Dick Zoutman
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dickzoutman.bsky.social
Dick Zoutman
@dickzoutman.bsky.social
7.2K followers 640 following 1.6K posts
Proud Grandpa, Hubby, Dad, Infectious Disease Doc & Medical Microbiologist, Emeritus Professor @Queensu School of Medicine, Past Chief of Staff of 2 large health systems.
Chair of the Board
Canadian COVIDSociety.
Comments strictly personal.
Posts Replies Media Videos
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.resmedjournal.com/article/S095...
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosol and surface samples in high acuity hospital settings during community epidemic waves – implications for risk-based infection control.
Nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is multifactorial and may vary between clinical sites.
www.resmedjournal.com
February 17, 2026 at 11:16 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
globalnews.ca/news/1166965...
Ontario finance minister says rate of health-care spending is ‘unsustainable’ | Globalnews.ca
In the buildup to the 2026 budget, Doug Ford's finance minister is raising concerns about the sustainability of health-care spending in Ontario.
globalnews.ca
February 17, 2026 at 7:27 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Exclusive: Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation
Staff members have been instructed to scrub this topic and ‘biodefense’ from the agency’s website.
www.nature.com
February 15, 2026 at 1:58 PM
Reposted by Dick Zoutman
popns.bsky.social
Inaction on the part of governments, medical communities, and the public has left us broken hearted.

And Covid infections leave people with physiologically broken hearts.
"Stop breaking my heart... by ending the chain of transmission." A valentine with an illustration of a red broken heart in the middle. An n 95 mask is in the right corner.
February 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
youtube.com/watch?v=rbmP...
BREAKING NEWS: AOC Speaks At The Munich Security Conference Panel On 'The Rise Of Populism'
YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News
youtube.com
February 14, 2026 at 2:05 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Civil Service sickness absence, 2025: report
www.gov.uk
February 11, 2026 at 11:50 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Long COVID associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection among children and adolescents in the omicron era (RECOVER-EHR): a retrospective cohort study
Children and adolescents face a significantly higher risk of various PASC outcomes after reinfection with SARS-CoV-2. These findings add to previous evidence linking paediatric long COVID to multisyst...
www.thelancet.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:32 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Federal public servants called back to office 4 days a week starting this summer | CBC News
The federal government expects its employees to return to in-office work for a minimum of four days a week starting this July.
www.cbc.ca
February 8, 2026 at 1:01 AM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Risk of Cardiorespiratory Events Following RSV-Related Hospitalization
This self-controlled case series assesses the risk of cardiorespiratory events 180 days after hospitalization for respiratory syncytial virus infection in adults.
jamanetwork.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:06 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
gofund.me/2f761e6b9
Donate to Now It’s Our Turn: Supporting Paramedics Mya & Zoraiz, organized by Samantha deHaan
On Monday, February 2, 2026, shortly after 3:00 p.m., full-time … Samantha deHaan needs your support for Now It’s Our Turn: Supporting Paramedics Mya & Zoraiz
gofund.me
February 5, 2026 at 8:34 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Estimated 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Against Severe COVID-19
This case-control study estimates vaccine effectiveness of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines against severe COVID-19 and investigates whether it varied by SARS-CoV-2 lineage or spike protein mutations.
jamanetwork.com
February 4, 2026 at 10:42 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
How Alberta Plans to Kill Public Health Care Across Canada via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/Opinion/2026...
How Alberta Plans to Kill Public Health Care Across Canada | The Tyee
A new law opens the door for two-tier care that would destroy medicare.
thetyee.ca
February 4, 2026 at 7:40 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Long-term health outcomes and risk factors for low self-rated health in non-hospitalised adults with post-COVID-19 condition: a 2.5-year cohort study - BMC Public Health
BMC Public Health - Knowledge regarding the clinical course and prognosis in non-hospitalised individuals with post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) remains limited. This study aimed to explore the impact...
link.springer.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:26 AM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
troymedia.com/health/ontar...
Ontario’s health crisis isn’t an accident
Billions are moving in health care, just not where patients expect
troymedia.com
February 1, 2026 at 5:30 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.thespec.com/opinion/cont...
Public education and the costs of COVID inequity
We need policies to protect precarious workers and students.
www.thespec.com
February 1, 2026 at 5:08 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/cid/advance-...
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transmission in Healthcare Settings: A Systematic Review of Frequency, Risk Factors, and Exposure Conditions
This systematic review of 86 studies and 35,698 exposures suggests M. tuberculosis transmission in healthcare is rare; 93% of reported transmissions were a
academic.oup.com
February 1, 2026 at 1:48 AM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
COVID-19 vaccination carries no association with childbirth rates in Sweden - Communications Medicine
Nordvall et al. use a cohort study design to study causal effects of the COVID-19 vaccine on childbirth rates in a representative Swedish population. They show that COVID-19 vaccination has no associa...
www.nature.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:42 AM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Trump Policies at Odds With Emerging Understanding of Covid’s Long-Term Harm - KFF Health News
Studies increasingly offer insights into the health risks and burdens faced by people who have had covid infections. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has narrowed covid vaccine recommendations and ...
kffhealthnews.org
January 29, 2026 at 11:41 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Intranasal administration of broad-spectrum macrocyclic peptide inhibitor protects against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants - Nature Communications
Newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants underscore the need for broad-spectrum antiviral solutions. This study shows a macrocyclic peptide inhibitor that locks the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer into a “closed” c...
www.nature.com
January 26, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Dick Zoutman
thewhn.bsky.social
Hospitals shouldn’t be a place where patients and healthcare workers get infected.

Preventing airborne infections requires system-level protections, not “optional” measures. Because prevention works—and clean air saves lives.

Read more: whn.global/importance-o...

#N95 #InfectionPrevention
Square WHN graphic in grayscale showing an empty hospital corridor with a gurney in the foreground and equipment lining the hallway. Large white serif text overlays the image. Text on image: “whn.global” “This post is from WHN’s Healthcare Safety section and was prepared by the World Health Network for Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, President & CEO of The Joint Commission.” “Throughout history, foundational public health measures—such as hygiene protocols, vaccination campaigns, and universal blood safety standards—emerged in response to widespread morbidity and mortality. While these measures faced initial resistance, they have since become cornerstones of modern healthcare.” “The World Health Network is a network devoted to global compassion—working together to inspire collective action through science for a safer, healthier world.” Square WHN graphic showing a close-up photo of a white N95-style respirator mask with yellow straps in the background. Large white serif text overlays the image, with a smaller white paragraph below. Text on image: “whn.global” “This post is from WHN’s Healthcare Safety section and was prepared by the World Health Network for Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, President & CEO of The Joint Commission.” “The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic underscores the urgent need to address address airborne aerosol transmission, especially in healthcare settings, where high-risk individuals are concentrated and healthcare workers face repeated exposure. A study published in JAMA Network Open (2024) found that halting universal masking and SARS-CoV-2 testing in hospitals led to a 25% increase in hospital-onset respiratory viral infections compared to community infections. Reinstating masking reduced these infections by 33%.” “The World Health Network is a network devoted to global compassion—working together to inspire collective action through science for a safer, healthier world.” Square WHN graphic in grayscale showing a hospital room with a patient bed in the foreground and medical equipment along the wall. Large white serif headline text overlays the image, followed by a bulleted list and a website link. Text on image: “whn.global” “This post is from WHN’s Healthcare Safety section and was prepared by the World Health Network for Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, President & CEO of The Joint Commission.” “To safeguard healthcare environments, it is imperative to transition from reactive source-control policies to proactive systemic public health measures. Healthcare systems must adopt systemic, evidence-based interventions, including: • Universal Respirator Use (N95) • Improved Ventilation Standards (HEPA + air exchange) • Strategic Testing whn.global/importance-of-systemic-public-health-measures-to-mitigate-airborne-infections/” “The World Health Network is a network devoted to global compassion—working together to inspire collective action through science for a safer, healthier world.”
January 26, 2026 at 6:30 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...
Evaluating modes of influenza transmission (EMIT-2): Insights from lack of transmission in a controlled transmission trial with naturally infected donors
Author summary Human-to-human influenza virus transmission under controlled conditions could provide insights leading to better control of epidemics and pandemics. However, a previous study using labo...
journals.plos.org
January 26, 2026 at 5:12 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.bmj.com/content/377/...
Risks of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding after covid-19: nationwide self-controlled cases series and matched cohort study
Objective To quantify the risk of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding after covid-19. Design Self-controlled case series and matched cohort study. Setting National registries in S...
www.bmj.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:45 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
archive.ph/2026.01.18-1...
archive.ph
January 18, 2026 at 3:57 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
SARS-CoV-2 infection rates among home dialysis patients and patients receiving hemodialysis at outpatient centers, January 2021–May 2023, United States | Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology ...
SARS-CoV-2 infection rates among home dialysis patients and patients receiving hemodialysis at outpatient centers, January 2021–May 2023, United States
www.cambridge.org
January 16, 2026 at 10:57 PM
dickzoutman.bsky.social
www.businessupturn.com/trade-policy...
Why the WHO respirator revolt could reshape global health governance - Business Upturn Trade & Policy
When a group of senior clinicians and public health scientists formally urged the World Health Organization in January 2026 to...
www.businessupturn.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:06 PM