The Sick Times

12/25/2024

What if the air in your home could act as a silent shield against illness? Responding to the ongoing risks of COVID-19 and other airborne pathogens, many people have taken measures to improve the air in their homes and other spaces.

Clean air is a vital line of defense, yet navigating filters and ventilation can feel overwhelming. With so many options, from do-it-yourself (DIY) filters to high-end HEPA machines, how do you determine what’s right for your space? How much does filtering air actually help if you have kids or roommates who aren’t masking? How long does the virus survive in the air in the first place?

For this explainer, Gillian Neimark talked with aerosol experts as well as smart laypeople who have installed filters in their homes, in the hopes of making it as easy as possible for readers to clean their air and protect their health. https://bit.ly/49QmSdX

12/24/2024

COVID-19 and other viruses continue to spread, as cold weather and holidays drive travel and indoor gatherings. COVID-19 data will be reported with delays over the next two weeks — so it’s important to remember that current levels are likely higher than what you see reported. bit.ly/4gqX62g

12/20/2024

We are thrilled to release the next batch of resources in our Long COVID Essentials series, in partnership with Long COVID Justice! Featuring 32 new sheets! Our first batch of resources in Spanish! And more!

✨ NEXT STEPS & WAYS TO SUPPORT
In the new year, we’ll be finishing the Spanish translations and ramping up our outreach campaigns for both Spanish & English resources. Let us know if you have outreach ideas or want to volunteer! We would love to promote this series in a variety of locations like libraries, schools, mask blocs & mutual aid groups, community events, health & medical offices, on social media, and more. Volunteer info: bit.ly/vol-lcj

✨ ABOUT THE SERIES: Long COVID Essentials is a collaboration between Long COVID Justice and The Sick Times. The series includes 30+ resource sheets that provide foundational information about navigating Long COVID. Each sheet is available in both Spanish and English, with both web and printable PDF versions.

This series is designed by and for people with Long COVID & associated conditions. All sheets were reviewed by people living with LC and/or caregivers, and by medical experts who provide LC care, including Doctors Ziyad Al-Aly, Alba Azola, Michael Brode, Todd Davenport, Michelle Haddad, Lee Hinnant, David Putrino, Michael Peluso, Peter Rowe, and Melissa Stockwell.

Whether you’re newly experiencing confusing symptoms, have had this disease for years, or are helping others in your community, LC Essentials will direct you to info & resources to support you along the way.

To stay in the loop, sign up for our lists:

, tinyurl.com/TSTNL
, tiny.cc/lcj-i

12/19/2024

Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency in California to prepare for the potential threat of bird flu (H5N1). Experts recommend wearing a high-quality respirator, like an N-95, to protect yourself from the virus, which, like SARS-CoV-2, is airborne.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declares State of Emergency for bird flu Earlier today, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency in California in response to prepare for the potential threat of bird flu, also known as Avian influenza A (H5N1). The Governor’s office said the emergency...

12/18/2024

Last weekend, a lucky group of disabled and chronically ill theatergoers in New York City attended a show that reflected their experiences and access needs. The new, non-narrative rock musical, called “Dan Fishback is Alive, Unwell, and Living in his Apartment,” ran for two sold-out performances at the Public Theater’s Joe’s Pub on Saturday and Sunday.

Dan Fishback, the musical’s creator and subject, is a playwright and rock musician who has had myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) since 2009. The show captures Fishback’s experience living with disabling symptoms and grappling with how to push back against institutions responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, violence in Palestine, and other fascist threats.

The Sick Times co-founder/managing editor Betsy Ladyzhets and engagement editor Heather Hogan () were able to attend the show and write about it!

Last weekend, a lucky group of disabled and chronically ill theatergoers in New York City attended a show that reflected their experiences and access needs. The new, non-narrative rock musical, called “Dan Fishback is Alive, Unwell, and Living in his Apartment,” ran for two sold-out performances...

12/17/2024

Here are the latest national COVID-19 trends, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and major wastewater surveillance providers:

🏥 About 1.6 in every 100,000 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 during the week ending November 30. (Note that these are provisional data.)

📈 COVID-19 test positivity has increased 20%, from 4.5% of COVID-19 tests returning positive results during the week ending November 30 to 5.4% of tests during the week ending December 7.

💩 SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater has increased 55% between the week ending November 30 and the week ending December 7, and the national wastewater viral activity level is “low,” per the CDC.

⤴️ SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater has increased 28% between November 27 and December 4, and the national wastewater trend is “high,” per WastewaterSCAN.

👩‍⚕️ Healthcare visits for influenza-like illness have increased 5% between the week ending November 30 and the week ending December 7, and this metric has passed the threshold for flu season.

This week's full COVID-19 trends report: https://bit.ly/3BCkUB9

12/14/2024

This week on Still Here: We feature an interview with Dan Fishback, who is behind a new non-narrative rock musical about living with ME/CFS in the age of pandemics. Dan spoke with engagement editor Heather Hogan about the show, which is this weekend, and will have multiple layers of access, including a mask requirement.

Plus COVID-19 research updates with Miles Griffis and weekly COVID-19 trends with Betsy Ladyzhets. As always, our podcast is produced by James Salanga.

Find our podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, or listen on our website (where you'll also find a full transcript of the episode). https://bit.ly/3D9nP4D

12/12/2024

😷 Here’s what’s happening this week in research: bit.ly/49vz57L

💌 Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter and get updates delivered directly to your inbox every week! thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

12/11/2024

In the first essay in our Color of Long COVID series, supported by the Disability Visibility Project, Jacqueline E. Luciano describes how her experience with Long COVID led her to better understand her mother’s experience with ME decades earlier.

Jacqueline is a first-generation Filipino-American who was working as a Regulatory Nurse Consultant during the start of the pandemic until she was disabled by Long COVID and associated conditions in 2022. She’s a Narrative Architect for Listening for the Long Haul: A Living History of Long COVID and a Long COVID Advisor for National Organization for Nurses with Disabilities.

Dear Mom, Thirty years later, I finally understand. Do you remember the year 1994? You got sick when I was a child, and you weren’t ever the same again. At first, it was a cough and congestion But as days gathered into weeks, you spent more time in bed Why are you so tired, I asked myself. What ha...

12/09/2024

Our co-founder spoke with actor and activist Matt McGorry about his experience with . They discussed the stigma and denial, and the need for solidarity with disabled people by taking COVID-19 precautions like masking. https://bit.ly/3Zw1RAe

12/05/2024

😷 Here’s what’s happening this week in research: bit.ly/3OExNxs

💌 Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter and get updates delivered directly to your inbox every week! thesicktimes.org/newsletter

12/04/2024

To learn more about the disability insurance system, Betsy Ladyzhets spoke to Barbara Comerford, a long-time disability lawyer based in New Jersey who specializes in these cases. Comerford has represented people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS), for more than 30 years, including high-profile cases like that of journalist Brian Vastag.

To learn more about the disability insurance system, Betsy Ladyzhets spoke to Barbara Comerford, a long-time disability lawyer based in New Jersey who specializes in these cases. Comerford has represented people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), for more than 30 years, including high-profile case...

12/04/2024

As expected, the US’s winter surge is getting started. The bird flu H5N1 continues to spread. Both are reasons to keep wearing a high-quality mask and taking other precautions. bit.ly/4glxu6H

Sign up for our newsletter to get weekly COVID-19 trends delivered! thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

12/02/2024

We made a zine! Artist Katie Drackert created a printable mini-magazine of our first year’s highlights!

We wanted to bring The Sick Times offline and into coffee shops, art fairs, community centers, mask bloc distributions, and anywhere else our readers want to share our work.

Please print it and distribute it widely!

We made a zine! To celebrate our first anniversary, we commissioned artist Katie Drackert to create a printable mini-magazine of our first year’s highlights, as well as top Long COVID and COVID-19 resources. Please print it and distribute it widely!

11/29/2024

😷 Here’s what’s happening this week in research: https://bit.ly/3OwE9yX

💌 Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter and get updates delivered directly to your inbox every week! http://thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

11/27/2024

As incoming President Donald Trump has announced a growing list of top nominees who’ve denied science and public health, people with Long COVID are preparing for an administration likely to be less friendly for research and advocacy. Along with Trump in power, Republican majorities in the House and Senate may lead to reduced funding for federal health programs, worse odds for new legislation, misinformation, and other challenges, advocates say.

As incoming President Donald Trump has announced a growing list of top nominees who’ve denied science and public health, people with Long COVID are preparing for an administration likely to be less friendly for research and advocacy. Along with Trump in power, Republican majorities in the House an...

11/27/2024

COVID-19 levels remain moderate across the US, but there are signs our expected winter increase is starting. The bird flu H5N1 remains a risk too; health officials recently identified this virus in raw milk being sold at California grocery stores. bit.ly/3OtAYYP

11/23/2024

Living as a drag artist with Long Covid poses unique challenges, let’s talk about it.

Video description: Taipei is a drag queen in dramatic smoky eye makeup and a blonde wavy wig. She wears a hot pink patterned blouse and stands in front of a dark blue background. She describes her personal experience as a drag artist living with Long Covid, and explores how many in person drag shows are inaccessible to her. Reference images and footage are shown on screen.