Jessica Wildfire

United States

Writer at Medium

Writer at the-sentinel-intelligence.com

Taking threats seriously.

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Articles

How Your Immune System Actually Works

Sep 12, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

Our friends and family think they understand their immune system because George Carlin explained it to them in the 90s:Where did this sudden fear of germs come from? What do you think you have an immune system for? It's for killing germs. But it needs practice. It needs germs to practice on. If you kill all the germs around you, and lead a completely sterile life, then when germs do come along you're not going to be prepared. What are you gonna do?
"Someone Else Will Do It."

Sep 5, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

In 1913, an engineer named Max Ringelmann noticed something weird about human behavior. When you told one person to do something like pull a rope, they tried really hard. When you put them into groups, they didn't try as hard. They slacked. Psychologists have identified this behavior as social loafing.
Beyond Paxlovid: The Urgent Need for Better Meds

Sep 1, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

Yes, there's hope in the fight against Long Covid. Hope doesn't come in the form of natural immunity or subpar vaccines rolled out after waves of illness have already peaked. It comes in the form of clean indoor air, widespread masking, and better treatments. In that vein, the NIH is finally launching a new batch of clinical trials focused on Long Covid, five total, dedicated to different aspects of the condition. Institutes like Mount Sinai are running clinical trials on repurposed HIV drugs.
Will This Fog Last Forever?

Aug 30, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

"I forgot how hard it is to breathe in these things."While the nurse fussed with the earloop mask I'd given her, I said nothing. Sometimes an awkward silence conveys everything you need. After all, we both knew she was still fumbling with the thing. She hadn't even put it on yet, and she was already talking about how hard it was to breathe. It was becoming clear she was only familiar with baggy blue surgical masks. "Which way does it go on?""The nosepiece fits on your nose."She finally got it on.
Why You Don't Need to Panic About Mpox

Aug 16, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

Well, it's back. Barely a day after the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern, its strongest warning, mpox has turned up in Europe as well as the U.S. The fact that we don't have reliable data on cases right now only speaks to the overconfidence and the incompetence of public health officials who are happy to accept the absence of evidence as evidence of absence.
The Long Covid Moonshot

Aug 7, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

The Apollo Program made history by landing 12 astronauts on the moon between 1969 and 1972. It was such an astonishing achievement that some people still don't believe it actually happened. Regarded as the largest commitment of resources by any nation during peacetime, the program cost $182 billion in today's dollars. When politicians use phrases like "moonshot," they're trying to evoke Apollo vibes. If you're trying to evoke Apollo vibes, then you need Apollo amounts of money.
Salting The Vibes

Jul 28, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

Recently, a writer and political strategist named Tim Miller criticized an ad by the Kamala Harris campaign for briefly featuring masks. He told them not to do it anymore. He said it "salts the vibes."Some of us get it. We've been salting everyone's vibes since we were teenagers. We know what it feels like when nobody wants us around, simply because we can't or won't do what we're told and won't smile on command. We say what we think. We do the right thing. We don't suffer vanilla fools.
Stop Telling Us to Smile.

Jul 23, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

How many times have you been sitting somewhere, listening to music, reading a book, scrolling your phone, or just thinking to yourself, and then some arrogant stranger walked by and told you to smile? You weren't smiling, true. But you weren't sad, lonely, depressed, or anything else. That jerk saw you and decided to barge into your life, presumed to correct you, and then presented it as an act of kindness. Whatever mood you were in, they botched it. Oh, the fragility.
What We All Need to Know About J.D. Vance

Jul 16, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

Back in March, Joe Biden signed a federal ban on mask mandates into law. He did it to avoid a government shutdown. The ban prevents any federal funds from being used to enforce mask mandates on airlines, rails, and buses. That essentially means that no government employee can make anyone wear a mask. That ban was introduced by J.D. Vance. "The era of health panic is over," Vance said. "This is a massive victory for common sense.
It's Never Too Late to Do Better

Jul 8, 2024 | okdoomer.io | Jessica Wildfire

When someone doesn't want to believe something, they do a few predictable things. First, they demand huge amounts of evidence. Then they reject that evidence because "it's not good enough." When they do want to believe something, they do the exact opposite. They don't ask for evidence. They accept assertions at face value. Do you know what that's called? It's called disconfirmation bias. Sometimes, it doesn't even matter if you show someone overwhelming evidence. That can backfire.