Went to the pharmacy with my N95 on today and 2 separate people clearly thought I was wearing it because I had COVID. The first person was in line and turned around, saw my mask, and booked it to the other side of the store. The second person at the till saw my mask and immediately wiped down my basket when I handed it to her (they don't do that there normally).
People are scared of COVID. They're just more scared of looking weird for wearing a mask.
In some ways, I feel sorry for them. Not THAT sorry, though.
I’m now using a walker to get around due to early onset end stage osteoarthritis.
I’m going to make a statement when I go out with my walker and will be wearing my 3M respirator with hot pink cartridges and a special T-shirt with a message. (Pics coming soon.)
My first T-Shirt draft is “I have to wear this respirator because you are too delicate to mask.”
Appreciate constructive criticism and alternative messages.
These two plots tell a sad story about where we are in #Eastern#Washington with the #Covid#pandemic. From what limited information is still available nowadays, it seems like the whole country is experiencing yet another wave of #SARSCov2 circulation, but my local region is all I really try to keep up with anymore.
I will try to explain in a 🧵 why this is all so crazy and awful. Read on if you care about your ability to engage in mental, physical, and even sexual activity.
Dr. Bob Wachter was infamous on Twitter for his elaborate calculations of risk, and then after he rolled the dice too many times, he got #Covid. When there’s twice as much virus out there, the opportunities to avoid it get cut in half. You get another round in the chamber of your #LongCovid Russian-roulette revolver. One trip to the drugstore gives you the same risk as two trips last month.
And this time around, we the #CovidCautious are doing this alone while the world sickens itself again. //
🧵To this day, I am still somewhat in shock at how much #COVIDdenial within my immediate family has impacted how I interact with them.
Some context: My family all lives back east. My hometown is small and conservative. I've always been the person in my family who is a "rabble rouser" so to speak. I was raised in a catholic conservative household, and although my siblings and I have abandoned both of those things at varying levels much to my parents chagrin, I've always been the most "radical" of us all.
However, when #COVID19 came to the U.S. my family was 100% on board with the science. They masked, they locked down, and they took it very seriously in the beginning. My parents worried for their community members as well as family and friends.
I didnt attend (the first time ever), due to concerns about COVID. My family told me they didnt understand.
Then my cousin got married (August 2022). I had told her when she had gotten engaged that I'd officiate the ceremony.
Cases were up, and I was terrified to travel, but it was too close to cancel. I tested, masked, and this time - I stayed with a friend who was #COVIDcautious. She tested before I arrived and was still masking everywhere. I masked around my family and limited my time indoors. I took my meals outside and limited my time home to a very short 48 hours.
Everyone at the outdoor wedding (except a select few) didnt understand why I was wearing a mask. My cousin (a nurse) even admitted to catching covid when she stopped masking - but said she was "fine" and it was "just like a cold".
On the flight home I found out one of the attendees became symptomatic during the reception. He masked up after his symptoms began - but his entire family, who was staying with him, caught covid. I found out while waiting for my return flight.
I had been in contact (outdoors) but considered myself exposed. I called my mom in a panic. She said she wasn't worried. She said she couldn't talk long - she was heading inside to eat lunch at a restaurant with some relatives. She told me to calm down.
Several others seated near my cousin who became symptomatic caught covid that night. My cousin struggled to recover.
I followed my protocols when I got home (isolation and testing) and thankfully, did not test positive.
something just reminded me of something else which has had me wondering for a while if any absence of fear, whether occasional or longer, might be an #actuallyautistic trait. @actuallyautistic
@homelessjun@JoBlakely@CatHat@Tooden@actuallyautistic Yes it is, and that’s about where I am RE: COVID. I’M #COVIDCautious, still masking indoors and avoiding social engagements. It annoys my family, but I’ve started responding (to my parents), “If everybody else jumped off a bridge, would you?” LOL
This is a conviction I have chosen not to compromise on.
Hello everyone! My name is Julie, I'm one of those "covid-anxious" #covidcautious individuals who has restructured their entire life to attempt to survive this pandemic. I scream into the void occasionally about my frustrations.
Just sending out a welcome to our newest COVID-cautious mastodon users! Looking forward to getting to know you.
Looks like my area will be back to dangerously unhealthy air quality levels tomorrow because of the #wildfires in Canada. The air is already getting hazy again. Sigh.
I'm weirdly grateful that being #CovidCautious has prepared me for this because I have N95 masks and air filters, but I also worry about those who aren't as privileged. I also think it's appalling how obvious the need for both #ClimateChange action and improved ventilation are, yet we seem to be sliding backwards on these issues instead of addressing them with the urgency we need.
Anyway, I hope everyone is staying safe, and #WearAMask!
Boston peeps: There will be a #COVID-safe (masked, vaccination required, no COVID symptoms) screening of "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" at West Newton Cinema at 10am on Sunday, July 2. You need to reserve and pay in advance. DM me your email if you want to attend and I'll send you details. @universalhub#CovidCautious#Boston#BostonMA#movies#SpiderMan#Newton#NewtonMA
While I'm waiting for my follows to finish importing, I thought I'd do an #introduction for this new instance.
Hello, everyone! I'm a cisgender, #bisexual woman who works in a tech-adjacent field. I do web content writing/editing for nonprofits and I'm trying to learn more about #accessibility.
#Boston peeps: I am currently trying to figure out if we can get together enough #CovidCautious people who want to see "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" to make it affordable (about the same per person as tickets) to rent a theater at West Newton Cinema for a private masked showing. If you are interested please message me with how many people. Thanks! @universalhub can you boost for me? #COVID#CovidConscious#SpiderMan
Hey all, I have lived in two states during the pandemic and it seems like mostly people find out whether a medical provider is #CovidCautious or not by asking in local groups, such as on Facebook.
It's exhausting, #CovidIsNotOver and it shouldn't be a patient's responsibility to make up for the failures of government and medical systems.
Anyway, for those who prefer to not acquire potentially fatal and preventable infections at the doctor's, I wanted to get the word out that there are some resources for this purpose (these are focused on the US but some Canada and other listings):
Health and medical in general, but their search and filtering aren't working quite right so you will need to be persistent to find listings. I have an email out to them. https://covidsafenetwork.com/home/
Hey my fellow #covidCautious folks! I just found a website, www.covidmeetups.com, which is "a free service to find individuals, families and local businesses/services who take COVID precautions in your area."
It's a very basic website run as a public service and I'm not sure how many people use it (front page says ~13k members, but across 75 countries), but I have found a local dentist listed in the business directory there that offers covid-cautious, masks-required, no-overlapping-appointments once a week and last night I messaged ~8 people who are within a 20 mile radius of me who are taking similar precautions and seem potentially relatable.
For the personal side, you can indicate your level of covid precautions, if you have children and are looking for playdates, are just looking for friends, looking to date, etc.
This new string #orchestra is almost ready to launch, welcoming beginners, learners, "rusty returners", and experienced players who want to be #CovidCareful.
We're now at the point where just another dozen or so players would make it financially viable!
Can you help me to reach those people?
Do you know anyone who plays #violin, #viola, #cello or double #bass - or who might like to try?
I worked in a govt library for awhile (loved it), ran my own coffee roastery (loved it), and am now in retail (love it). I've 6 kids, two of whom are #trans. I'm #enby. I don't tolerate hate. I'm #CovidCautious.