10 September

The still surviving belief that fat causes heart disease is behind the enormous surge in sales of air fryers. But after decades of drug and surgical progress, heart disease and stroke are still the biggest killers. It’s infections, people. They’re the most likely cause of both. The epidemic of heart disease in the 20th century was likely caused by the Spanish Flu. Covid will be the next trigger for whole generations of organ-related mortality, cancers, neurological disease etc. Because we often survive infections the simple-minded believe now they’re even good for us. I still have people ask me if I’m worried if infections will hit me for six when i stop masking, as if I’m depriving my immune system of necessary exercise. All of that is politicised bullshit, not science. The most powerful way to have a long life is to avoid as many infections as you can. Get vaccinated too.