iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Modern life is complex, taking precautions makes sense- digital hygiene is important too! (When I get a chance I will fix the probably inevitable typos and post a link to a sourced document) #AbLeg #AbHealth #DataPrivacy #DigitalID 10/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

The prescription for data hygiene? Consider: Visual Checks Only: Show the front but decline to let them flip it over or scan it. - Physically block the front citizenship marker when showing your ID. - Ask why the scan - most businesses can't demand your PHN. (image-Gemini) 9/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Health data is an industrial asset class and data breaches are the most expensive to clean up. So why not spread that data to many small vendors with variable data security? (*that is sarcasm). (Note: BC has a combo card as opt-in - no other province added citizenship) 8/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Worse: A "PHN-name-address-citizenship" dataset is VERY VALUABLE if stolen. We are talking a high-tier dark web commodity - it can be sold for use in multiple types of fraud simultaneously - identity theft, fraudulent medical billing, opening lines of credit... 7/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

The OIPC explicitly warns about this "incidental collection." Even if a business doesn't legally want or need your PHN, their hardware sweeps it up anyway. It sits on private servers, wide open to data breaches or eventual "corporate data matching." 6/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

WHat you buy, rent, credit history, where you shop- a full profile. Even if data is sold "de- identified", data science shows it is VERY easy to re-identify, especially with a full set of core data. Discrimination in eventual insurance or care access is a real possibility. 5/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

So? What are they going to do? Well, with ongoing shifts to private health care (Bill 11) and explicit governmental interest in commercializing "derived" health datasets, centralized data can allow corporate data matching on your permanent ID (vs changeable credit cards). 4/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

So, who cares - it's one less card to misplace! But if you rent a car, buy a drugstore medication with age restrictions, check into a hotel, or enter a venue, they don't NEED to know your citizenship or your PHN, but if they scan your ID - it's all in their database. 3/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

First, the card - there's a Canadian Citizenship Marker on the face and your PHN health number on the back. The OIPC (Privacy Commissioner) is waving a yellow flag here because it’s a textbook case of data over-collection. (...aside, but Olivia Sample seems underweight) 2/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Health numbers, licenses and caution: the new Alberta ID cards and the quiet repeal/split of FOIP into ATIA and POPA. On paper, it looks like administrative housekeeping. There is more to it than that in terms of data epidemiology - it's a concern. Let's break it down. 👇 1/10

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Thought of the day. If you use AI/LLMs to explore ideas, collect information or create: If it doesn’t apologize to you at least once for missing an aspect that you point out, you are possibly doing it wrong. Frictionless answers can promote intellectual laziness.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

P.S.this is 100% legal. Micro targeting profiled groups with psychologically sophisticated comms is a highly effective (but expensive) strategy. Hard to combat, and it builds a highly motivated and organized core to get out the word, recruit, and vote. #StaySafeOnline 5/5

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

If you are UNDECIDED you’ll get persuasive content, designed to nudge you to the desired stance (like Alberta separation.) So: in 2026, a public survey can be LESS about public opinion and MORE about getting intel to manipulate you… (… just don’t) #CybersecurityTips 4/5

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

If you AGREE You are put on a list to get highly emotional ads, petition drives, donation requests, and subscription offers. If you DON’T they either redirect campaigns away to save ad money, or target you with specific messaging designed to neutralize your opposition…. 3/5

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

If a group like this wants to “hear your voice”, this is what is happening: * Data Profiling: Your specific answers are logged to build a detailed psychological and political profile of who you are. * Custom Audience Building: Platforms are used to group respondents... 2/5

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

PSA on online health thoughts (I’ve been studying the infodemic since I became an unplanned science communicator in the pandemic. Things have changed.) Seeing this paid ad a lot: hot topic, already 455K views, partisan organization. Let’s talk online surveys in 2026: 1/5

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

6) But it isn't herbal tea, it's a substance that may cause side effects, addiction, and hospitalization. The wellness industry leans into the "safety halo" we perceive around plants -misleading! Check the source, stay skeptical, and stay safe. 💙 #MedTwitter #EvidenceBased

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

5) SoMe media platforms can shut down/ban content that promotes the sale or use of kratom, so wellness marketers may call it a "botanical energy brew” or a tonic. This bypasses safety filters and makes a pharmacologically active product sound like groceries. #HealthLiteracy

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

4) Kratom is in a grey zone: in the US it is not an approved treatment (although there are studies ongoing) and it is a “drug of concern” to the FDA. In Canada it is not approved (toxicity and addiction risk) and it is illegal to sell for consumption, but it is not "controlled."

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

3) The report shows the influencers are influencing: a 1200% increase in kratom exposure reports to poison control, with 538 hospitalizations last year alone. There were 233 kratom-associated deaths over 10 years - often in people exposed to kratom and other substances.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

2) Before the data, behold the Goddess of the Natural Fallacy (the Herbal Essence shampoo lady) telling you that plants aren't just flowers in the sun. Think of a mix of potent, untested drugs. Kratom can cause psychosis, seizures, vomiting, liver damage, addiction ...and more.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

1) Some med content for you! I was interested by the the US National Poison Center Data reported in today's @CDCgov MMWR on Kratom exposure poison centre calls. (at tinyurl.com/4m63saz8) TL;DR: "Natural" doesn't mean "Risk-Free." 🧵 #PublicHealth #MMWR

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

PSA In Alberta you now need to sign up to get public health advisories for your area. It is not clear to me if there will be regular media-social media public health announcements outside this process. See link: www.alberta.ca/publi...

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Bonus Comment: Don't get hung up on math. Big picture example: government has not built a hospital in Edmonton since 1988, our population has more than doubled, and we are a referral centre. This has been predictable, predicted, and not dealt with for a looooong time.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Bonus Math: Canada- avg 2.5 beds/1000, OECD/international avg 3.5/1000, Edm/Calgary 1.5 beds/1000: 3800 beds to get to Can avg, 7,295 to OECD average, optimal community hospital size is 300-400 beds. Each hospital: 2500-3200 people: nurses, doctors, plus other HCW/staff.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

6/6 ✅ The Fix: 1️⃣ Acknowledge we need to catch up, then match population growth 2️⃣ Long-Term Care patients need LTC beds 3️⃣ Recognize the real costs of running at >100% HCW burning out to prevent terribly substandard care is not a long-term plan.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

6/6 Problem: Deliberate downsizing ("efficiency") since the 1980s. Now Canada runs the lowest "curative" beds in the G7, and Calgary and Edmonton (1.4 beds/1000) sit near India and Bolivia- we could manage it because of good primary care, but we're underresourcing that too.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

5/6 🏆 The Paradox: Despite this, Albertans have better cancer survival rates than the UK or Germany. My colleagues are putting it all out, all the time for our patients, with ZERO surge capacity. We have 102-120% occupancy daily. The goal for function and cost savings is 85%.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

4/6 🛑 The "Exit" Block: Between 20% and 37% of our hospital beds are filled with patients waiting for long-term care (ALC). When the "exit" is blocked, the Emergency Room becomes a parking lot. "Hallway medicine" is terrible for patients and heartbreaking for healthcare workers.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

3/6 📉 The Bed Gap: In 1980, Canada had 6.75 beds per 1,000 people. Today, Alberta’s big cities are down to ~1.4. That’s the same ratio as India or Syria. Meanwhile, Germany sits at 7.8. We are forced to run "lean" to the point of breaking.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

2/6 If you want ALL the gory details I have them written down here, btw - work in progress: medium.com/@Antibiot...). Basically, decades-long policy of "efficiency" has left no surge capacity: our system works brilliantly on a Tuesday in May, but breaks every December.

medium.com

A voice from the trenches of acute care in Alberta: Part 1

I am (ahem) pretty old and have over 2 decades of experience working in hospital-based Infectious Diseases- at the end of the last century…

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

TL;DR: Alberta would need 11 hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary to be resourced to the Canadian average. 1/6 🏥 Why is Alberta’s healthcare system under such strain? It’s not "management"—it’s a numbers problem 40 years in the making. Let’s look at the data. 🧵 #AbLeg #CdnHealth

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

This should be interesting! An example of outside-the-box community outreach: I've never been in a panel that chatted through and debated vaccine controversies over a beer before! This Friday - still some tickets available.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Edmontonians, visitors, U of A peeps- drop by Univ of AB Hospital Snell Hall for the Department of Medicine Community Health Fair anytime from 10:30 till 2:30 (the last session starts at 2) - with lunch provided as long as it lasts- you’ll be fed, entertained and educated!

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

By the way - labour negotiations have nothing to do with whether legislature is in or not. So discussions COULD start tomorrow if the premier allowed them to. 4/4

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

It really felt like everyone was willing to keep showing up for as long as it takes. Hopefully once our democratically elected government gets the ample feedback that is rolling in it won’t be long… 3/4

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Civilized and organized, citizens of all ages showed up to show we believe teachers and students deserve reasonable teaching and learning conditions. 2/4

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Personal reflection: when it feels like there’s a LOT of concerning things going on, it was therapeutic to join a vast crowd of Albertans at the Legislature (so many kids!) to support our teachers and public education. 1/4

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

Honestly if in years past you told me that in 2025 we’d be getting measles exposures notifications on the regular I’d not have believed you. U of A notification.

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

(Sigh. To those who believe I am evil for promoting vaccination - I’m sorry you’ve been sucked into that unfortunate worldview, but I am sharing a personal + professional, science based interpretation and am being civil about it. Abuse and threats say more about you than me. 6/6

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

5. All to say people should remember vaccination updates and prioritize their health this fall. Life is busy and stressful enough without getting sick, caring for sick family members, rampant illness and abseentism at work/school, and wayyy overfull hospitals. 5/6

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

4. Millions of lives saved by vaccines…but a time of great societal stress also amplified outrageous disinformation from grifters and conspiracists, in spite of excellent safety data (there is no doubt vaccine is better than COVID infection.) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov... 4/6

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

3. COVID can be severe directly AND, like influenza, is associated with higher rates of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke) in younger people too. Vaccines make a big difference in reducing risk of illness, death and community impact. share.google/pvqLKjf... 3/6

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

2. Access with be more complex- not in pharmacies. Pre sign up period ends before they are available I think? (If in doubt about coverage conditions and affotdability I’d sign up anyway. ) bookvaccine.alberta.... Immunologic conditions for eligibility include: 2/6

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

1. In case you are in Alberta and missed the details, COVID fall vaccination eligibility in Alberta is restricted vs other provinces. One key difference is not covering based on age >65. Congregate care, medical and immunologic eligibility criteria. Medical: 1/6

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Dr.Lynora Saxinger @antibioticdoc.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

I imagine many know this already but holy heck, what a massive Microsoft SharePoint security breach - with no patch yet. Just in case- an FYI. Check w/ your IT folk if it affects you.

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Reposted by Dr.Lynora Saxinger

BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

The #ACIP meeting can only be described as the battle between science and anti-science. Greatest respect to the CDC scientists who are presenting the data in the face of a torrent of outright disinformation from several new members of ACIP who clearly have an antivaxx anti science agenda.

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Reposted by Dr.Lynora Saxinger

Jeremy Faust, MD @jeremyfaust.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Why it matters: ACIP votes are legally binding for Medicaid and Medicare. If this new ACIP says no to a vaccine, millions could lose access. 3/

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Reposted by Dr.Lynora Saxinger

Chise @sailorrooscout.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

PLEASE SHARE 🧪‼️ Vaccination schedules on the CDC website have already started changing under RFK Jr. Scientific American has published a guide to the EVIDENCE-BASED vaccine recommendations in place BEFORE ACIP members were removed by the administration. www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-...

scientificamerican.com

Here’s Your Cheat Sheet for Vaccine Recommendations Backed by Science

These graphics will guide you through science-based vaccine guidelines for children and adults

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