@covidchronicles
Chronicling my journey through purgatory, graphically. Former athlete/composer/writer/woodworker. Saddled with debilitating COVID-induced metabolic dysfunction since Nov 2022. #LongCOVID #LC #MECFS #PEM #SickJokes
Apparently it's #LongCOVID awareness month. Saw an opportunity to raise said awareness.
Of course the original post was subsequently "removed by Reddit's filters" 😑
To quote myself: "Not cool"
(For the record, I didn't think it was fake, but. never let the truth get in the way of a good story)
There’s no denying what happened to me. There’s a clear before—infection—and after. I’m now disabled; unable to work/play. If millions were like me, we’d know
Until we have diagnostic tests—biomarkers—actual Long COVID prominence will remain speculative
That’s a problem, because we need help (2/2)
What I find so demoralizingly paradoxical is how utterly unknown it remains for something so allegedly widespread.
At a friend’s bday party last week (for 20 min) w/College teachers, osteopaths, all I got were blank stares. ALS, MS, Parkinson’s they know. Long COVID? No.
Widespread? Really? (1/2)
There’s no denying what happened to me. There’s a clear before—infection—and after. I’m now disabled; unable to work/play. If millions were like me, we’d know
Until we have diagnostic tests—biomarkers—actual Long COVID prominence will remain speculative
That’s a problem, because we need help (2/2)
What I find so demoralizingly paradoxical is how utterly unknown it remains for something so allegedly widespread.
At a friend’s bday party last week (for 20 min) w/College teachers, osteopaths, all I got were blank stares. ALS, MS, Parkinson’s they know. Long COVID? No.
Widespread? Really? (1/2)
What I find so demoralizingly paradoxical is how utterly unknown it remains for something so allegedly widespread.
I was at a friend’s bday party last week (20 minutes). College teachers, osteopaths. All I got were blank stares. ALS, MS, Parkinson’s they know. Long COVID? No.
Barely. They reduce viral load (which is good), but transmission can be asymptomatic. It's why COVID never went away.
The King In Black. 2025. Digital mixed medium. A human figure facing left wearing a long black robe standing against a textured wall that's shades of red and green from top to bottom. Their head resembles a burning ember and has a crown of flames and billowing smoke on it.
The King In Black. 2025. Digital mixed medium. Detail: A human figure facing left wearing a black robe standing against a textured wall that's shades of red. Their head resembles a burning ember and has a crown of flames and billowing smoke on it.
Oh, hey. Yesterday was the 1-year birthday of my piece The King In Black. It holds a lot of meaning and significance for me. A return to artistic and technical form, and a representation of living with Long Covid. Added bonus is a lot of you really like it too, which I sincerely appreciate.
To be clear, the vaccines are not evil — they're just not very good. They don't reduce the risk of developing Long COVID anywhere as much as reinfections increase said risk.
Bottom line: Don't. Catch. COVID.
Public Health's failure is everywhere. And Kristin, I agree with everything you posted, except re: the vaccines. They prevent hospitalizations and death in the acute phase—not #LongCOVID disability. 🙋♂️
We need to better ventilate, mask when sick, use common sense. And fund research. Please.
Someone send this to Kristaps Porzingis. #LongCOVID #POTS
At 3 Air Changes per Hour the probability of inhaling the Omicron strain through mouth breathing is 96%. At 10 ACH? 94%.
HOWEVER: nasal breathing is found to be safer than mouth breathing.
When ACH = 30, THE PROBABILITY OF INFECTION THROUGH NASAL BREATHING IS LESS THAN 5% (!!!)
#COVID #CleanAir
Elevator, 2 mins, no masks. Some interesting insights:
• Top-to-bottom airflow is best
• Breathing through the nose reduces virus intake
• 30 ACH significantly reduces the cumulative dose
• Sneezing by infected host results in 99% infection probability; speaking loudly? Below 20%
#COVID #CleanAir
Don't look up:
"what does SARS CoV-2 do to you"
"is there a cure for Long COVID?"
"why do some people get disabled after a mild infection whereas others don't?"
Don't look any of it up and you'll be fine. Or irreversibly crippled. Either way, have a wonderful day. 😑
Don't look up:
"what does SARS CoV-2 do to you"
"is there a cure for Long COVID?"
"why do some people get disabled after a mild infection whereas others don't?"
Don't look any of it up and you'll be fine. Or irreversibly crippled. Either way, have a wonderful day. 😑
The dismissing of #LongCOVID as a possible outcome is a source of frustration for those of us who've been kneecapped by the disease. On darker days, "Why me and not them?" morphs into "Is this even a thing?"—knowing full well that it is. It's why I salute Dr. Sutterer for stating the obvious:
(4/4)
In this, #LongCOVID parallels the climate crisis: Its implications are terrifying, so people look away.
Science: You're in danger.
Society: "Fuck that. I'll take my chances"
Long Haulers: "May it bite you in the ass as it did me"
Reality: It rarely does. At least enough to move the needle.
(3/4)
In the absence of a smoking gun—biomarkers, diagnostic tests—the reality of #LongCOVID will remain buried because of its implications:
• Not enough is being done to keep you safe
• No, you are not safe
• No, YOLO isn't a strategy
• Yes, you're going to have to be an adult about this
(2/4)
Remember when the WHO & CDC refused to call COVID airborne? It wasn't because they didn't know, but rather because society didn't 'want' to know. That political pressure made public health (and continues to make most people) ignore the clear and damning evidence.
Long COVID is no different: 🧵(1/4)
Brian Sutterer MD calling out the Golden State Warriors and Kristaps Porzingis for not being upfront about his "mysterious illness" made my year. Cause ALL of us who've been kneecapped by Long COVID know it when we see it.
Society pretending this ain't a thing doesn't make it so. #NBA #POTS #Medsky
Source: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNU01074597
In case it wasn't clear enough. #LongCOVID isn't going away. It isn't getting better. And yes, the 2026 numbers just keep going up (see ALT). We need #CleanAir and for #PublicHealth to do its damn job. Wearing a mask shouldn't be taboo. Condemning people to #MECFS hell should not be okay. #CdnPoli
Source: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNU01074597
In case it wasn't clear enough. #LongCOVID isn't going away. It isn't getting better. And yes, the 2026 numbers just keep going up (see ALT). We need #CleanAir and for #PublicHealth to do its damn job. Wearing a mask shouldn't be taboo. Condemning people to #MECFS hell should not be okay. #CdnPoli
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mrsa-mssa-gram-negative-bacteraemia-and-cdi-quarterly-report/quarterly-epidemiological-commentary-mandatory-gram-negative-bacteraemia-mrsa-mssa-and-c-difficile-infections-data-up-to-april-to-june-2025
"All these doomers and forever maskers saying that COVID somehow disrupts immune function. There is no evidence of that"
Isn't there, though? ISN'T THERE?
"Circumstantial. Correlation is not causation". Correct. Just as wilful ignorance is not the same as skepticism.
#LongCOVID #MedSky #Scisky
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mrsa-mssa-gram-negative-bacteraemia-and-cdi-quarterly-report/quarterly-epidemiological-commentary-mandatory-gram-negative-bacteraemia-mrsa-mssa-and-c-difficile-infections-data-up-to-april-to-june-2025
"All these doomers and forever maskers saying that COVID somehow disrupts immune function. There is no evidence of that"
Isn't there, though? ISN'T THERE?
"Circumstantial. Correlation is not causation". Correct. Just as wilful ignorance is not the same as skepticism.
#LongCOVID #MedSky #Scisky
Please share this around #MedSky. Far too many clinicians are still practicing like it's 2019.
#SciSky #StandUpForScience
"…adequate[?] air changes in the hospital ventilation system alone may not be enough to protect staff and patients"
1st thought: Uh oh. But then:
"…portable air purifiers could further reduce the risk of transmission"
So COVID remains a problem because ventilation is NOT yet adequate 🙄 #MedSky
From the Ontario Human Rights Commission's web site. This is directly relevant to #longCOVID and the poor-quality ventilation in many schools. The building code is a minimum, but only a subset of the obligation to provide students with a safe learning environment:
www3.ohrc.on.ca/en/opportuni...
What's still missing:
1) Adoption & training
2) Routine CO₂/ventilation checks
3) LAYERED DEFENCE promoting source control, ventilation upgrades, filtration & HEPA air cleaners to reduce risk for respiratory pathogens
We know what's needed. We're just not doing it.
#PublicHealth #CdnPoli #IAQ
2/2
Ontario engineers: "Treating airborne transmission seriously, setting measurable operational targets (including CO2), and deploying layered controls—ventilation, filtration, & UV Germicidal Irradiation—where appropriate" #IAQ #CleanAir #COVID #CdnPoli #PublicHealth
It's a good start. However:
(1/2)
If you need a reason to do whatever you can to avoid COVID, here’s about a half million of them…take your pick.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/research/cor...