I know he'll be correct eventually, but one reliable sign things are about to turn for the worst throughout the #COVID19 pandemic is when Eric Topol announces how hopeful he is, that he sees good signs, and/or that he's tired of the pervasive pessimists. Today, he shared how we have no new variants with a growth advantage over XBB.1.5, which isn't actually true--they're just still growing from a small base, but I bet that won't be the story in 4 to 6 weeks.
For all the great work he's done, I've unfollowed him in frustration with this multiple times. Hope and optimism isn't winning here.
@carlos @BE I don't think he considers how much damage it does when one the trusted experts opts for the language of optimism and reduced concern versus the need for continued vigilance and precaution. Time after time his optimism has been wrong, and he forgets that few people are willing to go back and forth to caution. Each "mission accomplished" post just makes it harder to fight mutations, prevent long COVID, and ensure equity for the immunocompromised.
@BE He actually blocked me on Twitter for gently pointing out his criticism of "presence pessimism" had been wrong and the pessimists had been correct about the rapid mutation of the virus. I couldn't believe it. I thought scientists were supposed to be open and objective.
He hasn't turned to the dark side though. He has consistently advocated for measures to reduce transmission. That's a lot better than almost everybody, so I'll take that, even though I don't share the optimism for the near term.