@fidjissimo: Incredibly important initiative. We have massively underestimated the criticality of so-called minor viruses in driving…

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Summary

Nan Ransohoff launches Intercept, a $500M philanthropic initiative to eliminate respiratory infections like the common cold and flu, citing strong links between minor infections and chronic diseases such as asthma, heart attack, and dementia.

Incredibly important initiative. We have massively underestimated the criticality of so-called minor viruses in driving chronic illness. From the blog post: “Respiratory infections raise our risk of serious illness, often years later. While researchers are still early in establishing these connections, it seems plausible that society has meaningfully underestimated the significance of seemingly benign infections on short and long-term health, e.g.: - 9.8x asthma risk by age 6 if infected with HRV between birth and age 3 in a high-risk cohort - 6.1x heart attack risk for 7 days after influenza infection - 4.5-5x dementia risk after severe influenza - 2.6-4.1x Alzheimer’s risk after severe influenza and pneumonia - 2.2-3x schizophrenia potential riskfor infant if mother is infected by influenza during pregnancy -1.3x risk of heart failure after RSV infection compared to influenza”
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Cached at: 06/25/26, 05:20 AM

Incredibly important initiative. We have massively underestimated the criticality of so-called minor viruses in driving chronic illness. From the blog post: “Respiratory infections raise our risk of serious illness, often years later. While researchers are still early in establishing these connections, it seems plausible that society has meaningfully underestimated the significance of seemingly benign infections on short and long-term health, e.g.:

  • 9.8x asthma risk by age 6 if infected with HRV between birth and age 3 in a high-risk cohort
  • 6.1x heart attack risk for 7 days after influenza infection
  • 4.5-5x dementia risk after severe influenza
  • 2.6-4.1x Alzheimer’s risk after severe influenza and pneumonia
  • 2.2-3x schizophrenia potential riskfor infant if mother is infected by influenza during pregnancy -1.3x risk of heart failure after RSV infection compared to influenza”

Nan Ransohoff (@nanransohoff): Today we’re launching Intercept: a $500M philanthropic initiative to make respiratory infections, like the common cold and flu, a thing of the past.

We treat respiratory infections as a minor nuisance, but that’s really not the case. Most of us will spend 5% of our lives (!)

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