Prof Brendan Crabb AC

What We Forget About Covid Will Shape the Next Pandemic As the pandemic recedes, our collective memory is softening the fear and chaos. That shift could determine how we handle the next crisis.

From @jasongale.bsky.social based on his brilliant new book. Captures a lot of what actually was, and contrasts that to our (faulty/revised) memory those facts. And importantly, why that all matters for the next pandemic. All a bit sad to me, but great work Jason.

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

What is Nipah virus and should Australians be concerned? Bat virologist Dr Joshua Hayward answers some of the most common questions on Nipah virus.

Bat virologist Dr Joshua Hayward, senior research officer at Burnet Institute, answers some of the most common questions about Nipah virus: www.burnet.edu.au/news/what-is...

Headshots of James and Mary. A heading reads: Our new chair, James Flintoft. Text underneath reads: James has been appointed Burnet Chair following Mary Padbury’s retirement.

James Flintoft has been appointed Burnet's new Chair following the retirement of long-serving Board member and Chair Mary Padbury. Find out more: https://www.burnet.edu.au/news/james-flintoft-appointed-burnet-chair-following-mary-padburys-retirement/

A discreet intellectual network has been reshaping the world for 70 years. Here's how A constant battle of ideas reshapes the world we live in, and few groups have been more successful in winning the war than the little-known Atlas Network.

Brilliant reporting here by Gareth Hutchens on the Atlas Network and its insidious work across the world, including Australia

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

bsky.app/profile/bren...

Oxfam: Australian billionaires pocket $600,000 a day as inequality deepens A major report by Oxfam released today has found that the average Australian billionaire increased their wealth by almost $600,000 a day over the past year, or more than $10.5 billion altogether.

thepoint.com.au/news/260120-...

@grogsgamut.bsky.social

Oxfam: Australian billionaires pocket $600,000 a day as inequality deepens A major report by Oxfam released today has found that the average Australian billionaire increased their wealth by almost $600,000 a day over the past year, or more than $10.5 billion altogether.

My column on Oxfam's inequality report #ThePoint

"Oxfam: Australian billionaires pocket $600,000 a day as inequality deepens"
thepoint.com.au/news/260120-...

bsky.app/profile/thet...

I think this piece argues that as inequity worsens so does democracy. You'd have to ask why the policies of the different parties get closer together; who/what is influencing that? Lobbyists for those with mega resources work both sides effectively.

Australia's 48 billionaires wealthier than bottom 40pc combined, Oxfam finds Oxfam Australia is calling on the federal government to tax the super rich to help tackle growing inequality, as billionaires grow their wealth by more than half a million a day on average.

It’s not just obscene, but I’d go as far as to say extreme inequity is our (and the developed world’s) most significant problem; the issue that must be addressed first if we are to be healthier, wealthier, more secure, and more sustainable.

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

There’s a lot happening in and around this brilliant shot.

Thanks for bringing to our attention Eric.

Extraordinary contribution, a reference for us all - vaccines promise to be an even bigger part of the future than they have been in the past. And that’s saying something. Thankyou @scientificdiscovery.dev

Burnet Institute and Acting CEO Professor Caroline Homer AO express condolences on the death of the University of Melbourne’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Emma Johnston AO – distinguished scientist, respected higher education leader, and passionate advocate for research excellence and gender equity.

Emma Johnston was a visionary scientist, environmentalist and leader, with an abiding hope for humanity The University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, who has died aged 52, was driven by a deep love of science and a desire to safeguard the planet’s future.

theconversation.com/emma-johnsto...

Melbourne Uni vice chancellor dies after short illness Emma Johnston took charge of Australia’s top-ranked university in 2025 after a lauded career as a research scientist. She was 52.

If ever there was a breath of fresh air and optimism in Australian academia it was Emma. Utterly devastating news.

www.afr.com/work-and-car...

Poverty is a policy choice. Concentrated wealth is a policy choice. Inequality is a policy choice. None of it is natural or inevitable. Remember: We have the power to build a system that serves the many, not the powerful few.

Happy Hanukkah YouTube video by Zohran Mamdani for NYC

It was such a joy to celebrate Hanukkah with Mandy, Kathryn and their son, Gideon. As Jewish New Yorkers across our city prepare to light candles and mark the seventh night today, I wish you and your families a Hanukkah full of light and love.

youtu.be/KIxAKyioXng

Long COVID involves activation of proinflammatory and immune exhaustion pathways - Nature Immunology Long COVID (LC) involves a spectrum of chronic symptoms after resolution of acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Barouch and colleagues show that LC is characterized by per...

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Underscoring that long COVID is as biological as a broken leg. This commentary is on a new paper in Nature Immunology (see next link). Not new findings in the main but beautifully done work that offers both mechanic insights and potential therapeutic solutions.

news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

Long COVID involves activation of proinflammatory and immune exhaustion pathways - Nature Immunology Long COVID (LC) involves a spectrum of chronic symptoms after resolution of acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Barouch and colleagues show that LC is characterized by per...

Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center studied 142 people and found that long COVID is marked by chronic immune activation, including IL-6 and JAK-STAT signaling, T cell exhaustion, and metabolic disruption lasting over 6 months.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Scientists rely on this COVID-19 data. It's made by a volunteer in Melbourne Meet the Melbourne IT specialist who tracks "incredibly valuable" COVID-19 data in his spare time.

Huge thanks to @mikehoney.bsky.social for all the valuable COVID data he tracks. His work has become incredibly important for scientists and health professionals, and with so little data available now, it really matters for people who want to stay safe and informed.

www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

A small Australian December (!) #flu thread.
In the ~25 days since my last update (08NOV), detections have risen by 32,330. That's a daily rate of 1,293 (up from 1,067 in the previous update).

300 million dead in 100 years: How we eradicated a killer The eradication of smallpox 46 years ago has been hailed as the greatest triumph of global public health. It has also been held up as a model for global cooperation.

Great piece on perhaps humanity’s greatest ever achievement - extra special for this extraordinary vaccine-hesitancy-casual-with-new infections moment in history.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Last night, Dr Jeanne Marrazzo delivered the inaugural AIID Oration. Dr Marrazzo argued that without strong systems, trusted institutions and equitable access, even the most extraordinary scientific breakthroughs can fail to reach the people who need them most. Thanks Dr Marrazzo!

Australia blitzed transmission of HIV, but a neighbour's crisis threatens the entire region Australia has committed $48m to support Fiji's fast-growing HIV crisis, targeting testing, treatment and community-led prevention.

We welcome Australia's commitment of $48m to support Fiji's fast-growing HIV crisis.

"Infectious disease outbreaks require constant vigilance and sustained investment — the moment we look away, they accelerate," Prof @brendancrabb.bsky.social said.

Read more: www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

I’ve added an Excess Deaths Comparison page to my analysis on that topic. Here I’m comparing the UK, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand, to June 2025.

My method projects "Expected Deaths" using a linear regression on the weekly deaths (4-week average) from a baseline of 2015-2019 deaths.
🧵

Australia blitzed transmission of HIV, but a neighbour's crisis threatens the entire region Australia has committed $48m to support Fiji's fast-growing HIV crisis, targeting testing, treatment and community-led prevention.

Great to see Australian government support for this, the speed of this resurgence is troubling.
www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

The climate crisis is expensive: net zero is cheaper for Australia than not doing more The Coalition claims net zero by 2050 will cost too much – but unchecked warming or even a delayed transition would be worse for the economy

"that it is far cheaper for Australia, and the world, to make a well-coordinated effort to reach net zero by 2050'

www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

Hundreds of millions in MRFF funds are sitting idle while labs close and researchers leave.
The money is there – release the full MRFF.
www.aamri.org.au/mrff
#releasethefullmrff