Covid leads as Pharma Technology lists ten of the most read tweets on infectious diseases in July 2020, based on data from GlobalData’s Influencer Platform. The top tweets were chosen from influencers as tracked by GlobalData’s Influencer Platform, which is based on a scientific process that works on pre-defined parameters. Influencers are selected after a deep analysis of the influencer’s relevance, network strength, engagement, and leading discussions on new and emerging trends.

Top tweets on infectious diseases in July 2020

1. Laurie Garrett’s tweet on the restoration of the Covid-19 data to the CDC website

Laurie Garrett, a science journalist and author, shared an article on the US Health Department directing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to re-establish hospital data,which was removed earlier, back on its website.

The article stated that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) were committed to providing transparent health data to the public. However, the Trump administration had ordered the rerouting of coronavirus hospital data to the administration first rather than the CDC.

Username: Laurie Garrett

Twitter handle: @Laurie_Garrett

Retweets: 3,001

Likes: 7,881

2. Gregg Gonsalves’ tweet on the rebound of Covid-19 cases having surpassed their April 2020 highs

Gregg Gonsalves, a global health activist and epidemiologist, shared data on the new confirmed cases in the US. He stated that it was astounding that the rebound of Covid-19 cases surpassed that of April 2020. He further added that this was a display of incompetency on the part of the government, and that the American public would not survive another six months with the current government in power.

Username: Gregg Gonsalves

Twitter handle: @gregggonsalves

Retweets: 1,457

Likes: 3,055

3. Prof Peter Hotez’s tweet on how Covid-19 has caused historic devastation among Hispanic communities in Southern US

Prof Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist, paediatrician and author, shared an article on a humanitarian catastrophe underway in South Texas. Texas, a Covid-19 hotspot, is currently facing a tsunami of patients overwhelming the hospital and healthcare workers.

High rates of co-morbidities in the region combined with poverty and limited access to healthcare make combating coronavirus a huge battle for many. The poor essential Hispanic workers who are forced to make a living to support their families are worst hit by the pandemic.

Username: Prof Peter Hotez

Twitter handle: @PeterHotez

Retweets: 847

Likes: 1,705

4. Helen Branswell’s tweet on Covid-19 being not just the flu

Helen Branswell, an infectious diseases and global health reporter, shared data on the Covid-19 virus being far from just the flu. The data highlighted the excess mortality in England during the start of the pandemic, which highlighted a whole new level than influenza. The data compared excess mortality of the past five flu seasons as against Covid.

Username: Helen Branswell

Twitter handle: @HelenBranswell

Retweets: 736

Likes: 1,260

5. Caitlin Rivers’ tweet on diagnostic tests being utilised effectively to make a difference

Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tweeted on diagnostic tests not being an intervention on their own. She added that results from the tests need to come back in time and combined with public health actions in order to flatten the curve and fight the virus.

Username: Caitlin Rivers

Twitter handle: @cmyeaton

Retweets: 396

Likes: 1,903

6. Carlos del Rio’s tweet on the national face mask mandate contributing to decreased transmission of Covid-19

Carlos del Rio, a distinguished professor of medicine, global health, and epidemiology, tweeted on Goldman Sachs having declared that a national face mask mandate could reduce the risk of transmission of the Covid-19 virus by 60%.

The economy can be allowed to remain open if such a mandate is adopted. Rio added that wearing a mask directly contributes to saving the economy as well as lives, which many seem to fail to understand.

Username: Carlos del Rio

Twitter handle: @CarlosdelRio7

Retweets: 289

Likes: 692

7. Ian M Mackay’s tweet on re-opening colleges during Covid-19 being a mistake

Ian M Mackay, a virologist and scientist, shared an article on how bringing college students back to classroom during the pandemic is a huge mistake. He added that college and university leaders and executives should not consider face-to-face instructions despite financial pressures and expectations.

Community spread is rampant in North Carolina and adequate risk mitigation measures to prevent an outbreak on campus have not been taken, according to the article. The state’s reopening plans are misguided and posed a huge risk to members and the community at large, the article noted.

Username: Ian M Mackay

Twitter handle: @MackayIM

Retweets: 264

Likes: 423

8. Kai Kupferschmidt’s tweet on deadly misinformation on the Covid-19 virus

Kai Kupferschmidt, a science journalist, re-tweeted on how two of the most-engaged posts on Facebook are about a Breitbart video of a group of doctors claiming that hydroxychloroquine was a definite cure for the Covid-19 virus and that wearing a mask was not necessary. The posts garnered 14 million views in just six hours.

Kupferschmidt noted that journalists were having to deal with such deadly misinformation, while covering the coronavirus pandemic. He added that extracting good information from bad is becoming extremely difficult in the current social media ecosystem.

Username: Kai Kupferschmidt

Twitter handle: @kakape

Retweets: 192

Likes: 453

9. Francis S Collins’ tweet on the urgent effort to develop a Covid-19 vaccine

Francis S Collins, a physician-geneticist and the NIH director, shared an article on the development of a vaccine against the Covid-19 virus. Researchers are publishing encouraging early data on the vaccine, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) having developed a candidate that has cleared a Phase 1 human test, with larger clinical trials to follow.

Researchers consider the mRNA-1273 vaccine safe and effective. More importantly, volunteers developed significant quantities of neutralising antibodies that target the virus at the right time, the article noted.

Username: Francis S Collins

Twitter handle: @NIHDirector

Retweets: 185

Likes: 429

10. Wendy Armstrong’s tweet on dwindling resources and hospital censuses rising

Wendy Armstrong, an infectious disease specialist, tweeted on how the public needs to fight its own leaders to keep safe. The tweet was in reference to a new executive order issued by the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, on banning local governments from passing face mask ordinances for public places.

She added that as coronavirus cases rise and resources are depleted, it is important to wear masks to curb the virus outbreak.

Username: Wendy Armstrong

Twitter handle: @Armstrws

Retweets: 148

Likes: 331