Dr. ZibbelCoot PhD 🧫🧬🦠👩‍🔬

Virologist currently on break. Previously worked with avian (H5N1) and human (H3N2) influenza viruses. I'm my kids' favorite doctor.

She/Her

[Dr. Jonathan N. Stea @jonathanstea]

Doctors are AMAZED at these 10 ways to BOOST your immune system:

The Tetanus vaccine
The Measles vaccine
The Polio vaccine
The Mumps vaccine
The HPV vaccine
The Pneumonia vaccine
The Hepatitis B vaccine
The Rubella vaccine
The Diphtheria vaccine
The Covid-19 vaccine

- @HislopMD

[Dr. Sean Mullen @drseanmullen]

After the delta & 1st omicron surge in the US, my lab had to abandon cognitive screenings (memory) to assess study eligibility because tasks like subtracting 7 from 100 (93…86…79) was a barrier for COLLEGE students to enter. Of those who passed, most couldn’t perform the nBack.

[Michael | APC Injury @michaelmoran]

🚨🚨🚨This paper explicitly suggests that viral reservoirs in bone marrow must be to blame for mitochondrial dysfunction in lymphocytes, monocytes, NK cells, dendritic cells. This would be why the complement system is wacked. This is a big deal.🚨🚨🚨

https://t.co/VhX5sDMvpg

[Friesein @Friesein]

SARS-CoV-2 causes cumulative damage.

Much of the population is unaware of that crucial fact.

In many cases, this is because important information was omitted from their view.

What evidence have you come across that broadly illustrates the cumulative damage in COVID?

[Dr. Sean Mullen @drseanmullen]

New 🦠❤️ study by
Eberhardt et al (preprint)

Background: People who had COVID-19 are at a higher risk of heart attacks, severe chest pain, and strokes for up to a year after catching the virus.

One reason might be the overall inflammation in the body caused by the virus.

It's unclear if the virus directly infects the blood vessels of the heart and the cholesterol plaques (which are risky buildups in the vessels) to cause local inflammation.

This study found evidence of the COVID-19 virus in the heart's cholesterol plaques in patients who died of severe COVID-19.

Specifically…

-The virus was mainly found in the immune cells (macrophages) within the plaques.

-The virus was more common in these plaques than in the surrounding fat tissue, especially in areas with more immune cells.

-In lab tests, the virus more easily entered immune cells that had absorbed cholesterol (called foam cells). This was somewhat linked to a molecule named neuropilin-1 (NRP-1).

Even if the virus doesn't fully replicate in these cells, it causes a strong inflammatory response. It releases chemicals, including IL-6 and IL-1β, that are known to contribute to heart-related issues.

Tests on human blood vessel tissues with cholesterol plaques showed a similar immune response, including the release of chemicals that make atherosclerosis worse.

Summary:
The virus can infect immune cells in the heart's cholesterol plaques. This can increase inflammation, which may lead to heart-related issues shortly after infection and increase the long-term risk of heart events.

https://t.co/N8GoXfo5EP

[Dr Ellie Murray, ScD @EpiEllie]

Our @NEJM study showed school mask mandates *reduce* COVID illness & absences.

Others disagreed. But we take scientific critique seriously. So we checked everything suggested to us. And now we’ve published an updated Appendix with the details.

Our results hold: Mandates work.

[Amy Proal, PhD @microbeminded2]

I am excited to share our new position paper on #SARS-CoV-2 reservoir (viral persistence) in Long COVID or post-acute sequelae of COVID (PASC): https://t.co/cxx7NjuGrC

[Gay Breakfast @ Nekocon @GayBreakfast]

🌟PSA on Paxlovid🌟

Research says Paxlovid is beneficial, but do NOT stop resting just because you feel better, if you can help it.

If you get too active, you’re more likely to rebound.

We both rebounded hard after we had to deal with a bedbug introduction & a leak. 🧵

[Gay Breakfast @ Nekocon @GayBreakfast]

🏳️‍🌈💫 Infinite Pride 💫🏳️‍🌈

More 👇

[Dr. Deepti Gurdasani @dgurdasani1]

Large study from the US showing higher risk of RSV infections and bronchiolitis post-COVID in a matched cohort of children who had COVID pre August 2022 in late 2022 - suggesting that this may have contributed to the large wave of RSV in children in 2022🧵
https://t.co/fBhNGx1ekO

[🪷🪷 #Kamala2024 🪷🪷🇺🇦🌻Ukraine supporter @mrshellwinger]

@PeterHotez @nancylevine Never give a platform to science deniers. It elevates them to be on the stage with an actual expert. Tell them to submit a paper with their claims to a peer reviewed journal.

[Tatiana Prowell, MD @tmprowell]

In case you missed it: Women are less likely to be credited for their scientific contributions than men. It’s true across multiple fields & at all stages, with important repercussions for career progress. #WomenInSTEM #WomenInMedicine #MedTwitter

https://t.co/6LsW1sicNJ

[CZEdwards.bsky.social @CZEdwards]

I love* the part of c19 research basically going, “Yeah, we think it causes the same YOLO effect as toxoplasmosis does to rats, but on humans. C19 REALLY wants you to have a kid’s birthday party at a busy Chuck E Cheese, then go clubbing!”

*am horrified by

[AnnieRN @ann_mcnitt]

"Are you going to wear a mask forever?"

Am I going to use seatbelts forever? Am I going to have mammograms and Pap tests forever? Am I going to floss my teeth forever? Am I going to eat my vegetables forever?

Masks aren't a hardship. 1/4

[Gay Breakfast @ Nekocon @GayBreakfast]

🏳️‍🌈💖Axolutely💜Proud💙🏳️‍🌈

[Hannah Davis @ahandvanish]

I've debated for a long time about being public with this, bc it's heavy & I still haven't come to terms with it. But I have a rare pre-COVID datapoint so will do it, hoping it helps people:

Right before I got COVID, I did neuro testing to see if I had ADHD.

1/ #LongCovid

[March For Science @MarchForScience]

Platforming anti-vaxxers is not "following the science"