Woah - this is by far the most comprehensive collection of scientific studies and summaries I have ever read on COVID in a single article, bar none. Even our own agencies that exist to protect us or 'reputable' news outlets that have a mission to reports facts don't share these details in this fashion.
A must read.
Sadly, I fear I'll have to further truncate this for those who can't be bothered to read beyond a few words in a headline.
This is really fantastic. If you're aware of any studies that could expand "masks work" to "masks work and aren't harmful," that would be really helpful. I've only recently become aware of how prevalent the "masks are harmful" beliefs are among educators and others who believe that masks (not infection or other pandemic harms) have affected kids' socio-emotional development, language development, and educational attainment. People who are otherwise well versed and believe in science and equity think that the medical and educational viewpoints are at odds and contradict each other. The AAP statement alone isn't sufficient to counteract those beliefs.
Jessica, your presentation of your massive research is indeed impressive. You are now serving the public interest very well. We all owe you a debt of gratitude.
I could cry. It’s so devastatingly lonely to feel the weight of this crisis.
I’ve sat down so many times to try and do what you’ve done here. There is just so much to say and it’s mostly a bummer, so people get bored/sad and tune out. You’ve done an incredible job of presenting this information in a succinct, accessible, objective, and useful way. People like you have kept me going.
I cannot begin to thank you enough—I feel so relieved knowing someone did this work. And relief is a rare treasure in times like these!
I just learned this morning that in the small northern Canadian community where my daughter lives she and my granddaughter are two of very few people still masking there. Some kids from my granddaughter's primary school asked my daughter the other day if she had any spare masks that they could have. Because their parents WOULDNT allow them to wear a mask (and therefore wouldn't provide them with one). Poor little children. Smarter than their parents and denied by those who should have their best interests at heart.
I had a "mild" case in January 2022. I had done my best to avoid Covid but slipped up one time and next thing you know, I've got it. My illness was four days of feeling like I had a cold but my first symptom was stomach pain. Well that stomach pain turned into long Covid and lasted for 8 months. I also ended up with hair loss and unexpected high blood pressure. I was healthy, vaxxed and boosted, and in good shape when I got sick but spent most of 2022 unable to enjoy life because I couldn't eat and had no energy. $10K in medical bills later, my stomach issues faded away finally. I still have the high blood pressure which is now controlled by medication.
I have zero interest in chancing a second bout with Covid but I don't know if I can actually avoid that or not. I've received each booster I'm eligible for but masks are the best tool in prevention when you need to be around others. My slip up in January was taking my mask off and working in a room where a poorly masked person had been working on my internet service. Had I sanitized the air in the room, kept my mask on, or not gone back into the room for a while, I may not have caught it. But it is very hard to live at that level of vigilance without ceasing for so long.
This is a really great collection of articles. If I can just suggest one correction, the research you refer to as being done at the University of Washington was actually done at Washington University in St. Louis. It's my alma mater, so I want it to get full credit for its good COVID research. :)
I’m bothered that the official line (except in China) is that Covid is now to be lived with.
And recalling that the parasite Neospora achieves dispersal by altering the behaviour of its host, rodents, making them lose their fear of, and actually seek out, cats, to get eaten - which triggers the reproductive next stage of the parasite’s life. Could SARS2-Covid19 be acting as a parasite?
And this is where I probably get flak, IF the above was ‘tweaked’ deliberately to tackle global overpopulation, then achieving cognitive dissonance and damping down of critical thinking and understanding would be an effective angle to include!
Well, Wildfire I wrote something lately that takes what you just wrote a little further. I say covid is a deliberate attack on the human race. The Human race needs to attack back. I'm going to try crossposting to my own subscribers. Never done that before. I might have already sent this to you once and forgot. If so, sorry. Very important topic. https://timrourke.substack.com/p/covid-and-occams-razor
Woah - this is by far the most comprehensive collection of scientific studies and summaries I have ever read on COVID in a single article, bar none. Even our own agencies that exist to protect us or 'reputable' news outlets that have a mission to reports facts don't share these details in this fashion.
A must read.
Sadly, I fear I'll have to further truncate this for those who can't be bothered to read beyond a few words in a headline.
Excellent work on this post Jessica!
Stellar work, thank you Jess!
This is really fantastic. If you're aware of any studies that could expand "masks work" to "masks work and aren't harmful," that would be really helpful. I've only recently become aware of how prevalent the "masks are harmful" beliefs are among educators and others who believe that masks (not infection or other pandemic harms) have affected kids' socio-emotional development, language development, and educational attainment. People who are otherwise well versed and believe in science and equity think that the medical and educational viewpoints are at odds and contradict each other. The AAP statement alone isn't sufficient to counteract those beliefs.
Jessica, your presentation of your massive research is indeed impressive. You are now serving the public interest very well. We all owe you a debt of gratitude.
Keep it up!
Jessica.
I could cry. It’s so devastatingly lonely to feel the weight of this crisis.
I’ve sat down so many times to try and do what you’ve done here. There is just so much to say and it’s mostly a bummer, so people get bored/sad and tune out. You’ve done an incredible job of presenting this information in a succinct, accessible, objective, and useful way. People like you have kept me going.
I cannot begin to thank you enough—I feel so relieved knowing someone did this work. And relief is a rare treasure in times like these!
Thank you for this very useful compendium.
I just learned this morning that in the small northern Canadian community where my daughter lives she and my granddaughter are two of very few people still masking there. Some kids from my granddaughter's primary school asked my daughter the other day if she had any spare masks that they could have. Because their parents WOULDNT allow them to wear a mask (and therefore wouldn't provide them with one). Poor little children. Smarter than their parents and denied by those who should have their best interests at heart.
I had a "mild" case in January 2022. I had done my best to avoid Covid but slipped up one time and next thing you know, I've got it. My illness was four days of feeling like I had a cold but my first symptom was stomach pain. Well that stomach pain turned into long Covid and lasted for 8 months. I also ended up with hair loss and unexpected high blood pressure. I was healthy, vaxxed and boosted, and in good shape when I got sick but spent most of 2022 unable to enjoy life because I couldn't eat and had no energy. $10K in medical bills later, my stomach issues faded away finally. I still have the high blood pressure which is now controlled by medication.
I have zero interest in chancing a second bout with Covid but I don't know if I can actually avoid that or not. I've received each booster I'm eligible for but masks are the best tool in prevention when you need to be around others. My slip up in January was taking my mask off and working in a room where a poorly masked person had been working on my internet service. Had I sanitized the air in the room, kept my mask on, or not gone back into the room for a while, I may not have caught it. But it is very hard to live at that level of vigilance without ceasing for so long.
This is a really great collection of articles. If I can just suggest one correction, the research you refer to as being done at the University of Washington was actually done at Washington University in St. Louis. It's my alma mater, so I want it to get full credit for its good COVID research. :)
Thanks for the detailed summaries and links regarding the pandemic issues that is still here.
Others who are dedicated to providing real information as it becomes available.
erictopol.substack.com/
nakedcapitalism.com
Jessica drives the urgency into the facts which is the bonus of OK Doomer.
Brutal. I hate being right this time.
Jessica, this is a great resource. Thank you.
I’m bothered that the official line (except in China) is that Covid is now to be lived with.
And recalling that the parasite Neospora achieves dispersal by altering the behaviour of its host, rodents, making them lose their fear of, and actually seek out, cats, to get eaten - which triggers the reproductive next stage of the parasite’s life. Could SARS2-Covid19 be acting as a parasite?
And this is where I probably get flak, IF the above was ‘tweaked’ deliberately to tackle global overpopulation, then achieving cognitive dissonance and damping down of critical thinking and understanding would be an effective angle to include!
Well, Wildfire I wrote something lately that takes what you just wrote a little further. I say covid is a deliberate attack on the human race. The Human race needs to attack back. I'm going to try crossposting to my own subscribers. Never done that before. I might have already sent this to you once and forgot. If so, sorry. Very important topic. https://timrourke.substack.com/p/covid-and-occams-razor
I agree mostly with wearing masks reduces catching airborne diseases that hurt respiratory system. This of course includes COVID
Thank you for putting this together. Valuable resource and much appreciated.
addendum: video regarding covid immunity and T-cell research paper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ArDhhlHU-I
Also, Interesting data charts near to the end of the video on severity of covid infections of vaccinated and unvaccinated.