Thank you. I’m in tears now and will give in to it for a moment. But thank you so much. I feel seen. And I’m not even immunecompromised or so. Just a 62 yo woman, living alone, working independently who’s life would be destroyed by LongCovid which made me becoming kind of an eremite. At least I’m currently at a beautiful place, could avoid infection so far and was able to take my work with me. I’m terribly suffering with a text which in my old life would have written in 1-2 weeks instead of 1-2 months now. My creativity, my focus, my writing habe been so much affected by the sorrow, the fear, the gaslighting, and yes: the anger. Thank you again. I send you all best wishes I’m still capable of. 💔
It feels simultaneously heartening and infuriating to read something that makes me feel seen, justifying why I feel angry and agreeing with everything you said. Thank you so much for sharing.
I'm in a similar boat, my father died a couple weeks ago (heart attack, though I blame COVID he got a few months prior) and I plead with my mom and sisters to make the memorial tomorrow safe for me to attend by requiring masks and they refused. Facebook events (which they used!) have the option to toggle that requirement on! I'm so mad.
All I get now is the opportunity to show up before anyone else does, set up a live stream system and watch from the parking lot in the snow.
I'm done with the cult of the family. If they really cared, if they really loved, they'd listen. Not look for excuses to not be inconvenienced by a deadly virus and put me and themselves and everyone around them in unknown danger.
Re the air purifiers, I’ve got one in each room of the house. Gradually acquired them, taking advantage of sales. The cylindrical Levoit ones are my favourite, as they’re small, quiet, don’t throw a breeze on you, and priced around $150 or so. With a kid in school, and Covid so frequently asymptomatic, I figure there’s a pretty high chance of him bringing it home (despite him being great about masking).
I’m angry too. How do we get all of the angry people together to do something about these issues? Where do we even begin? It all feels so overwhelming.
Thanks for this - the power of validation is so strong. Had a mild encounter with post-viral fatigue after Epstein-Barr that really destabilised my sense of self - brain fog and bed rest in my final year of university. Could have been much worse, but what it really did do was wake me up to the fragility of health, how mental/physical health has to be safeguarded and never taken for granted. It's a surprisingly difficult truth to communicate to folk who haven't had first hand experience, or for whatever reason, don't want to hear. Means a lot that there's a gathering place online for this shared awareness. Thanks again.
Thank you. I am angry too. The only reason I was somewhat prepared for all of this is that I was a 2012'er since 1992 and anticipated my whole life that things were going to change somehow. I hoped we'd evolve as a unified race, boy was I wrong! I predicted we would be wearing masks in the future, but I thought it would be climate related, and I didn't realize I would be one of the only people wearing the mask. My anger reached new heights last week when my 81 year old mother finally got covid. She is high-risk and like my two siblings follows a vax-only approach, yet hasn't been boosted since the summer. My family thinks my wife and I are crazy for being covid-safe constantly. I was beside myself when she opted to not take Paxlovid. I knew her doctor was most likely a minimizer and I was right, he barely gave her any advice. Luckily she has been OK so far, and much to my surprise she may have gotten help unknowingly. She is diabetic and by happenstance I came across information saying the drug she takes for diabetes (metformin) may help in preventing severe covid: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-11-23/diabetes-drug-metformin-might-keep-severe-covid-away
But you'll never hear about any helpful options on the news besides the vax. At least I gave her Listerine with alcohol to gargle with as I read that may help reduce viral load as well.
I’m not angry, but that’s probably because I have the ability to isolate myself to a far greater degree than most can, and I don’t have children.
Anger won’t enlighten those who refuse to open their eyes. Neither will compassion or the offer of honest debate. Not all people have the same capacity for critical thinking. Inductive logic is looked down upon in our culture.
“Who made you an expert?” Most will say, rather than taking the time to understand that you don’t have to be an expert to distinguish between sources of propaganda and sources of truth.
Instead of getting angry, I have actively taken steps to change my living circumstances to make me more independent and more isolated. That’s not a perfect solution, and I sometimes miss being around other people, but not as much as you’d expect.
That’s what works for me. Going tribal starting with a very small tribe of like minded friends and family. I hope you will find what works for you.
I’m immune compromised, wear a mask everywhere and have never once had any negative comments directed at me because of it. Maybe because I live in Massachusetts where a lot of us still wear masks. Or, more likely, because I am old, have white hair, and as such, I’ve become invisible.
My mother caught Covid in 2021 from a hospice nurse who needed the money more than taking care of her patients. The whole hospice center came down with it and it eventually took my aged mother, (93) with pneumonia as an aftereffect of Covid-19. She died in November of that year. I have said this many times and it bears repeating. We don't go anywhere without a mask on and disinfect and I now have a room air purifier I run 10-12 hours a day. We plan this to be a very long term, if not a permanent, new lifestyle and try to stay safe. Most of my grown children have had this, maybe more than once. I hope he will learn from it finally. The rest of them aren't taking any chances, I don't think. Much like me. Sad to say, but the human race is either too spoiled or too poor to take care of themselves. This will winnow the population down eventually. Another statistic on the horizon. They admit that the richest countries in the world are losing their populations but not truly admitting why. They probably don't want another 2020 for profit reasons and have convinced the governments to not start a panic. All for our own good. Yeah right. Not our good. Just for the good of the corporations who bribe the governments.
I can't find any mention of Covid any more in the news. Seriously I have to go searching on Twitter (which I unsubbed from) to get any information at all. Seems like they are doing all they can to suppress the data.
I count the number of viruses I contracted before adulthood at nine, and that’s with “colds”, “flus”, and “ tonsilitis” each counting as one, even though I had multiple bouts of each. Now I have long Covid and am doing my best to avoid infection with anything that would activate an immune response. Yeah, I believed it would come to this when I saw the absence of political will to do what needed to be done. And, I wonder if the mass extinction I feel I am foreseeing, will actually happen knowing full well I likely won’t live to find out. In all respects, we’re all living in the most human of situations.
For about $125, you can build a box fan air filter box that has 2500 square inches of filter area. Actually more, because they are pleated. https://cleanaircrew.org/box-fan-filters/
Thank you for writing this post. It makes me feel seen and that I am not alone.
Thank you. I’m in tears now and will give in to it for a moment. But thank you so much. I feel seen. And I’m not even immunecompromised or so. Just a 62 yo woman, living alone, working independently who’s life would be destroyed by LongCovid which made me becoming kind of an eremite. At least I’m currently at a beautiful place, could avoid infection so far and was able to take my work with me. I’m terribly suffering with a text which in my old life would have written in 1-2 weeks instead of 1-2 months now. My creativity, my focus, my writing habe been so much affected by the sorrow, the fear, the gaslighting, and yes: the anger. Thank you again. I send you all best wishes I’m still capable of. 💔
Every word you write is spilling from my guts each time I read your posts. Thank you!
Great piece, as fiery and eloquent as ever. Stick to your guns, things aren't getting better with Covid.
Those under 50 aren't dying so they think they are safe. As you point out so clearly, not dying right now is only half the equation.
Covid causes systemic microclotting in the entire body. Covid "brain fog" is BRAIN DAMAGE. There is no "cure" for that. That's for life.
It feels simultaneously heartening and infuriating to read something that makes me feel seen, justifying why I feel angry and agreeing with everything you said. Thank you so much for sharing.
I'm in a similar boat, my father died a couple weeks ago (heart attack, though I blame COVID he got a few months prior) and I plead with my mom and sisters to make the memorial tomorrow safe for me to attend by requiring masks and they refused. Facebook events (which they used!) have the option to toggle that requirement on! I'm so mad.
All I get now is the opportunity to show up before anyone else does, set up a live stream system and watch from the parking lot in the snow.
I'm done with the cult of the family. If they really cared, if they really loved, they'd listen. Not look for excuses to not be inconvenienced by a deadly virus and put me and themselves and everyone around them in unknown danger.
Re the air purifiers, I’ve got one in each room of the house. Gradually acquired them, taking advantage of sales. The cylindrical Levoit ones are my favourite, as they’re small, quiet, don’t throw a breeze on you, and priced around $150 or so. With a kid in school, and Covid so frequently asymptomatic, I figure there’s a pretty high chance of him bringing it home (despite him being great about masking).
I’m angry too. How do we get all of the angry people together to do something about these issues? Where do we even begin? It all feels so overwhelming.
Thanks for this - the power of validation is so strong. Had a mild encounter with post-viral fatigue after Epstein-Barr that really destabilised my sense of self - brain fog and bed rest in my final year of university. Could have been much worse, but what it really did do was wake me up to the fragility of health, how mental/physical health has to be safeguarded and never taken for granted. It's a surprisingly difficult truth to communicate to folk who haven't had first hand experience, or for whatever reason, don't want to hear. Means a lot that there's a gathering place online for this shared awareness. Thanks again.
Thank you. I am angry too. The only reason I was somewhat prepared for all of this is that I was a 2012'er since 1992 and anticipated my whole life that things were going to change somehow. I hoped we'd evolve as a unified race, boy was I wrong! I predicted we would be wearing masks in the future, but I thought it would be climate related, and I didn't realize I would be one of the only people wearing the mask. My anger reached new heights last week when my 81 year old mother finally got covid. She is high-risk and like my two siblings follows a vax-only approach, yet hasn't been boosted since the summer. My family thinks my wife and I are crazy for being covid-safe constantly. I was beside myself when she opted to not take Paxlovid. I knew her doctor was most likely a minimizer and I was right, he barely gave her any advice. Luckily she has been OK so far, and much to my surprise she may have gotten help unknowingly. She is diabetic and by happenstance I came across information saying the drug she takes for diabetes (metformin) may help in preventing severe covid: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-11-23/diabetes-drug-metformin-might-keep-severe-covid-away
But you'll never hear about any helpful options on the news besides the vax. At least I gave her Listerine with alcohol to gargle with as I read that may help reduce viral load as well.
More anger today, looks like a new variant to keep an eye out for: https://fortune.com/well/2023/01/27/meet-orthus-ch11-new-omcrion-covid-variant-delta-mutation-deltacron-convergent-evolution/
I’m not angry, but that’s probably because I have the ability to isolate myself to a far greater degree than most can, and I don’t have children.
Anger won’t enlighten those who refuse to open their eyes. Neither will compassion or the offer of honest debate. Not all people have the same capacity for critical thinking. Inductive logic is looked down upon in our culture.
“Who made you an expert?” Most will say, rather than taking the time to understand that you don’t have to be an expert to distinguish between sources of propaganda and sources of truth.
Instead of getting angry, I have actively taken steps to change my living circumstances to make me more independent and more isolated. That’s not a perfect solution, and I sometimes miss being around other people, but not as much as you’d expect.
That’s what works for me. Going tribal starting with a very small tribe of like minded friends and family. I hope you will find what works for you.
All of this.
It really REALLY is hard. I cannot for the life of me understand why people cannot and WILL not see that.
What i do know is that toxic positivity and outright INDIVIDUALISM has rendered caring for our 'village' a weakness and it is INSANE and dangerous.
Thank you for being real. We all really do need validation from time to time. I appreciate this - sharing with my community.
I’m immune compromised, wear a mask everywhere and have never once had any negative comments directed at me because of it. Maybe because I live in Massachusetts where a lot of us still wear masks. Or, more likely, because I am old, have white hair, and as such, I’ve become invisible.
My mother caught Covid in 2021 from a hospice nurse who needed the money more than taking care of her patients. The whole hospice center came down with it and it eventually took my aged mother, (93) with pneumonia as an aftereffect of Covid-19. She died in November of that year. I have said this many times and it bears repeating. We don't go anywhere without a mask on and disinfect and I now have a room air purifier I run 10-12 hours a day. We plan this to be a very long term, if not a permanent, new lifestyle and try to stay safe. Most of my grown children have had this, maybe more than once. I hope he will learn from it finally. The rest of them aren't taking any chances, I don't think. Much like me. Sad to say, but the human race is either too spoiled or too poor to take care of themselves. This will winnow the population down eventually. Another statistic on the horizon. They admit that the richest countries in the world are losing their populations but not truly admitting why. They probably don't want another 2020 for profit reasons and have convinced the governments to not start a panic. All for our own good. Yeah right. Not our good. Just for the good of the corporations who bribe the governments.
I can't find any mention of Covid any more in the news. Seriously I have to go searching on Twitter (which I unsubbed from) to get any information at all. Seems like they are doing all they can to suppress the data.
I count the number of viruses I contracted before adulthood at nine, and that’s with “colds”, “flus”, and “ tonsilitis” each counting as one, even though I had multiple bouts of each. Now I have long Covid and am doing my best to avoid infection with anything that would activate an immune response. Yeah, I believed it would come to this when I saw the absence of political will to do what needed to be done. And, I wonder if the mass extinction I feel I am foreseeing, will actually happen knowing full well I likely won’t live to find out. In all respects, we’re all living in the most human of situations.
For about $125, you can build a box fan air filter box that has 2500 square inches of filter area. Actually more, because they are pleated. https://cleanaircrew.org/box-fan-filters/