So apparently outlook is down and i has to switch to my desktop app which is the only thing keeping the fabric of reality together right now. If you’re trying to log in via browser, don’t. It’s a trap. 🚩🚩🚩
Pulling back on #biodefense weakens our ability to detect, model and respond to the next threat not just at the national level but globally as well. As climate change and urbanization reshape transmission patterns, preparedness isn’t optional. It’s foundational to public health.
On March 26, I look forward to joining my friend and colleague @michaelemann.bsky.social @upenn.edu in beautiful Philadelphia for this important symposium on climate and disease discussing our book #ScienceUnderSiege
web.sas.upenn.edu/pcssm/calend...
Genomic-based biosurveillance for avian influenza: whole genome sequencing from wild mallards sampled during autumn migration in 2022-2023 reveals a high co-infection rate on migration stopover site in Georgia https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41684678/
I’ve lost count of the Americans that’ve asked me “After COVID are we better prepared?”. I tell them the truth “no” but offer hope by pointing to the scientific research underway.
Meanwhile Bhattacharya is eviscerating US preparedness. This will come back to haunt
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
So much to unpack in it. Just on example:
Ok, that was one of my top favorite #Superbowl shows. Loved it and you could tell they were having so much fun!
Imposter syndrome hits hardest during a PhD program when you have to explain your work out loud. But that’s not proof you don’t belong. It’s proof you’re building command of something complex. Clarity comes with reps. You’re learning. You’re legit.
Post-storm reality: empty shelves. The system needs time to recover now. With natural disaster risks rising, we must be ready for "anything." At least with Individual preparedness it buys you independence so you aren't waiting on a system that’s hitting reset button again & again to recover.
Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college:
Economics and Public Policy
Law and Public Policy
Global Economics
Advanced Health Policy I-II
Epidemiology (I have 5 classes just in this LOL)
Surveillance is how epidemiology works. We look for early signals, confirm w/ testing, contact tracing and update based on data and not rumors. More monitoring usually means the system is doing its job and catching any risk early. That's a good thing.
I’ve gotten a few messages about #NIPAH cases in India & COVID style airport protocols. Extra surveillance can feel scary, but it does not mean it is the next pandemic. It means public health is doing standard containment and monitoring so we can catch signals early and prevent any global spread.
South Carolina DPH just reported 89 new #measles cases since Friday. Upstate total: 789. We’re clearly in a sustained transmission. If you are in SC and you do not know your MMR status, check it and get protected.
Dr. Bill Foege was a giant who helped deliver smallpox eradication, one of public health’s greatest achievements. He changed the game by advancing surveillance containment, often called ring vaccination. His legacy lives on in each of us fighting for public health prevention in our communities.
#WinterStormFern We're still holding power. Although, it's going to be a frozen mess in the morning because the last part of the storm was mostly sleet. My proposal defense got canceled due to storm impacts. I am disappointed but also grateful we can reschedule. Back to the work.
Bill Foege was a public health legend. His loss is profound, particularly at this time. That he died at the end of the week in which the US withdrew from #WHO & the chair of ACIP mused about whether polio & measles vaccination are still needed — no words. www.statnews.com/2026/01/25/w...
I’ve weathered hurricanes, tropical storms and pre and post disaster work. I went into this storm better prepared than I was for most events so I've felt solid but the anticipation for 1"+ ice is going to make it a long night and day tomorrow. It almost here, so now we wait #WinterStorm
Great example of what I was saying in my previous post.
This reveals the deeper issues we ignore. Real preparedness isn't just buying supplies, it demands structural adaptation. We have to stop just reacting to these events and finally fix the systemic gaps leaving communities exposed. With that, I hope what is already fragile holds during this storm.
But it’s not just random events, it’s environmental whiplash. Example, tomorrow’s ice storm proves that. We’re seeing extremes in places not built for deep freezes or flooding. The spectrum of risk is expanding on both ends, and the "safe" zones and infrastructure we relied on are disappearing.
Picking up a few supplies for this storm had me thinking about how exposures keep widening. Heat lingers longer. Smoke ignores state lines. Hurricanes like Helene push further inland. We’re seeing climate/environmental hazards show up in places and seasons, where we simply didn't used to expect them
I’m currently preparing to defend my dissertation proposal with my committee, also preparing for a major ice storm tomorrow and I just learned we canned the WHO. This is the kind of institutional failure that will have a body count.
This is what unchecked transmission looks like. With this level of exposure statewide, we are not going to see this slow down soon. People forget how contagious measles is.
The number of confirmed #measles cases in South Carolina has hit an astonishing 558 in an outbreak that started in October. For context: that is more cases in 4 months than the entire US racked up most years in the past 30+ years. www.reuters.com/business/hea...
As an epidemiologist, this is the data that keeps me up at night. We need 95% for herd immunity. When we drop the shield, the virus finds the gap. #measles
A 30% surge in the state doesn't happen by accident. When most impacted areas sit on a 90% vaccination rate it is simply too low to stop this virus. We’ve broken the herd immunity threshold. This is what a preventable crisis looks like. #Measles
Just this evening we got another update from SCDPH that you can add an additional 124 new cases of #measles in the state since Friday, bringing the total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak to 434. There are currently 409 people in quarantine and 17 in isolation.
Off season heat can bring real disease risks. Warmer winters can extend transmission windows, affect vector and pathogen survival and leave communities more vulnerable when systems are not heat ready. It has been unusually warm in SC for January. These are not good signs.
I agree, the way Greenville keeps feeding us. It’s really what keeps them on the map.
Reminder that #Measles has an R0 around 12 to 18. It is airborne and can hang in the air for up to 2 hours after someone leaves. Translation: if susceptibles exist, measles will find them. Vaccinating or boosting is the intervention to reduce your risk, not a debate club.
