It’s inherently infuriating about having an unmasked healthcare worker ask you if you’ve experienced COVID symptoms while checking you in for an appointment.
Well, for your sake I fucking hope not! Why even ask me?
What if I say “yes”? How will my experience change? Are you gonna send me home? Suddenly put on a mask?
What if I DO have COVID and say “no”? Sucks for you, I guess, because my COVID is flying over to you right now.
The CDC’s reported COVID wastewater levels by state show that viral activity is currently “Very High” in Hawaii and “High” in Utah, Wyoming, and Maine. Wastewater levels are “Low” or “Minimal” across all other reporting states and territories as of May 23
I had to go to urgent care earlier today (nothing serious, needed antibiotics for infection).
I'm please to report that the nurse, the doctor, and all the patients I saw (about 8-9?) were wearing masks of some kind. I was pleasantly surprised! 😷😁
New study: "First, there is strong and consistent evidence for airborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other respiratory pathogens. Second, #masks are, if correctly and consistently worn, effective in reducing transmission of respiratory diseases and show a dose-response effect. Third, #respirators are significantly more effective than medical or cloth masks." #CovidIsNotOver#WearAMask#N95
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.
#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.?
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.
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.
“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
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
Losing my mind that this is in a 2013 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene:
"The growing threat of an influenza pandemic presents a unique challenge to healthcare workers, emergency responders, and the civilian population. [OSHA] recommends [NIOSH]-approved respirators to provide protection against infectious airborne viruses in various workplace settings."
JN.1 and JN.1.4 stil dominate the leaderboard, but scientists are especially watching a groiup of new mutations including JN.1.18, JN.1.13, KP.2, JN.1.16, and KQ.1.: https://ibb.co/6RvHcZR
Some of these are moving FAST despite the already-very-fast mutations on the landscape.
Wastewater
We've reached a level of SARS2 material in wastewater low enough to match previous years (2020, 2021.): https://ibb.co/DMyG0k4
CDC
Quite a lot of counties with new hospital admits, especially the Western half of the State. The Southwest corner by Greene Co and from Centre on over to Erie Co and Jefferson are HIGH on the newest chart.: https://ibb.co/m6KYR0Z
The Inpatient Beds chart looks good except for some increases in Lawrence and around Cameron Cos.: https://ibb.co/SPm1wJt
The ICU bed chart looks very good! Most counties are having decreases! However some increases up by Pike Co and significant increases in Franklin and Fulton Cos.:https://ibb.co/sKdK54P
Research
Tuberculosis after recovering from COVID-19 is becoming more common.: https://ibb.co/ZxZ7kHY
Reactivation of underlying pathogens is NOT NEW. We know this factually from the chicken pox/shingles pathogen.
Also, measles is known to reset the ENTIRE immune system and bring protection from everything down to zero, potentially leaving reactivation of underlying pathogens, which is by levels of magnitude more complex than the physical disability it can cause and makes it imperative that you VACCINATE YOUR KIDS.: https://ibb.co/cbFXrRw
Again: NONE of this is brand new, and COVID19 along with other known pathogens, seems to potentially weaken the immune system enough to reactivate underlying pathogens.
Non-SARS2 Pathogens
COVID and RSV thankfully have been downgraded on WastewaterSCAN to "Medium" and "low" respectively.: https://ibb.co/k2SpgLR
However, quite a number of pathogens are still ranking in the HIGH level: FluA, FluB, Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) and the gastro pathogens Norovirus and Rotavirus are still out there.
HMPV often presents with a rash and is related to RSV:
The prevention for all these respiratory diseses is the same!
Be conscious of crowds.
Wear a mask in places with low air filtration.
Keep the air clean!
Stay home if you are sick!
For norovirus and rotavirus, it's important to wash hands with soap and warm water for 20sec.
:ms_arrow_right: DO NOT depend on gloves and hand sanitizer to control Norovirus, the particles are very resistant to alcohol.
H5N1
Nothing above here has scientists sitting up at attention right now except one thing: H5N1 bird flu.
H5N1 has jumped to dairy cattle (after infecting numerous other species such as seals, fox, deer, etc.), has been found in cattle in TX, KS, MI, NM, and now Idaho.: https://ibb.co/1JgGY2v
Before now, almost all transmission was bird-to-other-species. "Cow-to-cow transmission cannot be ruled out" and will be a disaster for the food supply if not controlled.: https://ibb.co/mDKVZ7R
There is resistance amongst dairy farmers in the US and in Europe to get their cattle tested.
The absolute worst case scenario is if it "makes the leap" to pigs. That means, if genetically it mutates (like COVID-19 is doing) to be able to:
---Infect pigs.
---Gain capability of pig-to-pig transmission.
The genetic "leap" from bird to mammals was very large, and will also be the "leap" from cattle to pig.....but the "leap" from pigs and ferrets to humans after that will be really, really small.
This would be the same route the Spanish Flu took 106 years ago: Birds -> pigs -> humans.
It is...really not a good time to consume unpasteurized, raw dairy products.
:ms_arrow_right: I'm spending a lot of words on this because so far, this thing has a 50% kill rate**. That is, 1 out of every 2 people who contract H5N1 will die.
I don't know what else to say. We MUST push for thorough farm testing, biosecurity, and intense transmission research.
Stay safe, I hope you had a GREAT holiday, and don't forget to use some form of source control in your daily adventures! 💐
It's amazing reading all these nytimes and other articles saying "Why are so many kids absent from school nowadays? Must be a new culture of laziness. Probably lockdowns. Or phones. We definitely didn't give a generation Long Covid, because that's not something we're permitted to discuss." #CovidIsNotOver#LongCOVID#WearAMask#uspolitics#nytimes
If your union has already sold out your immune compromised members by refusing to make masks mandatory, why would you expect to be able to build solidarity, chump? #union#WearAMask#CovidIsNotOver