Betina Kiefer
@betinak.bsky.social
#publichealth and #EUaffairs at ecdc.europa.eu. Views are my own.
Great article from the Norman Nielsen group on the dangers of humanizing LLMs.
While there are great use cases for LLMs out there, I find it profoundly worrying that people think of them as an appropriate replacement for therapy, for example. www.nngroup.com/articles/hum...
While there are great use cases for LLMs out there, I find it profoundly worrying that people think of them as an appropriate replacement for therapy, for example. www.nngroup.com/articles/hum...
Humanizing AI Is a Trap
LLMs humanize by design. Adding personality/emotion amplifies risk. Design real tools, not fake friends.
www.nngroup.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Great article from the Norman Nielsen group on the dangers of humanizing LLMs.
While there are great use cases for LLMs out there, I find it profoundly worrying that people think of them as an appropriate replacement for therapy, for example. www.nngroup.com/articles/hum...
While there are great use cases for LLMs out there, I find it profoundly worrying that people think of them as an appropriate replacement for therapy, for example. www.nngroup.com/articles/hum...
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
How are farmers’ thoughts and feelings related to preventing an avian influenza pandemic? How do they influence preventive behaviours?
Join the ECDC Lighthouse webinar on 3 February, at 13.00-14.00 CET to learn more.
Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/91bbbe...
#EpiSky #IDSky
Join the ECDC Lighthouse webinar on 3 February, at 13.00-14.00 CET to learn more.
Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/91bbbe...
#EpiSky #IDSky
January 8, 2026 at 9:17 AM
How are farmers’ thoughts and feelings related to preventing an avian influenza pandemic? How do they influence preventive behaviours?
Join the ECDC Lighthouse webinar on 3 February, at 13.00-14.00 CET to learn more.
Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/91bbbe...
#EpiSky #IDSky
Join the ECDC Lighthouse webinar on 3 February, at 13.00-14.00 CET to learn more.
Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/91bbbe...
#EpiSky #IDSky
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
A 🧵 on #AIDS in the 80s/90s:
I was 15 when I first had sex with a man.
I’d snuck off to London’s Heaven nightclub with the express intent of ridding myself of my ‘gay virginity’, a goal I achieved easily with a visiting American photographer.
1/13
I was 15 when I first had sex with a man.
I’d snuck off to London’s Heaven nightclub with the express intent of ridding myself of my ‘gay virginity’, a goal I achieved easily with a visiting American photographer.
1/13
November 16, 2024 at 10:50 AM
A 🧵 on #AIDS in the 80s/90s:
I was 15 when I first had sex with a man.
I’d snuck off to London’s Heaven nightclub with the express intent of ridding myself of my ‘gay virginity’, a goal I achieved easily with a visiting American photographer.
1/13
I was 15 when I first had sex with a man.
I’d snuck off to London’s Heaven nightclub with the express intent of ridding myself of my ‘gay virginity’, a goal I achieved easily with a visiting American photographer.
1/13
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
1/2
Good morning! Today is World AIDS Day.
Today is about honoring those we've lost, uplifting those living with HIV, and standing firmly for science, equity, and truth -- even when others step back. ❤️🩹
Good morning! Today is World AIDS Day.
Today is about honoring those we've lost, uplifting those living with HIV, and standing firmly for science, equity, and truth -- even when others step back. ❤️🩹
December 1, 2025 at 1:21 PM
1/2
Good morning! Today is World AIDS Day.
Today is about honoring those we've lost, uplifting those living with HIV, and standing firmly for science, equity, and truth -- even when others step back. ❤️🩹
Good morning! Today is World AIDS Day.
Today is about honoring those we've lost, uplifting those living with HIV, and standing firmly for science, equity, and truth -- even when others step back. ❤️🩹
My guess is that soon the MAGA crowd will be accusing people opposing a compromised CDC of conspiratorial thinking, just to muddy the waters.
Don’t trust the FDA or CDC on vaccines.
Do your own research.
Do your own research.
December 1, 2025 at 2:42 PM
My guess is that soon the MAGA crowd will be accusing people opposing a compromised CDC of conspiratorial thinking, just to muddy the waters.
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
#ECDC Chief Scientist and Chair of #ESCAIDE Scientific Committee Piotr Kramarz closing #ESCAIDE2025:
“We work in an environment where data and values often conflict, the stakes are high, and decisions are urgent.”
#PublicHealth #HealthEquity #IDsky #EpiSky
“We work in an environment where data and values often conflict, the stakes are high, and decisions are urgent.”
#PublicHealth #HealthEquity #IDsky #EpiSky
November 22, 2025 at 8:00 PM
#ECDC Chief Scientist and Chair of #ESCAIDE Scientific Committee Piotr Kramarz closing #ESCAIDE2025:
“We work in an environment where data and values often conflict, the stakes are high, and decisions are urgent.”
#PublicHealth #HealthEquity #IDsky #EpiSky
“We work in an environment where data and values often conflict, the stakes are high, and decisions are urgent.”
#PublicHealth #HealthEquity #IDsky #EpiSky
The CDC website is now publishing actual disinformation on vaccines, a major turning point. www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
November 20, 2025 at 3:10 PM
The CDC website is now publishing actual disinformation on vaccines, a major turning point. www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
🗣️ We are inviting everyone taking part of #ESCAIDE2025 to spread the word about the conference!
💡 Whether you are a speaker or attendee, you can post our banners on your socials.
Share the banners: www.escaide.eu/en/attending...
Register to attend online: www.escaide.eu/en/attendees...
💡 Whether you are a speaker or attendee, you can post our banners on your socials.
Share the banners: www.escaide.eu/en/attending...
Register to attend online: www.escaide.eu/en/attendees...
November 3, 2025 at 12:41 PM
🗣️ We are inviting everyone taking part of #ESCAIDE2025 to spread the word about the conference!
💡 Whether you are a speaker or attendee, you can post our banners on your socials.
Share the banners: www.escaide.eu/en/attending...
Register to attend online: www.escaide.eu/en/attendees...
💡 Whether you are a speaker or attendee, you can post our banners on your socials.
Share the banners: www.escaide.eu/en/attending...
Register to attend online: www.escaide.eu/en/attendees...
"Scientists say the event has pushed reefs into 'uncharted territory.'" www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Planet’s first catastrophic climate tipping point reached, report says, with coral reefs facing ‘widespread dieback’
Unless global heating is reduced to 1.2C ‘as fast as possible’, warm water coral reefs will not remain ‘at any meaningful scale’, a report by 160 scientists from 23 countries warns
www.theguardian.com
October 14, 2025 at 11:29 AM
"Scientists say the event has pushed reefs into 'uncharted territory.'" www.theguardian.com/environment/...
A study by researchers at the Federal University of Bahia estimates that cuts to USAID could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030 globally, including 4.5 million deaths among children younger than 5 years.
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Evaluating the impact of two decades of USAID interventions and projecting the effects of defunding on mortality up to 2030: a retrospective impact evaluation and forecasting analysis
USAID funding has significantly contributed to the reduction in adult and child mortality
across low-income and middle-income countries over the past two decades. Our estimates
show that, unless the a...
www.thelancet.com
September 27, 2025 at 11:10 AM
A study by researchers at the Federal University of Bahia estimates that cuts to USAID could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030 globally, including 4.5 million deaths among children younger than 5 years.
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Amazing developments happening in koala public health!
This is incredible news. So happy these cute little fuckers will hopefully, eventally be free of this disease
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Koala chlamydia: Australia approves vaccine to curb killer epidemic
Thousands of koalas have died from the disease, with some estimates suggesting only 50,000 remain in the wild.
www.bbc.com
September 11, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Amazing developments happening in koala public health!
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
27 years ago, two years after the introduction of effective HIV treatment, the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco’s lesbian and gay community newspaper, ran ‘No Obits’ as its headline.
It was the first edition not to report an AIDS death in almost 15 years.
It was the first edition not to report an AIDS death in almost 15 years.
August 13, 2025 at 6:56 AM
27 years ago, two years after the introduction of effective HIV treatment, the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco’s lesbian and gay community newspaper, ran ‘No Obits’ as its headline.
It was the first edition not to report an AIDS death in almost 15 years.
It was the first edition not to report an AIDS death in almost 15 years.
A @nejm.org study found that wealth among older adults correlated (unsurprisingly) with lower mortality in the US and Europe.
However, it also found that Europeans across all income levels had lower mortality than even the wealthiest Americans. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
However, it also found that Europeans across all income levels had lower mortality than even the wealthiest Americans. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Association between Wealth and Mortality in the United States and Europe | NEJM
Amid growing wealth disparity, we have little information on how health among older
Americans compares with that among older Europeans across the distribution of wealth.
We performed a longitudinal...
www.nejm.org
August 11, 2025 at 9:01 AM
A @nejm.org study found that wealth among older adults correlated (unsurprisingly) with lower mortality in the US and Europe.
However, it also found that Europeans across all income levels had lower mortality than even the wealthiest Americans. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
However, it also found that Europeans across all income levels had lower mortality than even the wealthiest Americans. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Jamaal Burkmar said we need to bring back cultural snobbery in the sense that we need to care again about quality, and I very much agree. I don't want a future dominated by AI slop.
It's profoundly saddening to read that AP will no longer be assigning or running book reviews because readers don't engage with them enough and they take too much effort to plan and assign. People complain about critics as gatekeepers; wait until all that's left is marketing.
August 11, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Jamaal Burkmar said we need to bring back cultural snobbery in the sense that we need to care again about quality, and I very much agree. I don't want a future dominated by AI slop.
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
#HepatitisB & #HepatitisC affect millions in Europe - people in prisons are especially affected.
The #EuroHePP toolkit from @ecdc.europa.eu & #EUDA helps health services to assess local needs & gaps, plan a strategy & implement services to eliminate hepatitis in prisons.
#IDsky #EpiSky #Hepatitis
The #EuroHePP toolkit from @ecdc.europa.eu & #EUDA helps health services to assess local needs & gaps, plan a strategy & implement services to eliminate hepatitis in prisons.
#IDsky #EpiSky #Hepatitis
August 7, 2025 at 7:04 PM
#HepatitisB & #HepatitisC affect millions in Europe - people in prisons are especially affected.
The #EuroHePP toolkit from @ecdc.europa.eu & #EUDA helps health services to assess local needs & gaps, plan a strategy & implement services to eliminate hepatitis in prisons.
#IDsky #EpiSky #Hepatitis
The #EuroHePP toolkit from @ecdc.europa.eu & #EUDA helps health services to assess local needs & gaps, plan a strategy & implement services to eliminate hepatitis in prisons.
#IDsky #EpiSky #Hepatitis
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has confirmed that the entire Al Jazeera team in Gaza City has been killed.
August 10, 2025 at 10:33 PM
BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has confirmed that the entire Al Jazeera team in Gaza City has been killed.
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
Who are considered major threats for spreading false or misleading information online?
🤳 Influencers and politicians (47%)
🗒️ Journalists and news orgs (32%)
🤩 Celebs (29%)
🙋🏿♀️ Ordinary people (23%)
#DNR25's @amyrossarguedas.bsky.social explains
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news...
🤳 Influencers and politicians (47%)
🗒️ Journalists and news orgs (32%)
🤩 Celebs (29%)
🙋🏿♀️ Ordinary people (23%)
#DNR25's @amyrossarguedas.bsky.social explains
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news...
August 8, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Who are considered major threats for spreading false or misleading information online?
🤳 Influencers and politicians (47%)
🗒️ Journalists and news orgs (32%)
🤩 Celebs (29%)
🙋🏿♀️ Ordinary people (23%)
#DNR25's @amyrossarguedas.bsky.social explains
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news...
🤳 Influencers and politicians (47%)
🗒️ Journalists and news orgs (32%)
🤩 Celebs (29%)
🙋🏿♀️ Ordinary people (23%)
#DNR25's @amyrossarguedas.bsky.social explains
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news...
I will not stand for any Elsbeth Tascioni slander! Otherwise not a bad list. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
From Emily in Friends to Che Diaz: the TV characters so bad that they ruined shows
One-note comic disasters, unconvincing panto villains, children who set your teeth on edge … some characters are so awful they’re painful to watch. We round up the worst
www.theguardian.com
August 4, 2025 at 11:17 AM
I will not stand for any Elsbeth Tascioni slander! Otherwise not a bad list. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
🧠 Work in public health & use #BehaviouralScience?
📍 Based in Europe?
The #ECDCLighthouse is your space to learn, share, and grow with others in the field.
👥 Join our Community of Practice!
🔗 prevention.ecdc.europa.eu
#DiseasePrevention #BehaviouralScience #CommunityOfPractice #IDsky #EpiSky
📍 Based in Europe?
The #ECDCLighthouse is your space to learn, share, and grow with others in the field.
👥 Join our Community of Practice!
🔗 prevention.ecdc.europa.eu
#DiseasePrevention #BehaviouralScience #CommunityOfPractice #IDsky #EpiSky
July 29, 2025 at 8:05 AM
🧠 Work in public health & use #BehaviouralScience?
📍 Based in Europe?
The #ECDCLighthouse is your space to learn, share, and grow with others in the field.
👥 Join our Community of Practice!
🔗 prevention.ecdc.europa.eu
#DiseasePrevention #BehaviouralScience #CommunityOfPractice #IDsky #EpiSky
📍 Based in Europe?
The #ECDCLighthouse is your space to learn, share, and grow with others in the field.
👥 Join our Community of Practice!
🔗 prevention.ecdc.europa.eu
#DiseasePrevention #BehaviouralScience #CommunityOfPractice #IDsky #EpiSky
"A permanent ceasefire, the free and safe flow of aid, and the lifting of the blockade are needed now – all could be achieved with political will" www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I’m witnessing the deliberate starvation of Gaza’s children – why is the world letting it happen? | Nick Maynard
A permanent ceasefire, the free and safe flow of aid, and the lifting of the blockade are needed now – all could be achieved with political will, says UK surgeon Nick Maynard
www.theguardian.com
July 23, 2025 at 7:36 AM
"A permanent ceasefire, the free and safe flow of aid, and the lifting of the blockade are needed now – all could be achieved with political will" www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Betina Kiefer
RFKJ is saying that all “new vaccines” should be tested in clinical trials. Specifically, placebo trials (where the comparison group gets a “sugar pill”). It sounds reasonable to test new vaccines right? Well here’s the issue with this approach:
May 2, 2025 at 12:34 AM
RFKJ is saying that all “new vaccines” should be tested in clinical trials. Specifically, placebo trials (where the comparison group gets a “sugar pill”). It sounds reasonable to test new vaccines right? Well here’s the issue with this approach:
So important to consider multidisciplinary approaches to vaccination and vaccine acceptance! 💉
With #EIW2025 ending, dive into a session from ESCAIDE 2022 on the revolutions in vaccination from COVID-19 times, tackling vaccine certificates, societal polarisation, mRNA technology, and the psychology of vaccine acceptance.
Watch the full session: youtu.be/AmGuqPaEIYg
Learn more: escaide.eu
Watch the full session: youtu.be/AmGuqPaEIYg
Learn more: escaide.eu
May 2, 2025 at 10:32 AM
So important to consider multidisciplinary approaches to vaccination and vaccine acceptance! 💉
"[The Handmaid's Tale] cheers for its protagonists when they act on behalf of their children, or their men, or the principle of forgiveness. It distrusts them when they act on behalf of themselves." www.newyorker.com/culture/on-t...
“The Handmaid’s Tale” Reflects the Exhaustion of Liberal Feminism
What’s most striking about the show, now in its final season, is not its hysteria but its lack of conviction.
www.newyorker.com
April 11, 2025 at 3:13 PM
"[The Handmaid's Tale] cheers for its protagonists when they act on behalf of their children, or their men, or the principle of forgiveness. It distrusts them when they act on behalf of themselves." www.newyorker.com/culture/on-t...
"Analysis by experts at Digital Science found that while X still has a much larger volume of research posts overall, Bluesky hosted more posts linked to work published in 2025 for the first time in March." www.timeshighereducation.com/news/xs-domi...
X’s dominance ‘over’ as Bluesky becomes new hub for research
Data indicates more scholars turning to alternative social media site to post about their work after Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover
www.timeshighereducation.com
April 9, 2025 at 8:25 PM
"Analysis by experts at Digital Science found that while X still has a much larger volume of research posts overall, Bluesky hosted more posts linked to work published in 2025 for the first time in March." www.timeshighereducation.com/news/xs-domi...