Let's be clear. SARS-CoV-2 is an atrociously bad virus. It can damage any number of organ systems, increases risk for all kinds of illnesses, and is causing a mass disabling event. And that's just what we know about it so far. You do not want to get it, and if you've had it you don't want it again.
1/
Unfortunately, leaders, public health officials, and the large majority of the population think it's over and have deemed continued mitigation measures to be unnecessary. The most vulnerable have no choice but to be very cautious and they are being left behind. Many others are doing their best in order to protect themselves and others, but are also in an impossible situation.
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Things are complex and dynamic, everyone's lived experience is different, and most folks who remain COVID aware are trying to balance many different and often conflicting priorities. We're often the lone masker indoors, or the ones declining to attend crowded events, or asking our kids to keep wearing their masks in school, or monitoring what information we still have available and trying to make evidence-based decisions for our families.
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My concern is that all or nothing will mean nothing for all. So in practical terms that means we need to support and empower and encourage the people who are still doing what they can. For that reason, much of what I am saying now is aimed at the people who wonder if they can and should keep being cautious (yes and yes) even if they can't do it perfectly or they have to balance other things (like work, kids, family and friendship, mental health).
4/
Every bit that we each do is important, but ultimately we aren't going to succeed if our approach relies on individual choices. For that reason I am also focused more on the need for structural improvements like clean indoor air (ventilation, filtration, UV, air quality reporting), wastewater monitoring, genomic surveillance, and vaccines that are not just chasing variants.
We won't all agree on strategic priorities, but I do believe we all share many of the big picture concerns and goals.
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@TRyanGregory All is perfectly said !
Same shit in the fan in France 🇫🇷 : no more public health, even no more monitoring anyware, it’s only wet finger in the wind and good luck everybody.
But, with an covid infection every 2 ou 3 months, nobody can’t have enough chance to expect still healthy in short time.
It’s so bad and we are so few and isolated people who knows counting in a geant covid’s party !
So, yes, we try to make the best we can in the worst we live.
Sadly true.
We had the project to write a book about the sociological and political effects of covid on our society, but the editor said : “who cares about covid anymore? We just want to move on!”.
No analysis no reflexion, no thinking…
@kkarhan @human3500 @TRyanGregory
In 🇫🇷 , it’s already more or less the way…
@kkarhan @human3500 @TRyanGregory
Evil Macron 🇫🇷 : “Hey, why have we all these poeples sick and staying home instead working more to get less money ? Right, then! It's because doctors are too accommodating: so we're going to ban them from signing off sick leave.”
You can see ?
@TRyanGregory Good thread 👍
Another structural improvement needed is at the work place, including i) paid sick leave for workers falling sick and ii) work-from-home arrangements for workers feeling under the weather.
@__icoder__ @TRyanGregory basically what every social system has?
AFAIK the #USA is the only #G8 with 0 days paid sick leave...
@OldAndCranky @TRyanGregory that's a problem. Improved diagnostic tools may eventually resolve it.
We know that covid increases the risk of heart attack and stroke and it is believed this is due to infection of the endothelial cells which line blood vessels, but it is difficult to attribute any particular heart attack or stroke to covid infection - about the most that can be done is take preventative measures after infection.
@OldAndCranky @TRyanGregory as I recall – keep in mind I am not a doctor just an educated laybird – reduce activity levels for perhaps six months after infection and give anticoagulants. I believe I've seen studies showing that anticoagulants reduce post-covid heart attack and stroke.
With post-covid, what to look for is small blood vessel problems, and the most common tests don't show these.
@OldAndCranky @TRyanGregory For people at risk, the US CDC recommends it. They say not for others. Risk conditions are common and include atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes. (There are probably others.) Personally, I think the data indicates that covid infection creates a risk, but that is not yet a standard recommendation. I also don't know how long it will take for this to become part of common medical practice.
https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/antithrombotic-therapy/
@OldAndCranky The thing to keep in mind about risk and population is that there *are* going to be groups that are fine. That's statistically normal. And, COVID seems to have some affinity for e.g. certain blood-types.
Many preexisting conditions that COVID makes worse are linked to wealth and geography -- here, poorer folks. And e.g. my SIL from Mozambique has had malaria; so COVID took her out for six+ months because of her weakened kidneys and liver.
@OldAndCranky The problem is that each infection is a new dice-roll. So while most people came through their first infection, their third or fourth may be a different story. And also as others have pointed out... invisible effects are invisible.
Personally, my thinking and stamina is still not normal, and it's been months since I "recovered." But you might not know that if I didn't say something.
We had a long discussion with friends today whom we hadn't seen since 2019. When it came to talking about the dangers #C19 still poses, we eventually hit a dead end.
How do you argue with someone who thinks that by now our bodies know very well how to deal with the virus? We tried our best, mentioned #LongCovid, #diabetes and other sequelae. When we were told that we had no idea what #SarsCoV does to you because we never caught it ourselves, we gave up and changed the subject.
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