You wouldn't take this risk on other things!

You Wouldn't Take This Risk on Other Things

There has been a repeated term of "Knowing your risk", often with a tangent of: "higher risk individuals do this", and "most people are ok". It's a scammers way of saying things, really.

"Most people" can mean 51%. Compared to 49%. Practically a coin flip. So that phrase should be eliminated. But you hear it all the time, "most people" will recover. But will they?

Define recover. If you look into it, you will see they mean only in the acute phase that most people won't get hospitalized and/or die. Even that isn't a guarantee as COVID-19 remains a top killer. But let's go with that we live. 

Some studies show between 10% and 50% get long COVID, even in mild cases. I've even seen studies that go up to 70% when they follow people long enough over more than one infection. But even in the more conservative percents, that technically are not "most people", those are odds even gamblers betting with just their money wouldn't take. (Dont believe me?-- someone made a game you can play that mimics the odds: https://www.helloworlds.ca/the-long-covid-game/  )

But our stakes are higher than money.

We are talking about chronic diseases that seriously impact our life, our ability to work and make money, our brain (that houses your conception of yourself, our memories, our ability to solve problems), this is as serious as a heart attack, cancer, stroke, and dementia. At the very least this can mess up your day to day, we are talking major fatigue from very real physiological damage. 

They say they don't know how it works, but that BS, they know A LOT of how it works, it's just a little different in each person in the pathway it takes, in the organ it infiltrates first, in whatever bodily system it gains access to from the start.  In any case, wherever this virus goes it is causing havoc in our bodily systems and in our organs and cells by doing things like damaging our cells' mitochondria (energy powerhouse), causing inflammation in our blood vessels that results in micro clots that can cause strokes, heart attacks. It can go into our lungs affecting breath, or into our body's ability to transport oxygen so we feel short of breath. It can go into our brain where causes brain cells to fuse together and gunks up the mind. It throws even previously healthy immune systems into disarray, raising risks of autoimmune diseases as well as lowering our body's ability to fight off other infections, and allowing dormant viruses in your body to reactivate, often resulting in autoimmune damage from that. It can persist in our gut and cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. It affects our ability to have sex, reproduce, and deliver healthy offspring. It's no joke. 

And if we wait until it happens to us, we don't get to go back. There are no FDA treatments (although people try to find relief here and there so if you have or get long Covid, don't give up!). And there is no way to know how badly we will be affected or how long. Young athletes with no prior health issues have become disabled. Have even died. Kids have been sick ... so badly affected they can't even play video games (parents know that ss serious!). But really-- they need off of school, and to pace activities, and suffer dizziness, GI stuff, severe fatigue, organ damage, etc. Long COVID affects all ages, health levels, and demographics. 

And if you have been infected already and haven't gotten long COVID, that doesn't mean you won't next time. Not getting it yet doesn't mean you are immune to long COVID. Actually, they found risks for long Covid INCREASE each reinfection. Each variant is evolving even better ways to infiltrate our cells.  And, if you had just a mild infection during the initial phase of the illness, it doesn't mean 3-6 months down the line you won't develop long COVID. In fact, most long COVID sufferers did have mild initial cases. How long do you think you'll stay lucky for?

Some people have been infected 3, 4, 5 times by now and--those who aren't using precautions like masking in public-- are likely to have had at least mild or asymptomatic COVID at this point. We don't know anyone who is immune to getting Covid. But we have "Noviders"-- a nickname to those who have not gotten it due to using precautions like sheltering, masking when around others in spaces that have enhanced ventilation and/or filtration to the 6-12 air changes per hour. 

You may say, well I'm vaccinated. These vaccines don't prevent infection. They aren't like the ones you got for other diseases like Measles when you were a kid. These vaccines, they say, prevent severe disease. But even that's not fully true because they are only talking about severe disease in the initial acute infection period not hospitalizing or killing you. They aren't talking about long COVID which, as stated above, is SEVERE DISEASE. Yeah, heart attacks and disabilities are severe! So, vaccines may reduce some transmission, we don't really know how much but we know vaccinated people get infected all the time.  Immunity from vaccine or infection or both is short-lived-- it wanes over time AND by variant. And, because others aren't trying to stop or slow transmission, new variants are evolving at extraordinary rates, getting by any prior immunity from infections or vaccines too quickly to use them as anything other than a layer on top of other protections that MAY help if they fail. 

The point is, wear a mask. The point is don't eat at restaurants. Don't force people to go into schools or jobs that aren't using protections like masking and cleaning the air. These can be done remotely until they have become modified to make them safe. Don't get infected because everyone else is. Because if you keep doing that, it's gonna end badly. It already IS! Millions are suffering from long COVID ALREADY. Healthcare and disability systems are already maxxing out. The economy needs to change. The air quality can be fixed, but they aren't doing it because we aren't demanding it. Masking can be restored in public spaces, but they aren't doing it because we aren't demanding it. Demand it! Demand it by going virtual. By masking. By sheltering. Your and your families' health, finances, and community will benefit, and you will no longer be enabling a horrifying denialism that threatens us all. 

It isn't a bad thing either. My son and I, we love connecting virtually with others. We play video games, we work on projects together, we do art, play virtual board games, we are more social now because no commuting, easier working with schedules, we save time doing curbside grocery pickups and online shopping. It is EASIER and makes more time for the things that you truly love. Our social connections are more authentic and respect each other's values in a way that is logical and supports long-term health of all members of the family and community. We make healthier, better quality food cooking and eating at home. We travel to parks nearby for hikes. It takes a little adjusting to just to learn the technology, and to adjust your daily schedule-- especially if you make a big move, like from public school and in-office work to virtual/home school or remote work-- there is a figuring stuff out phase, but it's worth it, and you can and will adjust, and it will feel easy after! Much better than adjusting to getting something like long Covid. Also, as an added bonus, these things are compatible with reducing climate change. For instance, travelling and commuting less lowers your carbon footprint. 

 It's never too late to become a masker. It is one of those things everyone should do, because it sides with equity and human compassion. It fits with human nature. It is empowering. And it can make a true difference in the future we create.  

See my website 

https://the-maskers-comic.yolasite.com/ 

 for more info and for all the research that supports what I mention here.