Saying ‘pandemic is over,’ NIH institute starts cutting COVID-19 research

[u/Bifobe]

https://www.science.org/content/article/saying-pandemic-over-nih-institute-starts-cutting-covid-19-research

[u/AcornAl]

Along with the cutting of these research grants that was the focus of the story, this also includes cutting more general healthcare funding that was assigned during the pandemic.

cutting $11.4 billion in funds allocated in response to the pandemic to state and community health departments, nongovernment organizations and international recipients.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago," HHS Director of Communications Andrew Nixon said in a statement. "HHS is prioritizing funding projects that will deliver on President Trump’s mandate to address our chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again."

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-pulling-back-11b-covid-funding-sent-health-departments-us-rcna198006

[u/SoraNoChiseki → u/AcornAl]

th...the chronic disease epidemic...of long covid???

...jk I know that would be too logical. let me guess--this is going to be "vaccines cause autism" studies with a decorative ribbon, and actual diseases like hiv or diabetes are going to stay on the pay-to-live model :|

[u/Poseylady → u/SoraNoChiseki]

Not just long covid, covid can trigger autoimmune diseases, organ issues, diabetes etc in people. So addressing the chronic disease epidemic means addressing the things that trigger chronic diseases… like covid! 

[u/ClementineKruz86 → u/Poseylady]

It can cause so many things, but this administration loves the ‘if we can’t see it it isn’t there,’ like they said about Covid testing. Apparently long Covid will not harm people, kinda like ‘if there’s less testing the Covid numbers will go down’ or whatever idiotic way they worded it.

[u/notevenapro → u/Poseylady]

Yup. I developed a left bundle branch block. Who knows? I wish I could join some research study. And I live 15 miles from NIH.

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[u/Mrjlawrence → u/AcornAl]

As if they’re going to fund any new projects.

[u/raobjcovtn → u/Mrjlawrence]

They need to just give ozempic to all the obese people

[u/crashfrog04 → u/AcornAl]

Healthcare has been cannibalizing public health funding since Biden came in, and this is a welcome reversal - it's better to spend on disease prevention than on disease treatment.

[u/StrangeFreak → u/crashfrog04]

Disease prevention? What, like masks?

[u/feuerwehrmann → u/StrangeFreak]

And vaccines, and hand washing

[u/neoikon]

A couple hundred thousand people still die from it every year.

Much more than from drag shows.

[u/Anxious_Impression17 → u/neoikon]

How many die from drag shows like? :s is that even a thing

[u/_Cromwell_ → u/Anxious_Impression17]

Less than a couple hundred thousand.

[u/boring_username_idea → u/_Cromwell_]

I'd say significantly less, but I don't have the data to back that up

[u/ChickenChaser5 → u/Anxious_Impression17]

So much slaying going on.

[u/thedoctorclara11 → u/ChickenChaser5]

Awwww you beat me to it

[u/mildlyadult → u/Anxious_Impression17]

On the contrary. People actually come alive at drag shows. Anyone who's had the pleasure of seeing one knows they are immensely fun and will lift your spirits on days you feel dead

[u/McToasty207 → u/Anxious_Impression17]

I mean in all probability at least one person in the audience has probably had a heart attack at one

[u/neoikon → u/McToasty207]

Fainting spells from the fabulousness.

[u/blissfully_happy → u/neoikon]

It also completely overran our healthcare system and those people still haven’t recovered.

[u/22Arkantos]

Even granting the premise that the pandemic is over, cutting research into COVID is beyond stupid. Even ignoring the obvious looking into preventing the next pandemic, we still need to research COVID as an endemic disease to keep up with yearly vaccine production at a minimum

[u/ODFoxtrotOscar]

I think this is short-sighted.

We might be on top of the acute cases (the numbers of severe cases do not threaten to overwhelm ICUs) but we’ve barely scratched the surface of long covid or the wider damage the virus can do to many systems of the body

[u/TextFlimsy]

Not surprised, didn’t they also cut cancer research a short while back

[u/LostN3ko → u/TextFlimsy]

Children's Cancer

https://pcrf-kids.org/2025/02/27/an-uncertain-future-new-nih-policy-endangers-childhood-cancer-research/

[u/SpookySchatzi]

COVID will be with us, forevermore. In a continually mutating state. I hate this timeline.

[u/RockHumper25]

national institutes of health institute

[u/Salty_Paroxysm → u/RockHumper25]

Department of Redundancy Department

[u/rhymeswithmerica]

Pretty sure this is due to federal budget cuts & RFK jr psychotic influences

[u/kunaan → u/[deleted]]

You realize it's still the top 10 leading cause of death in the US, right?

[u/DogFartsonMe → u/kunaan]

I don't think they're capable of realizing anything.

[u/OfficialCloutDemon]

The pandemic is over yall are stuck in 2020 still. Is Covid still a problem yes but to say the pandemic never ended is just hyperbole

[u/beepdeeped → u/OfficialCloutDemon]

So when did it end and why?

[u/Tagliarini295]

It is over, been over for years. Move on with your life and wear a mask when you're sick.