5 ms·

good twitter thread that provides a level-headed perspective based on what we actually currently know: https://twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/14642226807318

• mpfundstein 5y ago
  why should we trust this weird twitter account? where is this person even from? She/he says senior scientist? Of what?
  • YXNjaGVyZWdlbgo 5y ago
    Just go to the source: https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2021-update-on-omicron https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2021-update-on-omicron
  • chimprich 5y ago
    She's a well-known commentator on the pandemic. She is/was involved in the development of the Moderna vaccine, verified by various media orgs. She's a credible commentator, but she tends to skew towards the positive end of the arguments. That thread is 3 days old, and there's a bit more evidence now that Omicron is spreading quite effectively.
    • kvathupo 5y ago
      Something about this just doesn't sit well with me. I find an individual's anonymity troubling when one speaks in an authoritative manner about healthcare policy for two reasons. Firstly, it's concerning that I have to take someone's word on their authority. I'd much rather see their Google scholar to gauge the extent to which they are engaged in current research. Indeed, two researchers in the same subfield of quantum computing could easily work in different areas, say adiabatic- vs gate-based quantum computing. Secondly, I'd like to think that the reason we often interview CDC officials is since they're experienced in healthcare public policy. Especially with respect to the Twitter thread's commentary about whether we'll be "back to square one," science isn't the sole basis for policy. While I do appreciate the Twitter user's engagement with a lay audience, I hope the latter consult other sources as well. That's, however, not to undermine their endeavors: I think the Twitter user has done splendid work in encouraging readers to think critically and curiously.
    • datavirtue 5y ago
      Great thing to keep in mind for pandemics: what you learned three days ago might be very stale.
• manojlds 5y ago
  Was just watching this interview with Dr.Coetzee who first encountered this https://youtu.be/k_BaSdDNnVw https://youtu.be/k_BaSdDNnVw
• junon 5y ago
  Hmmm this goes against what the RKI is saying. Omicron is indeed very infectious, as the data has certainly shown so far. This appears to be an individual in the thought camp of "we don't know if it's a big deal so let's not treat it like one". I disagree, personally - we did that the first time and it made things worse. Why risk it?
  • shlant 5y ago
    > Omicron is indeed very infectious, as the data has certainly shown so far. What data are you referring to? The WHO[1] and most experts I've seen say we don't have enough information to know that yet > we don't know if it's a big deal so let's not treat it like one not sure how that is your interpretation. Their thread is mostly addressing those (such as yourself) who are speaking as if they already know how transmissible/deadly/vaccine evasive it is. 1. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2021-update-on-omicron https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2021-update-on-omicron