Mark Ungrin

Policy on health is clearly broken - politicized, out of touch, reactive and slow. My recent keynote at the Canadian Biosafety Symposium took a big-picture look at how and why that's happening, and how we can turn things around. Here's a general-audience version, recorded at the Deep River library.

I think the lesson from Lula is not never talk about the opposition; it's articulate a positive vision that's basically, We Can Just Do Things. That's why Mamdani-ism is so popular - voters have an intrinsic sense that their electeds have agency they're not using

Comment period ends November 13th.

We're at risk of a perfect storm because the anti-vaccine and anti-PPE wings of the IPC disinformation country club will treat any HPAI outbreak as a game of chicken. The ones who botched measles can't let vaccines work, the ones who botched COVID can't let PPE work, and we pay the price. E.g (🧵):

Ooops

We really need to start talking about the need for criminal prosecutions of public health and infection control leaders spreading misinformation about life critical respiratory protections. They are no different than those spreading anti-vaccine misinformation and must be treated accordingly.

I have often wondered if a transition into apparently irrational behavior when pushed beyond certain limits is an adaptive response. If people were consistently 100% logical, it'd be easy to prisoner's-dilemma everyone into dictatorship. But if they'll become unpredictable once you screw them...

Wow. "Perwaiz is currently serving a 59-year-long federal prison sentence for conducting irreversible hysterectomies, improper sterilizations, and other medically unnecessary procedures for over a decade. He misled women about their health, telling some they had... www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-...

US voters take note. These groups coordinate - Republican strategists were in Alberta working to undermine democracy in Canada, and when the dust settles I strongly suspect you'll find they were working with Bolsonaro's cronies in Brazil, too.

“ @mark-ungrin.bsky.social believes N95 masks should be worn in all hospitals, the spaces where people are often the most vulnerable or have a higher chance of spreading disease. ‘why aren’t we doing more of this in health care facilities?If it doesn’t get inside you, it can’t make you sick””

Danielle Smith and the UCP, losing the referendum but still desperate to make the 2027 provincial election about separatism, racism, and picking fights with First Nations. Their obsessive focus on stirring up extremism highlights the fact that they know they can't win an election on their record.

Everyone take a deep breath. Québec students are planning a week-long protest in November a la France 🇫🇷. Put something hard between your teeth and bite down. Let them create the future they want to live in.

NO. CLEAN. SLATES. NO "LOOKING FORWARD, NOT BACK." NO LENIENCY FOR "THE KIDS," JARED, DON, ERIC. EVERY CRIME UNCOVERED. EVERY ICE NAZI ARRESTED. EVERY PERSON RELEASED FROM CONCENTRATION CAMPS. EVERY DOLLAR RETURNED. EVERY GOV'T CONTRACT WITH A FASCIST CANCELLED.

My god. This is 💔. Big humans are supposed to protect our little ones. But also, I can't wrap my head around the depravity of pediatric specialists everywhere, still pumping out papers blaming lockdown for everything while not even bothering to count & support these kids (see also #LongCOVIDKids).

Good thing there weren't any tourists still in Vancouver Sep 22-Oct 17, hanging out in Stanley Park, which is <<checks notes>> a top tourist attraction.

AB referendum, question #2: "Should y'all not be allowed social services if'n y'all don' LOOK like yer from ROUND HERE?" #cdnpoli

😐

The ostensibly pro-Ukraine faction of the legislature is in fact very powerful to stop him, it’s just that one of its two constituent parts is lying about being pro-Ukraine

"One of the reasons this war needs to end is because every month, 20,000 or 25,000 Russians are slaughtered as they try to advance in Ukraine." Marco, this is one of the very few upsides of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Vance: "I think Ukrainians should stop bombing Russian energy... I don't think that Ukraine should be in NATO." NO ONE WAS TOUCHING THEIR PRECIOUS ENERGY UNTIL THEY INVADED US! And maybe, just maybe, Russia should stop murdering Ukrainian civilians on a daily basis, JD?

Clean air is a fundamental part of public health, and should be a basic expectation. Just as we prioritize clean drinking water, we should prioritize the quality of the air we breathe every day. Improving indoor air quality through better ventilation, (...)

Last week, I finally had enough with the CBC refusing to fact check Smith’s lie that this referendum is the result of the Citizen Initiative Act. The response was to claim oh but it’s the “spirit of the law!”and my follow up.

Worth noting that the "Valid votes cast" here is the sum total of all votes on all 10 questions that have been counted so far (so by the time counting is done, each voter will be counted as 10 votes in here if they entered a vote for all 10 questions). results.elections.ab.ca/8400

On eve of Alberta referendum vote, separatist leader alleges ‘cover up’ in deadly CFB Wainwright tragedy Alberta separatist leader Jeffrey Rath makes unsubstantiated claims that ‘DEI programs’ and ‘gender fluid’ soldiers may be to blame in CFB Wainwright tragedy

Really liking the use of the word "debacle" in the title here. The Teflon is starting to wear off of medical guidance-making processes, exposing the toxic glue that holds it all together underneath. Impunity isn't forever. #medsky #polisky #standupforscience

Ok. I just heard the reporter from Fort McMurray essentially repeating separatist talking points and passing them off as coverage.

At what point does the CBC take responsibility for airing fair right hooey? This guy is always crazy when they put him on the air, and yet they keep putting him on the air.

Say what now?

With American and Russian support driving the astroturfing in favour of Alberta separation, the possibility for a separatist fifth column to play the same role as Putin's "little green men" in the Russian invasion of #Ukraine and the occupation of #Crimea must be taken seriously. #CdnPoli #polisky

Understanding is important. Putting it into practice changes lives. This month marks six years since Long Covid Kids began. Our new Practical Guide helps schools support children and young people. Free to read and share. 🧡 www.longcovidkids.org/download-res... #LongCovid #ForEveryChildhood #ME

Medicine's management class is desperate to hide the blood on their hands. Their alliance with MAHA lets them manipulate data more directly in the US, but make no mistake, this is happening everywhere. When medical leaders downplay #longCOVID or #ME/CFS, they're showing you who they really are.

This brings me joy. Ukraine not backing down, trump and putin losing. All I want for Christmas people is cash, cash to donate to @u24.gov.ua so they can do more #explody shit in russia

Most Albertans don’t want to leave Canada but boy are a lot of them racist. And that’s what this whole charade by Smith was about. Ask loaded, convoluted questions to grievance farm and amplify voices of racists and other “old stock” Albertans. globalnews.ca/news/1210641...

Pro-russia / MAGA / oligarch bots are really out in force on bsky lately! Minimizing Russian threats to Europe and MAGA threats to Canada, clumsily trying to undermine Ukraine. Panicking that they're losing the US midterms and then botching the propaganda campaign by outsourcing it to AI slop. 🏆🤣