Andrea Thomas DVM PhD

Study: SARS-CoV-2 RNA found in 39% of hospital air samples during outbreaks, despite good ventilation

Study: SARS-CoV-2 RNA found in 39% of hospital air samples during outbreaks, despite good ventilation.

Kirby Institute researchers sampled air and surfaces in a Sydney hospital ED and ICU during two COVID-19 waves (Nov 2023–Jul 2024), detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA in 39% of aerosol samples collected.

Alberta measles cases on the rise, as exposure at an Edmonton hospital prompts public alert Alberta is seeing an increase in measles cases as the province issues with a public alert issued after exposure in an Edmonton hospital

edmontonjournal.com/news/local-n...

For those who actually care about evidence-based city-making, there’s a ton of evidence that decongestion pricing has been a massive success in New York City, by every measure of success, and many ways that can’t be measured.

Alberta Moves to Protect Greenwashers Lost in the news cycle about the Alberta-Canada memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the past days was a legislative move by the Alberta government to reduce investor accountability for Alberta-based ...

"Alberta’s Bill 12 enables the gov't to pass regs reducing accountability for “climate-related” disclosures by AB-listed companies... this would be the first instance of a province moving to reduce investor accountability specifically with regard to climate claims."

Energy transitions can happen faster than we think:

In 2000 almost 90% of Denmark's electricity was from fossil fuels.

In 2024 less than 10% of Danish electricity was from fossil fuels.

A PBS News tweet explains how two laid-off USAID employees created a website to match donors with canceled programs, keeping nearly 80 projects running in 30 countries. Below the text is an image of two people—Caitlin Tulloch and Rob Rosenbaum—appearing in a split-screen video interview, each seated in their respective rooms.

Meet two heroes of our times.

Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.

Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative

electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...

Switching 50km/h speed limits to 30km/h would protect cyclists while barely affecting commutes, research finds One expert says a cyclist hit by a car travelling 50km/h has about a one-in-10 chance of surviving, while at 30km/h it is a nine-in-10 chance

“If you get hit by a car travelling at 50km/h, you’ve only got a 1.5-in-10 chance of surviving. If it’s going 30km/h you’ve got a nine-in-10 chance.”

“But it was not enough to put up a sign that says 30km/h…there also needed to be design changes to slow down traffic.”

Speed is always a factor.

Empathy + Action = A Better World

Thank you, Jane Goodall

He was making drugs for the next pandemic. Then the feds canceled his project Sumit Chanda's search for antivirals is in limbo after NIH halted its pandemic-preparedness program

He was making drugs for the next pandemic. Then the feds canceled his project

Sumit Chanda's search for antivirals is in limbo after NIH halted its pandemic-preparedness program. cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic... #chemsky 🧪

Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death A city traffic engineer credits the success to lower speed limits and smarter design.

“Helsinki has not recorded a single traffic fatality in the past 12 months, city and police officials confirmed this week.”

City engineer credits lower speed limits and smart design.

I agree. #Helsinki #VisionZero

BC measles still going up.

Sep 8: 268 cases.

@tjradcliffe.bsky.social

How RFK Jr.’s misguided science on mRNA vaccines is shaping policy − a vaccine expert examines the false claims Chaos at the CDC and the sharp move away from mRNA vaccines has public health experts alarmed.

Deborah Fuller, a microbiologist from UWash, wrote this article pointing out many of the false statements made by RFK in his senate hearing yesterday and explaining why they were false.

Long COVID Hitting Doctors and Nurses Hard David Brzostowicki September 03, 2025

Long COVID Hitting Doctors and Nurses Hard.

David Putrino, PhD, at Mount Sinai, has treated about 3,500 people with long COVID and sees 500–700 new patients per year. He says 5–7% are healthcare workers, showing disproportionate long COVID impact in this group.

Source: archive.md/8odRz

Florida Plans to End All Vaccine Mandates

Eliminating vaccine mandates isn’t “freedom,” it erases decades of progress.

#Measles is resurging after being eliminated. #Smallpox was eradicated because of mandates & collective action. Undoing this puts everyone at risk—history is warning us, are we listening?

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/b...

#USPOL #USA #us #uspoli #poli #politics #cdnpoli #canada #MidasMighty #Politics-matter #PoliticsNation #america #anticapitalism #anticapitalist #capitalismkills #killCapitalism #capitalism #abolishcapitalism #fuckcapitalism #SocialJustice #ethics #ClassConsciousness #WokeAF #FalseConsciousness

If everyone could repost this, it would help me out tremendously!

I know everyone may not have the means to donate, but sharing helps too!

#VetMedSky #MedSky #ResearchSky #VetMed #Academics #AcademicChatter @academic-chatter.bsky.social

🦇🐦🧪🐶🐱🌎

Actuarial scientists at insurance orgs understand that covering vaccinations for flu and Covid for all age groups is scientifically and economically justified.

Rise in heat related mortality in the United States Over the past century, extreme heat events (EHEs) have become more frequent and intense, resulting in significant health impacts and economic challenges worldwide. In the United States, extreme heat i...

🔥 Heat deaths on the rise in the US

New research shows heat-related mortality has increased across nearly all US regions (1981–2022), with the number of extreme heat days driving the trend.

🔗 doi.org/10.1371/jour...

#SciComm #ClimateCrisis #Heat 🧪

American kids are less likely to reach adulthood than foreign peers • Stateline American kids are less likely to reach adulthood compared with foreign peers

US infants, children and teens are almost twice as likely to die before reaching adulthood compared to those in peer countries.

Gun violence has been the leading cause of death for US children. Firearm death rates among US kids have more than doubled since 2013.

🧪

stateline.org/2025/08/28/a...

Edmonton Public removing more than 200 library books to comply with provincial rules Edmonton's public school board is yanking more than 200 books from library shelves this year to comply with Alberta government rules.

So regressive & dystopian it feels like, um, The Handmaid’s Tale…👇

“…public school board is yanking more than 200 books from its library…”

“…including literary classics such as author Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’”

MAGA Alberta: edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonto....

EMERGENCY EPISODE: Trump Regime Launches Full-Scale Assault on CDC - Meidas Health Dr. Vin Gupta and I break down the breaking news unfolding now

Full video and more from MeidasTouch here:

www.meidasplus.com/p/emergency-...

Healthcare Workers Still Exposed. Experts demand action to keep healthcare workers and patients safe. - British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) Aside from the huge loss of life and legacy of illness among healthcare workers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers are at particular risk from exposure to airborne diseases. Many...

This definitive document fills a massive void and casts aside all the ambiguity and misinformation perpetuated within current IPC manuals (and the former ‘4-nations IPC guidance’).

See Press release here:
www.bohs.org/media-resour...

Long Covid patients gaslit by GPs, Surrey study finds The University of Surrey study says patients faced "gatekeeping" of medical treatment from doctors.

"We found that people with long Covid are often led to fend for themselves in a system that isn't adequately informed about their condition and doesn't offer them appropriate medical support."

#LongCovid in the UK

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Famine confirmed for first time in Gaza.

Famine confirmed for first time in Gaza
FAO, UNICEF, WFP & WHO reiterate call for immediate ceasefire & unhindered humanitarian access to curb deaths from hunger & malnutrition.

Vaccine Integrity Project presents reassuring data on vaccines for upcoming respiratory virus season

Vaccine Integrity Project presents reassuring data on vaccines for upcoming respiratory virus season www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/vac...

100%. I work in a very well resourced, well staffed ICU and we are still hemorrhaging nurses. It’s really obvious to anyone paying attention that ignoring Long Covid (when it is common among nurses!) is making everything so much worse. Acknowledging reality is the only way through this.