Arduinna

Posted by subdee

https://www.metafilter.com/210168/Crisis-at-the-CDC

Crisis within CDC is spilling into real world, experts say. Armstrong, an infectious disease physician at University of Colorado Medicine, recently confronted one such loss in her practice in Colorado. Her patient had signs of what could be a cancer or could be an unusual infection — diagnoses that would require completely different treatment. Ordinarily, she would confirm an infection after sending a sample to the CDC for testing its lab would perform — the only one in the U.S. capable of doing so. The CDC no longer has the capacity to do that, she was told, not disclosing the nature of the test to protect her patient's privacy. "That directly impacted my patient," she said. "It had a real-world, absolutely direct impact on a patient that I was evaluating and has led to a much, much more complicated situation."

Three senior CDC leaders resigned after the White House fired Director Susan Monarez less than a month into her tenure. Monarez's lawyers said she was removed for refusing to "rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives" from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The resigning officials said the shake-up threatened science with Demetre Daskalakis saying "our science is going to be compromised," while Debra Houry warned vaccine policy was being set "before we had the data," and Daniel Jernigan accused HHS of pressing him to alter settled safety studies. "The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning," Daskalakis wrote in his resignation letter. "My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions' words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues' thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed." Hundreds of CDC staff staged a walkout in Atlanta with signs reading "Science not conspiracy" in support of Monarez and the officials who resigned. BONUS: Former CDC Director William Foege: How public health can fight back in a time of dangerous nonsense.

https://www.metafilter.com/210168/Crisis-at-the-CDC

Posted by maxwelton

https://www.metafilter.com/210166/Rescuing-century-old-tomatoes

Eric, the proprietor of youtube channel "Hand Tool Rescue", normally discovers and restores questionable (and often dangerous) old hand-operated tools. But in his latest video, he reveals he found a sample packet of Norton tomato seeds in a 1926 seed catalog he found in his travels and decides to see if he can get any to germinate. He's up to the task as he also reveals that in his non-youtube life, he has a PhD in plant science. The result is a typical-for-the-channel but off-subject "hand tool rescue video": Can I Grow 100 Year Old Tomato Seeds?

https://www.metafilter.com/210166/Rescuing-century-old-tomatoes