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Call me Ishmael

@thewhitewhale.bsky.social
306 followers 493 following 506 posts

books, words, left politics, learning stuff. Long Covid since 2023 (the ME/CFS kind, but on the milder side). A citizen of the world. He/him. Views expressed here are my own.

PostsRepliesMedia
Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
To put it in terms that Americans might be willing to act on - this is more than a 9/11 of disability every day since 2020.
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Zohran’s Mommy Dommey @loridiletto.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Nothing unites people across the political spectrum like deciding an invisible illness that disproportionately affects women is actually hysteria
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Litsa Dremousis @litsadremousis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Thanks so much to the great science writer George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social for once again covering the ongoing systemic neglect and abuse of patients w/ #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis Essential reading for #pwME, #MedSky, and allies: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Abandoned, dismissed and gaslighted: there is no excuse for the way ME sufferers have been betrayed | George Monbiot
Changes in guidance and science seem to have little impact on millions of devastated lives. It’s a social crisis playing out behind closed doors, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Jessica Ellis @baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The truth is, you can belittle maskers, shrug off disabled people, and call us all crazy a million times, but you’re going to have to live in the world you’re building with these choices, and outcomes don’t care that your views are popular right now. www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/mor...
cidrap.umn.edu
More than 1 in 10 US healthcare workers report ongoing long-COVID symptoms, study finds
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The barely contained glee from "leftists" (who somehow claim that lineage despite not giving a damn about the health of others) at having an excuse to mock those crazy people who still mask is pretty revealing, tbh.
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Ryan Boyd @ryanboyd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
NEW BRAIN DROPPED
med.stanford.edu
Human brain is two separate organs, Stanford Medicine-led research finds
Stanford Health Care delivers the highest levels of care and compassion. SHC treats cancer, heart disease, brain disorders, primary care issues, and many more.
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It's ME(Jaime) @exceedhergrasp1.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
And that, as they say, is the ball game. 🧪 arstechnica.com/science/2026...
arstechnica.com
Russel Vought will reportedly be given veto power over all NIH grants
Pending move comes over the objections of the NIH director.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The impacts of unlimited Covid infections are everywhere, for those with the eyes to see.
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Jessica Ellis @baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
People will cut out artificial food dyes, spend hours at the gym, drink vitamin infused water…and then go to the airport and rawdog breathing in an airborne pathogen that can disable you permanenty and is basically guaranteed to be there.
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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 15/09/2026
Novel drug bezisterim may help improve fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and neurological symptoms in people with Long COVID, according to preliminary clinical trial results that the treatment’s developer, BioVie, shared this morning. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/15/b...
ID: A hand placing a pill in a weekly organizer. The text reads, “The Sick Times. Bezisterim may help with some Long COVID symptoms, drug’s developer reports in early trial results. By Betsy Ladyzhets. News.” The following slides feature quotes from the story at The Sick Times. 

“What really stands out to me about the data that have been presented today is that it shows a very clear direction” toward improving key symptoms, said Ezra Spier, a Long COVID patient-researcher who advised the trial team, during the webinar. “It gives the community some hope, because we’ve been seeing trial fail after fail after fail. Seeing something that provides demonstrated impact, I think is really exciting.”
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amy brown 👻 @amybrown.xyz · 10/09/2026
on the occasion of world suicide prevention day i just wanted to say that if it helps you can imagine your suicidal ideation as a weird little guy in your brain who lies to you and then you can imagine jack reacher is also up there beating the shit out of him
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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
"Repeat COVID infections tied to higher odds of new health conditions" "Adults who reported having COVID-19 at least twice were significantly more likely to be diagnosed as having a new medical condition than those who reported never having been infected" #COVIDisNotOver #COVIDisAirborne
cidrap.umn.edu
Repeat COVID infections tied to higher odds of new health conditions
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The antivaxers at ATAGI have put out their guidance on Covid vaccination under the new user-pays model. They still don't allow kids to be vaccinated (very RFK of them) but at least pregnant people can get some protection. www.health.gov.au/resources/pu...
health.gov.au
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
MAHA is an antivaccine movement. All the rest - the crunchy granola and the food dyes - is tangential around the core belief: it's better for kids to die of preventable diseases than to get vaccinated. There's no peace, no compromise, no accommodation to be made with these people.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The impact of unlimited Covid infections is everywhere, for those with the eyes to see.
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betsy ladyzhets 😷 @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Today @thesicktimes.org: Lots of details from me on the Department of Defense grant funding a new Long COVID clinical trials program. The story includes context on past DOD medical research funding, comments & slides from Michael Peluso (PI of the new program), and more:
thesicktimes.org
Department of Defense funds $8 million grant for Long COVID trials - The Sick Times
A new U.S. clinical trials program called PROBE-PASC was announced on Friday at a Long COVID conference in Amsterdam. The program received initial funding of $8 million from a Department of Defense (D...
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Jon Douglas @atranscendedman.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 959 participants. In RECOVER-VITAL, 15 or 25 days of nirmatrelvir–ritonavir did not improve cognitive, autonomic or exercise Long COVID. Viral persistence was not tested at entry. Biomarker analyses are still pending. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
thelancet.com
Nirmatrelvir–ritonavir targeting viral persistence in post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) in the USA (RECOVER-VITAL): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial
Nirmatrelvir–ritonavir for 15 days or 25 days showed no evidence of benefit in long COVID in any of the three phenotypes studied. These findings suggest additional approaches to measuring the symptom ...
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Da(N95)iella [fka DaniAtomicus] @sharpflower.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
So it *is* possible 🧐 cheknews.ca/province-off...
cheknews.ca
Province offers free N95 masks as wildfire smoke persists across B.C. Interior
Wildfire smoke could be a blessing for evacuees still out of their homes in British Columbia, but it can be an unsettling sight for people who have returned home.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
CDC sets their thresholds based on the levels recorded in the last 24 months. The thresholds are increasing because there is, on average, more Covid in the wastewater than there used to be.
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Conor Browne @brownecfm.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
There is a reason why many people you know seem different now. Not quite who they were before. www.psypost.org/brain-scans-...
psypost.org
Brain scans reveal widespread structural and functional changes in patients following COVID-19 infection
A systematic review of 49 imaging studies highlights how COVID-19 affects the human brain. Researchers found widespread structural and functional changes in areas responsible for memory, emotion, and ...
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Long Covid Support Aotearoa @lcsupportaotearoa.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
"Behind every statistic is a person... Someone like me who still needs a rest after washing my hair, my children who missed years of education, and Renee who was a city councillor and is now housebound in a wheelchair." www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
rnz.co.nz
Long Covid sufferers call on politicians to do more to help those with the disease
People with Long Covid are calling on politicians to collect better data on the disease, and enable those with it to access disability support services.
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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
A new study shows that among people hospitalized with COVID19, other viruses such as EBV, HSV1, and CMV may be reactivated. This effect isn’t limited to those who are immunocompromised, either. So if you’re wondering why I’m still masking indoors in public, have a read.
nature.com
COVID can wake up a slew of dormant viruses inside you
Reactivation of typically harmless anelloviruses, in particular, seems to be linked with developing long COVID, study finds.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The fittest athletes in the world like Demi Vollering are masking to protect their health. If you're not, do you think you're less vulnerable than a 4x Grand Tour winner? www.instagram.com/p/DblRoFLsQut/
instagram.com
Cycling Weekly on Instagram: "Demi Vollering turned up to the start of stage three of @letourfemmes wearing a face mask 😷"
292 likes, 5 comments - cyclingweeklymagazine on August 3, 2026: "Demi Vollering turned up to the start of stage three of @letourfemmes wearing a face mask 😷".
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
A little pied cormorant drying off.
A little pied cormorant - a fluffy white and black bird - sitting on a tree branch above a river.
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Melissa Gira Grant @melissagiragrant.com · 02/08/2026
if you hated covid "lockdowns" try long covid
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jessamyn @librarian.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful
An aircraft passenger oxygen mask: a drop down passenger mask with air bag and yellow plastic mouth and nose cover, oxygen tube has been cut; Demonstration model used by flight attendant crew for passenger instruction. Has text on the side indicating that it's non-functional.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Smallpox may have become more deadly over time. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/s...
nytimes.com
‘This Is Very Strange’: Ancient Smallpox May Have Been Less Deadly
Scientists have found smallpox viruses in the remains of people in Chile from around 500 years ago, revealing how the virus may have evolved into a global killer.
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babs ✨ @itsbabs.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
imagine if every pundit kvetching about being trapped in an endless 2020 today wore masks in public indoor spaces, let alone encouraged others to do so with their extensive platforms? actually maybe don’t imagine it—it hurts to consider the different present we could be living in.
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Grant Stoner @supercrip1994.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
ICYMI – For Disability Pride Month, I reflected on the current state of accessibility and disability reporting in gaming. In summary, it's almost extinct. And unless the industry supports us, we risk losing this beat altogether. Read more here:
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
After six years, there is still zero actual evidence for a lab leak, just speculation and conjecture. Time to let it go.
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betsy ladyzhets 😷 @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
RECOVER-TLC is currently hosting a webinar sharing updates on the NIH-run, Long COVID clinical trials initiative. I'll be live blogging a bit here, and we'll share any notable updates on the @thesicktimes.org's socials and/or website later today.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Canberra is again showing the rest of the country how it's done. thedriven.io/2026/07/13/a...
thedriven.io
Australia's "Little Norway" is now selling more plug-in electric cars than fossil fuelled vehicles
In Australia's "Little Norway", EVs are now normalised and seen as a viable option, and no longer a scary leap into an unknown tech. And the share of PHEVs is also falling.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
There's some hyperbole, but an interesting piece nonetheless. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
theatlantic.com
The End of Reading Is Here
Optimists once believed that universal literacy was inevitable. Now it seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Kudos to Peter for the way he's handled the early end to his pro career, but it's journalistic malpractice to talk about his "late-career malaise" and not about the impact of Covid. www.nytimes.com/athletic/742...
nytimes.com
Peter Sagan: 'I was proud to be cycling's rockstar - but was ready to retire. I love it'
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Cutting access and charging fees is only going to worsen our already dire vaccination rates. www.australianpharmacist.com.au/major-covid-...
australianpharmacist.com.au
Major COVID-19 vaccination changes are coming - Australian Pharmacist
One of the last emergency measures from the pandemic-era COVID-19 response is transitioning.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
After I wrote last week's column, I learnt that a neighbour with severe disabilities, an extremely tough & resourceful woman who lived to the full, died in the heatwave. Everyone here is devastated. I can scarcely express my anger towards a mindset that treats people like her as collateral damage. 🧵
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
😷✊ www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/...
cyclingnews.com
'Better safe than sorry' – Jonas Vingegaard masks up at Tour de France in bid to avoid a repeat of Vuelta and Giro illnesses
Visma-Lease a Bike opt for safety-first option for yellow jersey ahead of stage 2 start in Tarragona
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The Sick Times @thesicktimes.org · 01/07/2026
☀️ As The Sick Times approaches our 3-year anniversary, we’re shifting from a startup to a more sustainable newsroom, in it for the long haul. And we’re marking that shift with a summer sustainability fundraiser. 🌱 2 weeks, 200 new Supporters? Help us grow? the-sick-times.fundjournalism.org/donate/
Black and chartreuse text over a cartoon fam background reads, “The Sick Times. Help us create, grow, and sustain our Long COVID journalism.” 
2. Thermometer graphic in which The Sick Times' fundraising goal is represented by a row of pixelated hearts, as you might see in an old-school video game. The hearts are all black outlines, and the first one on the left is filled in with a little bit of red. Text above the hearts reads: "The Sick Times - Goal: 200 new monthly supporters." Underneath the hearts, there is a cartoon drawing of a field with flowers.
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valebodi.bsky.social @valebodi.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Deficient TRPM3-linked mitochondrial Ca2+ influx in natural killer cells associated with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome #ME/CFS link.springer.com/article/10.1... Conclusion The results demonstrate that altered TRPM3-mediated cytosolic Ca2+ influx may significantly impact Ca2+
link.springer.com
Deficient TRPM3-linked mitochondrial Ca2+ influx in natural killer cells associated with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome - BMC Immunology
Introduction Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a multisystemic illness, commonly associated with dysregulation of the immune system including reduced cytotoxicity of natur...
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
It's easier to dismiss LC than for the media to reckon with the ongoing pandemic and their role in downplaying it.
fair.org
Media Won’t Stop Psychologizing Long Covid
Media outlets that trumpet their journalistic integrity have used their prestige to launder an unproven, anti-science conspiracy theory about Long Covid.
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CIDRAP @cidrap.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Study: Long-COVID patients are more likely to develop heart disease. People with long COVID are more likely to experience angina and myocardial infarction, according to a national survey. Read more: ow.ly/5a3s50ZcTh7
Artistic rendering of COVID-19 and the heart
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maia arson crimew 🏴 @crimew.gay · 16/06/2026
SCOOP: So remember Dialog, Peter Thiel's private society that doesn't have a public website and no public list of members? I (along with a number of other journalists) have just been tipped off that embedded in the code of their closed off website there IS what seems to be a list of some members.
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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Release the Epstein Files, of course, but spare a thought for a trafficking empire of possibly equal scale, involving Trump, his admin, & foreign gov't leaders, *happening right now.* You knew Tate was a creep. But it's bigger than that. Heidi Blake reports. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
newyorker.com
Andrew Tate’s Empire of Abuse
How the defining figure of the manosphere built a fortune—and became a political force—by systematically exploiting women.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
“Some comrades started saying that they wanted to ‘go back to normal,’ and it absolutely crushed me. We poured so much of our lives into fighting ‘normal.’ ‘Normal’ was never okay before.”
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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
"Major Study Validates a Long COVID Autoimmune Subset" Guenter GR: "The best Long Covid study to date has now been published" Article: www.healthrising.org/blog/2026/06... X source: x.com/GrGuenter/st...
A screenshot of a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) by user Guenter GR (@GrGuenter), dated June 9, 2026.
The text is translated from German and reads: "The best Long Covid study to date has now been published, with surprising results that enable new therapeutic approaches. In simple terms: Long Covid is caused (in the areas studied) by autoantibodies in the blood, which then attack very important parts of the brain and can actually explain all the symptoms. Key insight: Long Covid patients must absolutely not donate blood, because it appears to be transmissible via those autoantibodies in the blood! Great article, written in an accessible way:"
Below the text is a link preview image showing a large red dart with the words "ABSOLUTE CLARITY" hitting the bullseye of a target. The overlaying article title at the bottom reads: "Major Study Validates a Long COVID Autoimmune Subset - Health Rising", from the website healthrising.org.
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
The women's Giro was spectacular, well worth seeking out replays of. This has been 🚲 Bike Racing Corner 🚲.
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 03/06/2026
A reminder of Joshi's Workslop Postulate
JOSHI'S WORKSLOP POSTULATE
"l use Al all the time
but I always check
the outputs"
Daniel / David / James / Andrew / Robert etc
Either
LYING
Ridden with heaps
of catastrophic
errors
Definitely quicker
than doing actual
work I guess
x
Or
FOOLISH
Checked and
corrected every single
error manually
Took longer to correct
errors than just doing
the work 101
"Always check the outputs for errors" = "please re
information pollution rather than plastic pollu
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Call me Ishmael @thewhitewhale.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
"Contrary to the assumption that long COVID is a legacy of early waves of the pandemic, the researchers also found that cumulative prevalence continued to increase across all regions studied." www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/new...
massgeneralbrigham.org
Long Covid Burden Continues to Grow, Doubling Current Surveillance Estimates, Multi-Hospital Study Shows | Mass General Brigham
Long COVID may affect roughly 1 in 6 patients based on an AI analysis of electronic health records of nearly 460,000 patients across 58 U.S. hospitals. A Mass General Brigham study suggests more than ...
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