What AREN'T The Jews Blamed For?!

What took them so short?! I guess I shouldn't really be surprised, but obviously we Jews are more powerful than I realized!

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The Algemeiner, 10-20-26

Over 1,300 Social Media Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories Discovered Blaming Israel, Jews for France Riots 

"The nationwide anti-government riots in France over the weekend led to a wave of antisemitic conspiracy theories online that blamed Jews, Israel, Zionists, or the Mossad for the unrest, according to a report published on Sunday by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), an international coalition.

"CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center identified 1,384 social media posts with antisemitic narratives, from 816 unique accounts, that linked Israel or Jews to the violence that took place during Saturday and Sunday. Researchers found the posts by using 25 search words in seven languages and any post attributing the upheaval to Jews, Israel, Zionists, or the Mossad was counted as antisemitic. Some of the posts called for violence against, expulsion, or the extermination of Jews, according to CAM.

"Rioters in France vandalized a synagogue, looted businesses, started fires in the streets, torched cars, attacked police officers, and stormed public buildings, among other violent acts. The Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) discovered that when looking for someone to blame for the violence, social media users most commonly targeted Jews and Israelis by using terminology related to Jewish elite orchestration, Israel/Mossad orchestration, Zionist manipulation, and “Rothschild/ZOG/money.” They also made claims that “pro-Israel accounts are behind it,” and suggested Jews or Israel benefitted from the riots. One such post said, “Jews benefit from every revolution.”

“Mossad is burning France right now,” read one post cited in the ARC report, referring to the Israeli intelligence service. Another stated: “Whatever’s happening in France, the root cause is actually Jewish capture of the West.” A separate post claimed “the agent of Zionism” is “leading the brown masses to destroy Paris,” while another post accused Israel of “feeding the chaos and punishing Europe.”

"Islamic accounts published 30 percent of the antisemitic posts and English accounts were responsible for 69 percent of the posts and 86 percent of views, according to the report. It also noted that accounts under the paid subscription X Premium, which are identified by blue checkmarks, were posting some of the most antisemitic messages.

“Across languages and ideologies, profiles on social media advance a single narrative. France’s unrest is presented not as a domestic crisis but as a deliberate operation orchestrated by Jews, Zionists or Israel,” the report stated.

“Once again, with the unfolding situation in France, we are seeing the rapid and systematic exploitation of a news event by antisemites to spread conspiracy theories against Jews and Israel,” said CAM editor-in-chief Barney Breen-Portnoy. “The ARC’s research offers further evidence of a well-worn script used to repackage age-old antisemitic hatred for a vast modern-day digital audience.”

"CAM said its research center discovered a similar pattern of antisemitic conspiracy theories earlier this year following the Ceuta border migrant crisis, the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and the attempted hijacking of an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight."

Getting Vaccinated Is Better Than Not Getting Vaccinated

This is a very good article. Maybe more people need to be scared into getting their vaccines. I never need any reminders, as I get these two shots every year. Living through the pandemic was reason enough to continue getting vaccinated, as it's always better than being unvaccinated.

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A Plague Scare Reminded Me to Get My Flu and COVID Vaccines. 

We fear rare infections while overlooking the common ones we can prevent.

By Jay K. Varma M.D., Fevered Mind, at Psychology Today, 10-20-26

"One of the biggest news stories in global health this past month was about a possible laboratory accident in Russia involving plague. Media outlets reported that a 28-year-old woman working at a plague research facility in Siberia died from pneumonic plague and that 200 people were placed under observation. Russian officials denied that the case was plague, attributing her death to "pneumonia of unknown origin."

"Stories spread across mainstream media and social media about whether there might be a resurgence of the plague or the emergence of a new pathogen. How did I respond? I made an appointment at my local pharmacy to get the annual flu and COVID vaccines. Let me explain.

We Fear What’s Rare and Forget About What’s Common

"With many public policy problems, humans tend to react most viscerally to low-probability, high-consequence events. Think about the fear and intensity of media coverage that comes from airplane accidents compared with car accidents. Plane accidents are extremely uncommon. Most people do not fly very often and, even if they did, the National Safety Council estimates that the lifetime odds of dying in a plane crash are too small to even calculate.

"Compare that with car accidents. Almost every American rides in a car regularly, and many spend several hours a day in one. The lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle crash are about 1 in 101. But a car accident barely registers in the news, and it usually only becomes something we discuss when we have a connection to the people or place involved.

"In public health, we see a similar pattern. A bioweapon or dangerous pathogen accidentally spilling into the population and causing a pandemic is a real risk, but the likelihood of it happening is extremely small. (Note that the scientific consensus is that COVID emerged in nature and was not the result of an intentional or accidental laboratory incident.) If it does occur, it will generate enormous fear and attention, as happened with the incident in Russia.

"The infectious diseases that most regularly make us severely ill or kill us, however, rarely get that intensity of reaction. Think about flu and COVID. Last winter, CDC estimates the flu season caused at least 32 million illnesses, 390,000 hospitalizations, and 24,000 deaths. For COVID, from mid-2024 to mid-2025, CDC estimated there were 290,000 to 450,000 hospitalizations and 34,000 to 53,000 deaths. While most people do not get hospitalized or die from these two respiratory viruses, many who get infected will still get sick, feeling miserable for days and missing school, work, or important social events. These illnesses have real costs to our lives.

What the Flu and COVID Vaccines Actually Do

"We have vaccines for both of these infections that are safe and effective.

"The flu vaccine has been given to hundreds of millions of people over decades, and its safety record reflects that. Most people experience a sore arm, mild fatigue, or a low-grade fever for a day or two. It is not biologically possible for the vaccine to cause the flu. When people report getting the flu soon after the vaccine, it is most often because flu is circulating in the community around the same time they are getting the vaccine.

"How well the flu vaccine works varies from year to year, depending on how closely the vaccine matches the strains that end up circulating. Last season was a poor match because most circulating influenza A viruses belonged to a new strain that differed from the vaccine strain. Even so, among adults, the vaccine reduced the risk of flu-associated hospitalization by 30 percent. Even a small benefit can help you individually and the community overall.

"The COVID vaccines have been studied almost as much as any vaccine in history. The side effects are similar to the flu vaccine. While there is a rare risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), the risk of getting myocarditis from the virus itself, not the vaccine, is far greater. As for effectiveness, a large CDC study of the 2024–25 COVID vaccine found effectiveness of 33 percent against emergency department and urgent care visits and, in elderly adults, 45 percent against hospitalization.

Other Benefits of the Flu and COVID Vaccines

"Respiratory viruses trigger inflammation in the body that can destabilize the heart and blood vessels, which is why many studies have found that heart attacks rise in the weeks after a flu or COVID infection. Vaccination can protect against that risk.

"A meta-analysis of randomized trials found that flu vaccination was associated with a 26 percent lower risk of heart attack and a 33 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death. For COVID, a study of nearly 2 million infected patients found that full vaccination reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 41 percent.

Effective Does Not Mean Perfect

"Let me be blunt. Effective does not mean 100 percent effective. Almost nothing in medicine works every time, for every person. Statins do not prevent every heart attack, and seat belts do not prevent every death in a car crash. We use them and we use vaccines because they shift the odds in favor of health and safety.

"You can still get the flu or COVID if you are vaccinated. But you are less likely to end up in the hospital, less likely to die, and less likely to have heart-related complications.

"When you hear about a potentially deadly infectious disease emerging, it is important to pay attention. The risks are real, and we need to invest more in the systems to prepare for, detect, and respond to them. In our daily lives, though, there is very little any of us can do to mitigate that risk.

"There are steps we can take to reduce the complications of the infectious diseases we face every winter and keep ourselves healthier. That is why the news about plague prompted me to get my annual flu and COVID vaccines. I urge you to do the same."

Why Reward France?

Why should Americans spend a cent going to riot-torn France just to see the Steelers-Saints game? I can

picture it now: rioting in the stands, and "Palestinian" flags and banners everywhere.

Better off you watch the game on TV in America rather than rewarding the French with your tax dollars!

Besides, your money will only be used toward more benefits and freebies for "peaceful" rioters and illegal aliens!

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NewsNation 10-20-26

NFL Paris game still on despite France riots, league says

Steelers vs. Saints amid France riots

The league says it’s keeping close contact with local officials on security and sending regular updates to both teams, and that nothing has disrupted its sites so far.

The Saints arrived in Paris Monday morning, saying in a statement that the team is planning to play the game. The Steelers plan to practice in Pittsburgh before leaving for France Thursday.

Some Saints players say they plan to stay away from protest areas. At least one player says some family members haven’t decided whether to make the trip.

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BBC 10-18-26

Violent clashes, looting and buildings ablaze in France as more than 1,200 arrested after protests

 

France Riots: They're Not "Peaceful Protests"

Stop pretending the French riots are anything but an attack on civilization

New York Post Editorial Board,  10/18/26:

"France is seeing its worst riots in decades — violence clearly aimed not simply at the ruling party, but at France itself — and the left-liberal establishment is still trying to blame a few bad apples.

"That’s true not just of President Emmanuel Macron, but of global media that claim it’s mainly about student grievances over budget cuts — at least one BBC article actually used the phrase “mostly peaceful protests.”

"This is nonsense: The street mobs haven’t been just (or even mostly) kids for weeks now, and the vandalism began in the first days; it was last month that “protesters” set a teacher on fire.

"Foreign flags (Morocco, Algeria, “Palestine”) came out at the start; the crowds are mostly blacks and Arabs — overwhelmingly from Muslim immigrant communities, in other words.

"And the political statements are obvious: Burning down historic town halls; smashing a statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic.

"Synagogues ransacked and other targeting of Jews. 

"Liberty isn’t leading these people, but a hatred for Western civilization itself.

"Leaders of that civilization who still insist on denial will either find themselves as former leaders, or 'leading' a former civilization."

What Happens When You Get COVID Multiple Times

This is an excellent article. Thankfully, I have managed to remain COVID-free through masking, avoiding crowds, and vaccinations. I'm immunocompromised, so I dread the thought of ever getting COVID.

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How Bad Is Another Case of Covid?

Repeated infections are “a fact of life” at this point, experts say. But they warn there is no such thing as a risk-free case.

By Dani Blum, New York Times, 10-19-26

"Covid has been around long enough that the once wildly unpredictable virus has finally settled into a few recognizable patterns.

"Cases normally rise in the late fall and winter, so repeated infections seem inevitable in the coming months. “Reinfection is more or less a fact of life, with an asterisk,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, a senior clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis who studies Covid. “The asterisk here is that we tend to trivialize this.”

"And people who have already been sick with the virus three, or five or seven times may think they know what’s in store should they test positive again: a cough, an aching throat, full-body fatigue or other common symptoms.

"But repeated Covid infections can take a toll, he and other researchers said.

Milder Infections, Continued Risk

"Covid infections have generally become milder as the virus has mutated and new variants have circulated. Additionally, scientists suspect that the more times you’ve been exposed to Covid — whether through infections or vaccination — the better your immune system becomes at recognizing and responding to the virus.

"On average, the risk of getting seriously sick from an infection — whether it’s your first or your fifth — has significantly declined, Dr. Al-Aly said.

"But, he added, that does not mean an infection is inconsequential. There’s no such thing as a risk-free case, experts said.

“It doesn’t really mean it’s a nothing burger,” he said. “It doesn’t really mean that people should forgo vaccination or not really care about it. It doesn’t really mean they shouldn’t stay at home when they are sick.”

"The virus remains especially dangerous for people with compromised immune systems, those with underlying conditions like diabetes or heart disease, pregnant women and people over 65.

"With repeated infections, the virus can set off symptoms before enough viral load builds up to turn a rapid test positive. As a result, people who test for Covid too early may have a false negative result. Doctors recommend taking a second test 48 hours later.

"Scientists are split on whether your first bout with Covid predicts how you’ll fare the next time. A pivotal study, published in 2024 in the journal Communications Medicine, examined electronic health records from more than 200,000 people who were first infected between 2020 and 2022, and then infected again before the spring of 2023. The paper found that people who were hospitalized during their first infection were likely to have a bad case of Covid the next time. People with mild first infections tended to have another mild bout, the study found.

"But it’s been challenging to find more recent health record data that examines cases of reinfection with the latest variants of the virus, said Richard Moffitt, a researcher at Emory University, who was an author on the 2024 report.

“How many times have you gotten Covid, and then how many times, of those, does your doctor know about?” he said. “The surveillance as far as how many people getting Covid end up in the medical system has really plummeted.”

"Researchers do know that the severity of a case, as well as the symptoms, can vary from one infection to the next. A person who was asymptomatic during one Covid infection could develop a sore throat and cough the next. Someone who had cold symptoms during a first infection could have an upset stomach as part of another bout.

“Every infection is a chance at something going wrong,” Dr. Moffitt said.

Long Covid as Russian Roulette

"Doctors tend to be more concerned about the chance that someone will develop long Covid from repeated infections than they are that a person will get very sick in the acute phase of the illness. Covid can cause long-term damage to nearly every part of the body and repeated cases can compound those harms.

"A number of studies have shown that each time someone contracts Covid introduces an opportunity to develop long-term symptoms. Researchers often compare it to Russian roulette: Any infection could be the one that leads to long Covid.

“Every time there’s a wave, there’s another wave that’s going to follow with patients developing new onset long Covid,” said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University.

"Some researchers think that reinfections are part of why the number of people with long Covid has plateaued. Even though some people have recovered from their long-term symptoms, there’s continually a new influx of patients developing the condition, said Dr. Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London. And if someone already has long Covid and then contracts the virus again, that patient risks experiencing more severe symptoms.

"Doctors said that the possible harms of repeated infections are significant enough that people should take precautions, like getting vaccinated and masking when traveling or in crowded areas.

"At this stage of dealing with the virus, we’re not “helpless,” Dr. Iwasaki said. “There are things that we can do.”

Dani Blum is a health reporter for The Times.

Dr Ruth Report, 10-18-26

Here's the latest amazingly detailed newsletter from Dr Ruth Ann Crystal:

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Dr. Ruth Report, 10/18/26

T cells as a biomarker for persistent viral antigen in Long COVID. COVID in young mice disrupts sperm & affects metabolism in the next generation. Bone-Brain Axis. EBV in Long COVID & in Lupus. 

By Ruth Ann Crystal MD 

The “summer” COVID wave continues to be high in many areas, but appears to have peaked on a national level. Mike Hoerger estimates that 1 in 57 people in the United States is currently infected with COVID which equates to about 930,000 new COVID infections each day. Levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater are rising in the Northeast, have leveled off in the Midwest and West, and are falling in the South (Texas) according to WastewaterSCAN.

Flu season has started very early this year and we are starting to see increases in Influenza A especially in the West.

COVID Variants

One of the premier COVID variant hunters, Ryan Hisner, has noted that PJ.2.1 is spreading rapidly in the Western Hemisphere. He believes that PJ.2.1 is evolving within a chronically infected person.

Epidemiology and virological characteristics of the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant PJ.2.1 | BioRxiV 10/8/26

• The PJ.2.1 variant of COVID is starting to be seen in more countries. The authors note that PJ.2.1 has increased ability to bind the ACE2 receptor, but that it does not have increased immune evasion to our antibodies at this time.

Acute COVID infections, General COVID info

SARS-CoV-2 seeds IAPP aggregation and β-cell failure | Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 10/9/26

• New research demonstrates that both the spike and the nucleocapsid proteins of SARS-CoV-2 bind directly to islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), a protein produced in the pancreas, accelerating its aggregation into amyloid deposits and driving inflammation alongside destruction of insulin-secreting beta cells. This interaction offers a concrete molecular pathway through which COVID infection may initiate or worsen diabetes in some patients.

Pediatrics

Kids with Long COVID co-created their own superhero comic book | The Sick Times 10/5/26

• Children living with Long COVID collaborated to produce an original superhero comic book called Long Covid Superheroes, centering themes of seeking help, embracing rest, and practicing self compassion alongside compassion for others.

Long Covid Superheroes cover image from the Alchemise Theatre via The Sick Times

Vaccines

Acute infection as a driver of chronic diseases and the unsung benefits of vaccination | Nature Microbiology 10/16/26

• A Nature Microbiology commentary discusses that acute infections can leave lasting biological imprints, contributing to chronic illness, worsened existing disease, and accelerated aging. The authors argue that “the true value of vaccination should not be measured only by whether it prevents acute illness today, but also by whether it protects the future health of the individual.”

Male and female mice achieve equivalent protection against heterologous SARS-CoV-2 infection through divergent immune mechanisms | bioRxiv 10/3/26

• Sex differences in immune responses were noted in mice that were reinfected with a second SARS-CoV-2 strain. “Females rely on controlled, rapid myeloid-associated inflammatory responses [through increased IFNγ], while males rely on conventional B- and T-cell-mediated responses.” These sex differences in immune response could have “significant implications for designing mucosal vaccines and immunotherapies.”

COVID and Reproduction

Prepubertal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 single-stranded RNA disrupts spermatogenesis and causes intergenerational effects in mice | Molecular Human Reproduction 10/5/26

• Prepubertal male mice given synthetic SARS-CoV-2 single-stranded RNA developed testicular inflammation, which impaired the sperm they produced after puberty. Their offspring had lower early body weight and impaired glucose metabolism. The mechanism is unknown, but the authors point to possible epigenetic changes or sperm-borne factors.

Long COVID

Persistently activated virus-specific CD8 T cells indicate antigen-driven immune aberrations in long COVID | BioRxiV 10/16/26

• In a subset of people with Long COVID (40% of LC patients vs 16% of COVID-recovered controls), CD8 T cells targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike and/or Epstein-Barr virus lytic antigens stay activated. The spike specific T cells show exhaustion and reduced function, suggesting chronic stimulation by persistent viral antigen. Potentially, T cells could serve as biomarkers to identify which Long COVID patients may respond to antiviral treatments.

Unraveling Long COVID: New Discoveries and the Promise of AI | Dr. Jim Heath at ISB Research Roundtable 10/13/26

• Great talk by Dr. Jim Heath about the latest research on autoantibodies in Long COVID, including EBV-associated reprogramming of B cells that may contribute to autoimmunity. He also introduced “ChatISB, an AI-powered research environment that allows scientists to interrogate large biological datasets using everyday language.”

Beth Dobbin: British Olympic sprinter in bed for 22 hours a day after ME diagnosis | BBC 10/16/26

• Olympian sprinter Beth Dobbin describes how she is now mostly bedbound after back-to-back infections with COVID and mononucleosis (EBV) in 2021-2022 that led to myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). She wants to bring attention to the millions of people worldwide living with ME without adequate recognition or treatment.

Head and neck manual lymphatic drainage for self-reported neurocognitive symptoms in post-COVID condition: a proof-of-concept cohort study | BMC Preprint 10/9/26

• In 49 patients with Long COVID, six weeks of head and neck manual lymphatic drainage was followed by improvements in brain fog, concentration, headache, sleep, and fatigue. Life satisfaction, the primary endpoint, did not change. The results prompt researchers to consider whether the brain’s waste clearance mechanisms may play a role in Long COVID neurocognitive symptoms, though the authors emphasize that randomized controlled trials are necessary before any conclusions can be drawn.

Invivyd and the SPEAR Study Group Announce Initiation of “FLINTLOCK” Phase 2 Study of VYD2311, a Monoclonal Antibody for the Potential Treatment of Long COVID or Post-Vaccination Syndrome | Invivyd 10/14/26

• VYD2311 is an investigational monoclonal antibody (mAb) made by Invivyd that is active against all SARS-CoV-2 variants tested to date. Invivyd announced a new Phase 2 clinical trial with the SPEAR study group which will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and clinical efficacy of high-dose monoclonal antibody VYD2311 in people with Long COVID or Post-Vaccination Syndrome (PVS). The trial will give a high-dose initial intravenous (IV) infusion of VYD2311 followed by monthly intramuscular (IM) injections of VYD2311 at days 30 and 60.

Long COVID is associated with lipoxygenase-catalyzed metabolism of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids | iScience 10/16/26 (Nov 20, 2026 issue)

• Harvard researchers studied 106 participants and found that Long COVID involves disrupted fat metabolism and increased lipoxygenase activity, an enzyme pathway that drives inflammation. During acute infection, elevated metabolites from this pathway were linked to developing Long COVID later. Long COVID patients also had lower levels of anti-inflammatory compounds made from polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Oral Fluid Inflammatory Biomarker Profile in Long COVID: Evaluation of Oral Active and Total MMP-8, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 in Relation to BMI and Disease Status | Int J of Infectious Diseases 10/13/26

• University of Helsinki researchers analyzed oral rinse samples from 115 people with Long COVID and 103 controls. Those with Long COVID had higher salivary levels of the inflammatory proteins MMP8, MMP9, and TIMP1, markers of ongoing inflammation and disrupted tissue remodeling, detectable through a simple, noninvasive rinse.

Higher risk of Long COVID among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and immunomodulatory therapy: a retrospective cohort analysis of national US data. | Arthritis & Rheumatology (ACR) 10/14/26

• NC3 researchers analyzing data from 187,106 patients found that individuals with autoimmune rheumatic diseases faced a 56% greater likelihood of developing Long COVID compared to those without such conditions. Treatment with rituximab or corticosteroids was also independently associated with elevated Long COVID risk in this population, as was Sjögren’s syndrome.

🧠 Long-term prognostic value and clinical correlates of brain [¹⁸F]-FDG PET in patients with post-COVID-19 condition and neurocognitive disorders: a prospective cohort study | Research Square Preprint 10/1/26

• CHRU Nancy in France tracked 70 Long COVID patients presenting with cognitive symptoms and found measurable reductions in brain glucose metabolism in frontal, parietal, temporal, and cerebellar regions using PET imaging with “metabolic signatures associated with acute disease severity and viral variant”. While the metabolic abnormalities were consistently detectable, they did not reliably forecast which patients would go on to recover from their neurocognitive symptoms over time.

🧠 Cognitive phenotypes and neuropsychological trajectories in post-COVID-19 syndrome: a 12-month follow-up study | Scientific Reports 10/6/26

• The University of Oviedo tracked 92 Long COVID patients across 12 months and found that memory tended to recover more substantially over time than other cognitive functions. Attention and processing speed showed the greatest persistent impairments, indicating that cognitive recovery in Long COVID follows a selective pattern rather than a uniform one.

Non-fluorescent benzothiadiazole probe with protein-triggered turn-on fluorescence for imaging SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in biological systems | Bio-Organic Chemistry 10/6/26

• Researchers at the University of Brasília developed a fluorescent probe that activates upon binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, enabling direct visualization of spike protein behavior in biological systems. Tracking experiments in cell cultures revealed that spike protein migrated from the outer membrane into lysosomal compartments, and studies in mice detected localized fluorescent signal within brain tissue.

Effectiveness of individualized physical exercise in COVID-19-induced Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome | ScienceDirect 10/6/26

• Researchers at Karolinska Institutet studied 60 people with COVID-induced POTS and found that a tailored exercise program did not improve quality of life compared to standard care. The exercise intervention was actually associated with reductions in upright time and daily step counts among participants, nearly all of whom had post-exertional malaise.

Mechanisms of accelerated biological aging and premature cardiovascular events in young and middle-aged post-COVID-19 survivors | Ageing Research Reviews 10/7/26 (November 2026)

• A new review of 110 studies found that Long COVID may accelerate biological aging and increase cardiovascular disease risk particularly among younger adults aged 25–55 . Researchers identified persistent viral RNA and ongoing immune activation as likely contributors to chronic inflammation, vascular injury, and cellular premature aging.

Proteomic Profiling of Post-COVID -19 Sequelae | Molec & Cellular Proteomics 9/28/26

• A new study examining nearly 2,900 blood proteins across 495 COVID survivors pinpointed 235 proteins associated with 15 lingering symptoms that persisted after initial recovery. Long COVID symptom-specific protein patterns were noted for 6 clusters of Long COVID symptoms. Long COVID appears to operate through at least three distinct biological pathways spanning inflammatory responses, immune system signaling, and metabolic function.

Handgrip strength parameters as predictors of post-COVID syndrome severity and muscle weakness in an observational study | Scientific Reports 10/8/26

• Munich researchers examined 102 Long COVID patients and found that reduced handgrip strength and slower muscle recovery correlated with impaired blood vessel function. Elevated antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were additionally associated with greater degrees of muscle impairment in the same cohort.

Persistent venular dysfunction despite structural convergence in post-COVID-19 syndrome: a prospective six-month retinal vessel analysis follow-up | Research Square 10/8/26

• Researchers at the Technical University of Munich followed 82 Long COVID patients over six months and discovered that while the physical structure of their retinal microvasculature normalized, the tiny venous blood vessels still could not dilate properly, regardless of symptom burden. Ongoing vascular dysregulation in the retinal vessels appears to outlast any visible structural recovery.

Sputum and oral microbiota profiles are associated with long COVID severity and phenotype post-hospitalisation: a UK multicentre, prospective cohort study | European Respiratory Journal 10/11/26

• In patients hospitalized for severe COVID infection in 2020 and 2021, patients with impaired lung function and with neurocognitive symptoms had distinct oral microbiota profiles. Gastrointestinal symptoms months after COVID infection were associated with a distinct sputum microbiota profile.

Measles

CDC Measles update

• As of October 15, 2026, the CDC reports 4,410 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. While the CDC reports that there have been 2 measles deaths in 2026, Pennsylvania just reported its 6th measles death this year.

Pennsylvania reports its 6th measles death, in a Franklin County resident | CIDRAP 10/12/26

US measles cases grow by 8% in 1 week for a total of 4,410 cases | CIDRAP 10/16/26

• “The true number of measles cases is likely to be substantially larger, according to public health experts. Pennsylvania has reported six measles deaths, a much higher number than experts would predict based on the 1,260 cases in that state.

• “That’s because the expected mortality rate from measles ranges from one to three deaths per 1,000 infections. Based on those historic rates, infectious disease specialists say the true number of measles infections in Pennsylvania could be 6,000 or more.”

Pennsylvania Department of Health Measles Dashboard:

• 1260 measles cases, 121 in the last 7 days, 5 deaths according to the website.

Johns Hopkins US Measles Tracker

H5N1 Bird Flu

Necropsy Provides New Information About Beloved Bald Eagle Known as Jackie | CDFW News 10/14/26

• A new report from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife shows that Jackie, one of the famous Big Bear bald eagles, died of complications from the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) or bird flu.

Dengue Fever in Florida

‘I ached so much’: Man shares bout with dengue fever contracted during Florida’s outbreak | CIDRAP 10/15/26

• Dengue fever is known as “breakbone fever“ because of the pain it causes. This year in Florida, there have been more than 320 locally transmitted cases of Dengue which is unusual. Dengue is spread by mosquitoes.

Ebola

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): As of October 12, there have now been 9,144 confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC, with 4,410 deaths. The case fatality rate is 48.2% and contact tracing is at 77.6% according to the DRC Minister of Health.

Kenya Ministry of Health Oct 17, 2026: The Kenya Ministry of Health has confirmed four new Ebola cases, bringing the total to seven, including one death. All new cases were already in quarantine, and there is no evidence of community transmission.

Government Health News

Hepatitis B vaccine study condemned as unethical wins approval from Danish university | CIDRAP 10/8/26

• The University of Southern Denmark has approved a controversial US CDC-funded ($1.6 million) study to be completed in Guinea-Bissau that would give life-saving Hepatitis B vaccines to only half of enrolled babies. Health groups and political leaders have condemned the design as unethical.

US health secretary Kennedy launches new push on vaccine injuries | Reuters 10/8/26

Feds sold lab equipment that exposed US to ‘severe bioterrorism threat,’ report says | CIDRAP 10/8/26

• A US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report warns that HHS and USDA sold 1,316 pieces of surplus lab equipment from 2022 to 2025, including nine export-controlled items, without assessing biosecurity risks. Undercover investigators using fake identities bought four risky items. Agencies have agreed to fix their policies.

Other news

Personalized neoantigen-targeting cancer vaccines in Ovarian Cancer: a phase 1 trial | Nature Medicine 10/14/26

@EricTopol: “The personalized neoantigen vaccines to treat cancer, already shown to work in malignant melanoma, and in trials of pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, renal cell cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer.....now ovarian cancer. Results from a Phase 1 trial.”

Connecting Our Immune System and Healthspan | Eric Topol MD 10/11/26

• CD8+ effector-memory T cells can be rich in either K granules which lead to healthy aging or B granules which are associated with disease and increased mortality. Eric Topol reviews an important new paper on how the immune system ages.

Eric and Wendy Schmidt announce global public health nonprofit to improve systems that monitor, identify, respond to health threats | Eurekalert 10/8/26

• Expanding the mission of the Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid (SILC) beyond a single disease, Eric and Wendy Schmidt announced Schmidt Global Health, a nonprofit aimed at improving public health by strengthening the systems and advancing the technology used to monitor, identify and respond to emerging disease threats worldwide.

US maternity wards face wave of closures as Medicaid cuts kick in | Guardian 10/11/26

• Hospitals across the United States are closing maternity wards as federal Medicaid cuts take effect, the Guardian reports. Medicaid pays for more than 40% of US births, so lost funding hits obstetric units first, leaving rural and low income families with longer drives for care.

Tibial bone compression promotes recovery after brain injury through osteocyte PIEZO1 | Nature Neuroscience 9/21/26

• Mechanical compression of the tibia bone improved survival and motor and cognitive recovery after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke in mice, and after TBI in pigs. Osteocyte bone cells sensed the force through PIEZO1 and released neuroprotective factors, including HSP70 and IL-1R2, pointing to a bone-brain axis.

Longitudinal linear-epitope profiling of SLE identifies novel antigens associated with disease and disease activity | bioRxiv 10/4/26

• UCSF researchers compared plasma from 695 Lupus patients and 301 healthy controls. Machine learning found a reproducible autoreactivity signature that separated the two groups. The most common shared target, a YTHDF2 peptide, was found in the plasma of approximately 25% of patients and resembles the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BZLF1 protein. Antibodies were found to bind the viral peptide more tightly, supporting the hypothesis that EBV may trigger Lupus autoimmunity through molecular mimicry.

The association between PFAS exposure, menstrual cycle parameters, and reproductive hormones in adolescent girls | JCEM Sept 2026

• “Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals”, are widespread. Certain PFAS exposures have been associated with reproductive abnormalities in women, but limited data exist in adolescents. [In a new study], PFAS were widely detected in healthy girls. PFBS was positively associated with estrone-3-glucuronide (E1G) levels, suggesting potential ovarian effects.”

Real-world, digital-first delivery of GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy in women | Nature Medicine 9/16/26

• “A real world digital GLP-1 structured treatment program achieved marked weight loss, high retention, metabolic improvement, and no serious adverse events in over 8,000 women. Suggests scalability with minimal need for clinician support.” -@EricTopol

The human gut microbiome primes fever after vaccination | Science 10/8/26

• A Science study of 171 healthy adults found that gut microbes making more flagellin, a bacterial protein that fuels inflammation, were linked to fever after mRNA COVID vaccination. People who ate more plant foods tended to have less fever. Stronger fevers did not mean stronger antibody responses.

Animals crossing: the simple solution to stop roadkill in the Amazon | Guardian 10/9/26

• Brazilian biologist Fernanda Abra came up with a simple solution to prevent animals from being killed on roads in the Amazon region. She installed rope bridges that have allowed over 15,000 safe animal crossings. Six primate species use them, including threatened marmosets and the critically endangered Alta Floresta titi monkey.

Biologist Fernanda Abra, the founder of Reconectam, with one of the canopy bridges. Photograph: Reconecta

MIT trailblazer who helped shape Apollo 11 legacy dies at 90 | Mass Live 10/8/26

• “Margaret Hamilton, a pioneering computer scientist who helped establish the field of software engineering and led the MIT team that developed the onboard flight software for NASA’s Apollo moon missions” died on September 30 at age 90.

Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton poses with the Apollo guidance software she and her team developed at MIT.

Photo credit: MIT museum

Have a great week,

Ruth Ann Crystal MD

Vaccines: Good For Your Heart?

This is an excellent article about how vaccines may help your heart. Maybe this information will inspire people to get vaccinated.

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These 4 routine vaccines may also help protect your heart

Vaccines for flu, covid and other viral infections could lower your risk of cardiovascular complications, especially if you have heart disease, research suggests.

October 18, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. EDT

By Kathleen Felton, Washington Post

When you get vaccinated against infections like the flu or covid, you’re probably thinking about lowering your chances of getting sick. But research suggests certain routine vaccines may have another health benefit: protecting your heart.

“We’re beginning to understand the large number of problems these viruses can cause beyond, say, a cough and fever,” said Paul Heidenreich, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford Medicine.

A study published in August in Nature Medicine adds to the evidence for vaccination’s potential heart-health benefits. Researchers compared adults 60 and older who received the newer shingles vaccine with those who received the older version. People who got the newer shot had lower rates of ischemic heart disease and heart failure during the seven years after vaccination, researchers found

Although the study can’t prove the shot caused those differences, the groups were essentially the same except for vaccine type. (Earlier research found that people who received the older version also had fewer cardiovascular problems than unvaccinated people.) 

These findings support recent recommendations from the European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology: Both groups published statements emphasizing the key role of adult immunizations, including the shingles vaccine, in protecting cardiovascular health. That’s especially important for people with heart disease, who face a higher risk of hospitalization and death from certain infections — so reducing their chances of developing a severe case or possibly avoiding infection altogether can help prevent those outcomes.

Certain viral infections can put extra strain on your heart as your body fights them off, explained Noreen Nazir, a cardiologist and co-author of the recent American College of Cardiology (ACC) guidance.

And while some of the clearest cardiovascular benefits of vaccination are seen in people who already have heart disease, “there’s potential benefit even to those who don’t yet have heart problems,” said Heidenreich, who also co-wrote the ACC guidance

Here are four adult immunizations that may help protect your heart — and what to know about each.

Shingles vaccine

About 1 in 3 adults in the United States will develop shingles, and the older you get, the greater your risk. It’s caused by a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles typically produces a painful, itchy rash and can sometimes lead to complications like long-term nerve pain.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two doses of a vaccine called Shingrix for people 50 and older, as well as adults 19 and older with weakened immune systems due to disease or medical treatment. This recombinant vaccine uses a lab-made protein from the virus rather than the live, weakened virus used in Zostavax, the older shot it was compared with in the Nature Medicine study.

Previous research has also suggested shingles vaccination might have cardiovascular benefits. A 2025 study of adults 50 and older identified an association between two doses of Shingrix and lower risk of stroke and heart attack. But the Nature Medicine study “is a really great addition to the literature,” said Nazir. The shingles vaccine’s potential heart benefits haven’t been studied as extensively as those of other vaccines, she added

Although it’s not fully understood how, exactly, the shingles vaccine may protect the heart, one possible mechanism is that shingles causes an inflammatory response, explained Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention for the American Heart Association.

That inflammation can rupture plaque, a fatty buildup in arteries that carry blood to the heart or brain, he explained, “leading to heart attacks or strokes.”

Annual flu shot

It’s easy to think of the flu as just another seasonal illness, but it can cause serious complications, including pneumonia. While an annual flu shot is recommended for nearly everyone 6 months and older, the vaccine is especially critical for adults 65 and older, a group at higher risk of complications. (That’s why the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends a high-dose, recombinant or adjuvanted flu vaccine for this age group.)

A yearly flu shot is also essential if you have heart disease or a history of stroke, regardless of your age. If you end up hospitalized and have an underlying high-risk condition like these, “you are much more likely to have a cardiovascular event,” said William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and co-author on the ACC paper

In one study, influenza infection was associated with a sixfold increase in heart attack hospitalizations during the week after a positive flu test. Findings of another 2024 study suggested that influenza accounted for about 3 percent of all deaths and 5 percent of hospitalizations for flu or pneumonia among people with heart failure in Denmark.

Covid shot

Official guidance on who should get a covid booster this year has been confusing. But the Food and Drug Administration has approved the updated covid vaccines, which are designed to better match versions of the virus currently spreading, for adults 65 and older and younger people with at least one underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk for  complications.

That includes people with heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathies. Covid boosters for this group are critical, since “we know covid-19 can definitely cause heart damage,” said Heidenreich. Having these conditions also makes you more likely to become seriously ill from covid.

During the covid-19 pandemic, people with heart disease were three times as likely to develop severe infection. Covid has been associated with greater risk of heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrhythmias and pericarditis, inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart 

Covid infection may also lead to long-term cardiovascular complications. A 2025 study published in the European Heart Journal found that having covid was associated with early vascular aging, when the arteries become stiffer and less elastic.

“There’s the thought that the virus might actually affect the heart muscle itself,” explained Sanchez. “So one, it’s triggering an inflammatory response, and then in some instances having a direct effect on the heart muscle."

RSV vaccine

Respiratory syncytial virus, RSV for short, is often thought of as primarily affecting babies and young children. But RSV infection can be serious for older adults, especially those who are frail.

The CDC recommends a single dose for adults 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV illness and for everyone 75 and older. People who have already received an RSV vaccine shouldn’t get another dose at this time.

As with covid and the flu, people with underlying conditions such as heart disease are more likely to experience serious complications from RSV. That’s partly because the infection can worsen existing conditions, including heart failure. One study spanning five RSV seasons found that nearly a quarter of adults 50 and older who were hospitalized with RSV infection experienced an acute cardiac event, often heart failure. Those who did had nearly twice the risk of severe outcomes compared with those who didn’t.

RSV’s effects on cardiovascular health may linger after the illness has passed, as they can with covid and the flu, Schaffner added. “There continues to be a high risk of cardiovascular events even after you recover from these viral infections,” he said.

A common complaint, experts said, is “Well, I got the vaccine, but I still got sick.” Though the shingles vaccine is more than 90 percent effective at preventing shingles in adults 50 and older with healthy immune systems, vaccines for covid, the flu and RSV work best at preventing serious disease, noted Schaffner.

This means you may still develop one of these infections, but it may be a milder case with a lower risk of developing complications, including cardiovascular events. “The vaccine likely helped keep you out of the hospital,” said Schaffner