Nearly every disease that we understand is caused, in some way, by inflammation.
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Nearly every disease that we understand is caused, in some way, by inflammation.
COVID-19 causes severe, systemic, permanent inflammation in many different parts of our bodies.
It's a bit of a misnomer to say that only some virus survivors have long COVID. Only some people are exhibiting current symptoms of chronic illness that they can directly trace to an infection.
But EVERYONE HAS PERMANENT COVID DAMAGE AND ELEVATED INFLAMMATION.
1/
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Nearly every disease that we understand is caused, in some way, by inflammation.
COVID-19 causes severe, systemic, permanent inflammation in many different parts of our bodies.
It's a bit of a misnomer to say that only some virus survivors have long COVID. Only some people are exhibiting current symptoms of chronic illness that they can directly trace to an infection.
But EVERYONE HAS PERMANENT COVID DAMAGE AND ELEVATED INFLAMMATION.
1/
A vanishingly small number of people can be certain they've never had COVID. By and large, these are people who have always taken a very high level of precautions, including regular **accurate** testing (not rapids).
The rest of us? We're waiting to see HOW our long covid shows up.
The best thing we can do is avoid further COVID infections.
Your Paleo diet will not save you from your decision not to wear a respirator.
Yoga and meditation cannot undo repeat COVID exposure.
2/
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A vanishingly small number of people can be certain they've never had COVID. By and large, these are people who have always taken a very high level of precautions, including regular **accurate** testing (not rapids).
The rest of us? We're waiting to see HOW our long covid shows up.
The best thing we can do is avoid further COVID infections.
Your Paleo diet will not save you from your decision not to wear a respirator.
Yoga and meditation cannot undo repeat COVID exposure.
2/
The reason "Long COVID" is so difficult to study, understand, and heal is that it's basically... every bad thing.
It's not one type of chronic illness. It shows up a little differently for everyone. It's a million diseases under one umbrella because inflammation fucks EVERYTHING up.
And now infertility is higher than ever and menopause is striking younger than ever.
Most of us won't know how COVID has affected us until years, if not decades, later.
3/
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The reason "Long COVID" is so difficult to study, understand, and heal is that it's basically... every bad thing.
It's not one type of chronic illness. It shows up a little differently for everyone. It's a million diseases under one umbrella because inflammation fucks EVERYTHING up.
And now infertility is higher than ever and menopause is striking younger than ever.
Most of us won't know how COVID has affected us until years, if not decades, later.
3/
And yet we've followed the fascist, eugenicist trend of not only risking infinite infections for ourselves, but foisting it on children who cannot possibly understand or consent to the ways we're collectively destroying their lives.
Do we need a new version of Children of Men set 30 years after the onset of a pandemic, in which only an elite group of people who have been carefully protected from the virus are still able to procreate, walk, or just... live?
Like, what does it take????
4
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And yet we've followed the fascist, eugenicist trend of not only risking infinite infections for ourselves, but foisting it on children who cannot possibly understand or consent to the ways we're collectively destroying their lives.
Do we need a new version of Children of Men set 30 years after the onset of a pandemic, in which only an elite group of people who have been carefully protected from the virus are still able to procreate, walk, or just... live?
Like, what does it take????
4
I am all for people wanting to get more involved with activism and to fight the most immediate threats all around us. That is important. That is essential, in fact. But it rings hollow to see so many people enraged about ICE when they have decided that COVID, RSV, measles, many terrifying forms of the flu, and other rampant infectious diseases are not enough to wear a mask or push back against capitalist systems that are causing systemic harm to all of us—including our own kids.
5/
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I am all for people wanting to get more involved with activism and to fight the most immediate threats all around us. That is important. That is essential, in fact. But it rings hollow to see so many people enraged about ICE when they have decided that COVID, RSV, measles, many terrifying forms of the flu, and other rampant infectious diseases are not enough to wear a mask or push back against capitalist systems that are causing systemic harm to all of us—including our own kids.
5/
@nat (deep, weary sigh)
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I am all for people wanting to get more involved with activism and to fight the most immediate threats all around us. That is important. That is essential, in fact. But it rings hollow to see so many people enraged about ICE when they have decided that COVID, RSV, measles, many terrifying forms of the flu, and other rampant infectious diseases are not enough to wear a mask or push back against capitalist systems that are causing systemic harm to all of us—including our own kids.
5/
The masked kidnappers are much more visible and seem more terrifying. Microscopic threats don't seem as awful when the death counts appear to be reasonably low (not that they actually are very low, especially if you factor in that COVID causes the thing that causes every bad thing and has made our bodies defenseless to so many other pathogens).
Our collective health is being flushed down the toilet.
6/
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The masked kidnappers are much more visible and seem more terrifying. Microscopic threats don't seem as awful when the death counts appear to be reasonably low (not that they actually are very low, especially if you factor in that COVID causes the thing that causes every bad thing and has made our bodies defenseless to so many other pathogens).
Our collective health is being flushed down the toilet.
6/
Meanwhile those of us sounding the alarm must feel like 1970s climate activists did. Like we're screaming HELLO, THERE IS IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE OF IMPENDING DISASTER, WE CAN DO SOMETHING NOW BUT EVERY SECOND IS PRECIOUS SO LET'S PLEASE PAY ATTENTION and everyone around us is like, Well I don't think that's a big deal and besides there are other bigger problems...
7/
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Meanwhile those of us sounding the alarm must feel like 1970s climate activists did. Like we're screaming HELLO, THERE IS IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE OF IMPENDING DISASTER, WE CAN DO SOMETHING NOW BUT EVERY SECOND IS PRECIOUS SO LET'S PLEASE PAY ATTENTION and everyone around us is like, Well I don't think that's a big deal and besides there are other bigger problems...
7/
It should NOT be either/or. It should be the norm to wear a respirator in all activist spaces and all protests. It should be expected of anyone who cares about other people as an absolute baseline.
The invisible threats that are destroying us from within are stealing the futures we cannot yet imagine.
Solidarity means that we must keep learning and we must keep paying attention, even when it makes us defensive and uncomfortable.
8/
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It should NOT be either/or. It should be the norm to wear a respirator in all activist spaces and all protests. It should be expected of anyone who cares about other people as an absolute baseline.
The invisible threats that are destroying us from within are stealing the futures we cannot yet imagine.
Solidarity means that we must keep learning and we must keep paying attention, even when it makes us defensive and uncomfortable.
8/
So yes, please, take the action that feels most pressing today. And think about the kind of world you want to have, and what it takes to build it. How can you incorporate COVID awareness and clean-air precautions into your activism and your community? This is not just about protecting ourselves and our families—though that certainly will allow us to continue our work much more sustainably.
We need to shift the tide. We need to change the norms.
We need to be loud, and maybe even obnoxious.
9/
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So yes, please, take the action that feels most pressing today. And think about the kind of world you want to have, and what it takes to build it. How can you incorporate COVID awareness and clean-air precautions into your activism and your community? This is not just about protecting ourselves and our families—though that certainly will allow us to continue our work much more sustainably.
We need to shift the tide. We need to change the norms.
We need to be loud, and maybe even obnoxious.
9/
We need to care SO MUCH about each other that we stop trying to go with the flow. We can't limit ourselves to change work that is popular and supported by our friends and families.
Because the same people who were all about "flattening the curve" and shaming Trumpists for flouting masks and shunning vaccines are now... not masking and not getting regular boosters, for reasons that have nothing to do with science and everything to do with peer pressure.
Y'all are capable.
10/
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Nearly every disease that we understand is caused, in some way, by inflammation.
COVID-19 causes severe, systemic, permanent inflammation in many different parts of our bodies.
It's a bit of a misnomer to say that only some virus survivors have long COVID. Only some people are exhibiting current symptoms of chronic illness that they can directly trace to an infection.
But EVERYONE HAS PERMANENT COVID DAMAGE AND ELEVATED INFLAMMATION.
1/
@nat my doctor said that no matter what people choose to believe, the fact is that COVID damages every organ in the body.
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We need to care SO MUCH about each other that we stop trying to go with the flow. We can't limit ourselves to change work that is popular and supported by our friends and families.
Because the same people who were all about "flattening the curve" and shaming Trumpists for flouting masks and shunning vaccines are now... not masking and not getting regular boosters, for reasons that have nothing to do with science and everything to do with peer pressure.
Y'all are capable.
10/
I don't have a nice cozy way to wrap this up. I'm frustrated, but I want to be encouraging. I'm seeing more and more people who get it. I just wish most of them didn't have to become disabled first.
You may have the opportunity to do something BEFORE you're disabled. You'll still have consequences at some point. But you can keep it from being worse. And you can protect others, and help others protect themselves, so in 50 years the world won't be dismayed by your hopeless inaction.
11/11
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@nat my doctor said that no matter what people choose to believe, the fact is that COVID damages every organ in the body.
@kimlockhartga This. And not just every organ, but your blood, in unusual ways that other viruses don't!!! Which is probably why it's so successful at spreading to every organ.
https://answers.childrenshospital.org/covid-19-inflammation/
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@nat (deep, weary sigh)
@atax1a I feel that
And I share it. It's hard not to be an isolationist as COVID-aware people become more excluded from mainstream society. -
@kimlockhartga This. And not just every organ, but your blood, in unusual ways that other viruses don't!!! Which is probably why it's so successful at spreading to every organ.
https://answers.childrenshospital.org/covid-19-inflammation/
@nat I think we are just beginning to see what we've done by not taking it seriously enough. Reactivated Epstein Barr has pretty much triggered every autoimmune illness I have. All from one pesky virus.
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@nat I think we are just beginning to see what we've done by not taking it seriously enough. Reactivated Epstein Barr has pretty much triggered every autoimmune illness I have. All from one pesky virus.
@kimlockhartga Ugh, I'm so sorry
Yeah, I even stopped masking for a while... I spent the early months of the pandemic obsessively following the science, but gradually felt okay about lowering my precautions (esp after my first known COVID infection). I'm glad I learned more and changed my habits again but I've lost so many folks I cared about bc no one wants to make meaningful accommodations or change their own habits. -
I don't have a nice cozy way to wrap this up. I'm frustrated, but I want to be encouraging. I'm seeing more and more people who get it. I just wish most of them didn't have to become disabled first.
You may have the opportunity to do something BEFORE you're disabled. You'll still have consequences at some point. But you can keep it from being worse. And you can protect others, and help others protect themselves, so in 50 years the world won't be dismayed by your hopeless inaction.
11/11
@nat Yes. Yes. All of the yes. Thank you.
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@nat Yes. Yes. All of the yes. Thank you.
@Fishercat It sure would be nice to be wrong about things like this
thx for reading and sharing! -
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