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 NotesKennedy Hires Covid Vaccine Skeptic to Look at Dubious Claims of Military DeathsA New Brunswick woman's account of being left to find her own way with long COVIDCanadians frustrated by long COVID as they grapple with its effectsDecember 2023 release on Canadians' experiences with long-term COVID symptomsFourth Report on longer-term symptoms among Canadian adults"Dealing with the Fallout": post-COVID condition's continued impactSurvey record confirming the CCAHS was a one-time collectionRFK Jr.'s workforce cuts wiped out federal tracking of key health dataTrudeau kept Harper's health care funding formula2025 National Health Expenditure Trends snapshotCanada Health Transfer deductions for non-compliance are decliningCarney refuses to commit to enforcing the Canada Health ActCanada's affordability crisis and health careOntario should join Alberta in challenging the Canada Health ActAlberta's new health system structure under Premier SmithAlberta's "Bill 11" and Ford's hospital privatizationUnion concern over Saskatchewan's move toward privatizationMcGill launches initiative to strengthen Canada's healthcare systemSectoral Asset Management's healthcare-investing focusManulife launches Global Longevity Institute committing $350M by 2030Manulife advances longevity leadership in Canada with support for the National Institute on Ageing's landmark surveyNational Institute on Ageing releases 2025 Ageing in Canada SurveyFALCON studyPetition calling to pause McMaster's FALCON trialOriginal 2011 PACE trial publicationPeter White's ties to Swiss ReThe PACE team's insurance-company consulting workThe yawning gap in ME/CFS research funding Trial By Error: BBC Takes On The Lightning MethodCan Lightning Method Help Kids with CFS?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices