Conor Browne
Biorisk analyst | Co-Founder Foundry 42
- For an illness that's allegedly just another respiratory disease now, I was quite astonished to see a dedicated (and signposted) 'Covid Clinic' waiting room at my GP clinic today, and all of the pharmacy staff masked.
- 1. Absolutely superb piece from Professor Costello: 'The UK’s 2011 pandemic preparedness plan, for influenza not coronaviruses, may have influenced SAGE’s decision. This states, “It will not be possible to halt the spread of a new pandemic influenza virus, and it would be a...
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- Hmmm. It's working fine for me.
- 2. ...waste of public health resources and capacity to attempt to do so.” I've often quoted this exact line from the 2011 UK plan; in addition, I wrote a similar piece in late 2023 on the missed opportunity Ireland had in early 2020. ria.ie/blog/missed-op… /end
- Absolutely wonderful to read about my friend Kristie's upcoming debut novel in The Bookseller! I've had the privilege of reading it, and it's a fantastic piece of work - I strongly suspect many of you will enjoy it immensely.
- 1. From the conclusion of the article linked to below (which lends significant weight to my concerns since February 2020): 'An increase in the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases might be expected...
- 2. ...Awareness is particularly needed given that clinical manifestations months or years after SARS-CoV-2 infections *may no longer be quoted as post-COVID symptoms, and hence, progressing pathologies at the community level may remain unnoticed*' *my emphasis.
- Carn Neil, on the Garron Plateau. Taken on a hike a few weeks ago, this place - perched high above Glenariff, the Queen of the Glens - is extraordinarily special to me. My late father adored this bleak and desolate spot, and I always feel his presence when I'm there.
- 1. As an undergraduate, I learned that all science is inherently political. People - especially scientists - often find this concept hard to grasp, sometimes even offensive. Regardless, all scientific endeavour takes place within a much broader sociopolitical context.
- 2. As such, the 'purity' of science is an illusion, as it is always - always - embedded within politics. With that in mind, it is vital to remember that what is happening in the US right now is *not* new at a conceptual level. Rather, it is a tragic example of an old truth. /end
- The important finding of this study is not the VE of the KP.2 vaccine but rather the fact that previous vaccination with an XBB booster *increased* the VE of the KP.2 vaccine. This implies a positive *cumulative* effect of getting vaccines on schedule. www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/va-...
- 1. I'm very happy to introduce you all to Foundry 42, the realisation of a concept my co-founders and I have been developing for nearly two years.
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- It definitely will - we already have a Healthy Buildings project in the works!
- '...torn or missing PPE, PPE not being utilized, and saw “animal matter, including blood stains and feathers” on workers’ torn PPE'. Read this, remembering one human infection could cause a mutation that could cause a pandemic. investigatemidwest.org/2025/04/30/u...
- Had the current situation with H5N1 occurred in early 2019, global leaders would be addressing it much more seriously. Political blowback from the response to the emergency phase of the Covid-19 pandemic is making a H5N1 pandemic much more likely. www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
- Extremely important study: 'Results demonstrate that air purifiers reduced indoor air pollution by 28%, corresponding to an 11% reduction in student absences'. meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-...
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- Thank you, Christophe!
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- Thank you Cindy!
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- Thank you so much, Sean!
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- Thank you Chris!
- 1. In essence, Foundry 42 (see my pinned post) is designed to align private sector innovation with public health goals. As such, we intend to invest in everything from real-time pathogen surveillance to adaptive mitigations and beyond.
- 2. Recent years have shown that there are obvious, glaring and pressing problems in public health. We intend to fully utilise market forces to create solutions to these problems and ensure their widespread adoption, thus improving both human health and human flourishing. /end
- 3. We're taking the lessons of public health and applying them where they’ve rarely gone before - into corporate strategy, consumer products, and data-driven investing - creating a system that continually fuels innovation in prevention.
- 4. If you're someone who wants to help change the world — as a builder, thinker, or doer — or if you're an investor looking to make a real impact in an untapped market - get in touch. Find out much more here: foundry42.net /end
- 2. Foundry 42 will be a self-sustaining engine designed to build the next generation of companies focused on smart risk mitigation, resilience, and longevity.
- Hiking Ronan's Way earlier today, high on the plateau between Glendun and Glenaan in the Glens of Antrim. The sharp-peaked hill visible in the distance is Tievebulliagh, site of a Neolithic axe quarry; flint axe heads from here have been excavated all across the British Isles.
- Make no mistake, these findings will translate to the military as well - especially special forces and other elite units. As I've often said before: SARS-CoV-2 is a national security issue. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
- I was asked by a colleague recently what emerging biological threats I was most concerned about - my answer was simple: H5N1 and fungal pathogens. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04...
- 1. This adds weight to a point I've been making for years, namely, that the important differential at the population level between now and the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920 is the considerably higher percentage of the global population who are immunocompromised. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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View full thread3. Additionally, HIV / AIDS didn't exist in 1918. All of these factors explain why there are vastly more immunocompromised people now compared to then. As such, the global immune landscape is much more conducive to viral mutation in this pandemic than it was in 1918 - 1920.
- 4. This is also why cutting funding to programmes that provide antiretroviral therapy to people with HIV is not only a priori morally wrong, but also short-sighted - by removing access to ART therapy these patients are more likely to develop chronic SARS-CoV-2 infections. /end
- 2. People who were immunocompromised as a result of primary immunodeficiencies didn't live long in 1918, because antibiotic therapy didn't exist. Likewise, medication that causes immunosuppression didn't exist either.
- 'During an average follow up of *22* weeks, the pooled prevalence of long COVID among HCWs who had SARS-CoV-2 infection was *40%*'. *my emphasis HCW - Healthcare Worker. www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/stu...
- Informative taxi journey tonight. Two members of the driver's family work in a local hospital but 'don't believe in Covid' The driver himself had it last year, got pneumonia afterwards and is now on steroid inhalers for life 'Since Covid, teachers are off sick all the time'
- Excellent paper on the elevated risks of motor vehicle accidents as a result of cognitive dysfunction due to Covid-19. This, of course, applies to other skilled activities that require a fast Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA) loop. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
- 1. Outstanding article on the rapidly-growing biorisk that pathogenic fungi pose to global health. The Mucormycosis infections seen during the Delta wave of Covid-19 in India are a stark example of pathogen - pathogen interaction. www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
- 2. Link for those unable to access article: archive.ph/LnVy8
- This is absolutely outstanding - this research is extraordinarily important. Congratulations to @polybiorf.bsky.social - understanding the oncogenic potential of SARS-CoV-2 is vital. polybio.org/chan-soon-sh...
- 1. Absolutely outstanding article on the increasing prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) diagnoses amongst patients with Long Covid. This possibility is the primary reason I avoid infection with SARS-CoV-2. www.wsj.com/health/welln...
- 2. Link for those unable to access the article: archive.ph/2025.04.14-1...
- It's excellent to see this being addressed. As I've often said, you can't build a full picture of longevity without discussing the key role viruses play in aging and the development of chronic disease. This is the key element that I see least discussed in the longevity space. lu.ma/3b6g0yv8?loc...
- It is unknown how the 3-year-old girl from Mexico who died yesterday from H5N1 was infected. This was also the case with the 13-year-old girl who suffered very severe disease from the virus in Canada in late 2024. Unknown routes of exposure are always concerning. www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
- 1. I am 18 years sober today. It's a beautiful day here in Northern Ireland, so to celebrate, I'm going to take a long walk and feel the Spring sun on my face. Sobriety, for me, is rooted in gratitude for simple joys. Why?
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- And I truly appreciate it!
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- I am so sorry to hear this, Reesh.
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- I didn't know that! And my middle name is Francis, so I'm also a Conor F!
- She was three years old. www.reuters.com/world/americ...
- 2. Because if I hadn't quit drinking when I did, I would have died a long time ago. Every day I wake up is a gift born of that decision, the most important decision I have ever made. It is likely that many of you are struggling with alcohol.
- 3. If you are, I implore you from the bottom of my heart to seek help - your doctor, an addiction specialist, AA, or any other organisation dedicated to helping people stop drinking. My DMs are always open, in the strictest confidence, to any of you who wish to talk. /end
