My #CovidIsNotOver table at the Association for the Rhetoric of Science, Technology, and Medicine (ARSTM) at the Rhetoric Society (RSA)! Art by @JoBlakely and @violetblue ; zines by @hnewlevant ; flyers by @phpledge and bit.ly/lesscovid. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions on how to make it engaging--it's been lovely to meet other #CovidCautious people and create some visibility around #disability and #COVID .
I read a dad's post today about how hard it was for his kids to remain masked at school when everyone else is unmasked. It takes such courage. I made this for all the kids still masking. I applaud you and thank you. Please feel free to print it out and give it to your little heroes. #CovidIsNotOver#NotAllHeroesWearACape But they do #WearAMask#covid#maskup#heroes#resistance#solidarity
Still testing positive after 10 days of testing and 17 days of feeling sick.
Fuck Covid. And Fuck Cancer.
Logged an incident report at work explaining how I got this infection from a maskless co-worker because I was forced to be onsite and they knew their partner had "a mystery cold" and could work from home whenever they want but chose to come in anyway.
It contains excellent explanations on the spread of COVID mutations/variants, why vaccination alone isn't the answer, why we should continue to mask and negative communications.
Unfortunately the PCR result will be the only result on my medical record.
And today I return to work and one of my maskless coworkers tells me he was also off sick with covid last week, and laughing about giving it to me whilst denying it was him because "I can't prove shit" - as if anyone in my workplace would give a fuck even if I proved it beyond reasonable doubt by some magic or other.
Just a coincidence that he brought it to the office I'm forced to work from and he had several conversations about his wife's "flu" with me.
If only my employer was forced to provide clean air by some kind of workplace safety laws.
I'm glad there's been some action on this, but a $1M fine is pathetic.
This was knowingly and willfully endangering public health (as well as probably contributing to the fallacy that “masks don't work); there should be jail time for those responsible.
It isn't a coincidence that more protestors are wearing high quality KN95 or N95 masks these days. For years COVID safe advocates and mask blocs, who are connected to diverse organizing groups, have worked hard to educate allies and provide communities with free respirator masks.
I kind of doubt that this is the chief reason. Considering the high-tech face-recognition software available these days, I would not want to be identifiable in these protest for eternity either.
#WearAMask - it keeps you safe on different levels ;)
#CovidCautious community, I’m tabling at an academic conference next month to spread awareness of both the Public Health Pledge (@phpledge) and #COVID19 precautions as paths toward inclusivity, and I’m trying to think of what would make this table both useful and appealing to passersby. Does anyone have suggestions on what else I can do, in terms of signage, giveaways, activities, etc.?
Hey my lovies, am still recovering my cognition post covid, it has really crushed my social juice and my ability to word. I surface to toot when I can to stay connected to ya'll, but often fall down in conversation.
So please take all my ⭐boops and emojis as full of all the love and enjoyment of your comments and thoughts and lolz when I can't say more.
I often lurk and just enjoy as it rolls by, even if I can't ignite my brain enough to interact.
It is almost funny to find out that trans people are more likely not only get covid, but die from it, or get worse outcomes - like long lasting disabilities.
If you care about trans people, and are an ally...a thing you could do to support us is to wear a good mask (N95/FFP2+). Protect yourself and others. It is the compassionate thing to do.
Yet another good reason to avoid repeat infections...
COVID can quietly linger in your body long after getting sick. What does that mean?
researchers analyzed blood samples from 171 adults who had been infected by the virus. They found that one-quarter of these people had COVID proteins in their blood up to one year after their initial infection.
the CDC said it was okay for vaccinated people to ditch their masks in most places. But people were clearly still getting sick—including Alex, who got COVID-19 for the first time in late 2021 and later developed Long COVID symptoms.
UPDATE: In the US, COVID wastewater levels are now low.
If you've been holding off getting healthcare or doing other indoor activities, now is one of the best times of the year to do these things more safely.
This will probably have to be repeated indefinitely
Only wearing masks when cases are high is how they become high in the first place, and if people see drops in wastewater levels as an opportunity to stop masking, they are creating the conditions for the next wave -- one in which they might be patient zero for a new variant
Queensland Health crisis: 44 ambo crews lost per day to overflowing, ramped Qld hospitals.
"Paramedics lost more than 161,000 hours waiting to transfer patients into overflowing Queensland hospitals last year, taking 44 ambulance crews out of action every day."
“Congrats - you’re old! Maybe this year you will try and be normal again.”
This was a birthday message I received from a relative. They’re referring to my disabilities and to my Covid caution. They consider both “abnormal”.
I’m sick & tired of the insinuation that being disabled means we’re abnormal. That we simply need to “try harder” and we will no longer be sick - or that our illnesses are a personal failing. Temporarily abled people always seem to think it’s OUR fault we are sick.
This assumption stems from people being unable to comprehend that certain illnesses can be permanent but not fatal.
People tend to see illness as two pronged - you get sick and die or you get sick and recover. They don't understand the spectrum that lies in between.
As a result if you become chronically ill - people may be supportive at first but that support wanes when you don't get better. They assume if you're not improving and you haven't died that you're either faking, not really "that sick" or that you don't want to get well.
It's incredibly hurtful considering most chronically ill people spend the vast majority of their energy trying to be well. We do so much to try and retain or improve our baseline - but most of it is stuff others will never see. Compromise & sacrifice are daily occurrences.
The reality is that you can't "try harder" your way out of chronic illness. If you could no one would be sick. We try very hard - but our bodies aren’t well. Just because something doesn't kill you doesn't mean it won't debilitate you and rob you of your quality of life.
I know that's unpleasant for many people to think about - but looking away & refusing to acknowledge our reality doesn't change our situation. It just hurts us and lets you remain in denial. As for faking? Most people are trying to fake being WELL.
Putting on a happy face to make others more comfortable. There's no benefit to faking disabilities. It's a hard life with very little support & many cruel comments like the one I received.
Finally let's consider the word "normal". This person was referring in part to my illnesses (as they see them as an abnormality) and in part to my COVID caution which they see as nonsensical & unnecessary.
Disabled & chronically ill individuals are not abnormal. Health does not equal normalcy.
Health is a temporary state for everyone - not a bar to measure one's worth or commonality with others. It's discriminatory, ableist and cruel to suggest we are somehow abnormal.
As for the Covid caution - I look around at what we are doing and can't understand how anyone could think it abnormal that I'm trying to avoid catching (and spreading) this virus. When did it become "normal" to catch bugs all the time?
When did we decide it was "normal" to throw away our health, the health of the elderly, vulnerable and children? When did we stop caring for other people? We have become a society that looks down on people trying to protect themselves & others. That's ANYTHING but normal.
I don't think anything about the way society at large is responding to covid is “normal" but if it IS? I don't want any part of it. I'm proud to be someone who still cares about what's left of my health. Who cares about the health of others & breaking chains of transmission 1/2
This attitude that chronic illness is a moral failing is the one that hurts me the most. People seem to feel it more strongly since Covid. Those who know me know how healthy I was… until I wasn’t. Disability can & does strike everyone - you can’t make yourself bulletproof.
If the body could evolve the means to filter the air it needs, it would. This would be a really intelligent adaptation for the immune system to make, like RNase on skin (the stuff that destabilizes RNA on contact)
Wearing a respirator is an externalized form of this adaptation. It is quite literally adding a layer to your immune system. The immediate tradeoff is a negligible amount of breathing resistance