Virology Blog

By David Tuller, DrPH The Switch is a New Zealand variant of the Lighting Process, the so-called “mind-body” intervention created by a Phil Parker, a British former faith healer who once declared that he had “this ability to step into other people’s bodies… to assist them in their healing with amazing results.” I don’t know […]

By David Tuller, DrPH A few days ago, I posted a blog about how Anil van der Zee, a bedbound Dutch ME/CFS patient, had been awarded a royal honor in recognition of the many years he has pushed hard to correct misinformation, debunk bad research, organize educational events, and on and on. Amsterdam mayor Femke […]

by Gertrud U. Rey The recent cholera outbreak in Myanmar, along with recurring outbreaks in Haiti and other regions where access to clean water and sanitation remains inconsistent, highlight the continued global public health burden of this disease. Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, but most people are unaware that the bacterium’s pathogenicity […]

By David Tuller, DrPH Last month, I was delighted to hear that my friend Anil van der Zee, who has been bed bound with ME/CFS for years, had been selected to receive a royal honor for his indefatigable efforts to advocate for patients. The award—Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau—was presented to him in his […]

By David Tuller, DrPH McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, has launched a clinical trial of the Lightning Process (LP), a well-known “mind-body” intervention, as a treatment for Long Covid. The study, called Fatigue in Long COVID, or FALCON, was registered last month on ClinicalTrials.gov. The Lightning Process is a commercially branded product that has made […]

By David Tuller, DrPH Professor Ponting on the biopsychosocial approach Chris Ponting, a geneticist at the University of Edinburgh, has long been a critic of biopsychosocial treatments for ME/CFS, Long Covid, and related illnesses. Professor Ponting is the lead investigator of the groundbreaking DecodeME study, which included more than 15,000 DNA samples from UK patients […]

By David Tuller, DrPH In the late 1980s, the UK and international health establishments began promoting a recovery narrative regarding what was then called chronic fatigue syndrome. Recovery was attainable, they asserted, through interventions like cognitive behavior therapy and graded exercise therapy. This approach quickly became the standard of care, in the UK and elsewhere. […]

by Gertrud U. Rey This article marks my 100th contribution to Virology Blog since I published my first post on March 1, 2018. Above all, I have learned that nature does not recognize the boundaries humans use to organize scientific disciplines. My host Vincent Racaniello and the treasure trove of information on the MicrobeTV network […]

By David Tuller, DrPH It is refreshing to read a study about a rehabilitative intervention for ME/CFS or Long Covid or so-called “medically unexplained symptoms” that acknowledges the lack of meaningful benefits. This is a rare event. In multiple cases, the trialed interventions produce marginally positive results in subjective measures, which are then touted as … Trial By Error: No Benefits for …

By David Tuller, DrPH The Journal of Psychosomatic Research has often served as a house organ of sorts for the “biopsychosocial” ideological brigades. That’s to be expected, given that folks like Per Fink, Michael Sharpe, and Jon Stone are all members of the journal’s editorial board. It should therefore not be surprising that the journal … Trial By Error: Yet Another CBT Trial for Long Covid wit…

By David Tuller, DrPH Cognitive dysfunction, also known as “brain fog,” is among the most disabling aspects of Long Covid—and investigators have struggled to figure out what causes it and how to treat it. Last fall, a study from the National Institutes of Health’s RECOVER initiative, which focuses on Long Covid, found no benefits in … Trial By Error: Can “Cognitive Rehabilitation” for Long Covid …

By David Tuller, DrPH I am reposting below a blog about a “living systematic review” of interventions for Long Covid, which was published by The BMJ in late 2024. This systematic review figured prominently in the opening of the recent Wired piece about mind-body interventions for Long Covid. (I’ve posted about the Wired piece here, … Trial By Error: The BMJ Review on Long Covid Interventions Cite…

by Gertrud U. Rey On June 18, 2026, the top advisory committee for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unanimously recommended Moderna’s new mRNA influenza vaccine, mRNA‑1010 (mFlusiva), for adults aged 50 and older. The vote marked the committee’s first review of a new vaccine application since 2023 and demonstrated strong support ahead of a … A Better Flu Vaccine Read More »

By David Tuller, DrPH The furor over the Wired epic about mind-body treatments for Long Covid simmers on. “The Truth About Long Covid,” published on June 1st, proposed that these sorts of interventions might cure people, but that angry patient have censored science and blocked research progress. The piece generated fierce pushback—not least from popular … Trial By Error: Furor Over Wired’s “Mind-…

By David Tuller, DrPH Media watchdog covers how major news articles have psychologized Long Covid The organization Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), based in New York City, is a progressive news watchdog focused on exposing bias and censorship. FAIR recently published an article called “Media Won’t Stop Psychologizing Long Covid,” by writer and investigative … Trial By Error: Some Things I…

By David Tuller, DrPH On June 1st, Wired published a 7,600-word lollapalooza about mind-body interventions for Long Covid. The article, written by Alan Levinovitz, a professor of religion at James Madison University, posited that angry patients were derailing important research into these and other psychological and behavioral treatments. For balance, Levinovitz quoted multiple critics of … Trial…

By David Tuller, DrPH Much has already been written about Alan Levinovitz’ 7,600-word love poem to the potential healing powers of so-called “mind-body” interventions for Long Covid. Wired published the article last Monday under the title “The Painful Truth About Long Covid.” As the word “painful” suggests, the epic is also infused with darker notes. … Trial By Error: The Truth According to Wired…

by Gertrud U. Rey On May 17, 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern in response to an Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The situation is escalating rapidly, with over 300 confirmed cases and 48 deaths as of today, highlighting the severity … Ebola 2026 Read More »

By David Tuller, DrPH Last year’s release of the results from the DecodeME, a UK-based genome wide association study of more than 15,000 DNA samples, generated significant excitement. Action for ME, which spearheaded DecodeME, recently announced that it had received funding for a multi-phase follow-up project called Sequence ME & Long Covid. The UK government … Trial By Error: Interview with Chri…

By David Tuller, DrPH When I write about functional neurological disorder (FND) or functional neurological symptoms, I sometimes get feedback from Zachary Grin, a physical therapist in New York. As an FND specialist, he disagrees with pretty much everything I write about the topic.  At first, I tried to engage with Zachary in a good-natured … Trial By Error: My Exchange with an FND Physical Thera…