News-packed update on nextgen Covid vaccines this month at my
@PLOS blog:
Phase 2 results for a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine from Japan with a phase 3 trial recently closed off
Preclinical results for an intranasal "universal" vaccine that provided some protection from coronaviruses, H1N1 flu, some bacterial infections, and an asthma allergen
Opportunities to participate in intranasal vaccine trials in Finland and the US
STUDY: "In this large real-world study of working-age, commercially insured adults in the United States, #COVID19 infection is associated with a 2.3-fold risk of developing AKI (acute kidney injury), a 1.4-fold risk of CKD (chronic kidney disease), and a 4.7-fold risk of ESRD (end-stage renal disease) compared to influenza. "
Would you like to guess how many research studies have been published in the past 12 months that find that #COVID19 reinfections increase all sorts of risks, including Long COVID, cognitive dysfunction, myocarditis, mental ill health, arrhythmias, fatigue, osteoporosis, and other health issues?
Why COVID-19 is “a vascular disease masquerading as a respiratory one”
Published: 09 February 2026
"Although COVID is transmitted through the respiratory system, much of the pathology unfolds in the vascular system, with microvascular damage, thromboinflammation, and dysregulated perfusion underpinning the cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological manifestations of severe disease."
Illustration showing a side profile of a human head with red, branching blood vessels extending through the brain and face against a red background. Text below reads: “Why covid-19 is ‘a vascular disease masquerading as a respiratory one’.”
Yes! We need to get the word out that COVID-19 is not just a respiratory disease, that it can impact almost every vascularized organ!
But it's simultaneously INCREDIBLY frustrating to read "The best preventive measure is vaccination" when we KNOW that the best preventative measure is clean air via respirators, and the second best preventative measure is cleaner air through air exchange and filtration.
I REALLY wish people would get smarter on #COVID19 vaccines.
They are quite effective against death after infection, and increasing research suggests they reduce Long COVID and other chronic risks following infection.
They are weakly effective against infection and protection fades within months after a jab.
"First vaccine targeting SARS virus family enters human trials"
A new vaccine, GBP511 developed by UW Medicine, has entered clinical trials in Australia. It aims to protect against COVID-19 and related coronaviruses, including potential future threats, with trials led by South Korean pharmaceutical company SK Bioscience.
'Zombie' Remnants of COVID-19 Hunt In Packs And Kill Our Immune Cells
Study by 30+ authors shows how the destruction of the virus within our body leaves dangerous protein fragments that target immune cells, helping explain debilitating long COVID symptoms affecting millions worldwide.
Yaneer Bar-Yam, founder of the so-called World Health Network which so many covid-aware people foolishly insisted on following, appears in the Epstein files.
"Can you catch COVID on top of COVID? A doctor explains why it is, unfortunately, a possible scenario and what you can do to protect yourself"
"Many people assume that having long COVID means they’re still ‘immune’ to getting the virus again. But sadly, this isn’t the case."
"COVID is still with us and it continues to evolve. So, it’s worth continuing some of those protective habits, like testing if you feel unwell, wearing a mask in busy indoor spaces and keeping up with vaccinations."
"At stake is not merely the technical distinction between a loose fitting medical mask and a respirator certified to FFP2 or FFP3 standards in the United Kingdom or N95 standards in the United States.
At stake is whether health systems have been knowingly deploying substandard protective equipment in environments where exposure to lethal airborne disease is foreseeable, continuous and unavoidable.
Under international labour law, this question is already answered."
I wish I could bottle this article and pour it into a water pistol so that I could aim it at doctors and nurses who come near me unmasked or wearing baggy blues.
This is among the most concise and well cited sources for the current state of #Covid knowledge and tools. Even for well-informed people who already take strong precautions, there is still likely something new to be learned by giving it a read through.
A friend sent me this Covid Policy Statement (from a church in Vancouver, Canada) and I feel so seen that I'm in tears. It's well written and relatively comprehensive. It is also an astonishing example of care and compassion combined with science to inform an approach to covid.
I'm sharing it here for the many Fedi friends who may be heartened by it or find it useful.
STUDY finds that airborne transmission of #COVID19 dominated, accounting for a median of 92.2%, whereas contact (7.8%) and direct deposition (droplets, 0.0%) played minimal roles.
Passengers seated within two rows of the index case had a 4.41-fold higher attack rate compared with those farther away, but 45% of observed infections occurred beyond this proximity.
Have masking or respirator questions?
Want to learn about mask decoration options?
Interested in accessories like drinking valves or beard bands?
Just trying to find a model that fits well?
Then join us today, January 10th, at 5:30pm Central (UTC -6) for examples, demos, answers, and details: https://meet.jit.si/QualityRespiratorsProtectThoroughly
(No need to create an account - just enter a name or username and join.)
Event promo image featuring the profile picture of Texan_Reverend and the event details:
Masking Webinar + Q&A
With Texan_Reverend
Saturday, January 10th
At 5:30pm Central
Respirator Reuse, Decorations, Drinking Valves, Sizing, and More!
Attend Via Jitsi
https://meet.jit.si/QualityRespiratorsProtectThoroughly
Hosted By:
https://kind.social/@Texan_Reverend
· A large, electronic health records study published in JAMA Internal Medicine estimated that over 100,000 Americans died each year between 2022 and 2024 from #COVID19
· A new study published in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics found further evidence of abnormalities in post-exertional malaise #PEM
· A small phase two clinical trial is testing #Ketamine for #LongCOVID fatigue and cognitive function
· A large prospective cohort study published in Infectious Diseases found that a majority of people with #LongCOVID did not recover
· Some researchers in Australia are getting a small boost in Long COVID funding
· The biotech company Invivyd is advancing research of a #COVID19 monoclonal antibody called VYD2311, designed to improve upon the currently-available Pemgarda