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Just a reminder that not only is covid not over, but in many places infections are on the rise again and people are still dying, while vaccines become less and less accessible, no other official measures taken (like recommending masks on public transport), and more and more long term effects of infection come to light.
As a vulnerable person, the fact that people talk about it like it's in the past scares the shit out of me.
It also seems like most people think that if they are vaccinated they can ignore it entirely.
Vaccinated individuals still experience the first stages of infection and still develope a high enough viral load to be contagious. The vaccines are effective at decreasing the duration and severity of infection, but they can't prevent it entirely.
People who know they were exposed should still isolate for a few days even if they are vaccinated.
Thanks for reminding me I need to start wearing masks again.
Yup, covid really did ramp up the ableism in society to a whole new level..
It's not only that people think that because they didn't feel that bad or have long term side-effects, covid simply isn't that bad or have serious long term side effects, so in their own minds they not only don't need to make any effort to protect themselves, never mind others (mostly already marginalised people they prefer to ignore in everyday life, so why not now), they also have a new (and constantly growing) group of people to scapegoat and gaslight and tell it isn't really that bad because it wasn't that bad for them, and that they should just "suck it up".
I won't even start on the part capitalism and the governments and media who uphold and serve it have played in making it this way, and how a desperate and divided population benefits them, which is why they're never going to do anything about it..
The more you look the worse it gets...
Same. I don't even know how to respond to questions like this. It's such a failure of our governments that people think loss of taste and smell from an infection years ago is the only lasting impact they're experiencing. It's a vascular disease that can damage every organ in the body and we're being forced to experience repeat infections. Unfortunately most won't realize what is happening until after it does, and there's very few treatments and even little care for prevention.
I'm a disabled organizer focused on covid issues, and every day I hear constantly from people about the barriers covid has to their lives. Some are new barriers like new health conditions, increased precarity, and rising debt. Others are finding existing issues that were already hard to navigate become near insurmountable. Many of us haven't had regular healthcare in years due to lack of covid safety or the system's complete overwhelm. So many of us are fighting to just see a dentist without getting covid, and it's nearly impossible.
And this is just from the folks who are aware of why covid should be avoided and what the current situation is, every day I talk to people who have long therm health issues from covid that now have to navigate a world they thought wouldn't affect the. Covid has and will continue to impact every aspect of everyone's life and it sucks seeing so many ignore it.
Edit to add- and yea, at least 7 million people died worldwide with over a million of that just in the US. The amount of people forever missing loved ones is hard to grapple with. A quarter of a million kids lost one or both parents, it's had profound impact to their life trajectories that we'll see for decades, and that's not even accounting for the health implications they'll endure along with the rest of society as we have continued repeat infections.
I am part of this group, I was already struggling to get the kind of in-home care I actually need (because social services are direly and deliberately underfunded), now I won't even risk it because I know people won't/can't avoid bringing that shit in to my space. And that's just to name one of so many impacts it has had...
Otherwise I agree with everything else you've said, except that the government is failing, but only because I think they're doing exactly as they want and expect to do, we're (we being not only those already most vulnerable in society and to covid, but by extension the rest of the working class) just an after thought and acceptable collateral damage.
I've been meaning to share this on its own, but it definitely belongs here too:
https://donotpanic.substack.com/p/its-all-out-war-on-the-vulnerable
Thanks for the link, it's a good piece. And I definitely agree on it being an intentional path by our government not a failing per se. It's not just the disabled that are and always have been afterthoughts, it's everyone. Covid's lasting damage is well-known, but that's your problem not theirs, they have mitigations in place for themselves and the best care available if needed.
It's very little but if you're US based and want to remind your state officials that they're killing people with their negligence, a group I organize with has a letter to send them about masking in healthcare. I really hope that this year we see actual progress on addressing covid instead of just ignoring it. We're in the second highest ever surge currently, a lot of people are going to be sicker by November.
Well said. Accessibility and inclusion of disabled and vulnerable people has always benefitted society at large, but people are put under such pressure to "win", never mind just survive, that they've completely lost sight of that (like you say - to their own detriment).
Thank you too for the link, the fact that wearing masks in the healthcare sector is even up for debate, never mind something that needs to essentially be begged for, is enraging, though you'd be relieved? to know that here in the UK they aren't mandatory either.. And the infection and deaths numbers show it. We're also expecting potentially the largest wave yet
https://donotpanic.substack.com/p/four-years-later-two-million-infections?publication.
There honestly are no words to express the frustration..
In the US Covid vaccines are available at any pharmacy for free. Accessibility isn’t the problem. People have just stopped getting revaccinated. The ant vac propaganda has been effective.
Of course it is if people don't know about it being available. or about the importance of having it (never mind the time and mental energy to get another task done when you're working 3 jobs and have kids to feed). Accessibility isn't just ramps. And the US isn't the only country in the world.
Yes, ant-vaxx propaganda is partly to blame, but this is a much bigger problem that is being deliberately neglected if not actively made worse by those in power for their own benefit.
And also, no they aren't available at any pharmacy for free. They're available at some pharmacies, if covered by insurance or you've applied through the bridge program, but still unlikely to be administered in a covid safe setting. If the vaccine is nearby and covered but I'll get covid while there, that is not accessible. The existence of the vaccines is barely anything towards actually controlling covid and reducing its impact on society and the ability of people who don't want to get it to access society.
And let's remember, the vaccines help prevent the worst case scenario of hospitalization and death. They do not prevent infection, stop you from spreading the virus, or nullify the damage covid does to your body.
"available at any pharmacy for free" definitely sounded too good to be true, especially considering it's the US we're talking about, thanks for confirming.
What do you mean by a Covid safe setting? Just wear a mask, you’re in and out in minutes. All the pharmacists wear masks too so just keep your distance from anyone else, or go when they aren’t busy, etc.
Thanks for asking. A covid safe setting is one where mitigations are in place to contain the spread of covid. This includes but is not limited to: universal masking in n95/kn95 masks, sufficient ventilation and filtration of the air to reduce the virus floating around, limited time indoors to reduce exposure, workers staying home when ill. So, pretty simple things that have together reduce ones chances of getting covid.
Most places have not achieved this, or stopped doing so if they did. I'm glad you and you're pharmacists mask, but that is bare minimum and sadly not a universal experience. Many people live in places where there is no masking from others and any requests for it are denied, even though that's illegal under ADA. Masks are also just one tool that can be used to stop spread and should not be the primary method used.
I feel you. I'm a vulnerable person but in expected to just show up at work...