Angry Redhead

How not to catch the flu? The airborne infection transmission pathway remains elusive

We just published our “Insights from lack of transmission in a controlled transmission trial with naturally infected donors” in the journal PLOS Pathogens. I've summarized it in a Substack post. "How not to catch the flu?" profairborne.substack.com/p/how-not-to...
#Influenza #AirborneInfection

www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/P...

www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/P...

"It Feels like Everyone is sick"
Please help me continue my efforts to:
1. Raise Awareness for Covid and Long Covid.
2. Provide advocacy assistance.
3. Advocate for education, mitigation, and air filtration.
gofund.me/c4dae9171

Education as well, anywhere that indoor air is important, which is everywhere.

@toshiakima.bsky.social @VSTMMJJ@med-mastodon.com

NSW Parliament currently has an inquiry into indoor air quality .I’d also encourage everyone to send a submission, closing date is the end of January.

parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/Pag…

Current specific area of interest is workforce impacts of COVID, indoor air quality in workplaces & healthcare facilities. I already have links but want more. Please add link of particularly good & relevant article &/or paper please add link in comments. Location irrelevant.

#C0VIDisnotover #maskforyourlife #cleantheair

As some might know I’m in regular contact with NSW politician to whom I send COVID related papers & articles.

Some interesting comments on the petition to #SaveVicHealth:

www.change.org/p/keep-viche...

Public records documented 257 meetings between tobacco lobbyists and Members of the European Parliament from 2023 to 2025, and an average of €14 million spent annually on lobbying activities in the EU.

mailchi.mp/exposetobacc...

@an-leavy.bsky.social @maffygirl.medsky.social @asharao.bsky.social @lovenotgreed.bsky.social @drhilary.bsky.social @sidherian.bsky.social hope you are all ok
Jacarandas are today’s offering. ‘End of their blossom)

Post-COVID-19 Femoral Head Osteonecrosis Exhibits Mast Cell Clusters, Fibrosis, and Vascular Thrombosis: Key Pathological Mechanisms in Long COVID-19 Bone Degeneration Background/Objectives: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common condition in hip surgery, which is characterized by the death of bone cells due to disruption of the blood supply and ultimately irreversible destruction of the hip joint. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increase in the incidence of ONFH has been identified. To better understand the pathogenesis of ONFH in the context of COVID-19, our research aimed to determine pathomorphological changes in articular tissues specific to post-COVID-19 ONFH. Methods: Using morphological, morphometric, and statistical methods, the femoral heads after hip arthroplasty were retrospectively studied in patients with post-COVID-19 ONFH (n = 41) compared to a non-COVID-19 group of patients (n = 47). Results: Our results revealed that the key morphofunctional biomarkers of post-COVID-19 ONFH were clusters of mast cells, extensive areas of fibrosis, numerous arterial and venous thrombi, and giant cell granulomas. The potential relationship of those morphological features with the action of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was discussed. Conclusions: Mast cells have been proposed as the leading players that may trigger the main molecular and cellular mechanisms in the development of post-COVID-19 ONFH and can be considered a diagnostic sign of the disease.

the future, it may contribute to design of foundational strategies for early diagnosis & treatment targeting mast cells, fibrosis, & thrombus formation.
www.mdpi.com/1873-149X/32...

Research Significance
While long-term steroid use has traditionally been considered main cause of ONFH onset, this study focuses on pathological indicators like mast cells, thrombosis, & fibrosis, deepening understanding of pathophysiology specific to COVID-19.

Combined effects of COVID-19 infection on immune system, inflammation, & vascular system may promote bone necrosis.

Formation of giant cell granulomas: as tissue repair reactions, granulomas with giant cells were frequently observed.

Conclusion
In Post-COVID-19 ONFH, mast cells play a central role, & shown that they could serve as diagnostic markers.

Spread of fibrotic areas: Extensive fibrosis is observed in bone tissue, indicating progressive tissue structural changes associated with bone necrosis.

Thrombosis in arteries & veins: Numerous thrombi present in arteries & veins, showing an association with thrombotic tendency caused by COVID-19.

Key Findings
Appearance of mast cell clusters: In Post-COVID-19 cases, mast cells tend to cluster, suggesting the possibility that these cells cause local inflammation & abnormalities in bone metabolism & vascular function.

The

Since pandemic, cases of ONFH have been increasing, & association with COVID-19 has been drawing attention.

This study aims to elucidate pathological changes in femoral head necrosis (ONFH) after COVID-19, comparing 41 cases of Post-COVID-19 ONFH with 47 non-COVID-19 controls.

Research Background 
ONFH (Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head: Idiopathic Femoral Head Necrosis) develops after COVID infection is disease characterized by bone cell death due to blood flow impairment.

#C0VIDisnotover #maskforyourlife #cleantheair
Deep Scars Left by COVID-19 on Bones: Overlooked Idiopathic Femoral Head Necrosis.

Host Manipulation Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 - PMC Viruses are the simplest of pathogens, but possess sophisticated molecular mechanisms to manipulate host behavior, frequently utilizing molecular mimicry. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been shown to bind to the ...

Which reminded me of this paper. 
Pattern recognition served me very well in my career but there are times I wish it would switch off.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Interestingly, rather than simply blocking those signals, Toxoplasma gets its way by doing the exact opposite: Bowler and his team found that the parasite actually kickstarts the human inflammatory response, and proceeds to manipulate it according to its own needs. “

Under normal circumstances, when cells in your body detect a parasite, a series of molecular signals will activate a protein called p38α, prompting it to move into the cells' nuclei. Here, it activates the genes that trigger an inflammatory response to eliminate the pathogen.

And now scientists have figured out how.  
"The parasite rewires the host's inflammatory response," says Matthew Bowler from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. "It completely subverts the chain reaction that would normally trigger our body's defences."

There was new to me infor about how toxo impacts its host. “Toxoplasma has managed to keep body's immune response to it low enough to ensure that it can still thrive in its human hosts, but high enough that those who are infected can live a healthy life as one giant incubator.”

We Finally Know How The 'Mind-Altering' Cat Parasite Controls Our Immune Response : ScienceAlert Up to 50 percent of global population is infected by the 'cat parasite' Toxoplasma gondii, and in some areas, the infection rate is as high as 95 percent.

#C0VIDisnotover #maskforyourlife #cleantheair
While involved in a discussion on another platform about people forgetting COVID infections & rewriting what occurred emergency phase of pandemic I segued into toxoplasmosis (as you do) so came upon this article.

www.sciencealert.com/we-finally-k...

She’s an Australian journalist.

DDA review survey guide Guide to making a submission to the Disability Discrimination Act Review Introduction The Australian Human Rights Commission and Attorney-General’s Department are consulting the public on ways to reform the Disability Discrimination Act (1992). The world has changed greatly since 1992, conte...

Pls contribute if you can: due Fri 14/11
docs.google.com/document/d/1...

There’s also community survey & we did a guide with details, links, screenshots & prompts to help you share your lived experience of the new discriminatory barriers to accessing public venues & participating in public life (that others take for granted)