Some highlights from @ducky 's weekly roundup at https://covidbc.webfoot.com/2025/03/28/2025-03-28-general/

SARS-CoV-2 can interact with / activate the CD147 receptor to get into lymphocytes (T-cells and B-cells). (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2319417023000872)

women are 13.4 times more likely to get Long COVID if they are 🤰pregnant than if they are 🚫🤰not, with the danger highest if they catch COVID-19 in the third trimester. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002937825001474)

the rate of cases of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) has gone up more than fourteen times compared to pre-pandemic (https://academic.oup.com/ehjqcco/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ehjqcco/qcae111/7945206)

#CovidCompetent #AirborneAware #CovidIsNotOver #COVID #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 #pandemic #MaskUp #WearAMask #cleanAir

Relevant other audiences:

Anticapitalists who are told they're naive myopic immature.

Covid realists who are told they are anxious.

Climate realists who are told they are cynics.

Anti-genocide activists.

& the other hashtags below.

#Scapegoat #FamilySystems #Ostracism #Neurodivergent #covid19 #WearAMask #ADHD #ActuallyAutistic #TransRightsAreHumanRights #LGBTQIA2S

This applies equally in the UK and, I imagine, across the western world, because people be fuckin' stupid.

"People think it’s 2019. They think they can’t have covid in 2025. They still believe in old archetypes about the responsibility of the state to the citizen. They think the state protected them with vaccines and that this protection meant they could go back to normal. But normal is over, gone, dead."

https://www.donotpanic.news/p/the-institutions-are-collapsing

#CovidIsntOver #WearAMask #Resist

This is why respirators need to be mandatory in hospitals.

Babies, people with certain disabilities & some health conditions need others to mask to protect them.

This hospital shouldn’t be “scrambling”. Make masks mandatory & protect patients and staff.

Clean & ventilate the air too!

#measles #airborne #keepmasksinhealthcare #wearamask #texas #uspoli #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #chronicillness

It’s International Long Covid Awareness Day, and my latest article looks at the reasons why people believe they don’t know anyone with Long Covid.

We desperately need increased visibility into this debilitating chronic illness so that we can raise awareness and fund treatments, mitigations and cures.

Anyone can get Long Covid. It’s not limited to ‘only the vulnerable’ or those who had a severe initial infection.

This disease does not discriminate. Even people with asymptomatic initial infections have found themselves disabled by Long Covid.

It’s time we start processing the trauma of the pandemic and stop living in denial.

We are in the middle of a mass disabling event, and the longer it takes us to admit that, the more people will be harmed.

Let’s spread the word that the only way to avoid Long Covid is to avoid getting Covid in the first place.

Wear a mask. Stay home when sick. Clean and ventilate the air.

When we all agree to care about the air we share, we can begin to bring about real change.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/i-dont-know-anyone-with-long-covid

#longcovid #longcovidawarenessday #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #chronicillness #wearamask

What a shame so many governments caved to pressure from the business lobby, opened up too early, threw away health measures, and condemned their populace to endless exposure to new Omicron subvariants every couple of months. #CovidIsNotTheFreakingFlu #PandemicContinues #WearAMask #AvoidCrowds
#MeaslesIsAirborneToo #PertussisKillsNewborns

#COVIDisnotover #wearamask #longcovidischronicmasksareiconic #cleantheair

I wrote a guest article for Healthy Debate that looks at why we need mandatory masks in healthcare, why surgical masks aren’t enough, and how the mounting threats to public health are putting lives at risk.

If you’re a healthcare worker, mask up.

Show us you take your oath to “do no harm” seriously

https://healthydebate.ca/2025/03/topic/wear-mask-plea-health-care-workers/

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #longcovid #pandemic #publichealth #wearamask #n95 #measles #h5n1 #keepmasksinhealthcare #chronicillness #disability

"Even if certain types of immune damage following COVID did turn out to be transient, which is another line of argument taken up by minimizers, how would we know in a world plagued by never-ending reinfections? If damage lasts 7 or 8 months, and a child is reinfected with the KP.2 variant in the summer and the XEC variant in the winter, when is that child ever healthy? This type of debate becomes academic in a world without mitigations; the body would barely have time to recover from one infection before the next would be on deck."

#Covid #CovidIsNotOver #LongCOVID #LongCovidKids #WearAMask

https://www.thegauntlet.news/p/kids-keep-getting-sicker-as-evidence

Never underestimate the power of wearing a mask. It’s a simple and safe act of compassion, resistance and self care.

Sick of being sick? Wear a mask.

Have a vulnerable loved one you want to protect? Wear a mask.

Work in healthcare and want to protect your patients? Wear a mask.

Want to fight fascists? Wear a mask.

Worried about low vaccination rates bringing back measles, polio and other eradicated diseases? Wear a mask.

Want to resist and keep your activism virus free? You guessed it, wear a mask.

When worn correctly, they’re highly effective. Trump and Vance are as anti-mask as they come, so we need as many people as possible masking in solidarity.

Let’s keep people healthy while normalizing them as an important tool in the fight against disease AND fascism.

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #fascism #resist #wearamask #pandemic #publichealth #measles

Patients have been bearing the brunt of infection control in hospitals, having to go to great lengths to protect themselves and their loved ones.

They’re unfairly judged, psychologized and mistreated for masking and/or requesting staff mask.

Covid is still here. It’s still killing and disabling people. We’re also seeing outbreaks of tuberculosis, measles and the worst flu season in over a decade.

Public health is being systematically dismantled and gagged by the Trump administration, allowing misinformation and disinformation to flourish and putting even more lives at risk.

Why don’t we have mandatory masking in healthcare? Why are we killing and disabling patients who go there for help? Who can’t ‘just stay home’?

The second article in my Masks in Healthcare series looks at patient stories, retaliation, and what we can do to make hospitals safer for everyone.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/we-need-mandatory-masking-in-healthcare

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #longcovid #sarscov2 #chronicillness #healthcare #keepmasksinhealthcare #wearamask #ableism #eugenics #disability

New York confirms two cases of measles as RFK Jr does an about face on vaccinations.

After spending years spreading harmful anti-vaxx rhetoric and lies, he’s now tacitly recommending the MMR in the wake of the first child death of measles in a decade.

More outbreaks will continue to happen until people start vaccinating their kids again.

Measles is incredibly contagious, and it’s airborne. The average person goes on to infect approximately 9 others.

The disease was all but eradicated thanks to vaccination, and it’s on the rise again because of people like RFK Jr

The kids need us to protect them. They need the adults to make smart choices.

Also, wear a respirator! It’ll help protect from measles, covid, flu and more.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-reports-two-confirmed-cases-of-measles/6171176/

#measles #rfkjr #publichealth #airborne #wearamask #vaccines #hhs #COVIDisAirborne #covidisnotover

RFK Jr finally recommends vaccination to deal with the measles outbreak hitting Texas right now.

This is quite the about face for a man who’s been spreading harmful anti-vaxx rhetoric for years.

Just a few days ago he was minimizing the outbreak by saying it was “normal” and recommending vitamin A.

What changed? Not going to lie… my initial thought was “it must be really bad if RFK Jr is pushing the vaccine”

Please folks, get your boosters. Wear a mask. Clean the air. Protect your health & the health of those around you.

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/03/kennedy-jr-measles-outbreak-vaccine

#rfkjr #vaccines #measles #uspoli #hhs #publichealth #texas #wearamask #COVIDisAirborne #covidisnotover #disability

One of the hardest parts of navigating these difficult times is the fact that many of those fighting fascism & impending collapse are turning their back on the disabled.

We saw it years ago. We warned. We pleaded. We asked people to fight back. We asked them to wear a mask.

Now we’re in the thick of it and still being left behind.

Articles about collapse don’t factor us in. Resistance efforts ignore us. Activism isn’t accessible. People still aren’t masking.

Include us in resistance. We have a lot to offer. We were built for fighting back.

#resist #fascism #uspoli #ableism #eugenics #disability #wearamask #disabilityrights

From above link:

"False narratives are being used to dehumanize people and criminalize a basic preventative health practice. In reality, most of the people still masking are among the strongest, most self-assured people I’ve known. They are the least concerned about other’s perceptions, the most concerned about others/our collective well-being, are embodying self-care by protecting their health (and mental health), willing to interrogate their choices and motivations, and are committed to accepting and integrating data and new information - even when they want desperately to be wrong about what they learn. They are also among the most alienated, judged, ignored, harassed, invisibilized, and forgotten."

#Covid #CovidIsNotOver #WearAMask #LongCOVID

@ducky

“Were they dying from Covid or were they dying from chronic disease?”

Easy. They died from Covid.

This idea that having a chronic disease somehow means that it’s ok that you died, or that you could have prevented your own death, is straight up eugenics.

I’m no less worthy of life than those without chronic illness. My chronic illnesses are not my fault. I can’t cure them with diet and exercise (believe me, I tried).

This is health supremacy and we need to call it out. When this behaviour takes root, the elimination of disabled people isn’t far behind.

We are ALL vulnerable to Covid. Placing blame on the individual and waving away millions of deaths as “oh well they had comorbids” is eroding whatever moral compass our society has left.

Mitigate the threat, and less people will die.

Clean air, better ventilation, mandatory masking in healthcare, isolating when sick, free and updated COVID tests and public health education on masks.

It’s time to save lives.

#covidisairborne #CovidIsNotOver #SARSCoV2 #longcovid #chronicillness #wearamask #disability #ableism #eugenics #fascism #rfkjr #uspoli

If you want to fight fascism? Wear a mask.

If you want to show solidarity with disabled people? Wear a mask.

If you want to protect your own health? Wear a mask.

If you recognize that no one is coming to save us? Wear a mask.

My ultimate guide to respirators looks at the early days of mask mandates, the rise of antimaskers, how to up your mask game for the ultimate personal protection and why we need to “fix our hearts or die”

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/were-witnessing-the-fall-of-public

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #wearamask #n95 #uspoli #fascism #chronicillness #longcovid #h5n1 #publichealth #disability #ableism

COVID is not just a respiratory virus. It’s not a cold. It’s not “mild”.

It’s a multi system vascular virus that can do damage throughout your body.

It’s also a novel virus. Five years is not a lot of time in the lifecycle of a new disease. The more we learn, the more obvious it becomes that avoiding infection is critical for long term health.

The precautionary principle should have been applied. We need to be humble and realize that we don’t know how bad things will be in another few years.

So wear a mask. Clean and ventilate the air. Avoid high risk settings. Do whatever you can to minimize your risk of infection. Protect yourself and your communities.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44349-025-00015-3

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #longcovid #heartdamage #disability #wearamask #PrecautionaryPrinciple

Now more than ever we need to support and amplify healthcare workers who are trying to get the word out about the state of public health

Support independent journalists who are doing the same.

With the CDC muzzled we don’t have the line of sight we should on outbreaks and threats to the population

What we do have is alot of doctors and nurses sharing serious concerns about how sick their influenza A patients are

We do have a significant egg shortage because of unmitigated bird flu

We do have measles and TB outbreaks.

The good news? A well fitted respirator can protect you from all these things.

It may be our best and last line of protection as it doesn’t depend on government or public health for accessibility.

Mask up and keep yourself and your community safe!

#uspoli #publichealth #resist #censorship #fascism #pandemic #covidisairborne #h5n1 #wearamask

“Are you going to wear a respirator forever?”

That depends. Are we as a society going to take Covid seriously and actually take steps to reduce transmission?

Because in the “back to normal” denial era a respirator is the best tool I have to stay healthy.

I will wear it as long as it’s necessary because it’s keeping me safe and ensuring I don’t spread Covid or other communicable diseases.

It’s an easy and simple way for me to protect what’s left of my health and practice community care.

I can’t change much, but this is something I CAN do. I can make a commitment to not spreading COVID. I can make a promise to care about vulnerable people. I can commit to adapting to changing threats.

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #longcovid #wearamask #disability #ableism

Had my first healthcare worker refuse to mask for me. I’ve had many scoff, make accusations of “anxiety” or wear their mask wrong… but this was my first outright “no”.

My chart is documented that I’m immune compromised & require staff to mask. The facility had a policy that if asked, staff will wear.

I was told “no I need to breathe to do my job”. I stood firm & said I’m high risk and masks are required.

They declined again and said they’re “claustrophobic”.

I said “I’m sorry to hear that but you work in healthcare. Being able to wear a mask is a requirement of your job. Please put one on before coming near me” A firm no. They refused to check my chart. Refused to show concern or empathy.

What I did next not all patients would be comfortable with, but I was there for a test that meant this HCW would be up close in my face for an extended time. I was also visibly sick and had already passed out once due to low blood pressure. Putting me at risk for their own comfort was NOT ok.

I said “no one comes near me without a mask. If you’re unwilling to accommodate my disability, go find me someone who is”

They were NOT happy. Stormed out and came back with another HCW who was wearing a mask.

When they returned they refused to leave the room. I asked repeatedly and said I was uncomfortable with them remaining and didn’t want extra people around for the exam. They said I was being “unreasonable”. They remained in the room, maskless, watching me undergo a sensitive exam.

at that point I just wanted the test over with so I could leave. I was exhausted, disappointed and felt utterly disrespected. Everyone who works in a hospital setting is required to be able to Don and doff a mask. If this person genuinely couldn’t, they shouldn’t be seeing patients

When I went to leave I told them, firmly but politely, that if they genuinely can’t do such a small thing to protect the most vulnerable patients they should reconsider working in healthcare. I’ve never seen someone sneer like that. I thought flames would shoot out of their ears

I asked for their full name to lodge an official complaint and they refused. It’s hard to believe this is where we’re at. Before Covid I never had a healthcare worker refuse to mask. I also noticed this HCW wasn’t wearing gloves when the others were.

I took detailed notes the moment I exited the hospital so that I could lodge a complaint without the name, but the entire experience robbed me of spoons and energy. Not every chronically ill patient would be able to lodge a complaint or push for a masked HCW the way I was. Nor should we have to.

This interaction will feature prominently in my next article about masks in healthcare.

I need all HCWs to understand the tremendous privilege and responsibility they have to their patients. We are putting our lives in your hands. Your comfort or personal politics must be left outside the hospital.

If you missed the first article in the series, you can read it here:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/a-plea-to-maskless-healthcare-workers

#ableism #eugenics #disability #disabilityrights #keepmasksinhealthcare #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #WearAMask

Tuberculosis outbreaks in Kansas and North Carolina, measles outbreak in Texas and COVID is still everywhere. I’ve not seen a single media outlet mention wearing masks.

In fact masks are banned in North Carolina and Nassau County and more bans are currently on the table.

A good respirator protects from more than just Covid. The people deserve to know how to keep themselves safe.

#uspoli #airborne #publichealth #tuberculosis #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #wearamask #nomaskbans

I am sad I missed this one. It didn’t get far.

#HB58, establishing a committee to study legislative protections and accommodations for individuals with #longCOVID.

INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE.

Rep. Mark McLean for Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs. This bill would establish a committee to study legislative protections and accommodations for individuals with long COVID.

The committee felt that while the problem is real, there was nothing presented in testimony to elevate this illness above others to the point that a special committee is warranted. The committee also felt that the formation of a special committee would be premature, as a recent New England Journal of Medicine article stressed that the medical community is still trying to define long COVID. The committee therefore recommended Inexpedient to
Legislate. Vote 17-1.

#NH #CovidIsNotOver #WearAMask

Tuberculosis outbreaks in Kansas, North Carolina & Ohio.

CDC aren’t permitted to update the public & people are not being advised of the risk or told to wear a mask.

There’s evidence that COVID causes immune system damage which could lead TB to reactivate.

A respirator prevents both Covid and TB.

Given we’re witnessing the dismantling of what was left of public health, there’s no better time to choose to wear a mask

You will protect yourself and your community. You will show much needed solidarity with vulnerable people who’ve never been able to stop masking.

You send a strong signal to the government that you aren’t willing to leave people behind.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/tuberculosis-outbreak-north-carolina-symptoms-b2692889.html

#tb #tuberculosis #COVIDisAirborne #covidisnotover #cdc #publichealth #uspoli #wearamask #disability

In the hospital for cardiac testing & there’s a mask mandate in place.

My chart says I’m high risk.

Tech comes in with mask under her nose.

Me: “Can you please pull up your mask I’m immune compromised.”

Her: Big sigh, pulls it up “You’ve got some serious Covid anxiety eh?”

Me: “not anxiety, I’m being rational. Colds have put me in the hospital.”

Her: Another big sigh

As I’m leaving I say: “It seems really quiet here today.”

Her: “Yeah half the staff are out sick. You’re actually lucky they didn’t cancel your appointment.”

Me: Internal shrieking

#ableism #eugenics #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #wearamask #sarscov2 #disability #keepmasksinhealthcare

please stay safe and mask up friends. you don't wanna get long covid. or you could end up perpetually exhausted for the rest of your life. i think that's what's kinda happened to me a bit. i used to have so much more energy before the pandemic

#CovidIsNotOver #WearAMask

One of the easiest, most visible ways to resist is to mask

Safeguarding your health is more important than ever. It’s easier to fight back when you’re not chronically ill

It shows you care about disabled & marginalized individuals

It tells government you won’t be complicit in the harm of others

#wearamask #publichealth #uspoli #resist #covidisairborne

On this day in 2023 I fell ill with COVID-19.
In the two years since, I've developed chilblains, IBS, CFS, and alopecia.
For the love of all you hold dear, do not give up the battle against this virus.
Become a clean air aficionado.
Stay away from others as much as possible when either you or they are sick.
And #WearAMask - for yourself and for others.
These three things really do make a difference. Our household average is 0.5 infections per capita.
#CovidIsNotOver #covid #health

I will never understand why more people aren’t angry and radicalized by the events of the last five years.

The anti mask, anti-vaxx crowd are angry… but they’re also terribly misinformed and on the wrong side of history.

Those of us with disabilities are livid … but we aren’t heard. We’re treated as even more invisible now than we were five years ago. An unwelcome reminder of Covid and the frail nature of the human condition.

But what about everyone else? The anti mask crowd may be the loudest, but they’re far from the majority.

Why aren’t the rest of you angry? Why are so many people content to accept and normalize mass death and disability?

An article came out in PBS today that puts the total COVID deaths at over 20 million.

20 million people. Those are fathers, mothers, spouses, grandparents, siblings and children. Each number represents a loved one to someone else.

Where’s the outcry?

400 million are dealing with Long Covid. That’s an obscene amount of people whose lives are forever changed. Who may never again know what it’s like to be healthy or exist in a body that isn’t rife with suffering.

Where’s the rage?

We know how to prevent covid. We’ve known for years. Yet rather than adapting our lifestyle and being humble in the face of a novel virus - we’ve given it the reins.

We’ve conceded defeat before we even put up a fight. Accepted repeat infections as inevitable. Shrugged our shoulders as we report more and more deaths. Aggressively minimized and disappeared those with Long Covid.

This should make you angry. It doesn’t need to be this way.

What would success look like? What would fighting back entail?

🫶Mandatory masking in all healthcare facilities (with respirators)

🫶Free tests and vaccines for everyone

🫶Better funding of anti virals and other treatments

🫶Clean air in all public spaces with transparent data visible to the public

🫶Clean air on school busses and anywhere that children congregate

🫶Paid time off for everyone who’s sick

🫶Free respirators in public places AND freely available to anyone who can’t afford precautions

🫶A robust public health campaign about how to properly wear a respirator

🫶A brutally honest public health campaign about the dangers of COVID. We have to stop treating it like a respiratory virus and make the public aware that it’s a multi system vascular virus with immune damaging capabilities

Doing even a few of those things would make a huge difference. Doing all of them would end the pandemic.

Get angry. Get loud. Demand better. Demand transparency.

Say that 20 million dead is not “mild”. That 900 dying every week in the U.S. is not “over”. That 400 million disabled will NOT be ignored.

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #longcovid #pandemic #cleanair #wearamask #disability #ableism #eugenics

How many people died from #COVID19? Probably more than 20 million. The World Health Organization #WHO has said member countries reported more than 7 million #deaths from COVID-19 but the true death toll is estimated to be at least three times higher. Data is no longer collected other than #wastewater. In the U.S., an average of about 900 people a week have died of COVID-19 over the past year, according to the #CDC. #publichhealth #pandemic #facts #wearamask please https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/5-years-after-it-appeared-things-we-know-and-still-dont-know-about-covid

This article about BC teen who ended up in the ICU with bird flu is terrifying. Intubated, ECMO, plasma exchange. She will have a long road ahead.

I want to remind people that a well fitted respirator offers excellent protection

Don’t handle sick birds or other wild animals

Our hospital system would NOT be able to provide this level of care if H5N1 becomes a pandemic. And if this young teen had been in the US I imagine her family might be bankrupt.

I’m glad she’s doing better - but shame on the news article for trying to “calm monger” by talking about her BMI as if it’s to blame. Even the headline is downplaying the severity

A 13 year old has spent over a month in hospital due to H5N1. She’s still not out. Lead with THAT

https://globalnews.ca/news/10938653/b-c-teen-avian-flu-patient-recovers-oxygen/

#birdflu #pandemic #H5N1 #wearamask #publichealth

Today in “Samuel Pepys’ Diary reimagined”:

“Not even in doctors’ surgeries and hospitals masks are mandatory anymore. Meanwhile, patients keep dying of hospital-acquired illnesses, including pneumonia and other airborne infections.”

https://babumenos.com/SPDR/#a2024-12-28

#MaskUp #WearAMask #COVIDisAirborne #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 #HAI

If you spent the holiday traveling, socializing etc with zero covid mitigations… You probably don’t have food poisoning. Or jet lag. Or allergies.

Covid is surging. RSV is too.

For the sake of everyone else - please stay home. If you can’t - wear a respirator.

Some of us spent our holidays alone. Isolated because no one will take precautions

Many of us have necessary hospital appointments and/or in person needs in the New Year

We don’t deserve to be infected because you took risks & then deluded yourself into believing you were “fine”.

Wear the mask.

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #longcovid #sarscov2 #ableism #disability #wearamask

Today I heard the most disconnected justification for not masking

Someone told me their dad refused to mask because he wanted to “live his life fully”. He caught covid & died

This person genuinely seemed to believe that her Dad lived more fully than people who mask…because he died living the way HE wanted

Given they’re likely experiencing grief - I pushed back as gently as possible. I explained that you can do almost all activities while wearing a respirator - but you can’t live life if you’re dead.

There was zero recognition of the point I was trying to make. They stood their ground.

I don’t know how we reach people like that. They’re so entrenched in their beliefs that even losing a close family member wont shake their denial.

Because it’s an airborne virus - his choice likely harmed others.

Thats the reason I keep advocating. Your “freedom” to risk your health stops when it puts the lives of others at risk.

Perhaps you’re genuinely ok losing your life just to avoid wearing a mask - but don’t presume to make that decision for other people.

Masking is kindness. It saves lives.

#covidisairborne #CovidIsNotOver #sarscov2 #longcovid #wearamask #maskswork

Covid News: New Australian Actuaries Report

Australian Actuaries Mortality Working Group released paper for the first 8 months of 2024.

Cv19 mortality 70% higher than prediction.
5 times as many deaths from cv19 than the flu.
And more....

Please #WearAMask this Christmas

@auscovid19

https://www.actuaries.digital/2024/12/17/mortality-in-first-eight-months-of-2024-2-higher-than-predicted/

Masking is a critical component of resistance in 2024.

#WearAMask #NoGodsNoMastersNoCovid

New introduction post - joined in Nov 2022 (as many did) and back now after a hiatus. I write about Covid, disability justice, ableism, eugenics, the experience of being chronically ill during a pandemic and life, loss and grief. Looking forward to connecting with people here again! #CovidIsNotOver #COVIDisAirborne #chronicillness #Ableism #DisabilityJustice #WearAMask #MaskUp #CleanAir #DisabilityRights

If you’re dealing with Long Covid - there’s a chance you’re also dealing with MCAS and/or POTS/Dysautonomia.

They’re common comorbids and can have a devastating impact on quality of life.

New allergies? Alcohol intolerance? Dizziness? Fatigue? Fainting? Hives? Neuropathy? GI issues? Unexplained tachycardia or blood pressure swings?

These can all be caused by POTS, MCAS or a combination of both.

Mega thread of resources and guides below:

I was dealing with both of these conditions before the pandemic - and when the first Long Covid cases started popping up I remember thinking “I need to make sure I avoid Covid - it’s already causing POTS and MCAS so it might make mine worse”

I shielded as soon as I was able (and haven’t been unable to stop).

I had hope that given the sheer size of the problem - we would see accelerated research and have better treatments and/or a cure.

Instead we’ve seen an increase in dismissal and psychologizing - with many people reporting it’s HARDER to get a diagnosis now than before the pandemic.

We don’t have anything new to offer patients despite the huge increase in people with these conditions - and the few doctors willing to treat us have wait lists which have tripled in size.

Patients have to wait longer to see a doctor - and get shockingly little time with them.

Basically - we are truly on our own.

As a result patient support groups and message boards are increasingly becoming a lifeline for those newly diagnosed.

I remember how scared and lost I was at the beginning of my chronic illness journey - so I’ve spent the last few months writing guides to help patients dealing with MCAS & POTS.

My hope is they will serve as a resource for the newly diagnosed as well as for people who suspect they may be dealing with these conditions.

You will find explanations of how they impact the body, tips for obtaining diagnosis, treatment options, lifestyle adjustments and more.

I hate having to go searching for something when I’m feeling really sick - so I thought it might be helpful to include everything I’ve written in one mega thread people could bookmark or save.

With that - the guides! (One per post below)

🧵

#longcovid #pots #mcas #dysautonomia #covidisairborne # covidisnotover #sarscov2 #wearamask #MECFS #chronicillness #spoonie #pandemic