Orion

humour, justice, compassion. lesbian/Quaker/disabled-TBI, recovering theatre artist, BLM, Indigenous rights now, end war/ militarism/poverty 🥌🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

[Leah ProudLakota (she/her) @LeahGazan]

“Transgender rights are human rights and, as feminists, it is critical that we understand that our liberation will never be complete without the liberation of trans and gender diverse people.”

My article in the Toronto Star:
https://t.co/Ys2idTpAx9

[Iris Gorfinkel, M.D. @DrGorfinkel]

See these?
They're called KOPLIK SPOTS

When MEASLES was endemic, seeing these is what MADE THE DIAGNOSIS

-Inner cheeks/palate
-Appear on Day 2-3 after the fever, runny nose, sore throat & cough
-7 out of 10 people get them
-Still the #1 sign of MEASLES
-ISOLATE & get help

[Kelly @broadwaybabyto]

Friend was traveling & wanted to visit - I declined because they don’t take Covid precautions. They get home & tell me “omg I’m so sick - it’s a good thing we didn’t visit as this would kill you.” I asked if they considered the other people like me they exposed on travels. A 🧵/1

[Tara Moriarty @MoriartyLab]

Canadian COVID Forecast: Feb 17-Mar 2, 2024

SEVERE: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, PEI, SK
VERY HIGH: CAN, North, ON, QC
HIGH: none
ELEVATED: none
MODERATE: none
LOW: none

About 1 in 47 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.

[Leah ProudLakota (she/her) @LeahGazan]

Today we celebrate Manitoba's first premier, Louis Riel, known for his leadership of the Métis peoples and his brave resistance to colonization. Take some time today to learn about the history of the Red River Rebellion. #LouisRielDay

[Cheri DiNovo @CheriDiNovo]

2000 years before @ladygaga Jesus said some are born that way, speaking about the gender diverse in Matthew 19:12 "For some are born eunuchs (trans)...and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs ... Let anyone accept this who can." #TransRightsAreHumanRights

[Orion @janeorion]

@fasselin94 pretty sure we caught Shannon Birchard - but could be wrong!

[Danielle Beckman @DaniBeckman]

Is #COVID19 a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease?

Most primates naturally develop senile plaques (beta-amyloid protein deposits), one of the misfolded proteins known to accumulate in the brain in normal aging and Alzheimer's Disease. Since monkeys can also catch #SARSCoV2 and develop similar symptoms as humans, we started investigating what happens in the brains of aged monkeys once they get infected.

The results are surprising: we observe a substantial increase in spike protein in the brain whenever amyloid plaques are present. COVID and senile plaques can increase neuroinflammation when occurring separately. Synergetically, they exacerbate neuroinflammatory events such as blood-brain-barrier disruption and increase the permeability of blood vessels already weakened by the presence of amyloid, allowing more toxins and viral proteins to reach different parts of the brain.

What worries me the most and seems to be overlooked by many, including neurologists, is the fact that a specific region of the brain, called the entorhinal cortex, is exceptionally vulnerable in both, #Alzheimer's and COVID-19 diseases.
In Alzheimer's, the neurons from the entorhinal cortex have been recognized for many decades to be some of the first ones vulnerable to cell death occurring in neurodegeneration, including the presence of amyloid protein. These neurons are essential for different types of memory processing, and their loss is linked to memory decline.
The entorhinal cortex is also part of the primary olfactory cortex, receiving olfactory information from the olfactory bulb, redistributing it to different parts of the brain, and associating it with highly complex memory information. Being part of the primary olfactory cortex means that the entorhinal receives high loads of SARS-CoV-2 from the olfactory bulb just a few hours after the initial infection. After being lost, these neurons can not be replaced.

I believe we are going to see, in a few decades, an epidemic of early demented people, especially the ones that had COVID-19 several times. I also believe that older people who accumulate amyloid plaques in normal aging will shift to dementia and Alzheimer's much faster than the normal progression we often observe. These events typically take decades to be discovered since the brain is remarkably resilient. But currently, once it starts, we cannot counteract or reduce the damage. Most of the neurons we hold are already formed when we are born. Neurogenesis in humans is controversial, and we don't know how to induce it.
The text and images below were published recently by me and our lab.

[Alice Wong 王美華 @SFdirewolf]

FUUUUUCK

IN ER NOW

FEEDING TUBE RUPTURED

ABDOMEN TENDER & DISTENDED

CHECK IN PERSON COUGHING PERSISTENTLY WITH PAPER MASK ON

WAITING ROOM FULL

IT NEVER HAD TO BE LIKE THIS

DONT BOTHER ME, FAMILY, FRIENDS

[Orion @janeorion]

@cher shot in Toronto. I was working way way in the background, supplying lighting. It was a great film that came out of it and highly underestimated, but damn did it prove itself. Norman Jewison was one great man.

[Orion @janeorion]

pretty much nobody gives a fuck. Especially about people who are immuno-compromised or more vulnerable. altruism is a myth. to the few that I actually do care, I see you and I thank you.

[Tara Moriarty @MoriartyLab]

Canadian COVID Forecast: Jan 20 - Feb 2, 2024

SEVERE: CAN, AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, North, NS, ON, PEI, QC, SK
VERY HIGH: none
HIGH: none
ELEVATED: none
MODERATE: none
LOW: none

About 1 in 13 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.

[Dr. Sean Mullen @drseanmullen]

Study after study after study…Brain damage from Covid.

“Our results suggest persistent cognitive impairment and subtle white matter abnormalities in individuals mildly infected without anxiety or depression symptoms.”

I’ve been saying this for years.

Response? 🦗🦗🦗

Source:
https://t.co/C0zRDDNrkJ

[Orion @janeorion]

@fennelltim @mbndp @MBGov In the 80s I had a plastic OHIP card with my number (no photo). I do like that both my spouse and I are on the same card here. And yes. Time to come into 21st century.

[Orion @janeorion]

@SturdyHugh @Garnet_2203 @jannarden @Alberta_UCP @ABDanielleSmith exactly. it can take a few days for symptoms to really develop as the body is in shock (speaking from experience).

[Cheri DiNovo @CheriDiNovo]

Heard Pope Francis came out today against surrogate mothers. Wasn't Mary, Mother of Jesus one?

[Dr. Sean Mullen @drseanmullen]

For years, I've consistently warned about the cognitive impacts of Covid, and now, an eye-opening study under review in the Lancet lends further weight to these concerns. This research unveils a startling revelation: Covid's cognitive aftermath might be akin to accelerating the brain's aging by 20 years. This is not about alarmism; it's about facing reality. We're not dealing with mere speculations anymore; we're seeing concrete evidence emerging. While the paper is yet to be published, its findings cannot be overlooked. We must also reconsider how we view the 'mildness' of infections and their long-term consequences, as impairment has been found even after cases characterized as mild. As a community, it's time to accept these implications and reassess our response to the pandemic. Ignoring these potential cognitive risks is no longer an option. Let's prepare to adapt our strategies in light of this new evidence.

[Cheri DiNovo @CheriDiNovo]

EVEN BETTER!! Why doesn't #Canada have access to these tests?

[Avi Steinberg @avi_steinberg]

My father and former Harvard Hillel director, Bernie Steinberg, just wrote an op-ed on "the cynical weaponization of antisemitism by powerful forces who seek to intimidate and ultimately silence legitimate criticism of Israel"
https://t.co/QC9r21axT0

[Orion @janeorion]

@FKParsons Totally. After my dad died, until the house was sold, I would often call his phone to get the answering machine so i could hear his voice.

[Tom Fletcher @UNReliefChief]

Every time we think things cannot get any more apocalyptic in #Gaza, they do.