#discrimination

Discriminations dans les parcours de soins.

Le Défenseur des droits recherche des retours d’expérience sur les discriminations dans l’accès et les parcours de soins.

Questionnaire ouvert jusqu'au 6 janvier 2025.
Le questionnaire (framaform) est dispo à cette adresse, en français et en anglais :

https://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr/appel-temoignages-discriminations-dans-les-parcours-de-soins-742

#Discrimination
#AccèsAuxSoins
#Santé
#Droits

It’s been a month since Tinu’s passing and we still don’t have mandatory masks in healthcare. Something Tinu both NEEDED & fought for.

Someone with Long Covid going through chemo deserved to be SAFE while getting her care.

She deserved NOT to be given COVID again

There are many others like Tinu. We can’t know how many we’ve lost - but what we DO know is we will lose more if we don’t start mitigating Covid - especially in hospitals.

We know how Covid is spread. We know how to stop it. Yet we still have doctors saying they don’t want to mask because they’re not worried about THEIR risk. They’re forgetting the fact that the patients feel differently.

Patients care. Patients are putting their full trust in you to make them better. They’re trusting you NOT to make them worse.

Hospital acquired Covid has a fatality rate around 10% - and still we do nothing. In many instances we act like it’s just “the cost of doing business”. It’s not and it should never be acceptable to contract covid in the hospital.

I’ve said it once and I will say it again - if you’re sick enough to need the hospital the last thing you need is Covid.

If you’re a healthcare worker - please wear a mask. You don’t have to wait for a mandate to do the right thing. You can choose - right now - to stop chains of transmission. You can show patients that you’re on their side and committed to ensuring they get through their hospital visit without contracting COVID. You can tell us that our lives and long term health matters.

Hospitals, healthcare workers and society all failed Tinu. She fought so hard - for herself and for others. She knew that it would likely be hospital acquired Covid that killed her - and she did everything she could to raise awareness so it wouldn’t happen to anyone else.

Let’s keep fighting in her honour. Clean the air, ventilate, make masks mandatory, provide free respirators and isolate when sick. It’s not hard. We can do it.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/a-plea-to-maskless-healthcare-workers

#forTinu #CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

I was recently called a misandrist for the first time in my life. Why? Because I told a man that men needed to “behave better”. He screamed “not all men!” At me and then demanded I show more deference and acknowledgement that there are “good guys out there”.

This was someone I considered a friend - so I tried to explain that of course there are good guys - but we don’t know who they are. We have to approach EVERY man with caution because of the constant threat of rape and abuse.

I explained that’s why we say men have privilege - because they don’t have to move through life with that constant threat. They don’t have to be on guard ALL the time. They aren’t judged by what they wear, how many kids they have, how much they drink or how late they were out at night.

He proceeded to school me that he in fact experienced No benefit from being a man. He genuinely could not comprehend that I wasn’t saying he didn’t work hard or earn whatever he had - just that it would have been HARDER had he been a woman or marginalized in another way.

Nope. I was told I hate men and that we could no longer be friends.

guys - please don’t do this. I kept my cool and tried to gently explain where I was coming from only to get berated and repeatedly told that if I didn’t do exactly as he wanted - the friendship would be cut off.

This dude proved my point and couldn’t even see it.

We KNOW it’s not all men - but it’s too many men. And we DON’T know who the safe ones are.

I’m debating writing an article about this - especially considering disabled women are far more likely to experience abuse. I’m just not sure it “fits” with Disabled Ginger. Though reproductive health is certainly something I will be diving in to.

Thoughts? Is it too far removed from my normal topics?

#giselepelicot #notallmen #toomanymen #metoo #rape #abuse #misogyny #patriarchy #fuckthepatriarchy #shamemustchangesides #discrimination #womensrights #womenshealth #believewoman

This was hands down one of the hardest articles I’ve ever had to write - my plea to maskless healthcare workers from vulnerable patients.

I’ve dedicated it to @Tinu - a Long Covid patient and disability advocate who passed away three weeks ago.

She had cancer - and the healthcare workers treating her refused to mask.

This MUST stop. Patients both need and deserve protection.

You CHOSE to work in healthcare. We didn’t CHOOSE to be sick. We would rather be anywhere other than the hospital.

We need you to help us get better - which is virtually impossible when you’re constantly exposing us to a deadly and disabling virus.

Toni’s first Covid infection left her completely disabled - and then she developed cancer as well. How callous do you need to be to refuse to mask for someone like her?

I hope my article honours her memory - as well as encourages healthcare workers to think a bit differently. It’s not about YOU and whether you feel you’re at risk. It’s about your patients who ARE at risk.

We need you to do the right thing - mandate or not. Do it for Tinu. Do it for me. Do it for all your patients who are scared in your care. Do it for the next generation who needs us to protect them. Put the mask on.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/a-plea-to-maskless-healthcare-workers

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #fortinu

Maskless healthcare workers - would you be willing to tell me WHY you don’t mask?

I’m not looking for “because I don’t have to”. I want to know why you don’t mask mirror for patients and/or CHOOSE to take precautions?

Respectful answers only please. I’m genuinely asking.

I’m working on an article about this and I feel I’ve got a good grasp on the “why” for those who DO mask - but I genuinely don’t understand those who refuse.

You’re in a profession where people pit your lives in their hands - it seems nonsensical to put them at risk. You KNOW you’re dealing with the most vulnerable among us - yet opt not to protect them.

A mask won’t harm you in any way - so what reason is there NOT to do it?

I would appreciate boosts for visibility - and there may not be many maskless HCWs on here so I also invite people to share stories of times their HCW refused to mask for them (and why - if you know).

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans

Ugly laws will be enforced in Louisville. Medical masks will be allowed at “police discretion”.

Police chief says: “We do have to look at behavior of person, what they're doing at time, those kinds of things."

I have a disability that makes me LOOK nervous. I “appear” like I could be doing something wrong. As a result these bans terrify me.

Disabled people have been begging others to mask for years because we were afraid of this exact outcome.

Failure to normalize masking means those of us who NEED to wear them are seen as outliers. Deviants. Possibly criminals. There’s a target on our back.

Medical exemptions are not the answer - they leave too many people behind.

Everyone should have the right to protect themselves from a deadly & disabling virus. Whether already disabled or not.

Banning masks and then saying that the police will determine who is “legit” in wearing one based on their overall behaviour? Its terrifying.

This is exactly HOW profiling occurs. These bans will disproportionately impact marginalized individuals and people of colour.

They could also impact someone with a condition like mine. I’m immune compromised and high risk for Covid complications - so I ALWAYS wear a fitted respirator when I’m outside my home.

I also have dysautonomia - a literal malfunctioning of my autonomic nervous system.

If I’m upright - I “look” nervous. I’m sweaty, shaky, twitchy and sometimes wobbling. I’ve been accused of being drunk in public on MANY occasions.

It’s not my fault - Dysautonomia means I can’t regulate my blood pressure, heart rate, sweating & even pupil dilation.

The things that cops are trained to look for and consider “suspicious” are all symptoms of my disease.

In the past - the worst thing I had to worry about was being accused of public drunkenness. Even THAT was scary for me.

Mask bans mean I could be arrested and charged with a crime. Just for trying to keep myself & others safe.

I tell this story to encourage others to speak up against mask bans. To mask up in solidarity and help us normalize them so they will be harder to ban.

To encourage people to stop assuming if you have a “legitimate medical reason” you won’t have to worry. We DO worry.

We need less judgement, assumptions and gaslighting and more allies. These laws are dangerous. They will lead to more death, disability AND division.

Many of us have difficulty convincing HCWs of our illnesses - what hope do we have with police?

Please - if you CAN mask - now is the time. You don’t have to wait for a mandate or permission. You can choose to say “enough is enough” & be part of the solution. Break chains of transmission. Protect the vulnerable. Don’t allow government to decide who is & isn’t expendable.

We all have power and agency and can choose to do the right thing. We don’t have to sit idly by and accept repeated covid infections & exclusion of disabled people from public life.

Let’s work together and stop these bans before it’s too late.

https://www.wdrb.com/news/louisville-police-chief-clarifies-enforcement-of-anti-mask-ordinance-after-community-concerns/article_bdd6c686-80f2-11ef-9cc6-2b975b47af23.html

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #UglyLaws

Me (in ER for issue unrelated to throat/mouth): “I would prefer not to remove my N95.”

Dr: “You’re not dictating care. I’m in charge. If you don’t like it you can leave.”

Me: “I’m extremely high risk - please let me keep it on.”

Dr: *sigh* “You’re not going to get Covid HERE”

I resent the “you’re not dictating care” line. It’s MY body. I should get SOME say in what happens to it.

I wasn’t self diagnosing or telling them how to do their job - I just wanted to keep my necessary PPE.

I would understand if examining my mouth, nose or throat was relevant to the emergency I was having - but it wasn’t. This felt like a “test” to see how compliant I would be - and it’s not right to test patients and expose them to a deadly and disabling virus.

I also loathe the emphasis on the word “here”. It’s not the first time I’ve heard it in the hospital either. Many HCWs act like the idea you might catch Covid in their care is absurd.

I feel like it should go without saying that it is NOT absurd. Hospitals and schools are consistently the places that drive community spread. The ER is arguably the highest risk setting because it’s crowded, you’re there for a LONG time and people with covid will go there if they need care. To suggest it’s impossible to catch covid there is to basically show you’re completely detached from reality.

I asked them to check my chart to see how clinically vulnerable I am (they skimmed it). I asked if there was any diagnostic reason I needed to remove my respirator (they scoffed and provided no answer). I declined.

At this point the energy in the room shifted. I was there for a cardiac emergency and up until then had been taken quite seriously. It changed on a dime. I finally asked if I could speak to the charge nurse or get a cardiology consult called down as I didn’t feel my issues were being properly addressed.

I was told “if you’re unhappy with the care you can avail yourself of MAiD”

For those not in Canada - that’s our medical assistance in death program.

To be clear - I don’t think this doctor was actually suggesting I end my life. I think they were just pissed off and trying to hurt me. That said it’s wildly inappropriate to EVER say that to a patient - and I hate that I didn’t have an advocate with me to witness that atrocity.

I ended up leaving and going to a different hospital where I was diagnosed with a serious issue - and I didn’t have to remove my respirator for them to figure it out.

Encounters like this are why I say you should always have an advocate when you’re in the hospital. It shouldn’t be necessary - it’s appalling that it is - but we have to play the hand we’re dealt.

I did lodge a complaint but as of now nothing has come of it - and based on past experience I doubt anything will.

I did wrote a guide on how to be a good advocate for a disabled patient - and it also includes what to do when you don’t have one. Though this story proves that sometimes even if you do everything “right”… you still receive horrible care. It’s one of the reasons I tell my stories and advocate for patients - I want to change things so that no one is ever treated the way I’ve been treated.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/how-to-be-an-effective-advocate-for

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcar

When you say “just stay home” or “your health is not my responsibility” in response to pleas for masking in hospitals - you’re telling us our lives don’t matter.

Disabled & high risk people have been shut out of ALL public spaces. Tossed aside for “back to normal”

We’re asking for masks in ONE place - the place we have no choice but to go.

We’re sick, vulnerable and scared. It’s not unreasonable we want to avoid catching a deadly and disabling virus while in the hospital for necessary medical care.

We didn’t choose to be sick. We aren’t out having a fun time when we go to the hospital. It’s already stressful and difficult without the added fear of infection or being psychologized for wearing a mask.

Lastly - our health kinda IS the responsibility of healthcare workers and hospital administrators. We are literally there to get better. They have an oath to do no harm.

They’re letting us down. Infecting patients despite knowing how to prevent it. Most hospitals aren’t even TRYING anymore.

If you’re that anti-mask … YOU can stay home from the hospital. You have literally every other public space.

At a certain point you have to recognize that the world doesn’t revolve around you & that while you’re throwing a temper tantrum over your “freedom” to not mask… we’re fighting for our lives.

Please - help us fight for masks & clean air in hospitals. It will benefit patients & staff. It’ll stop more than just covid. Even if you don’t care about the vulnerable - you may one day become one.

When that day comes you might wish you had helped us create safer care.

Until hospitals and institutions start taking airborne spread seriously - individuals must take steps to protect themselves. It’s costly, exhausting and unfair - but it IS our best chance.

My guide to staying Covid safe in hospital: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/how-to-stay-covid-safe-when-in-hospital

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare

Here we go again… mask bans are spreading (as disabled people warned they would!)

Sen. Jon Bramnick is proposing a bill to criminalize masking in public in New Jersey.

Many of us have been saying for months (if not longer) that if we don’t start normalizing masks as a public health tool - they would be easy to ban. Too many people who can and should be masking have stopped… leaving maskers as the outliers amid a loud frenzy of anti-mask rhetoric.

I genuinely believe most people don’t care if another person wears a respirator - unfortunately the ones who are angry about it seem to be making the most noise. When it’s mostly disabled and marginalized people opposing the bans - it’s easy to see why they pass. We aren’t listened to. We aren’t respected. Our lives aren’t valued. Those in power are perfectly fine infecting us or forcing us to stay home forever. We are an unwelcome reminder that the pandemic is not over, that Covid is still killing and disabling people and that you SHOULD be taking precautions.

If you stopped masking - now is a great time to start again. We need you. Even if you don’t believe you’re at risk - mask in solidarity with disabled and high risk individuals whose lives will be put at risk if these ugly laws pass. Mask to break chains of transmission. Mask to show community care. Mask so you won’t be the person who disables or harms someone else.

For more on New Jersey ban: https://nj1015.com/mask-ban-nj-could-ban-masks-in-public-and-at-protests/

The Covid is Not Over newsletter (which is great & you should check it out if you haven’t already) did an in depth summary of mask bans including links to many important articles: https://johndupuis.substack.com/p/eugenics-in-action-mask-bans-segregate

I wrote a piece on Nassau County ban and why medical exemptions aren’t the answer: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal

And another piece on the North Carolina ban and why appeasing anti-maskers who seek to punish disabled people for mandates is NOT the answer: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/north-carolina-passes-hb-237-and

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws

Publication in Norway actually printed that more young people are dying of illness and that scientists fear covid is the reason.

It’s about time this made headlines - and I sincerely hope people are paying attention.

Cumulative infections are doing untold amounts of damage. They increase your risk of Long Covid - but it’s also a vascular virus which means you could be a at risk for clots, heart attacks, strokes and more.

We need to start mitigating before it’s too late. We don’t know what will happen in 5 or 10 more years. We don’t yet know what the true long term effects of repeat infections will be.

What we DO know is pretty scary. Why aren’t we applying the precautionary principle? Why aren’t we willing to be humble and admit this is a novel virus that we shouldn’t be treating as though it were “nothing.”?

Mask up. Clean the air. Test. Isolate. It’s not that hard. And demand more from your government and public health authorities.

Link to full article here: https://www.nrk.no/buskerud/flere-unge-dode-av-sykdom_-forskere-slar-alarm-1.16926584

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans

Seeing MANY people sick with Covid following the DNC. What’s sad is how misled they are. They believed it was over & no need to mask.

Meanwhile - some of those infected will get Long Covid. Some will infect others who will die or become disabled.

1/30 people in the U.S. had Covid at the time of the event. That’s a lot of COVID in the room.

We have to stop being surprised when this happens & start upgrading indoor air and masking in crowded places.

People will have their lives shattered due to attending this event

When they DO get Long Covid - they will be just as shocked by the lack of medical care as they are by the fact they got Covid.

There’s NO cure for Long Covid. There’s minimal treatments which are bandaids at best.

You don’t want this. Believe us now before it’s too late.

Also - please think twice before posting “worth it!” With your covid test. I see this type of behaviour all the time when someone becomes infected at a high profile event or vacation they’ve been looking forward to.

It’s incredibly problematic because you can’t possibly know if it’ll be worth it. If you become disabled or need hospitalization - you may feel differently.

Perhaps more importantly - it’s not just about YOU. This is an airborne virus. You can and will infect other people. People who may not have attended the event or had the vacation that was so “worth it”. People who may simply have the unfortunate luck of crossing your path. You could kill or disable someone else - and to say “worth it!” Is the pinnacle of selfish “you do you” approach to this pandemic.

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #YouDoYouDoesntWork #sarscov2

The mask ban in Nassau County, NY went into effect today. It’s a dangerous, discriminatory and highly ableist ban that makes masking a criminal act.

The police will determine who is “sick enough” to wear a mask.

Everyone else? $1000 fine and/or jail.

I’ve written about mask bans in great detail in the past - I’m strongly opposed to them. Legislators say they’re designed to deter crime - when we know a medical mask does very little to obscure identity.

The reality is there’s no evidence to suggest they will stop crime - however there’s ample proof that they will deter high risk individuals from masking in public (or from being in public at all).

Invisible illnesses and disabilities are difficult for even doctors to understand - no one is going to feel comfortable letting a police officer determine if they’re “disabled enough” to not be breaking the law.

Bans like this increase the likelihood of harassment and violence against mask wearers - because people feel emboldened by the government effectively telling them that those who mask are “bad”. We aren’t bad - we’re just trying to survive.

My heart aches for everyone who wants and needs to protect their health in places that are enacting these bans - and I can only hope that if we keep getting loud and pushing back we can stop them from spreading.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming it can’t happen where you live - these bans can (and will) be enacted in more places if there isn’t public outcry.

Medical tools should never be banned. Masks are a critical accessibility & public health tool. They help. They don’t harm.

You know what does harm? Unmitigated covid spread. Ableism. Police profiling and law enforcement overreach. Anti-mask aggression. Bad policies and the refusal to pay attention to the science of airborne spread.

Nassau County just became more unsafe for everyone. Maskers and non maskers alike. Just like North Carolina before it… they’ve sent a very clear message that vulnerable people don’t matter. Marginalized people don’t matter. Ableism is alive and well.

If you want to read more about my thoughts on the North Carolina mask ban (and why medical exemptions are problematic and leave people behind)… I wrote an article on it here: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/north-carolina-passes-hb-237-and

You should also read the powerful TeenVogue article by Alice Wong on mask bans. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to contribute - and I appreciate Teen Vogue being willing to tackle these critical subjects: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/mask-bans-disabled-people-protest

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #maskbans #NoMaskBans #UglyLaws

“No Olympic athletes are going to get Long Covid! It’s been 4 years and I don’t know anyone who has Long Covid!”

Yes. You do. Many people don’t disclose their disabilities for fear of ableist backlash. Others don’t connect the dots and may not realize they have Long Covid.

The sad reality is that like many other chronic illnesses - Long Covid is poorly recognized and likely underdiagnosed. Many patients are dismissed with “anxiety” by doctors who don’t understand the nature of these conditions.

Others can’t afford to seek healthcare as they’ve already lost work/income due to being chronically ill. Some may not have safe access to healthcare due to lack of masking and clean air in hospitals. They KNOW they’re sick but can’t risk re-infection.

There’s also people who are suffering from Long Covid and don’t realize it. They either can’t connect the dots (due to denial or lack of information) or they’ve convinced themselves it’s just “aging” or “stress”.

It’s alarming how many people in their 20s & 30s are writing off very serious physical symptoms as “getting older.” You shouldn’t be too exhausted to function in your twenties. Everything shouldn’t hurt. You should be able to smell your food. You shouldn’t be sick all the time.

Then there’s those who know they have Long Covid - but choose to keep it quiet from friends and family. Ableism runs incredibly deep in our society - and when you admit to being chronically ill you may find yourself judged, ridiculed, disbelieved or abandoned.

Many chronic illnesses are invisible - you won’t KNOW someone has them unless they CHOOSE to tell you. Ppl in my life had no idea I was disabled until I began advocating for disability rights. I could hide symptoms well enough to not tip them off & I didn’t volunteer the info.

Looking back I’m embarrassed by how long it took me to publicly admit I was disabled. The fear I had about sharing it is an indictment of how cruel people can be. Everyone preaches tolerance & acceptance - but few actually practice that in real life.

There’s also an extra stigma associated with Long Covid because it forces people to think about a period in their lives they’re desperately trying to forget. It challenges the narrative that we’re “back to normal”.

I lost many friends and loved ones when they found out I was sick. Some losses were immediate and brutal - people who carelessly tossed me by the wayside because they instantly put me into the “less than” category.

Other losses were slower and more painful - because they involved false hope. They were the ones who stuck around at first - who applauded me for telling them the truth & offered help and support.

Many did help - until they stopped. They almost all stop eventually. 1/2

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #Olympics #NoahLyles