There is a danger that the US normalises this. The occasional death from H5N1, the pre-existing conditions, risk to the public is low. This virus is circulating in unprecedented ways, with likely many more people infected than recorded. A ticking biological time bomb.
edition.cnn.com/2026/11/02/h...
edition.cnn.com/2026/11/02/h...
First US bird flu death of 2026 reported in Washington; health officials say the risk to public is low | CNN
A person in Yakima County, Washington, who caught bird flu after being exposed to infected dairy cows has died following a severe illness, county health officials said.
edition.cnn.com
November 2, 2026 at 3:56 PM
There is a danger that the US normalises this. The occasional death from H5N1, the pre-existing conditions, risk to the public is low. This virus is circulating in unprecedented ways, with likely many more people infected than recorded. A ticking biological time bomb.
edition.cnn.com/2026/11/02/h...
edition.cnn.com/2026/11/02/h...
1. The bottom line: SARS-CoV-2 only emerged in late 2019. No-one can know the long-term effects of repeated infections, but with anosmia and cognitive dysfunction as common symptoms, the assumption I make is that there is a tsunami of early-onset neurocognitive diseases coming.
November 1, 2026 at 1:27 AM
1. The bottom line: SARS-CoV-2 only emerged in late 2019. No-one can know the long-term effects of repeated infections, but with anosmia and cognitive dysfunction as common symptoms, the assumption I make is that there is a tsunami of early-onset neurocognitive diseases coming.
A good friend of mine has been an inpatient in a major Belfast hospital for the past few days, and I've been visiting every day. It's been heartening to see quite a few other visitors wearing masks - many well-fitted FFP2s. However, I have yet to see a single staff member masked.
October 30, 2026 at 11:11 AM
A good friend of mine has been an inpatient in a major Belfast hospital for the past few days, and I've been visiting every day. It's been heartening to see quite a few other visitors wearing masks - many well-fitted FFP2s. However, I have yet to see a single staff member masked.
1. 'Mink in captivity have previously been described as pandemic “time bombs”. The size and density of the farms give invading viruses a perfect environment in which to mutate'.
H5N1, mink, seasonal influenza, potential for reassortment, no action.
A biological risk nightmare.
H5N1, mink, seasonal influenza, potential for reassortment, no action.
A biological risk nightmare.
October 30, 2026 at 12:11 AM
1. 'Mink in captivity have previously been described as pandemic “time bombs”. The size and density of the farms give invading viruses a perfect environment in which to mutate'.
H5N1, mink, seasonal influenza, potential for reassortment, no action.
A biological risk nightmare.
H5N1, mink, seasonal influenza, potential for reassortment, no action.
A biological risk nightmare.
I very much want to be wrong, but I think this outbreak is going to get much, much worse. Attacks on healthcare workers, active conflict zone, porous borders, sub-optimal surveillance. A very bad combination.
apnews.com/article/ebol...
apnews.com/article/ebol...
Congo’s Ebola outbreak tops 10,000 cases as authorities race to slow the spread in African countries
Congo’s fast-moving Ebola outbreak has topped 10,000 confirmed cases as authorities race to slow the spread across Africa.
apnews.com
October 27, 2026 at 11:20 AM
I very much want to be wrong, but I think this outbreak is going to get much, much worse. Attacks on healthcare workers, active conflict zone, porous borders, sub-optimal surveillance. A very bad combination.
apnews.com/article/ebol...
apnews.com/article/ebol...
The media has been full of reporting regarding the potential future risks of AIxBio for some time now, when the real, tangible risk is this: avian influenza burning through a mink farm in Utah.
We are giving this beast too much room.
www.propublica.org/article/bird...
We are giving this beast too much room.
www.propublica.org/article/bird...
Bird Flu Is Raging on a Mink Farm. It Could Spark a Human Pandemic, Experts Say, but Officials Won’t Act.
Federal officials brushed off the issue as Utah prioritized the fur industry’s interests. Little has been done to stop the spread of the virus and ensure it can’t spread to humans, a failure that expe...
www.propublica.org
October 23, 2026 at 6:29 PM
The media has been full of reporting regarding the potential future risks of AIxBio for some time now, when the real, tangible risk is this: avian influenza burning through a mink farm in Utah.
We are giving this beast too much room.
www.propublica.org/article/bird...
We are giving this beast too much room.
www.propublica.org/article/bird...
I met an old friend recently, someone I haven't seen in years. Immediately noticing my mask, he said, 'are you still worried about Covid?'. I replied, 'yes'. He then said, 'Why? Sure everyone's had it now'. I don't think he understood when I then said, 'that's why I'm worried'.
October 22, 2026 at 11:54 PM
I met an old friend recently, someone I haven't seen in years. Immediately noticing my mask, he said, 'are you still worried about Covid?'. I replied, 'yes'. He then said, 'Why? Sure everyone's had it now'. I don't think he understood when I then said, 'that's why I'm worried'.
Walking through a small seaside town on the North Coast of Northern Ireland a few days ago, I saw a very elderly man in a wheelchair. A woman was walking beside him, wearing a well-fitted FFP2 respirator mask. A rare sight these days, but a reminder that it's an easy thing to do.
October 21, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Walking through a small seaside town on the North Coast of Northern Ireland a few days ago, I saw a very elderly man in a wheelchair. A woman was walking beside him, wearing a well-fitted FFP2 respirator mask. A rare sight these days, but a reminder that it's an easy thing to do.
1. '...if H5N1 mutates and gains the ability to spread person-to-person, it could trigger the next global pandemic – and each new infection gives the virus more opportunities to replicate and change'.
Important to note here: this is the first *reported* case in the US this year.
Link follows:
Important to note here: this is the first *reported* case in the US this year.
Link follows:
October 20, 2026 at 6:02 PM
1. '...if H5N1 mutates and gains the ability to spread person-to-person, it could trigger the next global pandemic – and each new infection gives the virus more opportunities to replicate and change'.
Important to note here: this is the first *reported* case in the US this year.
Link follows:
Important to note here: this is the first *reported* case in the US this year.
Link follows:
Benone Strand from Mussenden Temple, Northern Ireland, earlier today. Michael Palin once described the train journey along the coast here as one of the most beautiful in the world.
October 20, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Benone Strand from Mussenden Temple, Northern Ireland, earlier today. Michael Palin once described the train journey along the coast here as one of the most beautiful in the world.
The ruins of Dunluce Castle, between Portballintrae and Portrush on the North Coast of Northern Ireland. There has been a castle on this promontory since the 13th century.
October 19, 2026 at 8:28 PM
The ruins of Dunluce Castle, between Portballintrae and Portrush on the North Coast of Northern Ireland. There has been a castle on this promontory since the 13th century.
The Atlantic Ocean from the Nun's Walk in Portstewart, Northern Ireland, earlier today.
October 18, 2026 at 5:19 PM
The Atlantic Ocean from the Nun's Walk in Portstewart, Northern Ireland, earlier today.
Hiking from Portbradden to Dunseverick Harbour on the North Coast of Northern Ireland earlier today.
October 17, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Hiking from Portbradden to Dunseverick Harbour on the North Coast of Northern Ireland earlier today.
I am immensely proud of my friend @nastassjacarnivora.bsky.social for launching this much-needed counselling service. She is an extraordinarily empathetic person and all-round good human, and I have no doubt she will help many people indeed in the future.
I’ll make it short & painless…
…months of work, loss of sleep, & the constant meowing of my cat, but it’s finally done!
Presenting you my covid centred counselling website 🙌
ccounselling.org/en/
(English)
ccounselling.org
(German)
1/3
…months of work, loss of sleep, & the constant meowing of my cat, but it’s finally done!
Presenting you my covid centred counselling website 🙌
ccounselling.org/en/
(English)
ccounselling.org
(German)
1/3
October 16, 2026 at 9:04 AM
I am immensely proud of my friend @nastassjacarnivora.bsky.social for launching this much-needed counselling service. She is an extraordinarily empathetic person and all-round good human, and I have no doubt she will help many people indeed in the future.
Absolutely heartening experience in Belfast today: I was walking through a park I spotted a young woman wearing a mask, a black surgical. As I often do, I offered her an FFP2 - she said she was wearing a mask because she was sick. She thanked me, and I thanked her for masking.
October 12, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Absolutely heartening experience in Belfast today: I was walking through a park I spotted a young woman wearing a mask, a black surgical. As I often do, I offered her an FFP2 - she said she was wearing a mask because she was sick. She thanked me, and I thanked her for masking.
This is obviously a worrying development, especially considering the fact that air travel was involved.
I am considerably more concerned by the ongoing outbreak of Ebola in this region than I am by current events in Russia.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
I am considerably more concerned by the ongoing outbreak of Ebola in this region than I am by current events in Russia.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Kenya confirms first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus
The patient had been living in DR Congo, where more than 4,000 people have died from the disease this year.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 6, 2026 at 10:12 AM
This is obviously a worrying development, especially considering the fact that air travel was involved.
I am considerably more concerned by the ongoing outbreak of Ebola in this region than I am by current events in Russia.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
I am considerably more concerned by the ongoing outbreak of Ebola in this region than I am by current events in Russia.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Many people have recently reached out to me regarding the current situation in Irkutsk. Right now, the information environment there is both too sparse and too unreliable to base any firm analysis and / or prediction on. The next week will make the picture much clearer.
October 4, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Many people have recently reached out to me regarding the current situation in Irkutsk. Right now, the information environment there is both too sparse and too unreliable to base any firm analysis and / or prediction on. The next week will make the picture much clearer.
A friend has Covid right now. They have lost their sense of smell and they're having cognitive problems.
This hit me today, as it often does: we made, and continue to make, a huge collective mistake in allowing a virus that impacts the brain to transmit unmitigated globally.
This hit me today, as it often does: we made, and continue to make, a huge collective mistake in allowing a virus that impacts the brain to transmit unmitigated globally.
September 30, 2026 at 6:54 PM
A friend has Covid right now. They have lost their sense of smell and they're having cognitive problems.
This hit me today, as it often does: we made, and continue to make, a huge collective mistake in allowing a virus that impacts the brain to transmit unmitigated globally.
This hit me today, as it often does: we made, and continue to make, a huge collective mistake in allowing a virus that impacts the brain to transmit unmitigated globally.
'...meaning that each additional infection event represents an opportunity for adaptive mutations that could favor mammal-to-mammal or, ultimately, human transmission'.
We keep giving this beast too much space to mutate.
beaconbio.org/en/report/?r...
We keep giving this beast too much space to mutate.
beaconbio.org/en/report/?r...
BEACON
Track biological threats, share vital information, and collaborate on solutions for community protection and preparedness.
beaconbio.org
September 30, 2026 at 9:50 AM
'...meaning that each additional infection event represents an opportunity for adaptive mutations that could favor mammal-to-mammal or, ultimately, human transmission'.
We keep giving this beast too much space to mutate.
beaconbio.org/en/report/?r...
We keep giving this beast too much space to mutate.
beaconbio.org/en/report/?r...
I am rarely affected by discourse on social media, but the current wave of posts asserting that Long Covid is psychosomatic has angered me. To be very clear: if you're asserting that LC isn't a physical disease, you're ignorant of science. End of.
September 27, 2026 at 11:12 AM
I am rarely affected by discourse on social media, but the current wave of posts asserting that Long Covid is psychosomatic has angered me. To be very clear: if you're asserting that LC isn't a physical disease, you're ignorant of science. End of.
The disconnect between the millions of dollars being thrown at biosecurity / biodefense right now and the simultaneous mocking of people wearing masks is so painfully, tragically stark. A respirator is a tool, just like a biosensor or a biological countermeasure.
September 24, 2026 at 7:19 PM
The disconnect between the millions of dollars being thrown at biosecurity / biodefense right now and the simultaneous mocking of people wearing masks is so painfully, tragically stark. A respirator is a tool, just like a biosensor or a biological countermeasure.
A contractor was at my house a few days ago. The last time he was there - about two years ago - he told me that he'd been having some brain fog after Covid. This time, he told me, completely nonchalantly, that he, 'can't remember anything now'. He's ten years younger than me.
September 23, 2026 at 8:36 AM
A contractor was at my house a few days ago. The last time he was there - about two years ago - he told me that he'd been having some brain fog after Covid. This time, he told me, completely nonchalantly, that he, 'can't remember anything now'. He's ten years younger than me.
1. New-onset allergies following COVID:
'The Covid 'on switch'
Some people are born with a genetic predisposition to allergy. But "it's not all genetics," says Ruchi Gupta, director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research at Northwestern University in Illinois...
'The Covid 'on switch'
Some people are born with a genetic predisposition to allergy. But "it's not all genetics," says Ruchi Gupta, director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research at Northwestern University in Illinois...
September 20, 2026 at 3:56 PM
1. New-onset allergies following COVID:
'The Covid 'on switch'
Some people are born with a genetic predisposition to allergy. But "it's not all genetics," says Ruchi Gupta, director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research at Northwestern University in Illinois...
'The Covid 'on switch'
Some people are born with a genetic predisposition to allergy. But "it's not all genetics," says Ruchi Gupta, director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research at Northwestern University in Illinois...
Articles like these are emblematic of the institutional amnesia surrounding Covid-19. A pathogen that emerged less than seven years ago, which can cause fatigue during the acute infection and as a common long-term effect, not even mentioned.
Conspicuously absent.
www.nbcnews.com/health/menta...
Conspicuously absent.
www.nbcnews.com/health/menta...
Why are Americans so tired? CDC report highlights who’s feeling it most
Fatigue is one of the most common concerns reported in primary care visits, yet not much attention is given to how often adults in the U.S. are coping with it.
www.nbcnews.com
September 19, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Articles like these are emblematic of the institutional amnesia surrounding Covid-19. A pathogen that emerged less than seven years ago, which can cause fatigue during the acute infection and as a common long-term effect, not even mentioned.
Conspicuously absent.
www.nbcnews.com/health/menta...
Conspicuously absent.
www.nbcnews.com/health/menta...
1. My mother passed away three years ago today. She died in the early hours of the morning in the nursing home she had lived in from late 2019. The nursing home was, at that point, in a Covid-19 outbreak, the eleventh outbreak in the facility since the pandemic began.
September 17, 2026 at 12:05 AM
1. My mother passed away three years ago today. She died in the early hours of the morning in the nursing home she had lived in from late 2019. The nursing home was, at that point, in a Covid-19 outbreak, the eleventh outbreak in the facility since the pandemic began.