Covid is bad for the immune system. And we're in a surge.

[sonia]

Covid is not done with us. It’s just getting started. We really should be paying attention. by WildIrish

The bottom line is that, even if you had a mild case and fully recovered from the initial Covid infection without getting long Covid, your immune system has been compromised. This makes it more difficult for your body to resist other pathogens, like RSV and influenza viruses, which would account for the increased rates and severity of those infections that are now being seen. There is also evidence that Covid causes permanent, long-term changes in the immune system that are similar to AIDS.

Because of the surge we're in, I have put myself on mini-lockdown for this week and next, canceling appointments and lessons and declining group events unless they're outside. It feels sad and harsh and lonely, even with the good fortune to work at home and still attend some zoom events. It's hard for me to remember how isolated and terrifying it was while we were collectively on lockdown. (I know some people object to that term, but I haven't found a better one yet.)

Part of it was the uncertainty, and now we know so much more. But somehow most of society is wantonly ignoring what we know, so that saying "no thank you" to invitations feels awkward and strange and neurodivergent.

I keep reminding myself that we're all treating global warming the same way, so it shouldn't be surprising. But it's still heartbreaking on so many levels. The Buddhists talk about how there's pain, which is necessary, and suffering, which is optional. We are causing ourselves so much suffering.

Comments

[amethyst73]

[hugs] Yeah. Bah. Let us know if you'd like to (virtually) hang out.
(I was pleased, however, to see that ALL the staff at the doctor's office was masked when I went last week!)

[sonia]

Yay masking doctors and staff! (How far we've fallen, that it's something to celebrate!) Yes, virtually hanging out sounds great! Will email.

[ljgeoff]

The people I know who don't defend against covid have said and shown in so many ways that they'd rather get sick and take their chances on the consequences than act carefully. It's the type of non-compliance that health professional see all the time - "this disease can't tell me what to do"

I read this in nursing school and often think about it - you know all this stuff already, but I really like the way this Doc presents his lived experience, so here ya go: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5571787/

[sonia]

Thanks! Interesting article. It presumes that the medical advice is easy to follow and likely to be effective, which are huge presumptions. I would guess a large percentage of "non-compliance" is "I evaluated the evidence and side-effects for myself and no thank you."

I hadn't thought about what you bring up: "this disease can't tell me what to do." That rings true, and I think there's a whole lot of propaganda out there amplifying that around Covid, which is horrific.

[silveradept]

The more we know about what an infection does, the more we should want not to get it, and yet, there's at least one factor somewhere that's preventing the widespread adoption of "let's not get this" measures. (The easiest/most obvious one is the -ism of choice, usually racism, where people find out that the disease disproportionately affects people they want to get hurt and die, and so they're willing to sacrifice themselves and some of their fellows if they can be sure that on net, The Other gets hurt and dead more.)

It's not great continuing to manage events as if there was a pandemic going on, but that's pretty well the position I'm working from because of the potentially very bad consequences to people I want to keep healthy if I don't behave like it's still a pandemic going on.

[sonia]

they're willing to sacrifice themselves and some of their fellows if they can be sure that on net, The Other gets hurt and dead more
Oh. Yeah, that sadly rings true, although I think there's also disinformation about the long-term consequences that make the "bargain" look better than it is.

There's also, the very rich folks seem to think the rest of us are superfluous.

Best wishes to you and yours for not catching it!

[silveradept]

The very richest don't care about lives, unless those lives cost them enough money. For those of us who will never be the richest, racism makes the bargain look like "if I get sick, I'll get all the treatments and I'll be just fine, if they get sick, they can't get to any treatments and more of them will suffer and die." Except it really looks more like "those silly people aren't getting vaccinated at the same rate, and their hospitals can't deal with the greater influx of sick people. Sucks to be them that they didn't choose to live in a better neighborhood."

We're hoping not to catch it ourselves, but it would be nice if everyone around us was acting like they didn't, as well.