J. Offir, Ph.D. @dontwantadothis Twitter profile

Pinned Tweet

J. Offir, Ph.D.

1 year

1/ I've finally put together a pinned thread of where to find all my covid-related essays. Find them all via the links below (from most to least recent, unless I add something new later):

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

3 months

My husband died a week after we'd thrown a big birthday bash for our toddler. After the funeral, none of our huge friend group called, sent over meals, stopped by, or invited us over (ever). I don't think people realize how common this is until it 1/2

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

On network news, they said Pelé died of colon cancer. Glad I also watch PBS News Hour: he had cancer, but it didn't kill him; that was covid. I wish news outlets would stop fudging cause of death reporting. They're journalists, not policy makers. Why won't they report the facts?

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

3 months

happens to them. So this is a great way to reach out & help a friend who really needs you. Pls. keep it in mind. “They were so uncomfortable with my loss that they didn't know what to say to me,” Baker said. “So that's why it was nice to have that 'Calendar Girls' setup.” 2/2

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

One fam interviewed had gotten "used to this more balanced life....And now, it’s gone." Said the mom (whose husband now has a 45-60 min commute ea. way) "We’re forced back into these systems that are no longer working for us....It feels like it’s taking a step backwards." Yup.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

Ruh-roh. "Return-to-office policies are getting stricter, upending the lives of those who had gotten used to working from home." In Philadelphia, the mayor has ordered "all municipal employees back to the office five days a week." 1/4

Working from home allowed him to be a more engaged dad. Now it’s over

The mayor of Philadelphia ordered all city employees back to the office full-time this summer. Now some workers are wondering whether their jobs are worth the flexibility they're giving up.

www.npr.org

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

Is this a new strategy for undermining one's competition? Yikes. "The 29-year-old does not have to isolate from other athletes and does not have to test negative before competing again"

Adam Peaty tests positive for COVID after silver

Adam Peaty tested positive for COVID-19 at the Paris Olympics on Monday, less than 24 hours after he was narrowly pipped to the line in his men's 100-metre breaststroke.

www.espn.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

vacant buildings, empty lunch restaurants, and underutilized commuter transport. "A survey last year by the professional services firm KPMG found two-thirds of CEOs predicting a full return to office by 2026."

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

1/ Today, after driving 90 min (ea. way) for my mammo. & breast u/s appointment, I had to leave WITHOUT completing this crucial screening process b/c the u/s tech refused to wear an N95, even though I provided multiple, indiv. wrapped options. Why it matters & what I plan to do:

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

An expert just said on CBS Nightly News that they are seeing that people who have had covid are having more severe illness with flu and other respiratory viruses.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

But "officials acknowledged the return-to-office decision wasn't driven by concerns about productivity. Rather, it was in pursuit of what they called a leadership philosophy." Um, really? I'll bet it wasn't that either. Much more likely, forced returns are motivated by...

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

FYI, folks in Los Angeles. (This is from a FB friend in LA, and is said to be current.)

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

They waited until the PH emerg. was declared over & they knew no one would be listening. "On 19 May 2023, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) advised, 'Repeat COVID infections increase your risk for both hospitalization and Long COVID.'”

US Department of Health and Human Services advises on risk of COVID-19 reinfection

US HHS advised, “Repeat COVID infections increase your risk for both hospitalization and Long COVID.”

johnsnowproject.org

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

As a former health intervention researcher, it's always fascinating to me to see how much ppl need to experience a problem through their own five senses to "know" it exists. My FB friends (highly educated folks, & some are psychologists) have apparently gone 3 yrs w/o any... /1

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

7 months

THIS. I worked in HIV prevention through the 1990s, and I'm not too old to remember who did what to whom - or, rather, who refused to lift a finger to do anything at all for anyone.

ACT UP NY

@actupny

7 months

we never stopped hating you guys btw

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

6 months

"more than half of older adults still spend more time at home and less time socializing in public spaces than they did pre-pandemic, according to new...research. Participants cited fear of infection and 'more uncomfortable and hostile' social dynamics..."

Older adults' social patterns shift post-pandemic, study finds

Years after the U.S. began to slowly emerge from mandatory COVID-19 lockdowns, more than half of older adults still spend more time at home and less time socializing in public spaces than they did...

www.news-medical.net

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

🧵 Psych thoughts re: the Seine: This was obviously a policy failure that we watched unfold in real time. ("Wait! Stop! Come back!" says Willie Wonka.) But it also demonstrates how people selectively trust authority figures when those leaders are... 1/14

Belgium drops out of mixed triathlon and Switzerland shuffles line-up after athletes fall ill...

Belgium has withdrawn from the mixed relay triathlon race on Monday and Switzerland has had to mix up its roster after athletes from both countries fell ill following the initial triathlon races last...

www.cnn.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

Osterholm says: "Over the next several months, we're about to see the public health system in this country systematically dismantled. I've never seen anything like this in my 48 years in the business — the amount of clawback that has happened with resources and funds." /1

Jess

@MeetJess

1 year

After three years of cautioning Minnesotans about COVID, epidemiologist Michael Osterholm got long COVID

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

Back in hospital, heart attack confirmed. Cardiac catheterization tomorrow, wish me luck. 😥

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

This is my problem w/ not masking in indoor photos: We are trying to normalize this behavior. Posting unmasked photos works against that goal. It's saying "do as I say, not as I do." That's not how modeling works, & modeling risk reduction is critical, at this point.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 month

Great piece on @pbsnewshour right now, inc. interview w/ @EricTopol , who notes 1M US cases a day. He notes three reasons: + transmissible variant; waning immunity, & "abandoned mitigation." Mask wearing explicitly recommended, in the piece. Nasal vax discussed, too. 1/2

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

22 days

Too important not to share: Mask bans are spreading. "Sen. Jon Bramnick will be proposing a bill on Thursday to ban people from wearing masks at public gatherings in New Jersey. It’s part of a national trend: Republicans have been seeking to... 1/3

Mask bans are dumb, dangerous | Editorial

Are we going to criminalize sunglasses and hats, too?

www.nj.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

This heightened response to what's visible, smellable, etc. (& to what elicits physical discomfort immediately, not just 3-8 days later) tells us a lot about how ppl evaluate threat, & process info in general. Except for religious beliefs, "real" is often not REALLY real... /3

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

11 months

Friend just gave permission for me to share: She teaches 40 elem private study music kids. Masks in studio. So far, this fall: - 3 hospitalized w/ bacterial infections - 4 others sick for a month straight or longer...

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

Alrighty, folks. Here's the essay I promised about why people don't seem to care about negative Covid outcomes, and seem to resent the mitigation efforts you're making. I'm sorry to say that it's longer than my other essays (which is saying something)...

Why Do They *Think* That?

INTRO: What this Essay Will/Won’t Cover Someone recently asked on Twitter why people seem more upset about others visibly protecting themselves from Covid (which is perceived as doing “too much”) t…

essaysyoudidntwanttoread.home.blog

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

5 months

A good finding. Quotes below: "Colorado's second-highest court ruled for the first time on Thursday that COVID-19 is an 'occupational disease' that entitled the widow of a deceased nursing home employee to workers' compensation benefits."

COVID-19 an 'occupational disease' triggering workers' comp benefits, appeals court rules

Colorado's second-highest court ruled for the first time on Thursday that COVID-19 is an "occupational disease" that entitled the widow of a deceased nursing home employee to workers' compensation...

www.coloradopolitics.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

This was coming. (I did say so.) This is the point at which lawsuits (& amicus briefs) need to be filed re: ADA violations. I hope sympathetic attys will get involved pro bono. And disability rights groups should be going on the offensive NOW. Don't wait til your rights are gone.

Dr. Lucky Tran

@luckytran

2 years

Wow. The NYPD are trying to criminalize wearing a mask.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

8 months

1/ There should be a huge funeral for public health put on the national mall. People will "no longer need to stay home if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the aid of medication and their symptoms are mild and improving...."

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

In case you missed it: tonight on the PBS News Hour, Ashish Jha said 36,000 Americans will die of covid in 2023. But also in case you missed it, the New Yorker reported on May 7 that 40,000 had already died this year. 🤔 (Link below)

Outgoing White House COVID response coordinator on being prepared for another pandemic

In the earliest days of the pandemic, Dr. Ashish Jha emerged as an authoritative and trusted voice on the issue. He's now the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, but with the public health...

www.pbs.org

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

HEPA devices or CR boxes in their homes, despite all having had infected household members, & despite my repeated appeals to them to filter their air (which included lots of useful tips & guides). But now their air is literally orange, and they're *jumping.* They want HEPAs! /2

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

11 months

Did you watch the 60 Minutes segment on virus aerosols & cleaner building air? Now watch this short "60 Minutes Overtime" video on masks. "Masks work, Marr explained, as a filter, not as a sieve," w/ viruses getting trapped when they hit the fibers.

Face mask effectiveness: What science knows now

Does wearing a face mask help to prevent COVID? Four years after the pandemic began, here's what scientists have learned.

www.cbsnews.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

5 months

Post-decisional cognitive dissonance reduction: The easiest way is by adding a new thought to re-achieve consonance. "Lawmakers who passed a bill to legalize the consumption of raw milk fell ill after drinking raw milk to celebrate their victory." 1/3

After Legalizing Raw Milk, Legislators Fall Ill From Drinking Raw Milk

Uh oh

www.eater.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

11 months

A new psych 🧵 on covid beliefs & messaging: Tonight's 60 Minutes segment included a pretty big pitch to workplace facilities: upgrade your IAQ to encourage bldg rental; wkrs want to spend wk hrs breathing cleaner air & will be at work + if you improve IAQ to keep them healthy.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

1/ Let's talk for just a minute about masking and store thefts, ok? The attempt to disallow masks when entering a store is not about reducing crime. It's about reducing mask use. Let's look at shoplifting, first: masks nave never mattered to those folks, because

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 month

🧵Another thread about covid, politics, & misinformation: Last night, I started seeing posts here that suggested Biden had been preventing covid information (like, about severity, spread, mitigation, etc.) from getting onto the book-of-faces place. Today, I'm getting DMs about

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

12/ None of this is acceptable, @ynhhealth . You should apologize immediately, and I need a new u/s appointment, with a tech wearing an N95, *ASAP.* And we all need to fight against this discrimination in health care access, because it means

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

as soon as they get some visible sign that the threat has passed (like seeing others unmasked - that's not just peer pressure; it's an actual cue that the threat is gone). Well, my friends want HEPA filters now, b/c they can finally see what's there. Better late than never. /5

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

Another good piece by Gregg Gonsalves: "To the extent that we talk at all about Covid today, it’s as a sort of national bloodletting—a rewriting of history at the expense of science." 1/5

Why Covid Keeps Winning

We didn’t learn a thing.

www.thenation.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

until folks can *feel* it. Just *thinking* about a threat often isn't enough to motivate behavior - w/ invisible threats, ppl may know the threat is there, but not really *know* it. This explains both people's lack of mitigation, & their willingness to drop interventions /4

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

Folks in both Canada & the US: please remember that exposure to fine particular matter (like that from wildfires) ⬆️s both covid transmission & mortality. Pls run your air filters, mask when out, & stay home when you can, if the AQI in your area is poor.

Wildfire smoke may have contributed to thousands of extra COVID-19 cases and deaths in western U.S....

Thousands of COVID-19 cases and deaths in California, Oregon, and Washington between March and December 2020 may be attributable to increases in fine particulate air pollution from wildfire smoke.

www.hsph.harvard.edu

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

9 months

A person for whom I used to serve as Conservator just noted that this Chesterfield Hospital debacle (where they reinstated masking, infection rates declined, & so they removed masking) is very similar to cases of psychotic pts discontinuing their meds b/c they "feel better." /1

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

4 months

We knew North Carolina's mask ban would spread, & I said before that NY was a likely candidate, as they've tried before. And here we are. Folks, if you live in the US (or on the planet) another state's advocacy fight must be your fight too, b/c discrimination spreads like weeds.

Dr. Lucky Tran

@luckytran

4 months

UPDATE: NY Governor Kathy Hochul said on CNN last night that she is considering a ban on masks. @GovKathyHochul this is absolutely shameful! New York has suffered so much from COVID, and COVID is not over. We should be normalize and depoliticizing masks, not banning them.

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@dontwantadothis

1 year

@ynhhealth 14/ Just b/c a HCW says wearing N95 is unduly onerous *does not make it so.* It's the obligation of the HC sys to staff facilities w/ ppl who will accommodate the medically vulnerable. This is a systemic discrim issue; we need advocacy & protections at the fed level, @public_rep .

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

🧵This one is an example of the availability heuristic, folks. That's a cognitive shortcut people use to estimate the prevalence of an event (like a health threat) by how easily they can think of examples (either from the media or from personal experience). As I pointed out...

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

7/ But when I offered the u/s tech a choice among the variety of N95s I'd brought (all wrapped), she refused, saying she "couldn't breathe at all" wearing one. She said this to someone w/ severe lung disease; with 31% lung capacity;

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@dontwantadothis

1 year

3/ I'm also legally disabled. Safe access means HCWs must accommodate my disability-related heightened risk by wearing an N95/better when near (eg for breast screenings, when techs' faces are oft <6" from mine) b/c I'm at high risk of both infection & severe infection outcomes.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

11 months

2/ - 2 w/ LC sig enough that they can no longer attend brick & mortar school = 9/40. If you're wondering why chronic absenteeism (missing 10% of school year or ~ 2 days/month) is so high... acute & chronic illness may be a reason.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

11 months

Half of all *symptomatic* HCWs still continue going to work. Half. That's 1 of every 2, folks. They know what they're doing. Medicine is an industry. Industries do not hold themselves to higher standards than required by law. We need mask requirements in health care settings.

CIDRAP

@CIDRAP

1 year

Study notes high rate of COVID-infected healthcare workers still caring for patients Half of all HCWs with symptomatic #COVID19 continued to go to work, even if they were involved with direct patient care

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

Fauci says high-risk people should keep masking. He just had his third infection last month. "The illness...came despite being vaccinated and boosted six times," but acute symptoms were mild. 1/5

Fauci urges at-risk people to keep masking to prevent COVID-19

Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging at-risk people to continue wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

www.baltimoresun.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

5 months

🧵 Since 2020, I've been cutting my partner's hair. I don't know how to cut hair, & the last four years have not made me more knowledgeable or skilled. (Yes, I watched YouTube videos; I'm hopeless.) My partner had been putting up with it, but I couldn't take it anymore, as....

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

1/ "Everyone should consider taking extra or new steps to protect themselves from COVID infection during a rise in cases — even if it feels like 'a step backward' for you, at this stage of the pandemic."

The JN.1 COVID Variant: Symptoms, Incubation Period and When to Test | KQED

A new COVID variant is spreading. Here's what you need to know about the incubation period, symptoms and when to take a test.

www.kqed.org

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

5 months

5/ clients who ask (& it's gen. one client at a time) & she's very respectful of those w/ health issues & disabilities. So if you're in CT, think of her the next time you need a cut or color (she does great color/foils, etc.) & the like. Here's her place:

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

@ynhhealth 13/ medically vulnerable ppl carry a disproportionate risk of severe illness, disability & death when they try to access necessary health care &`are refused the simple accommodation of HCWs wearing N95s during interactions.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

4 months

I *really* like this, because it takes the "cognitive load" (& perceived responsibility) off of staff: instead of having to notice unmasked pts on their own & then think about whether they should respond, they can just react w/ an automatic response whenever they hear the buzzer.

Nic 🇵🇸

@TitheGirl

4 months

my new dentist has an alarm that goes off when someone walks into the waiting room maskless i’m obsessed with her

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

1/ The nurse who told me last night that she masks b/c she has small kids she wants to keep healthy reminds us of two things: 1st, in the US, risk reduction decisions are driven *much* more by motives to protect oneself (w/ little kids an extension of that, for parents) than...

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

Important study finding on mask wearing: people will do as you do, rather than as you say. "During uncertain times, cooperative behavior is more strongly driven by what others are actually doing, rather than what others think ought to be done."

Descriptive norms caused increases in mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Scientific Reports - Descriptive norms caused increases in mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic

www.nature.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

10 months

1/ Wow - when every moment matters: "Starting the antiviral drug nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) 0 or 1 day after COVID-19 symptom onset halved 28-day all-cause death and hospitalization rates compared with waiting 2 or more days"

Early Paxlovid for COVID-19 halved death, hospitalization in new study

www.cidrap.umn.edu

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

2/ Safe access to these tests is necessary for me b/c: I am at high risk of invasive breast cancer, due to sig. family history of invasive BC & my own history of lobular carcinoma in situ (& atypical ductal hyperplasia), which required a sizable lumpectomy, a few years back.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

3 months

"Only a few days" after proposing a mask ban, LA mayor Bass's "office announced that she tested positive for Covid-19 and will be attending her meetings remotely, a luxury that many workers in this country are no longer afforded." 1/2

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

8/who's literally worn an N95 for 4-6 DAYS w/ NO mask breaks while hospitalized NPO (4x since the pandemic started). I told her I couldn't have the u/s if she wouldn't wear one; she said fine, don't. I was forced to leave w/o having obtained the screening in order to remain safe.

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@dontwantadothis

1 year

4/ This is b/c I have autoimmune disease & take multiple immunosuppressant meds; I have asthma, COPD, & only 31% lung capacity; I have cardiovascular disease that has caused blood clots, arterial dissection & a heart attack (< 1 yr ago) & I remain at high risk of recurrent

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

the same folks who had been disbelieving suddenly found faith in authorities' messenges again. Ask people why they aren’t masking, & many will give you some variation on "the CDC said I don't need to.") Fundamentally, this tendency is an example of confirmation bias, but 3/14

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

5 months

Strong opinion: It's time to boycott companies based in North Carolina & to take our business elsewhere. Upcoming passage of state HB 237 is too egregious an assault on health protections & disability rights. Conference organizers: please, do not plan events in North Carolina.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

5/ heart attack/stroke; I have CKD. I'm also older. B/c I'm high risk, I confirmed with my provider's office that radiology staff would wear N95s when they made the appointment for me (within their own YNNH system).

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

5 months

Folks, NC's mask ban has *not* been "shelved" or "halted." The headline people are sharing was grossly misleading. The bill has gone to their House Rules and Operations Committee, which meets next week. It's expected to go through a process in committee to resolve... (1/2)

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

@MayoClinic Medically vulnerable people travel from across the country and world to seek specific expertise at Mayo that they can't access elsewhere. It's immoral & unconscionable to make them risk infection in your facilities. *Please* reconsider.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

saying what we want to hear. (This pattern of behavior has also been on clear display during the pandemic: people were suspicious of leaders whom they perceived as restricting freedoms, due to psychological reactance, but once those experts said to unmask & go to the mall, 2/14

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

6/ I then called the radiology scheduling people directly and confirmed that their staff would accept N95s I brought or wear their own N95. This was on July 24 (see photo; glad I used my cell.)

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

In case anyone was still unsure: this is what motivates the government messaging that the pandemic is over, that covid is mild, and that you can vax and relax.

People are ‘long social distancing’ due to COVID-19. Economists say that’s contributing to a drop...

Labor-force participation fell for the third month in a row in November, as13% of U.S. workers say they will continue social distancing, and another 45% say they will do so in limited ways.

www.marketwatch.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

10/ told me PPE gloves were not allowed in the building. (This was at the same facility that was doing a hand hygiene survey a couple of weeks back; remember that?) I asked her why not. She said she wasn't sure...

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

@ynhhealth @public_rep 15/ But until we get that, what I'll be doing this weekend is: writing complaints to YNNH and to @disrightsct (which took over for the old CT gov. Office of Protection & Advocacy). If you are concerned that you/someone you know might be denied safe health care access by Yale...

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

5 months

4/ So here's what happened. Look at the obscene amount of hair on the ground! Boo! But look at the great job she did! Yay! She's willing to come out again, and she will also happily take precautions for folks at her salon. (Her brother is also a masseuse there!) She masks for

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

@choo_ek Folks, pls call or email WDW & Disneyland & ask them to make free N95s available at all first aid stations (they already stock many OTCs & other supplies!) & to require all "cast members" to provide that info. (Can we post phone #s /email on Twitter? If so, I will below.)

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

9 months

1/ I know this is a very 1st world problem, but I really wish Trader Joe's would allow home, or even curbside, delivery. As someone too medically vulnerable to shop in-person, I'm already reconciled to a lot of food access issues: @TraderJoeCEO

Why Trader Joe's Doesn't Do Delivery or Pickup

The grocery store chain explained its reasons for not offering online orders on a recent episode of the "Inside Trader Joe's" podcast.

www.foodandwine.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

3 months

@richmondie That's a great idea. Also, those house-bound by illness or health conditions!

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

7 months

A powerful piece. First this: "the rot in public health is structural: It cannot be cured by simply rotating the figureheads who preside over it."

Want to Fix Public Health? Stop Thinking Like a Doctor.

Public health requires seeing the world from a collective perspective, but US agencies are still dominated by doctors trained to work on an individual level.

www.thenation.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

🧵 I know some folks want to believe that disregard for the safety of athletes (& others) in Paris is something new & specific to covid, but it's really not. In the US, at least, "pushing through the pain" has been considered a virtue for generations, probably for the same 1/6

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

7 months

🧵 Over the past months, I've seen people comment that they're afraid to express their need for disability accommodations to HCWs or to refuse a request to unmask, b/c they're afraid HCWs will retaliate by putting false info. in their charts (esp. re: presumed mental illness). /1

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

9/ & btw: when I entered the bldg & began to put on (clean!) PPE gloves in prep. for touching high-contact surfaces (like the mammogram grab bars - those machines are not as clean as you may think, & I used to acquire an infection w/ every single mammo), the registration staffer

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

@ynhhealth @public_rep @disrightsct 16/ you, too, may wish to contact their patient relations department at 203-688-3430 or patientrelations @ynhh .org to express your concerns. I'll also be writing to my governor & state legislators to let them know what medically vulnerable people are facing when they try to

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

For those who've been blaming it all on the Rs while giving the Ds a free pass: they are complicit, and we deserve better. I'm tired of hearing how our D leaders lack the power to do the right thing; they have power, but choose to abdicate it while blaming the other side.

The Hill

@thehill

2 years

JUST IN: Biden declines to veto GOP-led measure to end COVID-19 emergency

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

11 months

Hey, dentists! Look at this very simple way to *grow your practice* (and keep patients and staff safer)! Build it & they will come. (I need a crown done.) Also: opthomalogists, please follow suit. I'm losing sight in one eye & need to come see you, but safely.

CaliforniaCodes

@CaliforniaCodes

11 months

Still amazed by our dentist! COVID safe day where they see only 1 patient at a time, wear N95s, huge HEPAS, HVAC fan on, & support whatever added layers (I bring @RealSexyCyborg faruv & mini HEPAS + Xlear). They had 10-15% growth (63 new clients!) by accommodating us 😷 = 💰

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

11/ but thought it was b/c PPE gloves "carry germs." (But hands don't?) But there was no sink to wash hands in the mammogram room, so w/o gloves to remove after the test, I would have had to touch my clothes, bag, etc. with potentially very germy hands after gripping the machine.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

@ynhhealth @public_rep @disrightsct 18/ this sit. will escalate, & our most vulnerable friends, neighbors & loved ones will be + restricted from obtaining safe medical care. The medically vulnerable are already at disproportionate risk of restricted health care access. Let's not let this get any worse. Speak out!

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

@natnatnatthecat Those four hours matter. And think about all that gas, too. Yikes.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

"We're going to see major layoffs in public health agencies all across the country at federal, state and local levels. We're going to see research scaled back substantially on infectious diseases." "I think we're less prepared for the future than we were in 2019 and 2020." /2

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

This wasn't just Fauci mouthing off. (There's good reason Larry Kramer called him a "murderer" in 1988, though he later learned to work w/ Fauci.) This was likely a planned statement designed to normalize & encourage the view of vulnerable folks as acceptable collateral damage./1

Dr. Lucky Tran

@luckytran

1 year

Fauci to BBC: "Even though you'll find the vulnerable will will fall by the wayside, they'll get infected, they'll get hospitalized, and some will die. It's not going to be this tsunami of cases that we've seen." So disappointing. Never ok to minimize the harm of any community.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

@ynhhealth @public_rep @disrightsct 17/ ...access necessary health care in this state. And if I don't obtain redress, I'll be filing with the HHS OCR. (Civil rights/disability attorneys in CT: I'm also happy to discuss options with you.) If we willingly let HCW put our health and lives at risk without objection,

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

People need to "see" the problem, not just the solution. And they like to see numbers; to know that risk is quantifiable. Propping an Aranet on a chair at every visit also establishes the issue as a "fact," not one patient's opinion. I'm a fan. And I hope she gets clean air. /5

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 month

Here's my latest piece, on why folks stop masking immediately after recovering from a covid infection (and what this sort of behavior means for the covid risk reduction movement): 1/2

Why do People Stop Masking After They Get Covid…and How Should These Changes Inform Our Own?

Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of posts on social media that ask “why do people who were masking suddenly stop after having covid?” This is definitely “a thing” – one that I’ve seen occur among man…

essaysyoudidntwanttoread.home.blog

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

Echo today at cardiologist's. C02 at 1135. (It was late in day; normally I would do FoD, but have been in a breathing crisis for a few weeks, so needed ASAP.) I plugged in my levoit HEPA while the tech stepped out. She came back & was surprised by the sound. "Oh!" She said. /1

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

The CDC says likelihood of infection was 70% greater among those who remained at their April conference 3/+ days vs 2 or fewer. I'm curious as to why. It may just be that + time meant + likelihood of coming across an infected person. But it may also be that end of conf. events...

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

Very good thread re: what is fundamentally "argumentum ad consequentiam" - basically, that means deciding what's real based on the consequences of what it would *mean* to you were a thing true. Social psychologists see this *all* the time: ppl interpret risks (inc. health risks)

Antiviral Marketing

@antiviral_mktng

1 year

People think COVID is mild because, if it's dangerous, it means you can't trust any authority figure's statements from the past four years. It means every institution has failed. It's an absolute epistemic and political crisis. It just can't be true.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

That's some heavy-duty "diffusion of responsibility," right there. But when people abdicate responsibility for their own outcomes to others who don't really care about those outcomes, they're setting themselves up. This is also an example of two other phenomena that 7/14

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546

J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

Good op-ed by the Div. of Medical Ethics chair at NYU's Grossman School of Med. But the one thing he neglects to mention is that the lack of appropriate policy & shunting of responsibility onto uninformed individuals mirrors that of governments &...

Noah Lyles' collapse with Covid: How not to manage health at the Olympics

When Noah Lyles collapsed after the 200-meter dash, so did the credibility of those responsible for health at the Olympic Games.

www.statnews.com

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 year

Advice for non-medically vulnerable people: Please don't dismiss the needs of sequestered folks to see friends. I have a friend who lives on the road, traveling cross-country in her van & moving each week. 2 years ago, she spent the night in my driveway & we were able to... /1

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

3 months

See, Mike agrees. If you offer people 5 mitigation options, they will likely pick 1-3 of them, b/c they want to see themselves as (& appear) "appropriately concerned, but not a zealot." All health psychologists know this. Here, the CDC was literally messaging not to pick masks.

Mike Hoerger, PhD MSCR MBA

@michael_hoerger

3 months

Handwashing likely has moderately negative *effectiveness* against Covid, meaning a focus on handwashing as a central strategy reduces focus on mitigation that works best, increasing real-world Covid risk. I do not include handwashing in my Swiss Cheese Model of C19 mitigation.

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

5 months

3/ willing to come to my house & cut J's hair outside, she was enthusiastic. She was happy to bring all her equipment, and to wear an N95. We planned it for a reasonably warm day, & then she said "oh, and if I have a cold or anything, I'll call to reschedule." Smart woman!

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

1 month

Reporter explicitly asked if it's a "problem" that so many folks see covid as a cold, & Topol responded w/ one reason that's a big problem. TY to the reporter for asking the right questions so Topol could answer them. It's the last story, here: 2/2

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J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 months

Currently, AFAIK, the health/safety of Olympic athletes is the responsibility of the IOC, NOCs & coaches, who all have conflicts of interest b/c they need star athletes to show up. Individuals gen. only behave as well as other folks make them, & that's true of NGOs, too. 14/14

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522

J. Offir, Ph.D.

@dontwantadothis

2 years

@lmadams @Justanewsletter It's especially unfortunate when they hide the serious infection of beloved celebrities, b/c audience identification with them might motivate behavior change. Back in the day, Paul Michael Glaser's wife's HIV infection changed attitudes about HIV prevention among straight women.

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