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Media Coverage of Dr. Alters NIH paper, post stories here

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Spanish and French seem to be catching on (Spanish more, about 30 articles)

Some links, can't say anything about the quality, because i haven't read them yet

http://www.europapress.es/sociedad/...de-provocarlo-virus-raton-20100824112120.html
http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2010/08/24/788290/sindrome-de-fatiga-cronica-seria.html
Edit: This seems to be from the US, but there are many more links in spanish

http://www.santelog.com/modules/con...e-chronique-sur-les-transfuseacutes-_3797.htm

And seriously now... the French like to riot. Maybe i'm really lacking sleep now, but here's a strange prediction. In the end we might get to see more noise coming from there. They love to strike, occupy factories, burn down some stuff... not saying we should do that, i think the XMRV conference will bring more momentum, things will come, but in my imagination i can already see the French in the streets demanding testing and measures to secure the blood supply. They're a people who won't shut up if they feel like their government owes them something. And they always feel like that :tear:

Thanks for these links, Eric! I don't know how many people read the French Santelog but their headline roughly translates as "XMRV virus threatens transfusion recepients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" and the first sentence reads, "The XMRV virus could be a real threat for people receiving a blood transfusion".

Vive la France! This is the sort of headline I was expecting to see splashed across the UK this morning (certainly in the Daily Mail!).
 

eric_s

Senior Member
Messages
1,925
Location
Switzerland/Spain (Valencia)
LOL... Hey, we are the "ME Association"... hmmm... there was a confirmation study linking ME to a retrovirus... well... maybe we should publish a statement "later in the week" (quote)... ok... back to sleep :rolleyes: what do they think they are there for?
 

eric_s

Senior Member
Messages
1,925
Location
Switzerland/Spain (Valencia)
Thanks for these links, Eric! I don't know how many people read the French Santelog but their headline roughly translates as "XMRV virus threatens transfusion recepients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" and the first sentence reads, "The XMRV virus could be a real threat for people receiving a blood transfusion".

Vive la France! This is the sort of headline I was expecting to see splashed across the UK this morning (certainly in the Daily Mail!).
Exactly... they see the risk, and it feels like they get what that could mean
 

thegodofpleasure

Player in a Greek Tragedy
Messages
207
Location
Matlock, Derbyshire, Uk
ME Association don't know their XMRV from their MLV related viruses

LOL... Hey, we are the "ME Association"... hmmm... there was a confirmation study linking ME to a retrovirus... well... maybe we should publish a statement "later in the week" (quote)... ok... back to sleep :rolleyes: what do they think they are there for?

They even managed to get that brief message wrong, by saying :

Further evidence of the XMRV retrovirus in the blood of people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been found by a team led by Harvey J Alter

Not good when an advocacy group gets these things wrong.

TGOP :Retro mad:
 

thegodofpleasure

Player in a Greek Tragedy
Messages
207
Location
Matlock, Derbyshire, Uk
A good first attempt

The Daily Mail has just posted online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...igue-syndrome-caused-mouse-related-virus.html
Not too bad for a first effort :Retro smile:

This bit was inaccurate though :

Scientists found evidence of murine leukaemia virus - known to cause cancer in mice

Journalists just don't appear to want to do the detail properly. They obviously think that it's O.K. to ignore the important "virus related virus " bit, even though it is actually quite significant.

Frustrating :worried:
 

Min

Guest
Messages
1,387
Location
UK
The daily Mail always do well by us, within their limitations as a tabloid - we should encourage them with praise so they print it in the paper. I'm surprised the Independent hasn't run the story.
 

Marco

Grrrrrrr!
Messages
2,386
Location
Near Cognac, France
Spanish and French seem to be catching on (Spanish more, about 30 articles)

And seriously now... the French like to riot. Maybe i'm really lacking sleep now, but here's a strange prediction. In the end we might get to see more noise coming from there. They love to strike, occupy factories, burn down some stuff... not saying we should do that, i think the XMRV conference will bring more momentum, things will come, but in my imagination i can already see the French in the streets demanding testing and measures to secure the blood supply. They're a people who won't shut up if they feel like their government owes them something. And they always feel like that :tear:

I can't say I've noticed any rioting yet Eric but we're only a small hamlet with a population of under 10.

But I'll keep you posted - or maybe I'll torch something myself!;)
 

pictureofhealth

XMRV - L'Agent du Jour
Messages
534
Location
Europe
They even managed to get that brief message wrong, by saying :



Not good when an advocacy group gets these things wrong.

TGOP :Retro mad:


I've just emailed the following to the ME Association:

Dear Dr Shepherd and Tony,

Re: Recently published Alter/Lo FDA/NIH paper:

Please could you make an important correction to your website?

The recently published Alter/Lo paper from the FDA/NIH found related MLV's in CFS/ME patients, not XMRV specifically.

This is an important distinction if we want to remain scientifically accurate.

Please see attached YouTube video of Dr Mikovits in which she congratulates Drs Lo and Alter and explains the connection between XMRV and MLV's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZEwQUg7o6I&feature=channel&forumid=331851

Many thanks, it is much appreciated.

I expect they were up v late last night as were the rest of us in the UK!
They will probably want to read every inch of detail before posting comment.

Don't forget it is likely that many who work at the MEA have ME/CFS like the rest of us and may be finding it difficult to read/interpret the scientific material immediately and to construct a meaningful scientific analysis.

They are also right up against a particularly vicious, hellbent, well-funded, government and medical research council, psychiatric lobby here in the UK and have limited funds in comparison.

They are taking a slow and steady route and it would be great if we could support them.
As mainstream traditional patient charities go in the UK they're pretty much the best hope we've got.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
The Daily Mail has just posted online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...igue-syndrome-caused-mouse-related-virus.html

Haven't even read it read!

I've posted a comment (you have to register, but that's quick). At the moment they have zero comments published but they are pre-moderating.

I praised them for covering the story and pointed out that it's a huge story because it's a retrovirus and probably in the UK blood supply (both aspects not mentioned in their coverage). I called for UK govt funding and protection of the blood supply, and pointed out that the expert commentary on the PNAS paper (in the journal itself) called for immediate "proof of principle" clinical trials of ARV for ME/CFS.

Let's comment and push them to see the real scope of the story beyond what was in the press release! I recommend that we PRAISE THEM for their coverage (we want them to do it again!) and tell them what a big story it is, and why. I also recommend keeping the messages short so that people will read them.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
I can't say I've noticed any rioting yet Eric but we're only a small hamlet with a population of under 10.

But I'll keep you posted - or maybe I'll torch something myself!;)

Just wave your arms about a bit, Marco, and maybe while holding a flashlight! We do what we can!
 

bullybeef

Senior Member
Messages
488
Location
North West, England, UK
I have added a comment too. I have asked why they haven't used retrovirus to describe MLVs/XMRV, and why they continue to use the word 'only' to describe 7% healthy infected?

7% of the UK is 4.3 million healthy carriers; the US is 21 million healthy carriers!! If that isn't an epidemic, I don't know what is.
 

BEG

Senior Member
Messages
1,032
Location
Southeast US
F.Y.I.

Page 4 of my local newspaper under the Heading nation & World:


Los Angeles Times:

"Government scientists have found traces of a mouse-related virus in 86% of Patiets with chronic fatigue syndrome, a discovery that is likely to reignite the controversy surrounding the virus widely know as XMRV. Nevada scientists first reported its prescence in CFS patients in 2009, but at least three subsequent studies failed to detect it. On Monday, however, researchers from three different government agencies said they had found the virus in stored and fresh blood samples. The government is sponsoring a number of studies to determine, among other things: whether the virus is present in many or most patients with CFS."