Jesse Couk
@jessecouk.bsky.social
Dad, ID doc, hospital tour guide, some hospital epi
Reposted by Jesse Couk
From a clean energy standpoint, this is quite bad. We use a ton (technically, many tons) of the stuff in our EVs, their batteries, & solar panels. Also to build those new manufacturing plants.
And it's not clear there are many good policy options on the table (other than, you know, axing tariffs).
And it's not clear there are many good policy options on the table (other than, you know, axing tariffs).
September 30, 2026 at 4:33 PM
From a clean energy standpoint, this is quite bad. We use a ton (technically, many tons) of the stuff in our EVs, their batteries, & solar panels. Also to build those new manufacturing plants.
And it's not clear there are many good policy options on the table (other than, you know, axing tariffs).
And it's not clear there are many good policy options on the table (other than, you know, axing tariffs).
Reposted by Jesse Couk
“1st, rather than cut NIH by nearly 40 percent, as the OMB proposed last year, we should double its $48 billion budget within five years. These are big numbers, but if they yield discoveries that trim the nation’s $5.3 trillion health bill by just 1 percent, they will more than pay for themselves.”
we need a Marshall Plan for American science, starting but not ending with NIH as the golden goose we almost killed
🫨https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/09/23/sen-dave-mccormick-nih-research-needs-more-reform-investment/
September 24, 2026 at 6:37 PM
“1st, rather than cut NIH by nearly 40 percent, as the OMB proposed last year, we should double its $48 billion budget within five years. These are big numbers, but if they yield discoveries that trim the nation’s $5.3 trillion health bill by just 1 percent, they will more than pay for themselves.”
The man who owned Panahar was so kind and welcoming.
September 16, 2026 at 1:17 AM
The man who owned Panahar was so kind and welcoming.
How many endoscopies have been delayed because we decided to change the species name for Strep bovis?
September 11, 2026 at 12:14 PM
How many endoscopies have been delayed because we decided to change the species name for Strep bovis?
Reposted by Jesse Couk
I guess it’s important to communicate that MAHA is fundamentally an movement by individuals to capture health care dollars by lying to people about having products and services that work
When my wife’s Meta algorithms sniffed out that she’s pregnant a bunch of medical crankery started aggressively filing into her Facebook and Instagram feeds. “MAHA moms” happen because there is a lot of money being spent strategically preying on women going through a stressful experience.
September 7, 2026 at 1:12 PM
I guess it’s important to communicate that MAHA is fundamentally an movement by individuals to capture health care dollars by lying to people about having products and services that work
Reposted by Jesse Couk
COVID vaccine. Note that even in 2026, it's more accessible to most people in the US than to most in the UK.
Here in the UK it is virtually impossible to get it. Last year I paid for it at a pharmacy out of pocket. Probably can’t afford it this year
www.nhs.uk/vaccinations...
www.nhs.uk/vaccinations...
COVID-19 vaccine
NHS information about the COVID-19 vaccine, including what the vaccine helps protect against, who should have it and when, how to get it and side effects.
www.nhs.uk
September 4, 2026 at 12:13 AM
COVID vaccine. Note that even in 2026, it's more accessible to most people in the US than to most in the UK.
Reposted by Jesse Couk
Someone did an Open Records Request into ATL Spoke ridership. The cost per rider is $112.
mikehikes.github.io/beep-analysis/
mikehikes.github.io/beep-analysis/
ATL Spoke Ridership — Summary
mikehikes.github.io
September 3, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Someone did an Open Records Request into ATL Spoke ridership. The cost per rider is $112.
mikehikes.github.io/beep-analysis/
mikehikes.github.io/beep-analysis/
Insurance company denied an elderly patient’s HIV medication and because of this denial they began taking what insurance would cover by itself which turned out to be completely ineffective and thus harmful.
It should be impossible to deny a patient’s established ART regimen.
It should be impossible to deny a patient’s established ART regimen.
August 22, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Insurance company denied an elderly patient’s HIV medication and because of this denial they began taking what insurance would cover by itself which turned out to be completely ineffective and thus harmful.
It should be impossible to deny a patient’s established ART regimen.
It should be impossible to deny a patient’s established ART regimen.
Reposted by Jesse Couk
Patriotic Americans have an obligation to stand with our country. Which means standing with Canada and our other G7 allies.
On the one hand, I shouldn't wish my country ill.
On the other hand, Canada's grandfathers bled with my grandfathers fighting the Nazis. When we were attacked on 9/11, we asked Canada to send their sons and they bled with our troops in Afghanistan.
To betray that bond - we'll deserve what we get.
On the other hand, Canada's grandfathers bled with my grandfathers fighting the Nazis. When we were attacked on 9/11, we asked Canada to send their sons and they bled with our troops in Afghanistan.
To betray that bond - we'll deserve what we get.
Late last evening I instructed our negotiators to return to Ottawa. We cannot accept what the U.S. has offered, and we will not give what they have asked.
August 22, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Patriotic Americans have an obligation to stand with our country. Which means standing with Canada and our other G7 allies.
Reposted by Jesse Couk
I cannot control the vaccine disinformation coming from the White House. But I can control what happens when I walk into a patient’s room, sit down, listen and try to earn their trust. This matters more than ever. There is too much at stake.
bktitanji.substack.com/p/that-space...
bktitanji.substack.com/p/that-space...
That Space Still Belongs to Us
When vaccine misinformation comes from the highest levels of government, the work of building trust with our patients matters more than ever.
bktitanji.substack.com
August 11, 2026 at 7:32 PM
I cannot control the vaccine disinformation coming from the White House. But I can control what happens when I walk into a patient’s room, sit down, listen and try to earn their trust. This matters more than ever. There is too much at stake.
bktitanji.substack.com/p/that-space...
bktitanji.substack.com/p/that-space...
Reposted by Jesse Couk
really nice writeup from CDC's campus on friday
August 10, 2026 at 8:50 PM
really nice writeup from CDC's campus on friday
Reposted by Jesse Couk
Any outbreak of an infectious disease, even relatively benign ones, if allowed to spread uncontrolled will record rare complications/ presentations and even deaths. Cyclospora outbreak has caused 2 deaths in Michigan.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Michigan reports 2 deaths in cyclosporiasis outbreak
More than 11,000 cases of the foodborne illness have been confirmed in the state and 193 people have been hospitalized since early May.
www.nbcnews.com
August 3, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Any outbreak of an infectious disease, even relatively benign ones, if allowed to spread uncontrolled will record rare complications/ presentations and even deaths. Cyclospora outbreak has caused 2 deaths in Michigan.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
The fact that people are shifting from “no one died” to “no deaths that matter” feels all too familiar. At some point it shifts to “well everyone dies”. If people are hospitalized from something preventable we should prevent it. Why waste our breath arguing in favor of fecal contamination?
Michigan reports two deaths in ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak reut.rs/4w4bd4E
Michigan reports two deaths in ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak
Two deaths have been identified as part of a cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting Michigan, the state's health department said on Monday.
reut.rs
August 3, 2026 at 5:53 PM
The fact that people are shifting from “no one died” to “no deaths that matter” feels all too familiar. At some point it shifts to “well everyone dies”. If people are hospitalized from something preventable we should prevent it. Why waste our breath arguing in favor of fecal contamination?
Reposted by Jesse Couk
“… the CDC lab that responds to outbreaks of the parasite cyclospora was downsized from 11 people to just 3”
“Based on simple math, these outbreak responses—which require rapid, timely responses—are going to be greatly diminished,” the former CDC lab director tells WIRED. www.wired.com/story/cdc-cy...
The CDC Has a Cyclospora Lab. DOGE Downsized It Last Year
“Based on simple math, these outbreak responses—which require rapid, timely responses—are going to be greatly diminished,” the former CDC lab director tells WIRED.
www.wired.com
July 17, 2026 at 9:24 AM
“… the CDC lab that responds to outbreaks of the parasite cyclospora was downsized from 11 people to just 3”
Reposted by Jesse Couk
No ICU nurse would let many non-relatives call their patient and talk for 20 minutes
July 8, 2026 at 3:44 AM
No ICU nurse would let many non-relatives call their patient and talk for 20 minutes
Excellent study on the ability of flu vaccine to prevent death in children. VE was 80% (95% CI 75–84) overall, 77% (95% CI 71–82) among children with underlying medical conditions and 87% (95% CI 84–89) among children without known conditions.
Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Against Pediatric Death in the United States: 2016–2025
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES. Seasonal influenza vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of influenza and severe complications among children aged 6 months and older. Since 2010, reported numbers o...
publications.aap.org
July 7, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Excellent study on the ability of flu vaccine to prevent death in children. VE was 80% (95% CI 75–84) overall, 77% (95% CI 71–82) among children with underlying medical conditions and 87% (95% CI 84–89) among children without known conditions.
Reposted by Jesse Couk
I just came across this— no need to apologize.
The danger of politically motivated history is real.
This is why @evanbernick.bsky.social, @gowder.io, and I used the Dunning School as a prime example of the threat shoddy academic poses to society.
Modern purveyors of mistruth must be confronted.
The danger of politically motivated history is real.
This is why @evanbernick.bsky.social, @gowder.io, and I used the Dunning School as a prime example of the threat shoddy academic poses to society.
Modern purveyors of mistruth must be confronted.
When Ilan Wurman got started, I was very, and vocally, convinced that it was wrong for other legal academics to engage him on the merits. I was particularly vocal in my disagreement with @anthonymkreis.bsky.social and @evanbernick.bsky.social on that point.
And I was dead wrong.
And I was dead wrong.
July 7, 2026 at 10:44 AM
I just came across this— no need to apologize.
The danger of politically motivated history is real.
This is why @evanbernick.bsky.social, @gowder.io, and I used the Dunning School as a prime example of the threat shoddy academic poses to society.
Modern purveyors of mistruth must be confronted.
The danger of politically motivated history is real.
This is why @evanbernick.bsky.social, @gowder.io, and I used the Dunning School as a prime example of the threat shoddy academic poses to society.
Modern purveyors of mistruth must be confronted.
Reposted by Jesse Couk
bluesky was right about platner, right about ICE, right about dems fighting back vs. moving to the middle, right about AI and data centers…
July 6, 2026 at 9:10 PM
bluesky was right about platner, right about ICE, right about dems fighting back vs. moving to the middle, right about AI and data centers…
Reposted by Jesse Couk
A good day to remember that one of the indictments against George III in the Declaration was, "He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither"
July 4, 2026 at 4:06 PM
A good day to remember that one of the indictments against George III in the Declaration was, "He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither"
Reposted by Jesse Couk
The common law’s path in England and the colonial legal order did, in fact, diverge—but only for nonwhites. The 14th Amendment was designed to de-racialize the natural born citizenship rule and enshrine it, overturning Dred Scott. The Alito opinion, however, says the rejected rule is relevant today.
July 1, 2026 at 12:06 PM
The common law’s path in England and the colonial legal order did, in fact, diverge—but only for nonwhites. The 14th Amendment was designed to de-racialize the natural born citizenship rule and enshrine it, overturning Dred Scott. The Alito opinion, however, says the rejected rule is relevant today.
Reposted by Jesse Couk
Excited to share our latest publication in AIDS! We performed one of the largest multi-ancestry genome-wide association studies of cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV using the Million Veteran Program. We identified a novel genetic locus near NAT8 associated with CVD risk.
June 30, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Excited to share our latest publication in AIDS! We performed one of the largest multi-ancestry genome-wide association studies of cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV using the Million Veteran Program. We identified a novel genetic locus near NAT8 associated with CVD risk.
Reposted by Jesse Couk
Earnestly I think hosting the World Cup is our month-long America 250 celebration.
June 30, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Earnestly I think hosting the World Cup is our month-long America 250 celebration.
Reposted by Jesse Couk
If you actually care about Supreme Court reform, posting that the Supreme Court made a good decision here and that they stood up to Trump is surely the dumbest possible strategy
Despite Trump’s best efforts to bully them, the Supreme Court just reaffirmed that if you are born in America, you belong in America.
Breaking News: In a blow to President Trump, the Supreme Court blocked his executive order limiting birthright citizenship. nyti.ms/4gOxDCU
June 30, 2026 at 5:25 PM
If you actually care about Supreme Court reform, posting that the Supreme Court made a good decision here and that they stood up to Trump is surely the dumbest possible strategy
Reposted by Jesse Couk
the truly enraging thing is that sam alito will never face this question from a member of the public. we have allowed these people to create a wall between themselves and the people they rule over.
June 25, 2026 at 2:45 PM
the truly enraging thing is that sam alito will never face this question from a member of the public. we have allowed these people to create a wall between themselves and the people they rule over.