Not sure how many who follow me here are receptive to this message but: covid is surging rn across the US. If you haven’t been wearing a mask, please start. It’ll help break transmission chains & make it less likely your actions disable or kill someone. It’ll also protect you, of course. 3M Auras are an N95 you can get at most Home Depots. They’re very effective. If you prefer black they also sell BNX N95s in black. I’m not a fan of Home Depot but it’s ubiquitous so I’m using it as an example.
If you have legit questions about where to get masks or what kind to get I’ll do my best to answer. I’m also hearing a lot of folks saying they have all the symptoms but are testing negative on RATs. I highly recommend investing in a unit like Metrix (home test more like PCR) that is more accurate. But if you have symptoms tbh you almost certainly have it regardless of testing negative on RATs. Mask to heal yourself and protect others.
(That’s right, masking with an N95 or KN95 has been shown to reduce disease severity and length in infected persons. Can you guess why?)
And if anyone is encountering this & thinking “eh, it’s just a cold,” I understand that the US govt has done a good job of putting out that message, but most doctors and researchers that have been paying attention have shown again and again that covid worsens overall health long term, causes strokes, heart attacks, & diabetes to name just a few, & is even oncogenic. It also causes a variety of nonfatal chronic illnesses & disorders that can cause you to be unable to work, sometimes permanently.
In other words, your body does not treated as just a cold, and it doesn’t clear it as though it’s just a minor cold. It really is much more serious than that. And a lot of people don’t find out until it’s too late and either they or someone they love is permanently disabled or dies. Please do what you can to limit the spread, we’re in a situation where cancer patients, babies, and immunocompromised people can’t even get healthcare safely due to all the spread.
@histoftech Honestly probably the hardest part of all of this for me is that every cold, allergies, flu, sinus infection, stomach bug feels like it could be COVID and I can neither hold down my pre-schooler and force a swab in her nose every time she sneezes nor can I wear an N95 in my house all day every day.
So there's just a constant mid-level anxiety that I can't talk about because "COVID is over" and I "am overreacting."
@q_aurelius that’s really rough I’m sure. If it helps the metrix testing system can be done with spit, doesn’t require a swab, so perhaps good for a kid.
@histoftech I will look into that. Thank you.
@histoftech
My recommendation to those concerned for themselves and others is to get vaccinated with the latest Covid booster and flu vaxx, mask up in public places like airports, hospitals, medical offices, concerts, etc. Observe social distancing wherever possible. Wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer in public places. Eat a healthy diet, exercise if you can. Stay hydrated. Be respectful of others who may be immunocompromised.