Archives
The Thing About Hotspots
Posted on March 19, 2018 3 Comments
No, I’m not talking about wifi hotspots that help you connect to the internet so you can watch cat videos. I’m talking about the symbology used on maps in order to emphasize an area (or areas) where there is a lot of something going on. For example, in infectious disease epidemiology, I might use a […]
Epidemic Curves and Homicide Counts in Baltimore
Posted on February 12, 2018
One of the tools that we use in the investigation of outbreaks is the epidemic curve, or, as we say in the biz, the “epi curve.” An epidemic curve is a simple graphical representation of the number of cases per a unit of time over a span of time. For example, you could graph the number […]
A new public health surveillance tool?
Posted on January 11, 2018 3 Comments
When my wife and I found out that we were going to be parents, we kind of freaked out a little. It wasn’t that we were not ready. We were, mostly. It’s just that we were aware that a little person would soon be joining us, and we would be responsible for their life. We […]
When and Where Matter in Understanding Violence in Baltimore
Posted on July 31, 2017
If you been paying attention, Baltimore has been in the grip of an epidemic of violence going on two-plus years now. If you look closely at the crime statistics, you’ll see that there was an increase in the rate of homicides per day starting around March or April of 2015. The riots/uprising/call-it-what-you-will that happened at […]
Epidemiological Podcast S0E2: The Weight of the Evidence
Posted on July 12, 2017
On today’s podcast, I talk to you about a recent tragedy in our family and how it helped me understand anti-vaccine parents a little more. Not completely, but just enough to realize that there is very little in the way of a debate that one can have with them.
See, When people who don’t believe that vaccines save lives tell you that there is no evidence that vaccines are safe, they’re either misinformed or lying. On the flip side, when they tell you that there is evidence that vaccines cause autism, they’re either misinformed or lying again. There is plenty of evidence for both arguments out there, but only one set of “studies” pass the biological plausibility test (not to say anything about ethics).
However, because an injury (perceived or real) to a child triggers such a deep-seeded, primal reaction, it’s hard to be logical or reasonable. When parents see autism as death (when it’s not), their search for answers becomes chaotic and full of inferences that are misguided. Anti-vaccine people looking to make a buck take advantage of that, and then we’re off to the races on trying to stop further harm, encourage critical thinking, and have an actual debate based on facts.
In about 33 minutes, I tell you about the different kinds of studies out there, and I explain to you why we cannot do a vaccinated vs. unvaccinated study like the antivaxxers want, but we’ve done plenty of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated studies in an ethical and scientific way.
Epidemiological Podcast S0E1: The Perfect Epidemiological Surveillance System
Posted on July 2, 2017
Today, I thought I’d share with you a 15-minute presentation I gave in Mexico City last about two weeks ago. It was on a paper I wrote based off a previous blog post. I talk about what I imagine to be the perfect system for keeping track of the population’s health… That is, if money, technology, laws, and ethical considerations were not in the way of such things.
Yes, I’m giving the podcast a season and names. The first season runs from now until the end of the year and will be season zero, along with previous episodes. Kind of like “the lost season” if you will. Then, starting in 2018, I’ll have a first season of six podcasts with pre-planned topics and a little more preparation. You guys deserve it… And it’s a good way to be just creative enough to be doing something but not too busy to forget about the dissertation (which should be almost done when 2017 ends and 2018 begins).
Non-Biostatistician, Non-Epidemiologist Tries to Complain About Biostats and Epi
Posted on April 29, 2017
Don’t you love it when people who don’t know better think that they know better, and then they end up making fools of themselves? There is a particularly interesting anti-vaccine man by the name of Brian S. Hooker. He has a doctorate in biochemical engineering, according to his Wikipedia page. Maybe you remember BS Hooker […]
Go Where The Problems Are
Posted on April 25, 2017
One of the things that I didn’t like about working at the state health department was sitting at the office all day without much of an opportunity to get outside and work in the field. Whenever there was an outbreak, it was the job of the local health departments to send people out to do […]
So You Want to Work in Professional Public Health?
Posted on February 27, 2017 1 Comment
Excerpt: Just a few pointers on what to do as you get ready to go into work as a professional in public health.
The Perfect Disease Surveillance System
Posted on August 23, 2016 4 Comments
How is it that we get to know about diseases like Zika or Ebola? Is it just dumb luck that we encounter patients and then go from there? In a way, yes. These diseases, especially novel ones, have a way of just popping onto the radar without warning. Then we respond vigorously because we weren’t […]
EpidemioLogical 