is expected be added to the online scheduler within the next few days.
🔴Costco:
Widespread availability reported. Nuvaxovid has been added to the online scheduler for most locations that have it in stock.
🔵Walmart:
Widespread availability reported. It has NOT been added as an option on the online scheduler.
🔵Kroger and subsidiaries:
Widespread availability reported at Kroger, King Soopers, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, QFC, Smith’s, and Mariano’s.
🔵Albertsons and subsidiaries:
Widespread availability reported at subsidiaries Jewel-Osco and Safeway.
🟣Independent pharmacies - support them if/when possible!
• Eddie’s Pharmacy in Los Angeles, LA (outdoor administration is an option)
• Caplet Pharmacy in Columbia, MD
• White Flint Family Pharmacy in North Bethesda, MD
• Cascadia Pharmacy Wallingford in Seattle, WA
• Katterman’s Pharmacy in Seattle, WA
⚠️A few reminders as you look for Nuvaxovid:
1. Confusion is always very rampant during this early stage of the rollout. Pharmacy staff are often unaware of the product naming (Novavax vs Nuvaxovid, which are still used interchangeably), or even unaware of the distinction between Novavax and other COVID-19 vaccine products like Moderna’s Spikevax - so make sure they are not confused about the name. You can also show them a photo of the Nuvaxovid box or have them look up the product in their system with Nuvaxovid’s NDC (National Drug Code) - 49281-026-50 for packages 49281-026-88 and for single doses.
2. Pharmacy staff, unless they are personally involved in taking care of the Nuvaxovid shipment’s arrival, are also often unaware of stock at their own store. In the upcoming days, you may need to ask them if they’re able to check their fridge for availability - especially if you’re enquiring at a chain that is known to have widespread availability.
❗️3. When getting your shot, it’s always best practice to both verbally and visually confirm that you are actually receiving Nuvaxovid.
📢💉Nuvaxovid/Novavax availability update for Thursday, September 10th, 2026:
What’s new today:
Only 1 day after the rollout started, availability is already *fairly* widespread. Stock has been reported in some capacity at all of the major national and regional partners (CVS, Costco, Walmart, Publix, Kroger, and Albertsons) - spanning widely across the country.
Confirmed stock that has been reported so far:
🔴CVS:
• Cresco, PA
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Moorhead, MN
• North GA
• Culver City, CA
• Rochester, NY
• Aspen Hill, MD
• Multiple Los Angeles, LA locations
• West Chester, PA
• New Hyde Park, NY
• San Diego, CA
🔴Costco:
• San Francisco, CA
• New Jersey
🔵Walmart:
• Bellingham, WA
🔵Kroger and subsidiaries:
• King Soopers in Denver, CO
• Fred Meyer in Vancouver, WA
🔵Albertsons and subsidiaries:
• Many Jewel-Osco locations in the Chicago area. Confirmed at all 24-hour locations (Crystal Lake, Evanston, Homewood, Orland Park, St. Charles, Schaumburg)
• Safeway in Eugene, OR
🟢Publix:
• Confirmed availability in VA, FL, TN, AL, GA
• Should be available at all locations. The Publix corporate pharmacy director has confirmed that shipments were scheduled to arrive at all Publix stores 9/9, and appointments would be available by 9/10. For now, make sure to call ahead and confirm, it’s expected be added to the online scheduler within the next few days.
🟣Independent pharmacies:
• Eddie’s Pharmacy in Los Angeles, CA (outdoor administration is an option)
• Caplet Pharmacy in Columbia, MD
⚠️A few reminders as you look for Nuvaxovid:
1. Confusion is always very rampant during this early stage of the rollout. Pharmacy staff are often unaware of the product naming (Novavax vs Nuvaxovid, which are still used interchangeably), or even unaware of the distinction between Novavax and other COVID-19 vaccine products like Moderna’s Spikevax - so make sure they are not confused about the name. You can also show them a photo of the Nuvaxovid box or have them look up the product in their system with Nuvaxovid’s NDC (National Drug Code) - 49281-026-50 for packages 49281-026-88 and for single doses.
2. Pharmacy staff, unless they are personally involved in taking care of the Nuvaxovid shipment’s arrival, are also often unaware of stock at their own store. In the upcoming days, you may need to ask them if they’re able to check their fridge for availability - especially if you’re enquiring at a chain that is known to have widespread availability.
❗️3. When getting your shot, it’s always best practice to both verbally and visually confirm that you are actually receiving Nuvaxovid.
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
Kids are the superspreaders.
Nobody wants to hear that. The truth is painful and it does not care if you are offended.
The people who live with kids, teach kids, or work around kids are the ones getting Covid again and again and again at the highest rates.
Every wave. Every year. Still.
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
The infected children had roughly 50% more new depression and anxiety diagnoses, and about double the rate of self-harm and suicidal ideation - nearly quadruple in 11 to 15 year olds. And it scaled with how severe the infection was. A screens and attention span story doesn't produce a gradient that tracks the virus.
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
People are consistently weird whenever these two viruses get brought up together, but if anyone finds the acronym, "SAND" offensive, I encourage them to read this review to understand why it's being proposed.
ALT Review From HIV to SARS-CoV-2 associated neurological disorder (“HAND" to “SAND”): Viral infection as a “time-bomb" for the aging brain Mark J. Millan
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
“If we were really becoming an immune compromised society there would be signs.”
The increasing number of younger patients with shingles has prompted debate about expanding free vaccination eligibility.
mdsc.pe/4gTzaX0
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
Nobody handed them a study.
They stood in the bathroom lights on day 3 of a positive Covid test.
Stared at the palms of their hands that looked like “raw ground beef.”
Clenched a fist.
Watched the fingers flood red.
That’s how they learned it.
They said it themselves.
“Covid is a vascular disease.” 😳
Phil; COVID is NOT a cold!! retweeted
Important, if you get a direct message from someone asking you to vote for them to host a podcast, don’t click it. You risk losing control of your acct. #MedTwitter
