Epshita Islam

Research Associate @UofT @moraes_lab @grayowenlab. PhD in infectious diseases. Vaccine R&D 🔬💉. 🚁 Mom. Views are my own.

[Joseph Allen @j_g_allen]

I see a lot of people - on both "sides" - making simple mistakes about masks. I've studied PPE, taught PPE, and overseen PPE programs, including teams implementing fit testing in hospitals, long before covid.

A thread

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

@UofT Finally! This is absolutely the right move 🙏

[Edward Nirenberg 🇺🇦 @ENirenberg]

I see a lot of alarm over whether or not it's possible for SARS-CoV-2 to evolve to fully escape the protection of our vaccines and this is leading people to make some unreasonable statements. 🧵

tl;dr- it is very, very unlikely.

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

@doctorsoumya This is so unfortunate. Please consider making a public statement to clarify your stance.

[David Fisman @DFisman]

Thanks @TorontoStar @EdTubb @Megan_Ogilvie @KenyonWallace for this reporting. There are a large number of covid deaths in Ontario (and undoubtedly elsewhere) in people who acquired the disease in hospital.

https://t.co/i3mCV6Z5pd

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

@imgrund No data on boosting AZ with Moderna either btw. Yet, I see that you support it based on data from AZ/Pfizer combo. Could it be because the mRNA vaccines are virtually interchangeable? 🤷🏾‍♀️

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

@imgrund No data to refute it.

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

@imgrund Can't agree, unfortunately. The interchangeability of the mRNA vaccines is sound from a scientific point of view.

[Menaka Pai, MSc MD FRCPC @MPaiMD]

A word on #AstraZeneca (making the decision about your 2nd shot, and when the 🤬 you can get your 2nd shot)... 1/x

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

@celliottability Please expand eligibility to AZ recipients. There is ZERO scientific basis for making AZ first dose recipients wait 12 weeks to receive an mRNA booster.

[Derick Deonarain @KDDeon]

Thank you @Ginella_M
Continue to speak truth to power.

[Irfan Dhalla @IrfanDhalla]

Reminded this morning that when the federal government condemned Islamophobia, 91 Members of Parliament voted against.

Their names are here: https://t.co/CqFw0k1uRP

If you support #solidarity, consider voting for someone else next time.

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

@fordnation Is there a way to estimate whether there will be sufficient demand for all the available Az doses? Is there a contingency plan in case of low acceptance or will doses be allowed to expire?

[Eric Topol @EricTopol]

The complete list of variants that are resistant to vaccines.
To keep it like this, we need to achieve global containment

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

(1) J&J - 66% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 after 2 weeks

(2) Az - 62% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 after 2 weeks of dose 1

Why are you considered "fully" vaccinated in case of (1), but "partially" in case of (2)

❔🤷🏾‍♀️

#IDtwitter
#MedTwitter

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

@TorontoIDDoc Agreed! I wish the messaging around vaccines was focussed on prevention of serious illness rather than infection/elimination.

[Sana Saeed @SanaSaeed]

232 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank. 12 Israelis.

Specificity in language and numbers matters.

[Jeremy Slevin @jeremyslevin]

As Jews we are told from a young age that our identities are intrinsically tied to the modern State of Israel.

It is taught to us in Hebrew School, in services, and is a deeply held belief by many of our parents, grandparents and family members.

[The New York Times @nytimes]

In Opinion

"Israel has the absolute right to live in peace and security, but so do the Palestinians," Sen. Bernie Sanders writes in a guest essay. "We must recognize that Palestinian rights matter. Palestinian lives matter." https://t.co/YYfuPDh8uC

[Epshita Islam @epitube]

@DFisman My father died after contracting Covid at an Ontario hospital last October. He was an inpatient.