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In the movie, Kung Fury, there's a satirical scene of people in the 80s discussing AIDs. Guy walks by on this big brick cellular phone.

Guy on phone: "Yes honey I got the test!"

Guy: "Don't worry, the doctor said the results were positive!"

Guy: "Great, I can't wait to see you tonight!"

As a child of the 90s who lost my godfather to AIDs a few years before effective treatments were available that seen had me crying and laughing. It was horrifyingly accurate.

#KungFury #Aids
Fast forward to 2024, I feel like that's clearly where we remain on COVID. Perpetually demonstrating collective ignorance on basic factors, core to mitigating the dangers this pandemic poses to each of us.

The latest demonstration of this, a ship full of 100 passengers went on an Artic Circle expedition this August. There were zero COVID tests. No medicine. And no one in charge advocated for the sick or healthy alike to wear masks.

https://www.donotpanic.news/p/the-arctic-plague-ship-that-disabled

#COVID #Literature #ArticCircle
This negligent attitude, Isabel says, worsened as the sick people started to pile up. “We were all summoned to a single room for the covid-on-board announcement, but people with symptoms weren't encouraged to wear a mask or avoid contact.” On the contrary, she says “they were encouraged to come to the bar for a cup of tea.” The only place you could go to avoid the virus-laden air, Isabel says, was out on deck, “but only for so long, given that we were above the Arctic Circle.”

Isabel says she later found out that a trip participant tested positive for covid the day before the trip and was told by the organisers she was still welcome to come on the trip. This person made the decision not to come, but it underscores the dismissive and shamefully ignorant attitude towards covid displayed by the organisers and the ship doctor. (I twice contacted The Arctic Circle organisers but they failed to respond).

And now Isabel has long covid. The disease has a vast array of presentations, and Isabel has the more serious version, her symptoms akin to those suffering from ME.

“I've been essentially house-bound for three months, bed-bound during my crashes,” she says.
That person who chose to cancel after testing positive did the right thing, but covid found another way in.

I suspect the only way to be safe ln a cruise is to wear a mask at all times belowdecks except MAYBE in your own cabin. That one depends on the quality of the HVAC system and how fast air is recirculated.
I may be last man standing from DC's 1983 Gay Youth group. Probably one or two others out there, but I haven't heard from anyone else in decades, all stories I heard ended with "died of AIDS."