Dr. Katie Foss
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ktafoss.bsky.social
Dr. Katie Foss
@ktafoss.bsky.social
Professor & Director, School of Journalism & Strategic Media, MTSU. Likes dogs, medical history facts, climbing, TV, and the Oxford comma.

My latest books:

https://www.umasspress.com/9781625348289/capturing-covid/

https://www.umasspress.com/978162534
Reposted by Dr. Katie Foss
5 years after WHO declared #COVID-19 a pandemic, the U.S. is cutting staff at #NIH and #CDC while facing TB, measles and the worst flu season in 15 years. A scholar examines the role of 3 #publichealth agencies:
Katherine A. Foss @mtsuofficial.bsky.social #episky 🧪🩺
5 years of COVID-19 underscore value of coordinated efforts to manage disease – while CDC, NIH and WHO face threats to their ability to respond to a crisis
More than a century ago, the US learned what happens when there is no national response to a major health crisis.
buff.ly
March 12, 2025 at 12:07 PM
It's been 5 years since the #WHO declared #COVID a pandemic.
How did the world find out about the "mystery pneumonia" out of Wuhan? I trace the diffusion of news and social media in chapter 2 of my book:
www.umasspress.com/978162534828...
Capturing COVID
When health authorities quarantined guests aboard the Diamond Princess on February 5, 2020, the cruise ship abruptly shifted from a dream vacation vessel ...
www.umasspress.com
March 11, 2025 at 1:35 PM
I wrote this piece for @us.theconversation.com.

5 years of #COVID-19 underscore value of coordinated efforts to manage disease – while #CDC, #NIH and #WHO face threats to their ability to respond to a #crisis theconversation.com/5-years-of-c...
5 years of COVID-19 underscore value of coordinated efforts to manage disease – while CDC, NIH and WHO face threats to their ability to respond to a crisis
More than a century ago, the US learned what happens when there is no national response to a major health crisis.
theconversation.com
March 11, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Reposted by Dr. Katie Foss
The measles outbreak in Texas is reminding me of the public letter Roald Dahl wrote about losing his daughter to measles in 1962, just before the vaccine was publicly available.
February 15, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Let’s have more leaders like this:
JUST IN:

Federal judges orders HHS, CDC, and FDA to restore “by no later than 11:59 pm” today their websites and datasets to pre-January 30th status.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
February 11, 2025 at 8:05 PM
We've got outbreaks of measles in Texas, TB in Kansas, and so many cases of flu here in TN that entire school districts are closed.
Way to demonstrate the need for public health, Universe.
A measles outbreak is growing in a Texas county with dangerously low vaccination rates. Public health practitioners warn such outbreaks will become more common because of scores of laws around the U.S. — pending and passed — that ultimately lower vaccine rates. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Measles Outbreak Mounts Among Children in One of Texas’ Least Vaccinated Counties - KFF Health News
With hospitalizations and at least a dozen cases, health officials race to contain a growing outbreak in a community with low vaccination.
kffhealthnews.org
February 7, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reposted by Dr. Katie Foss
I have filed a criminal complaint with the Colorado State Attorney General against Elon Musk and DOGE for illegally accessing private data through the Treasury Department. I suggest every American citizen do the same in their State. DOGE and Elon Musk are not government agents #Resist
February 1, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Reposted by Dr. Katie Foss
With science falling under increasing attack, this medical historian is here to remind people of the power of #vaccines. THREAD🧵

Hard-hitting polio advert from 1958. In the first half of the 20th century, polio was the leading cause of death in children and young adults. 1/7
February 1, 2025 at 3:29 PM
It's official! My book, Capturing COVID: Media and the Pandemic in the Digital Era is out.

Save 20% if you order directly from the University of Massachusetts Press site with code UMASS20.

www.umasspress.com/978162534828...
Capturing COVID
When health authorities quarantined guests aboard the Diamond Princess on February 5, 2020, the cruise ship abruptly shifted from a dream vacation vessel ...
www.umasspress.com
January 28, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Seeking glimpses of hope.
January 26, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Hate this, like that @philinvestigates.com is keeping on top of things.
January 24, 2025 at 11:38 PM
This is absolutely appalling.
CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has provided real-time data and analysis about disease outbreaks and emerging health threats without a break every week since 1960.

Until today.
January 24, 2025 at 1:46 AM
My new book! Links in a future post.
January 23, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Reposted by Dr. Katie Foss
SCOOP: The Trump administration has ordered the National Institutes of Health to impose an "immediate and indefinite" ban on all travel, domestic and international. Internal emails reviewed by The Handbasket outline what employees know so far.

Read more here:
SCOOP: National Institutes of Health ordered by Trump admin to enact 'immediate and indefinite' travel suspension
"If staff aren’t able to travel, clinical trials will likely have to be put on hold," a source tells The Handbasket.
www.thehandbasket.co
January 22, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Dr. Katie Foss
2) Trump WH is literally blocking all of this… including all CDC science reports and all FDA public alerts!

bsky.app/profile/drer...
NEW—Trump WH has blocked all CDC science reports (eg MMWR) & suspended all CDC / FDA / NIH external communications of all HHS agencies until further notice... including all FDA & CDC Health Alert warnings & all social media. Public health be damned.

Gift 🎁 link:
wapo.st/4aqfN44
Trump officials pause health agencies’ communications, citing review
The agencies are charged with making decisions that touch the lives of every American and are the source of crucial information to health-care providers.
wapo.st
January 22, 2025 at 9:35 PM
What’s this about all public health communications being halted and why aren’t we hearing more about it?
January 22, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Reposted by Dr. Katie Foss
WHO comments on United States announcement of intent to withdraw bit.ly/4hrbeJ7
January 21, 2025 at 10:38 AM
It might be time for yet another Schitt’s Creek rewatch.
November 11, 2024 at 12:08 PM
Hello, Blue Sky world! Trying to figure this out.
November 10, 2024 at 11:46 AM