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