325: Long COVID Profiteers
Conspiracy theorists have decided Novak Djokovic has long COVID — despite no evidence — because he's become an anti-vax icon courted by RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz. So we thought it was high time for a long COVID update.
Derek looks at a new Boston Children's Hospital research on viral reactivation, as well as the findings of a 2026 meta-analysis pooling 200,000+ participants.
Matthew surveys the Canadian LC landscape, where insurance-industry money is quietly funding McGill's Institute for Transforming Healthcare and McMaster's FALCON trial, testing the pseudoscientific "Lightning Process" on Long COVID patients, led by researcher Dr. Jason Busse, who has deep insurance-disability ties.
Finally, Julian unpacks Phil Parker's Lightning Process — Ericksonian NLP dressed as neuroscience, with roots in hypnotherapy, cult techniques, and pure "neuro-bollocks."
Show Notes
Kennedy Hires Covid Vaccine Skeptic to Look at Dubious Claims of Military Deaths
A New Brunswick woman's account of being left to find her own way with long COVID
Canadians frustrated by long COVID as they grapple with its effects
December 2023 release on Canadians' experiences with long-term COVID symptoms
Fourth Report on longer-term symptoms among Canadian adults
"Dealing with the Fallout": post-COVID condition's continued impact
Survey record confirming the CCAHS was a one-time collection
RFK Jr.'s workforce cuts wiped out federal tracking of key health data
Trudeau kept Harper's health care funding formula
2025 National Health Expenditure Trends snapshot
Canada Health Transfer deductions for non-compliance are declining
Carney refuses to commit to enforcing the Canada Health Act
Canada's affordability crisis and health care
Ontario should join Alberta in challenging the Canada Health Act
Alberta's new health system structure under Premier Smith
Alberta's "Bill 11" and Ford's hospital privatization
Union concern over Saskatchewan's move toward privatization
McGill launches initiative to strengthen Canada's healthcare system
Sectoral Asset Management's healthcare-investing focus
Manulife launches Global Longevity Institute committing $350M by 2030
National Institute on Ageing releases 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey
Petition calling to pause McMaster's FALCON trial
Original 2011 PACE trial publication
Peter White's ties to Swiss Re
The PACE team's insurance-company consulting work
The yawning gap in ME/CFS research funding
