Mike Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA

In the 2026 PMC Dashboard survey (n>1,000), the *MAJORITY* of respondents indicated both masking indoors in public unless medically necessary to remove it and using in-home air purifiers daily.

You may feel lonely from the ostracism, but you are not alone. #IYKYK

Fingers crossed Chicago will be in a much better place in two weeks. We shall see.

😂 That got a belly laugh out of me. Thanks for the humor

California had a gigantic summer wave. There is nothing special about a particular state when there is very little variation in universal precautions, unfortunately.

Indiana has had a pretty brutal past 6 months on the COVlD front. Presently or soon, you may notice an uptick in Long COVID issues among students or more students out for family bereavement.

I posted this video a few months on other platforms. There are some shutdown gaps, but overall very bad.

Indiana peeps: there’s something really bad going around. I’ve had conscientious students miss three classes from high fever and bad cough. One fainted while standing (not in class!). At least two students have tested positive for flu and another for COVID. Take care!

Indiana has had a pretty brutal past 6 months on the COVlD front. Presently or soon, you may notice an uptick in Long COVID issues among students or more students out for family bereavement.

I posted this video a few months on other platforms. There are some shutdown gaps, but overall very bad.

If that was true, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be hearing about it from some random mustachioed man on the internet..

It's just the new daily infections x 7. The average infection duration is approximately 7 days.

Sorry, misread your question. It's about 6.1 million.

Very few people are willing to have a real conversation about why everything feels off.

The first post in the thread is not visible to me, deleted, blocked, or someone I have blocked. Early estimates of transmission are based on Biobot (CDC contractor) and IHME true case estimates. It is a time period of more uncertainty, but there is still good agreement between the sources.

Your rhetoric is actually anti-vaxx. One of the reasons many people no longer get vaccinated against COVID is because too many people have overstated vaccine efficacy (to deride masking). A lot of people get the vax, think they are fully protected, develop LC, blame it on the vax, & stop boosting.

People who mask consistently have among the highest vaccination rates. At the population level, utilization is low, and they wane in protecting against infection considerably by 3-6 months. Multi-layered mitigation reduces risk.

Two screenshots against a background of a blue sky with thin, scattered clouds. The first is a map of the US showing COVID transmission, with states colored pale yellow to maroon depending on severity. Oregon is pale yellow, which means “Very Low”. Text warns that this data is based off February 14th. The second screenshot is text that reads, “77% of Oregon community wastewater treatment centers were positive for SARS-CoV-2 on the most recent sample.”

It’s Wastewater Wednesday! How are COVID levels? We’re using two sources to help us keep track of the country and our state of Oregon.

Thank you to @michael-hoerger.bsky.social for the map and graph, and OHA for continuing to track data coming from our wastewater treatment centers!

That's very kind. The project is down until we can find additional grant funding. Unfortunately, COVID is a dirty word to reviewers.

I do not accept personal donations but appreciate the offer.

💯

Agreed 100%. It does not make sense. I hope this work is one step in the process of getting healthcare systems to improve patient safety.

If health systems provide these kits or services, they will have to reckon with their own behavior inside hospitals.

thank you!

Stacks of air purifiers

Kits getting boxed up to be mailed

Kits getting boxed up to be mailed

Taking a wagon of kits to the post office

Healthcare should provide COVlD Defense Kits to all patients and families in need, in addition to modeling safety themselves.

Giving these supplies is an act of dignity and love that all people deserve. Nobody deserves COVlD, especially on top of dealing with cancer.

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Cutting shrouds to increase air purifier efficiency

Cut shrouds and an air purifier running

Students building air purifiers

Students and community members posing with air purifiers

Air purifier builds are an excellent way to bring people together to fight COVlD & fight cancer.

It's gratifying work to build something with your hands that you know will help another family.

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Picture of me in a Flo Mask standing in front of box fans and MERV-13 filters

These were the components of the COVlD Defense Kits.

🔸Educational booklet (will have online in May)
🔸5 Flowflex tests
🔸50 N95/KN95 masks tailored to the family
🔸2 MERV-13 box fan air purifiers
🔸Mailed for free

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Two images show an air purifier, educational booklet, and masks. All text is noted in the post

Today in JAMA Net Op: Patients with cancer & their families want COVlD safety.

A recent pilot study to provide comprehensive COVlD Defense Kits to adults with cancer led to a waiting list of >360 families -- high demand!

tinyurl.com/jamanocovid

Details & pics in thread 🧵

Long Covid ruled as occupational disease in nurses - Switzerland Long Covid confirmed as an occupational disease in nurses.

Long Covid ruled as occupational disease in nurses

https://www.europesays.com/ch/17407/

Long Covid confirmed as an occupational disease in nurses. Keystone-SDA Baloise Insurance must recognise the Long Covid disease…

If you mask 100% of the time in public indoor spaces, please drop a like and follow. I will follow back.

We are in the early days of COVID.

bsky.app/profile/mich...

Long COVID Defense Series III featuring 6 Virtual Q&A Sessions — Mask Together America March 4, 2026, 4:30pm - 9:00pm EST Join Long COVID Defense Series III to honor patients and their allies who are tirelessly advocating for health justice in this historical struggle. On March 4, 2026....

Dr. Hoerger @michael-hoerger.bsky.social will give the opening remarks at our #LongCOVIDAwareness event on March 4th.
Register here:
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
More info: masktogetheramerica.org/blog/long-co...
Don't miss it!

Risk table shows projected exposure risk increasing to 85% in a gathering of 300 people. This assumes no universal testing/isolation policies. Exposure risk does not necessarily equal infection risk.

Risk remains very high in large gatherings, even during California COVlD "lulls" because there are no universal precautions in place.

However, delayed medical and dental care may be much safer today than 1-2 months from now.

🧵THREAD 3 of 3

Levels have been "Very Low" (CDC category) since November 1, 2025. That's >100 days.

In the past 4 years, lulls have rarely gotten this low, and never for as long. Note, CDC state-level data only go back to Jan 2022.

🧵THREAD 2 of 3

California is in its longest known lull in SARS-CoV-2 transmission in at least four years.

It is probably one of the lower-risk time periods for getting delayed medical or dental care, acknowledging all care carries risk.

🧵THREAD 1 of 3