The fear mongering apparatus kicked fully into gear Saturday when the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency, but when panic porn poster child and charlatan epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding appeared to be ramping up sentiments for renewed lockdowns, the reality-challenged nutritionist was forced to come face-to-face with some facts.
Feigl-Ding gained notoriety during the COVID pandemic for appealing to the zealotry of mandate pushers with any data point he could glom onto in furthering “the science.” As recently as November he was promoting the idea of countries closing down their borders again as the Nu variant gained prevalence.
So it was no surprise Saturday that the good doctor, who earned a PhD in nutrition as chronicled by investigative journalist Jordan Schachtel, would be primed for a new pandemic hyperventilate over. “Airborne risk–There is now new UK NHS hospital evidence that #monkeypox could be partly airborne. I’m having bad deja vu feelings of 2020-2021 airborne denialism again,” he wrote.
But science writer Benjamin Ryan, whose resume includes contributions to the New York Times, NBC News, The Guardian and The Washington Post among others, wasn’t willing to let slide further unchecked promotion of misleading findings.
“Eric Feigl-Ding’s constant fear mongering is deeply harmful,” Ryan wrote. “A new [New England Journal of Medicine] #monkeypox study of 528 global cases found just 0.6% were from household transmission; 95% were likely transmitted via sex between men,” Ryan tweeted.
Eric Feigl-Ding's constant fear mongering is deeply harmful. A new @NEJM #monkeypox study of 528 global cases found just 0.6% were from household transmission; 95% were likely transmitted via sex between men. 🧵⬇️https://t.co/lmjgxrlFC8 pic.twitter.com/qZ26M2B8jA
— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) July 23, 2022
Ryan didn’t let up as he continued the thread citing multiple studies to discredit Feigl-Ding’s claim as being unproven including research from Dr. Céline Gounder, an actual MD with specialization in epidemiology and infectious disease who explained, “It doesn’t seem like respiratory droplets or sprays have been an important mechanism of transmission, because if that were the case, you probably should have seen more cases among cisgender women…We also haven’t seen any evidence that monkeypox is transmitted through say, hugging.”
As Ryan wrote, “Read @Celinegounder’s words, @DrEricDing. No, the study you cite does NOT prove transmission of #monkeypox. It just shows that there was virus present on surfaces. Research does NOT suggest airborne transmission is a major factor driving this outbreak.”
Read @Celinegounder‘s words,@DrEricDing. No, the study you cite does NOT prove transmission of #monkeypox. It just shows that there was virus present on surfaces. Research does NOT suggest airborne transmission is a major factor driving this outbreak. 2/https://t.co/lmjgxrlFC8 pic.twitter.com/O8vmm5AhdY
— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) July 23, 2022
He further emphasized how the research highlighted that this “global health emergency” was almost exclusively driven by gay men performing anal sex:
“Jennifer Nuzzo of @BrownUniversity spoke about the new @NEJM paper on #monkeypox and asserted that this outbreak is almost exclusively occurring among gay and bi men. Airborne transmission, if it happens, [is] not a substantial driver of the outbreak. The authors of the major new study in @NEJM about 528 global cases of #monkeypox found evidence suggesting that…anal sex itself (not necessarily ejaculation) may be a central conduit of transmission of the virus.”
The authors of the major new study in @NEJM about 528 global cases of #monkeypox found evidence suggesting that that anal sex itself (not necessarily ejaculation) may be a central conduit of transmission of the virus. 4/https://t.co/lmjgxrlFC8 pic.twitter.com/oBMbQXmhZ8
— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) July 23, 2022
The fact of the matter, unfortunately, is none of those points hold any significance to Feigl-Dingm who rejoiced in the unilateral decision by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus when he declared the global health emergency overriding the vote against such a measure.
“We have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission about which we understand too little and which meets the criteria in the international health regulations,” the director stated.
Feigl-Ding reacted “at last–@WHO has finally declared the #monkeypox global outbreak a PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY OF INTERNATIONAL CONCERN. The WHO leadership has overruled the committee that had voted 6-8. Thank you @DrTedros!”
⚠️BREAKING: at last—@WHO has finally declared the #monkeypox global outbreak a PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY OF INTERNATIONAL CONCERN. The WHO leadership has overruled the committee that had voted 6-8. Thank you @DrTedros!
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) July 23, 2022
In other words, were he in charge of such decisions, Feigl-Ding would have made such a declaration even sooner than Tedros with less evidence to back the move.
The fear mongering and denial of the facts led molecular biologist and geneticist to exclaim, “You’re right Ben, Eric sometimes gets on my nerves!”
To that, Ryan simply stated, “He’s a menace.”
He's a menace.
— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) July 23, 2022
The science writer wasn’t alone in that assertion either.
His COVID takes were and are just as harmful and it is unfair to people that the media quote him as an expert, ever, on infectious diseases. Thank you for doing the work on monkeypox that needs to be done, Ben. Yours is a needed voice.
— Number 99 (@MmeBlackBalloon) July 23, 2022
That’s how he got ‘Twitter famous’ – he terrifies people.
He’s also just a nutritionist so … yeah.
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) July 24, 2022
Glad he’s getting backlash. He’s done nothing but scream hysterically about one fear after another for 2 years straight, and much of it sheer conjecture or misinformation. He needs a pandemic like oxygen.
— Chris King (@oxenofthesun) July 23, 2022
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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