Brace for Impact: 6/22/26
It's a twice-weekly event that explores science, politics, and activism through the lens of a COVID-conscious community.
Since 2023, I have created a weekly show we now call Brace for Impact, but I haven’t promoted it much here on my Substack.
In 2023, we did it four times a week, Mon- Thurs, and allowed people to call in and talk about their Long COVID symptoms. Later, it would become Mondays and Thursdays only, and we would form Organizing for a Better Tomorrow.
In this space, we were not simply a show but a gateway to effective activism.
We were able to accomplish more than any other group, leading the push for Novavax while explaining that persistence was driving Long COVID and that mABS or other infusion antivirals were necessary to treat patients infected with variants beyond the distance of Nuvaxovid’s ability to broaden the antigenic range of existing antibodies.
If you heard or said that infusion antivirals will be necessary to treat Long COVID, then you have us to thank for that, and many leaders of many LC groups have been on our show to argue against persistence as a primary driver.
We fought for COVID vaccines and in the process helped create the regulation that allows for a COVID vaccine every two months.
If you’ve ever checked the box asking if it’s been longer than two months since your last COVID vaccine, again, you have us to thank for that.
We created talking points, such as “upgrading your mask to N95+,” to encourage folks to stop wearing surgical masks, and I have personally explained complex subjects regarding how COVID damages your body and what to do about it.
We are the only group to explain the degenerative nature of Long COVID.
When I brought ideas like “noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation” to assist in vertigo and autonomic dysfunction to the community, I was laughed at and blocked by doctors.
Now it has become a standard of care.
When I explained that fixing your gut biome would reduce symptoms, I was mocked.
Now we have studies showing that PEM is directly causative to your gut biome.
People say there are no treatments for Long COVID…
And yet, we got Nuvaxovid approved for every two months specifically to treat persistent COVID, as it has a mechanism to boost the range of antibodies, in 2023.
You can get Nuvaxovid (Novavax) every two months with no limits and insurance coverage specifically to try to help with your symptoms.
It won’t help everyone, but it has already helped many, and it could help more.
At the very least, you’ll have the best available COVID vaccine protection.
So, with that, I will be using my Substack to promote Brace for Impact to make this information more widely available while covering a range of newsworthy subjects as they happen.
We have primarily shared the show on Twitter, but you can watch a more complete version on YouTube; sometimes there are connection issues, and YouTube is more likely to have the complete version in one place.
Viewership ranges from 400 to 900 each show on Twitter, with very few on YouTube.
Hoping to increase that number; luckily, the bar is very low for YouTube.
Today we’re covering complex and misunderstood Long COVID risk, the deal, or not a deal, with Iran, people in recovery needing to have a good attitude simply for survival, and the recent Moderna influenza approval.
Spoilers: it shouldn’t have happened; expect a larger article on this soon.
You can watch Brace for Impact on YouTube…
Or you can listen to it on Twitter.
That said, I did make a small mistake on the show.
I kept saying that the risk of Grade 3 AE from the new Moderna vaccine was 3%.
This was incorrect.
The correct answer is 5.5% in people >50 and 6.7% in people >65.
So, it’s almost double what I thought.
Here are the slides from Moderna’s presentation.
First, over 50.
And then over 65, when it increased significantly.
It should be less than 1% for a seasonal vaccine.
Here’s the breakdown of what different grades of AE mean from the NIH…
5-7% of people having “severe” side effects is a great way to damage future uptake when it’s already barely in the double digits.
I’ll have more to say on this later, but let’s just say: Moderna did not show their work.
Update on my paid subscriber structure.
When I first started doing VAMU (Venice Art and Music Underground, then Venice Art Movement United), my event in Venice Beach was originally focused on just getting people to Venice, and I would only charge $5 to enter.
Eventually, someone complained that it was too low because “what could be good enough in there for only $5?”
I immediately turned to them and said, “Okay, it’s $10.”
And there is some truth to that, which creates a terrible cycle where subs aren’t worth enough for me to want to write. Maybe that sounds bad, but it’s just not a good use of anyone’s time.
And with that, I’m updating my paid subscriber structure.
Good news: if you are already a paid subscriber (thank you!), then your original price will be grandfathered in.
My old price was very low, but I didn’t publish very much.
It was $5 a month or $50 a year.
The new structure is... with Substack’s take of 13.6% + 30 cents... which is why I prefer PayPal or other apps, but it’s too hard to beat the algorithm to reach the right folks...
$18 monthly, which is $15 after their cut and less than a Tier-3 sub on Twitch.
$175 a year, $150 after Substack’s cut.
$228 to be a founding member, which is about $200.
I questioned whether this was too much, but Twitch subs range from $8 to $25, and Twitch takes 50% instead of the 13.6% + 30 cents here. While the vast majority of my content will remain free, I do have plans for new content…
And if you think this is too much, then how much do you think it should be?
Unfortunately, this is not something I want to do, but it is something I have to do.
I would love to sit in a seat of privilege and produce material without concern for financial benefit, but that’s not the world we live in.
With that, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.
And let me know in the comments about any content you want covered on the show.
In the event that you want to make a one-time contribution, your link is here.
I have no financial interest in any products in this article, not that I wouldn’t; I just don’t.