Whitney K, MPH, PhD
@factcontagion.bsky.social
Fact Contagion | Epidemiologist | Public Health | Infectious Diseases | Zoonotic flu | SciComm (All opinions are my own)
A few things Fauci is responsible for: Strawberries molding two days after purchase. Your 3–11 fantasy football season. The inexplicable popularity of gender-reveal parties. Another disappointing night for your wife. His reach is unprecedented.
Why making Anthony Fauci the enemy will harm US public health for years
Republicans are trying to scapegoat the infectious disease expert, even as they have gutted healthcare amid outbreaks of measles, cyclosporiasis and Ebola
theguardian.com
A middle school library trip in the mid-90s sparked my lifelong fascination with infectious diseases after I stumbled across a '95 Newsweek Ebola cover. 31 years later, during another Ebola outbreak, I reflect how that moment shaped my path into epidemiology and science communication. #EpiSky #IDSky
How a 1995 Ebola Outbreak Led Me to Epidemiology and Science Communication
The middle school library moment that sparked a lifelong fascination with infectious diseases
tinyurl.com
A virus can be deadly without being a pandemic threat. That’s true for both hanta and ebola. Pandemics are driven by efficient human-to-human transmission. Post-COVID, every ID headline becomes either the next apocalypse or a political conspiracy. Infectious diseases don’t care about your politics.
AI is better for your health anxiety than a late-night Google spiral. But it’s weak at interpreting scientific evidence. Unless pushed, it blends RCTs, observational studies, and blog posts without weighing quality/bias. Use it to generate questions, not medical decisions. Talk to your HCP. #medsky
Congress funded the #CDC. The administration is dismantling it anyway. Workforce gutted. Grants terminated. Coordination broken. Our disease detection system is fragmenting. Outbreaks won’t wait for us to rebuild what we’ve lost. Substack post: tinyurl.com/funded-not-f... #EpiSky #IDSky #MedSky
"After 4 years of failed aggressive livestock biosecurity interventions, the US avian influenza #H5N1 epizootic rages onward. For public health, veterinary health, and economic reasons, it is now time to develop a H5N1 vaccination program for dairy cattle." #EpiSky #IDSky doi.org/10.1093/infd...
New COVID variant Cicada is in US, with spike mutations raising concern about immune escape. Spring upticks aren’t new. And “no prior immunity” is often overstated. Vaccines broaden immune memory, so your body still responds. Younger kids may show up more in case counts due to less prior exposure.
A new COVID variant is spreading in the U.S. How worried should you be?
Infections of the BA.3.2 variant of the COVID-causing coronavirus are still at very low levels, but experts are concerned it may be resistant to immunity from vaccines or prior infection
scientificamerican.com
I’ve started and stopped this platform twice. 2025 wasn’t kind. I lost both my dogs to cancer, 2 days apart. But 2026 offers a fresh start with a new home and a new puppy. I created FC because public health needs credible voices. That hasn’t changed. So I'm committing to showing up. Stay tuned.
When you invert a food pyramid retired 15yrs ago and the food itself looks concerned... #USDA #PublicHealth Image source: The New Yorker
#Influenza viruses persist because their biology is built for constant change. But they aren’t dangerous because we don’t understand them. They’re dangerous because as the old proverb goes, 'Opportunity makes the thief'. The real risk is complacency. Learn the flu basics here 👇. #EpiSky #IDSky
The ABCs of Influenza Viruses: Our Most Predictable Pandemic Threat
Influenza's Evolution, Transmission, and Pandemic Potential
open.substack.com
No tolerance for fear-mongering, but the US is in a #seasonalflu surge. H3N2 subclade K is expected antigenic drift, but H3 seasons do tend to be harder. Flu shots still help, esp against severe disease. Now’s the time to layer protections against exposure, not "immune-boosting" hacks #EpiSky #IDSky
What an H3 Flu Season Really Means
I have zero tolerance for fear-mongering, but it is worth calling attention to the seasonal flu surge we’re seeing in the US.
open.substack.com
Flu-like illnesses are rising in the US. In 1 week, CDC's ILINet shows many states jumping into high/very high activity. These care-seeking patterns are the earliest warning we have for potential strains on our healthcare system. #FluSeason is here. This is when small choices start to matter #EpiSky
Are you like me and terrible at cleaning your emotional support water bottle?? 💦 #EpiSky #IDSky
Let's Talk about that Gunk in your Water Bottle
Microbiology didn’t prepare me for my own water bottle. Biofilm: 5 Me: 0
open.substack.com
Very perplexed by this move. If we don't even have a concensus on WHAT #ultraprocessed foods are, how are they going to go after companies? How about making fresh foods more affordable??? #PublicHealth
San Francisco Will Sue Ultraprocessed Food Companies
nytimes.com
Thanksgiving Science Poll! 😊 What makes you the most sleepy on Thanksgiving? A) Tryptophan in turkey 🦃 B) Booze 🍷 C) Carb + fat meal overload that triggers “rest-and-digest” mode 🍽 D) Passive exposure to football 🏈 E) Other ❓️ (This isn't a quiz with a right answer. It's your lived experience!)
Before the internet ruins your #Thanksgiving side dishes: no, your canned soup does not contain #labgrown or #3D-printed meat. There's no 𝐔𝐒𝐃𝐀 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥 or 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 for such products. And the cost would be insane. Ignore racist, ignorant rants from a Cybersecurity exec. #Campbells #EpiSky
Inspecting claims Campbell's Soup uses 'bioengineered meat' and '3-D printed chicken'
Campbell's called the claims about its ingredients "false" and "absurd."
snopes.com
Spoiler: this claim skips several inconvenient things called laws and approvals #Campbells #3DMeat #EpiSky
Whitney K, MPH, PhD (@factcontagion)
If you’ve been busy prepping your turkey and sides for Thanksgiving and missed the latest "WTF" news cycle... or maybe you saw it and are now questioning your menu... earlier this week, an exec at Cam...
substack.com
If today’s #health and #science news feels more like reality TV than a source of actionable, data-driven insight, this #Substack is for you! #ScienceLiteracy #MediaLiteracy #EpiSky
From Clickbait to Credibility
A Guide to Smarter Information Choices
open.substack.com
Tatiana is fighting for her life. Her cousin (RFK Jr) is fighting against the very science that could save people like her. Tatiana’s story shows exactly what’s at stake when health policy becomes anti-science. #publichealth
Tatiana Schlossberg, Daughter of Caroline Kennedy, Shares Terminal Cancer Diagnosis
Tatiana Schlossberg took shots at cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a poignant essay about her terminal cancer diagnosis.
thewrap.com
1/ I love my Owala #waterbottles. Not because I collect them. I’m terrible at keeping them clean. And I’m a germophobe w/ a microbiology degree. Irony! Once I see mold, it never feels clean again, no matter how much I scrub. Thus, it completes its transformation into a flower vase 🧵 #idsky #episky
Science is the adult in the room building 30 years of concensus: "Vaccines don’t cause autism" RFK Jr just edits the homepage: "Lol, what if we pretend otherwise?" #PublicHealth #IDSky
IDSA@idsainfo.bsky.social · 11mo agoDecades of rigorous and scientifically sound research have proven that vaccines do not cause autism. CDC’s decision to change language on its website reversing that finding is reckless & harmful. Our statement w/ @hivma.bsky.social, APIC, @sheaepi.bsky.social & @sidpharm.bsky.social: bit.ly/3XEc0KH
No industry is perfect. But the imbalance is hard to miss. One sector must prove its products are safe & effective. The other profits by avoiding that responsibility. If we care about transparency and accountability, scrutiny shouldn’t be one-sided. (Source: For The Greater Glory of Science) #EpiSky
Food and healthcare aren’t optional #budget lines. Pretending basic needs are negotiable engineers harm. Dividing “deserving” vs “everyone else” just keeps people fighting each other instead of seeing who’s pulling resources upward. #publichealth #socialdeterminants www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/u...
"Fall back" hits different when you have kids/pets who don’t care about #DaylightSavingTime. Expect a few weird mornings/bedtimes. Shift routines slowly, get sunlight early, maintain consistent mealtimes, keep nights calm. Understanding circadian biology beats “biohack your sleep!” posts every time.
BARDA cuts mRNA vaccine programs bc they’re not miracle cures. RFK Jr is torching evidence-based innovation for fringe pet projects. This not just sabotages pandemic prep. It cripples cancer & autoimmune research. He's silencing science in favor of ideology. And people will die for it #episky #idsky
HHS slashes funding for mRNA vaccine development | CNN
US Health and Human Services is “winding down” its mRNA vaccine development and will instead fund other vaccine platforms through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the agency...
cnn.com
21 people incl kids sick from E coli & Campylobacter after drinking #rawmilk sold illegally in FL. 7 hospitalized, 2 severe cases. While influencers and RFK Jr glamorize milk as natural, science says otherwise. Nature gave us germs. Science gave us pasteurization. Choose wisely. #episky #idsky
E. coli outbreak in Florida linked to raw milk
The E. coli outbreak comes as Trump officials face pressure to loosen regulations on raw milk
independent.co.uk
BREAKING: Scientists trying to protect your land, air and waterways are the real threat. Not the wildfires, lead pipes, microplastics, or greenhouse gases. Obviously. The real pollutant was evidence-based policy all along. #EPA #EpiSky #PublicHealth
US EPA cutting workforce by 23%, closing research division
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it is cutting the size of its workforce by at least 23% and closing its scientific research office as part of President Donald Trump's broad effort to downsize the federal government.
reuters.com
