The Sick Times offers a webinar on 28 April on how to track Covid levels in your local area.

"This webinar will help you find data on COVID-19 and other pathogens in your area, and interpret those data to inform safety measures for you and your community."

#Covid #CovidIsNotOver #WearAMask #LongCOVID

https://luma.com/5mthaudg

We've been coordinating with Johanna to send masks since 2024. We managed to send her a few packages, but this year (2026) we've made a huge leap forward thanks to having more comrades supporting in the USA and Canada to send masks and tests, as well as more donations to cover the costs.
Here are some words of thanks from Johanna, which she has given me permission to share:

"Hi, good morning. I wanted to thank you for all your hard work and collaboration in getting the packages to Argentina. Both have arrived. I've already filed the customs declaration and paid all the fees, and now I'm waiting for delivery. I wanted to let you know they've arrived in Argentina.
Customs is now checking everything so they can release the packages after we've already paid for them. I hope everything goes well. I wanted to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for all your effort and solidarity. Everything is very welcome. Here in Argentina, there haven't been any more COVID vaccines for four months now, despite our demands. So, there are fewer and fewer layers of protection left, which is why tests and masks are so precious these days, since winter is about to start with a lot of strains. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you so much. We're distributing both of these items at the Clinical Hospital and the Hospital for oncology patients, where my husband and I work.
These protective supplies are crucial for their quality of life because, as I mentioned, there are no longer any vaccines available for the general population. We also create educational and awareness videos about proper care and the benefits of using these supplies. We also explain the long-term effects of repeated COVID infections. But, as I said, it's very difficult to put these supplies into practice. That's why we value your help so much. The government has abandoned us. You haven't. Thank you."

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

Being the only person in the room at the gynaecologist with both:

- my junk uncovered and exposed to the gods

- an n95 mask on

#ThingsThatFeelLikeACrime #Medical #health #covid #covid19 #WearAMask

Reflexiones y acompañamiento, Guía covid persistente parte 3

https://autodefesasanitaria.substack.com/p/guia-long-covid-autodefensa-sanitaria

El duelo sobre la enfermedad crónica
“Hay un horror específico en tener una enfermedad crónica. Cuando eres joven te dicen que tu cuerpo es indestructible. Tu cuerpo está en su máximo esplendor. Nunca volverás a estar en este pico. La juventud se pinta como la imagen de la salud. Así que, cuando tenía 16 años y me diagnosticaron una enfermedad autoinmune crónica, me enfrenté a una especie de paradoja; en el culmen de mi juventud, en el momento en que se suponía que debía ser más fuerte, ¿cómo podía ser débil? Además, si mi cuerpo debía ser el epítome de la salud, ¿cómo es posible que ya me haya traicionado? Se sentía como una especie de traición. (…) En muchos sentidos, muchas personas olvidan que los jóvenes pueden tener enfermedades crónicas o dolores crónicos. Gran parte de esta negación proviene de la combinación paradójica de juventud y enfermedad. A menudo, cuando le digo a la gente que estoy enfermo, me enfrento a mucha incredulidad e incluso invalidación. También es común que los jóvenes que visitan a los médicos sean invalidados, especialmente los jóvenes que sufren de dolor crónico. De hecho, el dolor crónico en los niños es una de las condiciones médicas más crónicamente infradiagnosticadas, no tratadas y no comprendidas.

Este tipo de comportamiento de minimizar se vuelve cada vez más peligroso cuando esa invalidación se traduce en el tipo de atención que reciben los jóvenes y los enfermos. Cuando tutores, padres y otras figuras de autoridad sostienen estas creencias sobre la juventud, ignoran los gritos de dolor y las demandas de enfermedad de los niños. Cuando los médicos descartan e invalidan los sentimientos de sus pacientes más jóvenes, estos sufren en silencio. Cuando la cultura dicta qué cuerpos pueden y cuáles no pueden estar enfermos y discapacitados, ponemos a los jóvenes en riesgo.

Estas creencias culturales se vuelven aún más peligrosas cuando los jóvenes las interiorizan. La cultura juvenil ha generado una mentalidad de invencibilidad e infinitud y, como resultado, una vergüenza hacia la debilidad y la discapacidad. Es en esta cultura que los jóvenes se jactan de quedarse despiertos hasta tarde para prepararse para los exámenes, abusar peligrosamente de las drogas y llevar sus cuerpos a límites no saludables incluso para las personas sin discapacidad. Dadas estas realidades de la cultura juvenil, se vuelve increíblemente difícil para las personas aceptar las realidades de los jóvenes y los enfermos.

Cuando eres joven y tienes una enfermedad crónica, te enfrentas y detestas las miradas comprensivas pero sin palabras de tus amigos cada vez que intentas hablar sobre tener una enfermedad crónica. Te preocupan cosas como los medicamentos, los efectos secundarios y las opciones de tratamiento. Durante los periodos de crisis, observas cómo tu cuerpo cambia de manera irreconocible, indeseada o incluso (lo que a veces se siente) monstruosa. Te enfrentas a la posibilidad de que un día, con el empujón adecuado, tu cuerpo te traicione completamente, y a la realidad de que, si eso sucediera, realmente hay poco que puedes hacer al respecto.

¿Cómo se ama a un cuerpo enfermo? ¿Cómo puedes amar a un cuerpo que te está traicionando, que es una constante fuente de cansancio, complicaciones o dolor? El amor propio radical se vuelve difícil cuando sientes que no tienes mucho cuerpo que amar.

Es en estos momentos cuando siento que mi cuerpo se está desmoronando, cuando enfrento estas realidades, que me resulta más difícil amar y aceptar mi cuerpo en el lugar en el que se encuentra, que trato de amarlo más. Cuando tu cuerpo te retiene y ves a tus amigos salir, divertirse y probar cosas nuevas, tómate un momento para amar a tu cuerpo y practicar el autocuidado. Mira una película y piérdete en un mundo diferente. Recuerda tu valor y que mereces estar en el mundo. Haz lo mejor para tu cuerpo y tu mente para sentirte mejor. Cuando descubras que tu mente vaga hacia las verdades más oscuras que acompañan la realidad de estar enfermo, intenta recordar mantenerte mentalmente fuerte.” Gillian Gile

No existes para ser usado
“Muchas de las presiones sobre la productividad que enfrentamos derivan de la socialización bajo el capitalismo. En el corazón del capitalismo está la idea de la productividad. Nuestro crecimiento económico y las medidas generales de prosperidad están etiquetadas en medidas como el PIB (Producto Interno Bruto). Los trabajadores más valorados y recompensados y los miembros generales de la sociedad son aquellos que generan la mayor producción. Incluso los niños son insertados en sistemas que los preparan para esta realidad a través de la asignación de calificaciones, que miden y recompensan la productividad desde una edad temprana. Fue examinando estos estándares de productividad capitalista que experimenté por primera vez en el sistema escolar que encontré mi cuerpo discapacitado en oposición.

A menudo, la narrativa de la discapacidad se considera una tragedia personal de la cual uno debe adaptarse o superar. Esto se debe a que la sociedad considera el cuerpo discapacitado incontrolable: un cuerpo fuera de control. Cuando se niegan acomodaciones o adaptaciones a los cuerpos discapacitados, se produce una división capacitista entre los cuerpos sin discapacidad y los discapacitados.

Dentro del panorama económico y social, la bifurcación del ciudadano normativo sano y el discapacitado crea la suposición de que un ciudadano "adecuado" es un ciudadano sano y productivo. De este modo, el valor económico y social de la persona se fusiona con conceptos restrictivos de productividad. El resultado de esta binariedad es que el cuerpo discapacitado se representa como "otro", menos útil y, por lo tanto, simplemente como menos.

Es el capacitismo intrínseco de la sociedad, de la productividad capitalista, el que nos enseña que debemos ser útiles, que somos herramientas para ser utilizadas para producir y que la totalidad de nuestro propósito se articula en un marco de productividad. (...) La vergüenza y el aislamiento que experimenté en mi infancia respecto a mi productividad son traumas que aún me persiguen y obstaculizan mi autoestima hoy en día. Incluso ahora, mientras trato de satisfacer las demandas capitalistas de mi trabajo y la productividad, tanto en el trabajo como en las luchas diarias, estas nociones continúan pesando sobre mí.

No permitas que ningún sistema o persona te convenza de que eres desechable o menos porque no puedes estar a la altura de las nociones de trabajo más capacitistas. Tu vida tiene un propósito porque es tuya. Porque estás aquí, existes en este momento, para estar aquí, para ser tan implacablemente e inexorablemente improductivo como desees. Debes definir el significado de la vida; su valor es intrínseco.” Gillian Gile

Amar mi cuerpo por lo que es, y no por lo que produce
“Inconscientemente, los conceptos de producción y capitalismo se han convertido en una gran parte de mi identidad. Creo que esto se debe en parte a la forma en que he experimentado el capitalismo. Siempre me enseñaron que en la vida lo que es central son nuestros trabajos, lo que tiene valor es lo que creamos, lo que dejamos detrás de nosotros después de habernos ido, físico y tangible. Eso es el éxito. Esa es la base de cómo nos identificamos, pero eso también es el capitalismo.

Para aceptar mis habilidades y amar mi cuerpo por lo que es, tal como es, debo descubrir realmente cuáles son esas habilidades. Estoy dándome cuenta de que me he acostumbrado demasiado a sobrepasar esa línea, esforzándome demasiado, violando mis propios límites para satisfacer cualquier nivel de producción que quiero alcanzar. Al entender esto, me he vuelto más consciente de mi cuerpo y mi mente, cuando estoy exhausto, abrumado o simplemente vacío. Es difícil equilibrar las demandas de mi entorno y las demandas de mi propio cuerpo. El capitalismo no es comprensivo ni está diseñado para el confort. En lugar de luchar por la excepcionalidad, descuidando el reconocimiento y las adaptaciones para mis discapacidades y sintiéndome demasiado avergonzado para pedir ayuda y adaptaciones, estoy aprendiendo que amar mi cuerpo significa trabajar activamente para reconocerlo y cuidarlo.

Esto significa pedir ayuda cuando no quiero e iniciar los proyectos mucho antes, en lugar de fingir que no necesito tiempo extra. Significa aprender cuándo mi cuerpo grita porque he superado un límite en lugar de cuando está incómodo porque estoy presionando para superar mis límites. Estoy aprendiendo que la maestría requiere tiempo, que aprender a gestionar mi cuerpo con respeto requiere trabajo, y que aunque siempre habrá tensión entre las demandas del mundo exterior y la atención y cuidado que mi cuerpo merece, en la mayoría de los casos, cuando mi supervivencia no depende del trabajo externo, debo prioritariamente elegir mi cuerpo y mis necesidades, y cuidarme de la mejor manera posible.

Estoy aprovechando la oportunidad para invertir en mi propio bienestar personal y explorar lo que puedo hacer para ser feliz. Ahora que me veo de una manera más honesta, tengo más curiosidad por encontrar cosas que no me hagan sentir miserable o que no me empujen más allá de mis límites y, por el contrario, me traigan alegría. Estoy aprendiendo nuevamente a abordar las tareas de mi vida diaria de una manera más respetuosa y realista hacia mí mismo. Estoy comprometido a encontrar mejores maneras de amar mi cuerpo por lo que es y estoy entusiasmado de ver qué encontraré.” Gillian Gile

#CovidPersistente #LlevaMascarilla #RealistaCovid #CovidSonAerosoles #birdflu #gripeaviar

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid

Long Covid isn’t a tragedy, it’s government negligence.

We must declare that life is more precious than capitalist economies.
“Solidarity is a group that stands together, and would do so for even its weakest member. It is that community which resists the intoxicating lie of individualism—we live for ourselves and by ourselves.”
-Cole Arthur Riley.

We must support our inherent right to health and dignity. COVID-19 is not mild, it is not endemic, and it is not "just a cold." COVID-19 is a serious illness that can damage every part of your body, reactivate dormant viruses, permanently damage your immune system, and disable you.

The ruling classes have a long history of witch hunts to scapegoat the sick in response to infectious disease epidemics, rather than meeting the needs of the population.

Under feudal rule in what is now Europe, the bubonic plague was blamed on the Jewish people, accused of poisoning water wells. During the early AIDS epidemic, gay and bisexual men were demonized for their sexuality outside of heterosexual, monogamous, and partnered marital relationships. The denial of the severity of the COVID and long COVID public health crisis is a denial of science based on materialism. Once they have strayed from the paved path of science, medical judgments about people who report illness, pain, and disability have nowhere to travel except in the furrows of already deep historical prejudices.

Without seeking a scientific explanation (which already exists and is still being researched), doctors too often resort to pathologizing those who are oppressed based on their race/nationality, sex, sexuality, and gender expression. This creates more obstacles for those who are oppressed to access medical care. Sick people suffer from denial of credibility, unemployment, poverty, lack of health insurance, institutionalized racism, the requirement for ID, the oppression of women, and other oppressions based on sexuality, sex, and gender. Those who are oppressed and most impoverished are also more likely to be among the countless sick and disabled people who have stopped seeking medical answers or treatment, just as so many millions have abandoned their long and fruitless search for work and dropped off the unemployment rolls.

The COVID and long-COVID pandemic leaves the most oppressed and impoverished without diagnosis, care, or treatment. Institutionalized racism results, for example, in medical photographs and descriptions of rashes and other physical signs related to COVID and long COVID being documented only in light-skinned people. The long COVID pandemic affects oppressed peoples, from Native Nations on reservations to oppressed people living in impoverished rural communities.

Furthermore, the information available on the topic is available once you begin to investigate, but in many cases, the doctors themselves who talk about long COVID give completely erroneous guidelines. Many have even said that people should exercise (not understanding the fatigue of long COVID) and that reinfections are not dangerous (when there is evidence that they are). In the end, it ends up happening like other illnesses: doctors don't center the voices of those affected and don't understand the situated knowledge of people who experience it firsthand.

Women, LGBTQ+ people, people of color, people with other chronic illnesses, and people with psychiatric conditions who push for a diagnosis are labeled "hysterical." Those who refute these "diagnoses" that are not derived from a scientific process find themselves medically labeled as "problem patients," rather than patients with an as-yet-undetermined medical problem.
The downplaying of propaganda around COVID has been IMMENSE. None of us are immune to propaganda, especially on that scale.

It's extremely normal to feel defensive when presented with a situation where your behavior doesn't align with the values you hold dear. We often want to protect ourselves from discomfort by dismissing the messenger—it happens all the time around COVID safety where people feel shame, so they accuse the messenger of shaming them. But being shamed and feeling shame are not the same thing. We're not seeking to shame; we're seeking to expose the harm being caused in the community, the facts. If those facts make you uncomfortable, that's your cognitive dissonance to process; that can be the impetus for being able to commit to community care.

We're not seeking to move through guilt. We don't believe shame is an effective motivator; in fact, we know that conviction regarding community care can't be achieved simply in conversation; it's a practice of example where we must continually fight the individualism we've been taught. We don't believe in coddling people or sending indirect messages. We believe in the struggles against eugenics, which have brought together affected groups, such as the Black Panther Party, which recognized that sickle cell anemia was a neglected genetic disease because the majority of those affected were of African descent. There was a rapid detection test based on a simple finger prick, but it wasn't widely used. Or in the case of the fight against HIV, where groups spoke about the importance of not only condom use but also syringe sterilization for addicts, in the case of prostitutes, and the violence experienced with condom use. We believe in learning from our past, practicing it, and looking to the future.

You are at risk for long COVID. It's never too late to start wearing a mask again. We have the power to protect each other. Get involved with your local mask group or clean air club. Reject eugenics, reject ableism, reject mass infection. Wearing a mask is love. Wearing a mask is community care. Wearing a mask is solidarity.

While we understand that COVID and long COVID affect the most marginalized people the most, we understand that the vulnerable/non-vulnerable dichotomy is not only a lie, but propaganda for "us" and "them" in fragility. We are all within fragility; don't buy into the narrative of immunological neoliberalism.

We can't talk about COVID without talking about the politics of desirability. They exist as a hierarchy that determines who deserves care and love. They are based on white supremacist ideals about beauty, youth, and productivity. Anyone who exists outside of these standards—any fat person, any Black person, any "non-conforming" trans person, anyone with disabilities, especially visible disabilities like facial or limb differences, the elderly, etc.—is dehumanized. Desire actively shapes systems of power and oppression. People who are deemed less desirable in a world that is actively constructed and centered on whiteness are relegated to the margins of society—invisible, or worse. This needs to be part of the conversation when we talk about eugenic policies around COVID. When we (especially white people, with invisible disabilities) talk about the ways in which high-risk people have been and continue to be discarded.

We understand the current state of COVID as one part of the larger fight against ableism. It's a much larger conversation. COVID is only one part. Ableism is global and structural. This is why we understand COVID mutual aid not as distributing masks, giving air purifiers, and helping people avoid COVID, but as the study, strategies, and practices of anti-ableism as a whole.

We must declare that life is more precious than capitalist economies. Historically, colonizers and capitalists have used plagues and pandemics as weapons to maintain domination. Today, our government and healthcare systems have allowed many people to die and become ill without doing much about it, especially in already marginalized communities. We are told to ignore how diseases can affect us and to disregard the scientific evidence that shows COVID-19 can be very dangerous. We are refusing to be sacrificed in this situation.

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

(also, I looked at the rest of their posts, it's not a joke)..

#tv #television #ThePitt #covid #covid19 #GetVaccinated #disability #WearAMask #Facebook #FacebookGroups #SocialMedia

april 14

Discussion on the reading “A compassionate and materialist analysis of COVID normalization”

access our discord to see the details!

https://linktr.ee/HealthSelfDefense_

Would you like to receive this training but you cannot do it this day? Email [email protected] and we'll work out the details!

“The truth of the matter is unfathomable. What we know to be true defies belief. We are asking people to believe that everything they see around them right now is a lie. That every single person in charge has lied to them. That we are in freefall. It is entirely unsurprising that so many people cannot and will not believe us. Not at first.

The horror of what we are saying is nearly incomprehensible. Please try to fathom what it would be like to hear this, if you believed things were normal. Try to put yourself in this other person’s shoes. Explaining transmission is not enough. Awareness is not enough. We must model and inspire action, and so we have to explain why restaurants are still open. Why the media says it’s over. Why all around us, there is silence.

We are asking people, essentially, to distrust the choices and assessments of everyone around them, as well as what their eyes and ears are telling them. We are asking them to realize their old life is gone forever. This is a huge ask. It is the hugest possible ask. On top of that, people cannot fathom how it could be true.

We have to find a way to build an on-ramp, to essentially “onboard” people into this reality we’ve all gotten so used to. We have to remember that we are asking a lot. All of this is normal to us now, and we’ve gotten acclimated (somehow). Our mitigations reflect the truth, and they are the right things to do. But we are asking people to change their entire lives in a very serious way. It’s not just masks, at this point. It’s everything.

But ALL IS NOT LOST. We have been deeply lied to and actively betrayed—by our governments, media outlets, and even medical professionals—for years. But there is hope and there is a way out. We can make a future without Covid.

Summary of praxis

We believe in humanity. It is not true that most people are selfish, bad, stupid, ignorant, or unwilling to learn. Most people do not know what is going on, or feel powerless to stop it, or both.

A great majority of people who have stopped taking Covid precautions have done so because they have been misled, because they are exhausted, and because we are in an information vacuum. In ways large and small, the U.S. government is downplaying Covid’s continued existence and evolution. The U.S. is not alone in this, and almost no matter where you are in the world—as we write this in 2023—your government is probably using the same violent tactics to downplay and minimize the pandemic.

The abandonment by our governments under the guise of “individual responsibility” has meant that harming others as the pandemic continues has been unavoidable for many, many people. Through public policy decisions, propaganda campaigns, and economic pressures, most of us have been forced to be complicit at one point or another; for example, many of us have been forced to travel for work, or have unmasked in a social situation under pressure (to our own deep regret). But many people who are presently engaging in reckless behaviors (like not wearing masks) are not fully aware of the consequences of their actions. Or if they are aware, they don’t feel empowered to act, or to face the truth.

Individual risk assessment is nonsensical in an airborne pandemic with a disease that can be transmitted asymptomatically; we share the air and we all share this earth.

So we ask that you do not tell people to assess their individual risk, because encouraging more individuality will not get us out of this mess. Instead, you can say: “Save your own life. Protect your loved ones. Protect your neighbors. Break the chain of transmission.” We don’t want to lose all of our friends and family (most of whom are no longer taking the same precautions we are), and we don’t think you should have to, either.

When we have conversations with people in our communities, we need to remember that this is all so much bigger than us and our feelings about individuals. By doing this work, we have taken on the role of agitating for change. So we have to try to hold ourselves to a higher standard: in our personal lives, in our politics, and in our art. We should always be cultivating and nurturing our love and respect for the people (including ourselves). We must continually strive to understand the needs and ideas of the people in our communities, and avoid distancing ourselves from our neighbors by seeing ourselves as better or more enlightened. We should do our best to be patient and undertake this task with care, and not misdirect our righteous anger at these injustices towards our friends. Indulging in that type of thinking maintains the divides created to keep us from collaborating together.

We believe that the great majority of people can, and must, be reached and cared for. In our art and in our organizing, we must remember that our own communities are not our enemy.

We recognize that it is not actually possible to know who is open to change and who is not without first speaking with someone and showing genuine curiosity and compassion.

So when we say we use liberatory harm reduction approaches as a political framework re: Covid, we’re not talking about personal risk assessments or justifying harm. We are taking this approach when talking with other people about mitigations.

We are seeking to transform the root causes of harmful ableist behaviors using harm reduction strategies to:

• Advocate for, center, and protect the people who are most vulnerable to harm from Covid, while recognizing that everyone is at risk for severe outcomes and death

• Provide accurate and non-judgemental education to people who have stopped masking

• Help people obtain high-quality masks that fit them

• Teach others how to wear their masks properly

• Teach others how to gather more safely in person

• Encourage more and better masking practices, recognizing that imperfect mask wearing is better than none at all

• Push for better air filtration, air cleaning, and better ventilation in indoor spaces

• Create community with others who are shielding themselves from Covid

• Protect the right to wear masks in public spaces (which is already under threat)

• Protect ourselves and others from forced infection with Covid

For us, this looks like educating people, encouraging mask wearing as much as possible, and recognizing that most people are not going to stay home indefinitely.

We are not telling people to stay home altogether. We are asking them to wear the highest-quality masks they can obtain while sharing indoor air with others. We understand the anger at others who are engaging in unnecessary travel, etc., and we often feel it. But more people masking imperfectly and more often is what needs to happen.

We cannot control how others behave or act on the information we give them. We won’t tell them it’s OK to go to stadium shows, and we can share with them how those choices impact others. We can speak honestly with loved ones about our feelings and share our knowledge. What they do with that knowledge is up to them.

We fully understand why some people might disagree with these choices and we do not want to speak over or minimize those people's perspectives. Our choices and our experiences with disabilities do not negate the different perspectives of other disabled people.” Covid.tips

The victim who is able to articulate the situation of the victim has ceased to be a victim: he or she has become a threat.”

― James Baldwin

#MaskUp #WearAMask #CovidRealist #CovidIsAirbone #LongCovid #YallMasking #DisabledLiberation #DisabilityJustice

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Want some answers to masking or respirator questions?
Excited to see different ways of safely decorating your mask?
Intrigued by demonstrations of drinking valves or beard bands?
Just trying to find a model that fits well?

Stop by tomorrow, Saturday, April 11th, at 5:30pm Central (UTC -5) for examples, demos, answers, & details.
https://meet.jit.si/QualityRespiratorsProtectThoroughly
(No account required. You can enter any name or username and hop right in.)

Masking Reference Doc:
https://texanalysis.com

#WearAMask #Covid