#covid showed who was a worker

[richo1915]

Now I don’t go in for these American traditions (actually European) as an Australian. Bad influence on our youngsters. But being a Trade Unionist and a bit Bolshie, I couldn’t go past this.

[cator99]

I always get detained at da border because PROFUNC never ended but basically I'm like if a targeted individual didn't even care

[necromanceyourgays]

when i went to see a show in manhattan a few months ago we got lost trying to find the theater and RIGHT as i turned to my mom to ask where it was the gate opened and an old couple walked up to check their ticket and it was the theater we needed to be in. some part of my gamer brain activated into fucking hitman mode “you have the intel. sneak into the threater unnoticed”

[chronicbitchsyndrome]

so... i'm seeing a lot of activism (like, actual activism, not just tumblr posts--letters & scripts to us senators, for example, copy written for press, etc) focusing on improving ventilation & filtration as primarily an access issue for immunocompromised people. basically, presenting the argument as "this is in service of this demographic, who is blocked from public access currently."

this is like. true. of course. it is the main reason i want clean air and i think it is the most pressing reason overall for it. but i think it's the wrong tack for building a clean air movement and getting legislation passed.

like, unfortunately, the vast majority of people in power--and of americans in general, tbh--are not immunocompromised and do not have immunocompromised roommates or family members. should you have to have this experience to understand that public access is a big fucking deal for, like, staying alive? no! you shouldn't! but most people straight up will not understand whatsoever unless they have personal experience with immune compromisation.

trying to change hearts and minds to have cognitive sympathy for disabled people takes a long time, decades' worth of work to just change a handful of people; meanwhile, getting legislation passed is 1) imminently important, 2) while still a lengthy process, takes significantly less time if it doesn't hinge on first converting the majority of the population to have sympathy for a marginalized demographic they have no contact with (and yes, they have no contact with us because we are barred from public access to begin with, again, i am aware of how fucked up this is).

here's some arguments for passing clean air legislation that are designed to appeal to a normative, conservative-leaning crowd:

air filtration is a public health and sanitation baseline just like running water. we provide clean water to drink and wash our hands in as a baseline for public life; we should also be providing clean air to breathe similarly.

improved ventilation and filtration in schools results in less sick days for students, meaning better attendance and less time off work for parents.

improved ventilation and filtration in the workplace results in workers taking less sick days. it also makes it less troublesome when a coworker comes in sick; it's less likely you will have to take sick leave as a result.

improved ventilation and filtration in hospitals, doctors' offices, etc, helps combat the health care worker shortage by reducing the amount of sick leave health care workers need. it additionally makes hospitals safer overall; for example, it makes it safer for cancer patients to be in the same building with patients with highly infectious airborne illnesses such as chickenpox.

improved ventilation and filtration in public buildings at large could improve the economy, as less workers stay home, more people enter the workforce, more people begin attending public businesses like bars and venues, etc.

if government programs to upgrade ventilation and filtration are created, this could create jobs for blue-collar workers, further improving the economy.

the last note i have is that, as much as this sucks shit, don't mention covid as much as you can avoid it. covid has become a massive culture war thing in the usa and as soon as you bring it up, the entire discussion becomes about virtue-signaling and showing in-group affinity--it doesn't matter what you're saying about covid, anyone who thinks "covid is over" will immediately shut down and become incapable of listening to anything else you have to say. and unfortunately, a majority of the population does, in fact, think covid is an irrelevant concern even for immunocompromised people in 2024.

importantly, all general air sanitation improvements will improve the covid situation significantly. in this context, you do not have to talk about covid in order to make real, material changes limiting the spread of covid. system-level changes that limit the spread of things like the flu and chickenpox are equally effective in limiting the spread of covid. take advantage of that!

[jmtorres]

i just saw a post about how we just have to "live with" covid and wanting more protections from our government is unreasonable because we'll never wipe it out, it jumps species and is in all sorts of animal populations (like, true ok) so why even try to

and apparently the argument was aimed at people (who I haven't seen in the wild) who are arguing we should still be in lockdown. and i have mixed feelings about the idea of extended lockdown or attenuating isolations; but my main feeling at this point is not that the government should keep us apart but that the government should be trying to make it safer for us to be together

things the government could/should be doing about covid:

we know that ventilation/air movement helps a shitton. we should be incentivizing upgrades to ventilation systems in all public buildings with shit like rebates or tax deductions, while phasing in eventual legal requirements. (and uh. it has occurred to me that the US might actually be doing this sideways by there's currently this decade enormous tax incentives in re energy efficient upgrades for slowing climate change and you know. energy efficient hvac does tend to improve ventilation. extra point to biden here.)

mandatory paid sick leave so workers aren't under social or economic pressure to work when sick

passing out RT-LAMP tests like metrix that actually work instead of the rapid antigen tests that have become less and less reliable as the virus mutates

i don't know how you'd write this law but like 95% or more of computer-based work can be done remotely and companies should not be allowed to force people to return to the office. I know there's people who want to be back in person and I'm not saying they should be forced to stay home but ffs I know of at least two people CLOSE to me who worked remotely before the pandemic and at some point their workplaces tried to tell them they weren't allowed to do that anymore despite the pre-existing contracts. stop canceling remote work for people that want, need, or prefer it.

for that matter, every college lecture that was an online class during covid should still be offered as an online class, there is no reason to force students into auditoriums in person. you got the communications infrastructure up and running, why are you tearing it down. give people the OPTION. it increases accessibility for everyone!

covid vaccine immunity lasts about four months. this should be well-publicized and everyone should be able to re-up for free every four months. "every year, like the flu vaccine" is demonstrably not often enough. actually "for free" isn't good enough start handing out $10 gift cards you will be shocked at how many people who are resistant to the idea of vaccines will fold for $10 a shot

are there already laws on the books about masks in medical settings that some medical professionals are blatantly ignoring because they forgot what best practices were before the plague and they're 'tired of masking'? if not, pass laws. if so, fucking enforce them

oh another incentives for upgrades phasing into legal requirements thing: brass doorknobs and railings over stainless steel or whatever. microbes do not survive on brass surfaces

i mean. i know this one sounds too extreme to a lot of people but. UBI.

most if not all of these measures will prevent or ameliorate other pandemics of different diseases that may arise in the future. and just. generally improve our health and quality of life for other reasons.

I haven't felt safe to go to a concert since 2020. Maybe if I knew a venue was legally required to have ventilation to a certain standard and that none of the ticket takers and ushers were on the job sick to avoid risking loss of paycheck or job, and knew a larger percentage of the crowd had up to date vaccinations--maybe if any or all that, I might ever feel comfortable going to a show again.

wouldn't it be nice if those of us who have been disabled, by covid or other conditions, had accessible remote options but also occasionally felt safe enough to interact with and participate in wider society?

one of the arguments on the post I saw was how isolation was massively psychologically damaging and various strata of society were affected in all sorts of ways, from undersocialized kids to increased depression in--well across the board, I think. and here's the thing: WE KNOW. PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS, LONG COVID OR OTHERWISE, KNOW ISOLATION SUCKS REAL BAD. because we, both for our own health and due to disability ostracism, are still isolating and isolated more than most.

what are you as individuals or societies, what are our governments, doing to help make it safe and accessible to rejoin you????

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

@ that guy who tried to argue that "most people are vaccinated" the other day.

By Courtney Friedman

Local infectious disease doctor said this continued trend is putting people, healthcare system at risk

Most Americans haven’t been vaccinated this year, and health experts are worried about outbreaks of COVID, flu and RSV.

“We’re seeing lower numbers of people going out to get their vaccines for COVID, for influenza. And over the last couple of years, we’ve seen that,” said Dr. Jason Bowling, infectious disease specialist with University Health System and UT Health San Antonio.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that only about 37% of adults have received a flu shot, while just 19% have received the updated COVID vaccine.

It’s even lower for children at 33% for flu and just under 9% for COVID.

These numbers climbed around 2% higher than last year.

Bowling said part of that is likely due to vaccine fatigue from the pandemic, but not all of it.

“I think we’re getting a little too comfortable with COVID and flu, but we’re still seeing people get very ill with both of these and RSV,” Bowling said.

RSV cases have already spiked this year, hitting the vulnerable hardest.

“We now have vaccines available for RSV for people that are at highest risk. So people that are 75 and older, adults (who) are 60 and older and have medical conditions, and then, also, it’s protection for infants,” Bowling said.

He said the rates are low for that vaccine, too, and have been since it was released last year. Part of that, he believes, is awareness.

“It is a new vaccine. So we want people to be aware that this vaccine is available,” he said.

As for the flu, cases are picking up by the week.

“Ninety-two cases just last week of flu, and that’s up from 57 cases the week before. So it was a 65% increase just week to week. And that’s just confirmed PCR tests. So there are way more out there,” Bowling said.

While COVID numbers are currently low, Bowling said they’re expected to spike again soon.

“At the end of this year or early next year. And there’s data now that shows that people (who) are vaccinated have lower risk of long COVID, have less severe symptoms,” he said.

Misinformation and doubts over the COVID vaccine have hampered those numbers, bringing experts to emphasize that it’s trustworthy and helps cut down on long COVID diagnoses.

“COVID vaccines have been studied more than any other vaccine in history. We really have a lot of safety records, and they’re continuing to monitor for side effects, too. So it’s not as though they did the monitoring and they stopped,” Bowling said.

Healthcare workers also are trying to remind people that the perspective is wider than just each individual.

“For some people, it might be a mild illness that lasts for a few days, but for other people, they could end up in the ER, or worst, case admitted to the hospital,” Bowling said.

Even in mid-December, it’s not too late to get your vaccines.

“This is a perfect time to get it because a lot of people are going to be traveling in the next couple of weeks. So if you get that vaccine now, it gives your body a couple of weeks to generate antibodies, provide that protection, and keep you having fun with your family and friends, (but) maybe not in urgent care or the hospital,” Bowling said.

San Antonio school districts even see this trend of lower vaccine rates by way of the exemption form parents fill out and get approved by the state of Texas if they want to waive their child’s vaccinations.

Two of the largest local school districts replied to KSAT’s request about the subject on Monday, confirming that trend.

North East ISD:

“We have seen a little steady increase in the number of incoming kinder with conscientious exemptions. In 2017-2018, there were 37 students with exemptions to all vaccines. There were 78 kinder students last year and 90 this year,” the district said.

The district said they see exemptions less in other grades because parents have generally already made those decisions about vaccines by then.

The percentages break down to:

2017-2018: 0.9% of kids had vaccine exemptions. 2023-2024: 2.4% of kids had exemptions. 2024-2025: 2.7% of kids had exemptions. That means vaccine exemptions are up 0.3% from last year.

San Antonio ISD:

The district said they are “seeing numbers of parents opting out of vaccinations trending slightly upward.”

Vaccine exemptions by school year:

2024-2025: 368 students. 2023-2024: 301 students. 2022-2023: 297 students. 2021-2022: 219 students. 2020-2021: 164 students. 2019-2020: 197 students.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

A taxonomy of corporate bullshit

Next Tuesday (Oct 31) at 10hPT, the Internet Archive is livestreaming my presentation on my recent book, The Internet Con.

There are six lies that corporations have told since time immemorial, and Nick Hanauer, Joan Walsh and Donald Cohen's new book Corporate Bullsht: Exposing the Lies and Half-Truths That Protect Profit, Power, and Wealth in America* provides an essential taxonomy of this dirty six:

https://thenewpress.com/books/corporate-bullsht

In his review for The American Prospect, David Dayen summarizes how these six lies "offer a civic-minded, reasonable-sounding justification for positions that in fact are motivated entirely by self-interest":

https://prospect.org/culture/books/2023-10-27-lies-my-corporation-told-me-hanauer-walsh-cohen-review/

I. Pure denial

As far back as the slave trade, corporate apologists and mouthpieces have led by asserting that true things are false, and vice-versa. In 1837, John Calhoun asserted that "Never before has the black race of Central Africa, from the dawn of history to the present day, attained a condition so civilized and so improved, not only physically, but morally and intellectually." George Fitzhugh called enslaved Africans in America "the freest people in the world."

This tactic never went away. Children sent to work in factories are "perfectly happy." Polluted water is "purer than the water that came from the river before we used it." Poor families "don't really exist." Pesticides don't lead to "illness or death." Climate change is "beneficial." Lead "helps guard your health."

II. Markets can solve problems, governments can't

Alan Greenspan made a career out of blithely asserting that markets self-correct. It was only after the world economy imploded in 2008 that he admitted that his doctrine had a "flaw":

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/greenspan-admits-flaw-to-congress-predicts-more-economic-problems

No matter how serious a problem is, the market will fix it. In 1973, the US Chamber of Commerce railed against safety regulations, because "safety is good business," and could be left to the market. If unsafe products persist in the market, it's because consumers choose to trade safety off "for a lower price tag" (Chamber spox Laurence Kraus). Racism can't be corrected with anti-discrimination laws. It's only when "the market" realizes that racism is bad for business that it will finally be abolished.

III. Consumers and workers are to blame

In 1946, the National Coal Association blamed rampant deaths and maimings in the country's coal-mines on "carelessness on the part of men." In 2003, the National Restaurant Association sang the same tune, condemning nutritional labels because "there are not good or bad foods. There are good and bad diets." Reagan's interior secretary Donald Hodel counseled personal responsibility to address a thinning ozone layer: "people who don’t stand out in the sun—it doesn’t affect them."

IV. Government cures are always worse than the disease

Lee Iacocca called 1970's Clean Air Act "a threat to the entire American economy and to every person in America." Every labor and consumer protection before and since has been damned as a plague on American jobs and prosperity. The incentive to work can't survive Social Security, welfare or unemployment insurance. Minimum wages kill jobs, etc etc.

V. Helping people only hurts them

Medicare will "destroy private initiative for our aged to protect themselves with insurance" (Republican Senator Milward Simpson, 1965). Covid relief is unfair to people that are currently in the workforce" (Republican Governor Brian Kemp, 2021). Welfare produces "learned helplessness."

VI. Everyone who disagrees with me is a socialist

Grover Cleveland's 2% on top incomes is "communistic warfare against rights of property" (NY Tribune, 1895). "Socialized medicine" will leave "our children and our children’s children [asking] what it once was like in America when men were free" (Reagan, 1961).

Everything is "socialism": anti-child labor laws, Social Security, minimum wages, family and medical leave. Even fascism is socialism! In 1938, the National Association of Manufacturers called labor rights "communism, bolshevism, fascism, and Nazism."

As Dayen says, it's refreshing to see how the right hasn't had an original idea in 150 years, and simply relies on repeating the same nonsense with minor updates. Right wing ideological innovation consists of finding new ways to say, "actually, your boss is right."

The left's great curse is object permanence: the ability to remember things, like the fact that it used to be possible for a worker to support a family of five on a single income, or that the economy once experienced decades of growth with a 90%+ top rate of income tax (other things the left manages to remember: the "intelligence community" are sociopathic monsters, not Trump-slaying heroes).

When the business lobby rails against long-overdue antitrust action against Amazon and Google, object permanence puts it all in perspective. The talking points about this being job-destroying socialism are the same warmed-over nonsense used to defend rail-barons and Rockefeller. "If you don't like it, shop elsewhere," has been the corporate apologist's line since slavery times.

As Dayen says, Corporate Bullshit is a "reference book for conservative debating points, in an attempt to rob them of their rhetorical power." It will be out on Halloween:

https://bookshop.org/a/54985/9781620977514

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/27/six-sells/#youre-holding-it-wrong

[lotus-tower]

it is horrific what we’re allowing to happen to children right now. if covid causes cognitive dysfunction and decline in adult brains, what impact will it have on small brains that are still developing? many children who are too young to even be vaccinated are catching covid, as well as a whole host of other opportunistic infections. children can get, are getting, long covid. children aren’t sick often because it’s “normal” or “good” for them—they’re sick often because they’re more vulnerable than adults.

children have no choice but to be sent to schools where they get sick again and again. they don’t have the ability to distance themselves from their parents and establish boundaries, they’re entirely reliant on their carers. if their parents do not believe in covid prevention, they have no means to protect themselves. they don’t have the ability to consent to what is happening to their health.

schools are not just allowing children who are sick to attend class anyway, they’re borderline mandating it. schools as an institution care more about meaningless attendance records than about students’ wellbeing. the classroom is an environment where all factors incentivize students coming to school sick.

there are horrific accounts from parents about kids being sick 24/7, never having energy, struggling with schoolwork. there are horrific accounts from teachers about their young students being different these days, unable to handle the usual schoolwork, showing signs of that classic covid “brainfog.” i’ve seen evidence of schools making their tests and criteria much easier in order to maintain an acceptable pass rate instead of addressing the actual core problem in the slightest.

i often think about a comment i read once about how someone knew it was fucked when no change happened after sandy hook, when the US decided and enshrined the fact that children were acceptable sacrifices. this is how it feels. this isn’t just about the US though. children are getting reinfected with covid again and again worldwide. this is about the entire next generation.

they didn’t choose any of this. they have no power to stop this whatsoever. none of us consented to this, obviously, but children most of all. most of them don’t even have any idea what’s happening to them, and won’t for years.

there needs to be a push for schools to adopt better covid prevention measures, like better ventilation and air filtration. but even more crucial, and much more difficult, is to do away with the ideology at the core of how schools are designed. just like how workers deserve sick leave, children need to be able to stay home when sick. no jumping through hoops for a doctor’s note to be accepted, no strict time limit. schools obviously know that 1 student staying home sick is less disruptive than 20 students being sick and unable to do their schoolwork. they know the math, but they aren’t after efficiency. just like companies know that happier workers are more productive. that’s not the point. it’s more obvious than ever what is choking our societies to death on every level.

i’ve seen university unions who’ve won teachers the right to demand masking in their lessons, the right to have air filters installed in their classrooms. the same needs to happen for K12 schools, especially since young children can’t advocate for themselves. parents could theoretically wield a lot of influence as well—but let’s face it, most are uninterested in or actively hostile to the idea of better air for their children. efforts to combat this need to be organized, sustained, and coordinated.

imagine how current children will feel once they grow up and look back and realize that their health was compromised before they even learned to speak, that they were born into a sick world, that they were born to be sick, not inevitably but because people preferred things this way.

[woodlandwizard77]

A Step by Step Guide to Losing Your D**k

I recently wrote a series of messages to my aunt talking about all the steps I need to do to get bottom surgery, a penile inversion vaginoplasty at Mt. Sinai, in the next year or two. Its a long list. And everytime I added something she had a sort of “wow thats rough” reaction, but to me its just the to do list. So I decided to write them all out.

Start transition DONE

Most insurance companies and surgeons require you to have socially transitioned and have done HRT for at least 1 year at the time of operation

For social transition, this was March of 2024

For HRT it will be January of 2025

Get a referral to a surgeon (I am here)

In my case, Mt. Sinai in Manhattan

My Doctor referred me, but Mt. Sinai takes self referrals

Start laser hair removal

Book a consultation (I am here)

Go to laser frequently enough to satisfy surgeon

Convince Mom and Dad to help out DONE

Get 2 letters

Social Worker (1)

PCP's Office

Social Worker (2)

Mt. Sinai

Get a gender affirmation loan through the local credit union

Work two weeks so I can take in pay stubs

Get a letter from anybody (probably my HRT prescriber

Meet with representative and either open a line of credit or take out a loan

Consultation with Mt. Sinai’s team

Wait 3-6 months (I’m here)

Bring letters

My insurance only requires 2, less than Mt. Sinai thinks insurance will need, and Mt. Sinai provides 1 of them. Meaning the other is through IHS Behavioral

Schedule Social Work pre surgical consult appt

Schedule Mental Health and Medical Clearance with Registrar

Go to NYC for 1-2 nights, maybe for each, hopefully just once

Maybe also for Social Work thing

Consult with Surgeon

Wait until I’ve worked about 12 months to get short term disability

Probably summer (ASAP) and when Mom has time off

Do logistics

Book an airbnb, hotel, etc for recovery

Starting a few days after OR date and lasting a little over a month

Within a 90 minute drive of Mt. Sinai

Rural enough that Mom is comfortable to help and can go home if someone else shows up

Probably New Jersey, maybe Hudson Valley

Has at least 1, preferably 2, separate bedrooms

Has 2 beds

Has ADA accessible entry

Has a kitchen

Has a full bath, preferably and a half

Has internet and preferably a TV

Lodging for Mom + Dad/care team while I’m in OR

Probably 5-7 days

Preferably with a 1-2 day buffer period before OR date (included in the 7 day estimate) so I can enjoy the city

Either within a short walk from Mt. Sinai or on the same subway line as Mt. Sinai

RW, 1, or ACE

Someone to help me get from recovery location to Mt. Sinai while not in NYC

Develop and get list of items needed for recovery

Dilator

Pads

Gowns/loose clothing

Comfort food

Coordinate missing 8-9 weeks of work

Take care with who knows what before I leave

Inform HR, department manager, and work friends whats up

Get cleared for surgery and get an OR date

Probably a 6-12 month date from clearance

Get pre clearance testing through PCP or a lab in hometown

Go to NYC for that if need be

Week Before Surgery

No alcohol, no aspirin, NSAIDs, herbal supplements, or fish oil

Consult for other non aspirin blood thinners (which I am not on)

No alcohol for 3 weeks after as well

Tylenol/Acetaminophen is okay

Go downstate

See friends from NYC?

Bring Mom/Dad?

Do something fun in Manhattan

Get a COVID test

Take an anti-bacterial bath

Day before surgery

Breakfast before 9am

Last meal

Drink Golytely bowel solution around noon

Chemically induced diarrhea

Clear fluids only after golytely

(includes coffee, tea, water, broth, some juices)

Nothing goes in the stomach after midnight

Some medication okay with a sip of water

HRT???

Get surgery (a penile inversion vaginoplasty)

1 to 1+½ days

I’ve heard of as long as three

3-5 day hospital stay

Mom and Dad probably stay in Manhattan then

Go to recovery location

Drive with seat reclined

Stay for 4 weeks, pretty much bedridden

Go to follow ups

Dilate

Go home

Continue recovery for another 2-4 weeks at home

Follow up with PCP

Return to life

[centrally-unplanned]

We have results of the "Denver Basic Income Project" targeted at homeless groups in the region, which from their lens must be quite disappointing:

Groups A and B are the experimental groups, receiving $1k a month for a year or the same amount as a lump sum. Group C got $50 a month, a "compliance" payment to make sure they show up for data collection essentially. Hilariously, the website is pretending Group C is not a control group, since they got the pennies they dug out of the sofa cushion, and saying this is all a success!

"Statistically significant across all groups" this is a hate crime against data science. But it is so laughable that it isn't really worth getting into; what else can you say?

More substantially, what you are observing in this data is that the homelessness population is a little bit bimodal between the chronic and the temporary. Not fully ofc, but it's normally evident in the data - the median person is homeless for ~12 months, but ~1/3rd are chronically homeless while another ~1/3rd are generally only homeless for a few months, and then the rest bleed out in the middle. With no UBI the results above are what you would expect - half the group found income sources, found housing, and returned to being poor-but-housed, that is the default. For the other group, homelessness is a combination of the "willing" homeless and the structurally excluded, from drug problems to actively violent behavior to track records of similar that disqualify them as too high risk, or those who simply loathe all bureaucratic systems and refuse to comply (mood).

$1000 a month is pretty substantial, you aren't realistically going to have UBI higher than that. And it is not like recipients were excluded from SNAP/food stamps or anything. Giving radically more could maybe shift things, sure, but I think you are seeing close to the "cap" here on what you can realistically shift with lump sums.

For a certain kind of UBI proponent I could see this being a failure, like "oh why did money not fix this". I sort of view it as the opposite? Why would I expect money to fix this in that way? UBI is a consumption subsidy, the entire point is that it's no-strings. If people want to spend their consumption differently than I would expect, good for them? UBI is about broad based income support; it is not targeted at specific social ills by design. I think it can have structural changes in the economy - UBI permanently shifts bargaining power between workers & employers a bit for example - but I wouldn't expect it to say close the educational achievement gap outside of marginally.

I do think this should be a check on a sort of naive "poverty" lens for social ills; ~50% of homelessness is about money churn. This paper actually does a bad job of showing that, because it tracks everyone at "time zero" when they are all homeless. If you look at other studies where housed and unhoused alike get UBI, you see that they are less likely to become homeless to begin with. And it is just one study of course - additionally 2021-2022 was a bad year for housing as temporary Covid eviction & rent control measures expired, and this pilot started in 2022, while meanwhile it was a *really* good time for the poor-but-working income-wise as low-end wages increased dramatically, so it was a big dip combined with big churn in the poverty rates. Still, with all those caveats poverty is probably not the lodestone for that other ~50%. If you want to address those social ills you are going to need more involved social programs - or be a libertarian about it and let them do as they wish. Your call, as long as the limits of "throw money" at a problem is understood.

[stylespresleyhearted]

what’s the secret project you posted 👀

oh gosh i keep meaning to answer this and then i keep forgetting or pushing it back for reasons unknown to me i think im just unaccustomed to having any asks lol but anyways this is something that actually started because of a certain thing me and marina yell about when it comes to austin and then as our love for callum grew it came to something else grand and beautiful. now it’s only something that has been discussed in the chat, it has no doc or nothing official to it, it may never even come to fruition (marina is already gifting us with so much goodness in the fic worlds she dabbles in)

but i will share some of it and feel free to come further talk about it if it interests you 😘

Warnings: nsfw below the cut, open relationship, threesome, guy x guy, guy x guy x girl

So we’re all aware of how Austin put his blood, sweat, tears, and soul into his Elvis role. This man gave it his all and I’m truly so grateful to him for it because in my opinion (and most importantly in Lisa Marie’s opinion) he did Elvis Presley justice.

• Bree is a famous and highly esteemed guitarist, singer, and lyricist. She’s won multiple Grammies and written for and with Lana Del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, etc., that’s more her vibe. Baz hires her on during the making of Elvis movie so she could help him modernize the soundtrack and help with the choosing of songs. Maybe she’s even there when Austin gathers all the people from the record label and has them ridicule Austin after his first run through.

• But she’s there before filming and she’s there during filming and her and Austin even shack up together for a while during the first COVID lockdown, spending time with him in his apartment and staying up at all hours of the night to help him get certain scenes right. The bed sheets are tangled, kisses are shared, breakfast is eaten in bed not in the kitchen and there are multiple walks on the beach taken together.

• Bree tries her best to be there for him through all of it. She can sense he’s about to sky rocket and rightfully so, she doesn’t think anyone around can currently measure for his talent. She tries to be a soundboard and a friend and a girlfriend of sorts and a co worker and he’s got her playing all these different roles to keep up with him but keep in mind he never asked her to do any of that. She’s doing it because she loves him, maybe she isn’t in love with him or if she is she isn’t aware of it yet but she does love and care for him.

• And he’s going through his shit. He isn’t sure where Austin begins and Elvis ends and he isn’t in the headspace for a relationship, especially with Bree who deserves the world so when he’s sick as a dog and bed ridden before heading to London he makes sure to have the conversation with her. They were never official. Never went public or had rumors swirl. It’s better to end it on a good note and leave it how it is.

• So consider his surprise when a few months into filming MOTA, Bree shows up on Callum’s arm being introduced as his girlfriend. It’s supposed to be a lads night and Barry dragged him out and now someone who he calls one of his closest friends is introducing Bree as his current girlfriend. A close friend who he goes on walks in the parks with, who places kisses on his cheek after a few drinks, who places his hand on the small of Austin’s back when he approaches him, who pinches his cheeks and welcomed him with open arms. Dating someone who was there at his worst and gave him her heart and stayed up entire nights talking him down when his anxiety was too high and made him do self care when he forgot he was supposed to be his own person.

• and see, Callum and Bree are both Brits so they run in semi same circles and they knew of each other and were friends but Callum was with Vanessa Kirby and they were in love and for a while Bree was with Alex Turner and them afterwards there was Austin. So Callum and Bree were already friends and when they run into each other at a record shop and then head to lunch after and maybe Callum gave her a kiss goodbye when they went separate ways - it all just grew from there.

• so maybe Austin feels a green jealous monster growing inside his chest but who he’s jealous of he’s unsure and a larger part of him is actually happy for both of them. They’re good people, they love each other and both deserve each other.

• they’re suddenly everywhere. She accompanies Callum on set and it’s clear to everyone how in love they are and one time when they’re filming the POW scenes and everyone’s on lunch Austin is looking for peace and quiet so he wanders into their “bunks” but there right in front of him - Callum holding Bree up against the wood panel walls, pounding into her as she moans his name so prettily, his sheepskin jacket still on and making him sweaty. Callum’s eyes open and he catches Austin walking, Austin who trips over his own feet to back away but Callum just smiles and winks at him.

• and later Callum approaches Austin with a high five and a cheeky, “see how good I was giving it to her, mate?”

• and fuck, Austin gets hard thinking about it. Gets hard thinking about Bree’s moans and Callum’s grunt and his sweat and her breasts bouncing against his chest.

• then filming wraps and Austin’s free of them. Doesn’t have to be in there presence every day anymore and he meets someone, a nepo baby who’s beautiful and kind and he’s in a place where he feels he can be with someone so he goes for it and he falls in love.

• and MOTA press isn’t until 2024 so it’s two years of only a handful of run ins with them but then press starts and news break: Callum and Bree are engaged. And the entire cast and crew are happy and they all celebrate.

• She didn’t join Elvis press because she was touring.

• so now Austin is around his engaged friends and he has mixed feelings regarding both of them. See he’s happy and he loves his girlfriend and his career is good but if he’s being honest something is missing and when he wants to torture himself he admits he knows exactly what it is. And he’s doing interviews and Bree is backstage and Callum’s always so touchy and so kind in his words in regard to Austin and one day Callum admits Bree told him what went down between Bree and Austin and Callum’s a confident guy, he assures Austin it’s all fine.

• But maybe it’s the first screening of MOTA, and Callum and Bree are tired of Austin’s sad puppy dog eyes every time they catch him watching them so Bree corners Austin backstage. Gets close and starts palming him through his pants, assuring him Callum wouldn’t mind, in fact Callum has been purposely teasing Austin during interviews trying to get him to cave.

• Callum and Bree both decided if they all wanted it how could it be wrong? Why not go for it?

• And Bree’s falling to her knees and taking Austin in her mouth, pretty pouty lips wrapped around him as she takes him all the way in and suddenly Callum is there, watching them, talking her through it.

• “Isn’t she phenomenal, mate? Had to work with her to get rid of that gag reflex and now she can deep throat me.”

• and Callum waits until Austin mewls his name and calls him over, begging him to be a part of this somehow, to please hold him. So Callum is joining them, Bree so pretty on her knees between them and Callum is flicking Austin’s nipple and letting Austin let his moans out in his neck.

That’s all we have more to come soon if ya’ll wish 🌚

• oh yeah there’s a scene where Bree holds Austin’s hand the first time Callum fucks him because she’s aware of the pain of how large Callum is.

@precious-little-scoundrel

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dave Jamieson at HuffPost:

President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to fire federal employees who continue to telework rather than show up in person at government agencies. “If people don’t come back to work, come back into the office, they’re going to be dismissed,” Trump said in a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump and his advisers have said they want to institute mass layoffs in the federal workforce and will strip away remote work options so that people quit. But firing federal employees for working from home is easier said than done, since many federal union contracts allow for remote or hybrid work schedules. The incoming president lashed out at such arrangements and appeared to reference a new deal reached between the Social Security Administration and the union representing more than 40,000 employees. Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley, an appointee of President Joe Biden, recently agreed to a contract that extends telework scheduling into 2029, Bloomberg reported.

[...] Like other workplaces, many federal agencies instituted remote work during the pandemic and have not fully returned to in-office scheduling. A lot of workers cherish the flexibility, so their unions have been trying to lock in hybrid arrangements in their collective bargaining agreements. The president-elect’s new “Department of Government Efficiency,” an advisory body run by Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, is already recommending remote scheduling be taken away. Musk and Ramaswamy have openly said the aim is to prompt federal workers to resign. (Editor’s note: Ramaswamy owns a stake in HuffPost’s parent company, BuzzFeed.) “Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome: If federal employees don’t want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn’t pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home,” the pair recently wrote in The Wall Street Journal.

Deluded fascist lunatic Donald Trump endorses firings of government employees who refuse to return to in-person office work.

This is nothing more than an attack on workers’ rights and tool to erode morale at work.

[unreliablesnake]

Unmute (Simon "Ghost" Riley x reader)

Summary: You're in the middle of a meeting while Simon's around.

Note: I have listened to soooo many people talking because they didn't know they unmuted themselves since covid began. And the office jargon... Don't get me started on that one.

Warnings: None. It's fluff.

With a groan you threw your phone on the desk then unmuted yourself. "Okay, why don't you take this offline?" you asked, not even trying to hide your annoyance anymore.

Your co-workers were hesitating, one even brought up that the presentation had to be submitted today by EOD. You were glad you didn't turn on your cameras today, and you were sure as hell happy you had muted yourself again when this colleague pressed on, telling you all that she needed the exact and up-to-date numbers to work with.

Your boss knew you better than anyone from the call, so you weren't surprised to hear her silence that woman by saying, "Dave, let's circle back with Julie once you get the correct numbers, please."

"Will do," Dave said with a sigh.

You began to type a message to your boss on your phone, thanking her for putting an end to this bullshit when you felt a hand on your shoulder. Leaning your head back, you looked up and saw Simon watch you with a smile.

"Is it that entertaining?"

"This is your what? Fifth call today?" he asked, his thumb drawing circles on your skin. You quickly did the math in your head then nodded, confirming his words. "I have no idea how you do this on a daily basis. I'd rather have people trying to actively kill me all day long."

With a laugh, you turned your head just enough to kiss his knuckles. "You can get used to it," you told him.

Simon leaned down to kiss the top of your head before moving his hands around your body to pull you back against him. "Can I bring you anything?" he asked.

You returned your attention to the meeting again, hoping you didn't miss anything interesting, then looked back at him. "I could kill for a coffee."

"I'll get you one."

After you flashed a thankful smile at him, Simon went to the kitchen and you paid full attention to the meeting. They were back at it again, talking about a presentation that had absolutely nothing to do with this particular meeting. You quickly checked the list of participants and noticed your boss had left the meeting while you were preoccupied with your boyfriend.

Well, fuck. You were on your own.

Angry at the woman who just couldn't shut up, you unmuted yourself and said, "Julie, please, take this offline. Let's just return to the agenda, okay? Dave, you're done, I guess. Steven, you promised to show us the Q2 financial report, so why don't you begin?"

"Thank God," you heard him whisper, but his words were followed by shocked silence. "Oh, sorry, I thought I was still muted," he quickly apologized. "Anyway, I'll share my screen in a second, tell me if you see it."

You confirmed his screen was shared and he began his presentation. Simon returned in a minute, putting the cup in front of you before placing a soft kiss on your cheek. His big palm was resting on your shoulder, the contact making you purr like a kitten.

"So what's this?" he asked, keeping his lips close to your ear.

"Our latest financial report. Boring stuff," you explained with a laugh. "Seriously, I'd rather drown myself in you than listen to this. But sadly, I have no choice."

"Honey," Simon said quietly, "I think you're not muted."

Your eyes opened wide as you checked the screen and noticed he was right. "Shit, sorry," you quickly said before muting yourself.

In a matter of hours everyone and their mother would know what you just said. Simon only laughed as he went back to reading his book, while you were paying close attention to the presentation you had just called boring in front of about eighty people.

[eepyfaggoth]

Job Opportunity in (no longer) Boston

Hello! I'm a multiply disabled medically complex wheelchair user in greater boston who relies on caregivers and i am hiring! No experience necessary, just be resourceful, patient, covid cautious, dependable, and an enthusiastic learner. Especially looking for other fat people! Hoping for someone who drives but I am accessible via the T.

Turning to tumblr as a bit of a hail mary because i am having a really hard time finding someone who can do the job, show up, and also be normal to me as a fat disabled queer through local channels, and i have one worker now who comes as often as they can, but ive been without adequate support for a while. i would appreciate anyone and everyone who reblogs, to possibly get this in the eyes of someone who might be a good fit! welcoming advice as well!

I have the sweetest esa cat

Pay is 19$ an hour funded by masshealth, i have 30-35 hours available and you can work as many or as few of those as you want

Im still very much trying to figure out life with my disability and how to function and organize and communicate my needs and navigating what I'm emotionally able to accept help with, but in general I need help with housework, cooking, managing my medical care, pushing me in my manual wheelchair, sometimes help using a slide board, and I'm still trying to figure out what things look like on a daily basis. going places with or for me. helping me get in the car, helping me pack a backpack if i need to go somewhere. getting mail, helping clean and pick things up off the floor, organizing medical appointments, making phone calls, unpacking medical equipment. emptying a pee jar. Helping me manage/charge medical equipment. I have a hard time lifting my arms a lot because of really bad neck issues, and i have really limited stamina. Putting drinks in smaller bottles, taking packaging off things. I also kind of need help with dressing and bathing sometimes but I have a really hard time coping with that and so like. That happens when it happens and is what it is. I have some systems for washing my hair without actually getting in the shower. I have variable conditions so things might not be the same all the time, on a good day I might be able to sit up for a while and do tasks, on a bad day it's very hard to bring a drink to my lips.

There's no physically lifting my entire body, but I do need someone who can lift the 50lb largest piece of one my wheelchairs and standard everyday heavy stuff like groceries or boxes of protein shakes. And sometimes my limbs. There's also likely things like reaching and stooping, alas, I drop a lot of things on the floor. I have a lot of allergies and some tasks are more complicated than they otherwise might be, and Im really hoping to find someone who can pay attention to detail and is comfortable working through things slowly.

i have a lot of allergies so memory and attention to detail are important, as is a willingness to wash hands frequently. i have a disorder called mast cell activation syndrome and frankly the precautions i need to take feel absurd

covid precautions:

Masks required! I'm hoping to find someone who also takes other precautions.I also need someone to be careful about monitoring yourself and not coming in if you are sick with *anything* because I *will* get it and it *will* be a multiple week ordeal where I likely experience dangerous symptoms. must be able to test weekly and mask with a k/n95 while around me. ideally be someone who lives low risk (masks everywhere, doesnt attend crowded events / spaces, etc). cannot be someone with a high risk lifestyle (has kids in primary school, unmasked in food service areas regularly, etc) we can talk about my precautions too, right now i havent left my house in weeks, i have two way masking with my current pca, and occasionally an unmasked delivery person will come into my apartment though id like to work on solutions to this. i need to like. revamp my precautions. but i dont go anywhere without a mask, i only have unmasked contact with another person if someone comes into my apartment and i cant get to my mask, i am eating while my pca is here and they are masked, or when my also homebound and careful partner is visiting. if someone was working for me more than 25 hours a week and lived a very low risk life i might be open to having a bubble with them during non surge times with precautions like air filters?

i really try to create a calm and positive work environment, though i have complex and real needs and i've been struggling to survive for a long time and i am very overwhelmed. i care deeply about a humanizing workplace, and i am looking for someone who will care enough about my needs as a human being to take the job seriously even though i am as flexible as possible.

About me, in case that helps?

Fat genderfluid dyke. I'm on my third medical leave from college (like a champ!) but I study medical anthropology, disability studies, and linguistics. I don't get out much or do a lot right now because of my illness but i like fiber arts, music, I don't do tons because I spend most of my time in bed but im really passionate about mutual aid, it's been a a minute but I've been wanting to get back into d&d, I think the magicians is the greatest work of television ever written, and I've been trained as a clown and want to try stand up (well, sit down) comedy at some point. I'm a bit neurotic but very self aware. trying to sort out anticonsumerism in the context of my disability. i value creativity, resourcefulness, autonomy, and consent.

(if this went like really well, i am also potentially looking to apply for housing assistance with accommodation for a room for a live in aid, but probably in western mass. idk)

Gwen :) he/they

Message for details

[thehmn]

Just some follow up thoughts/responses on my last post.

When I say I’m a cleaner people on the internet often feel like they have to be nice about it but it’s okay. I know it’s seen as demeaning low-paying work in a lot of countries but here in Denmark it’s considered a proper respectable job that pays pretty well. I’m paid way more than people who answer phones at call centers (like when you buy a ticket over the phone) and only slightly less than my sister’s job as a journalist despite her getting a fancy degree. I’m only balancing on the poverty line because my ADHD is keeping me from working full time, but at the same time cleaning is perfect for me. I get to move around a bunch and I don’t work the same place every day.

And the pandemic really made people understand the value of cleaners. At the start of the pandemic most businesses didn’t feel safe having someone like me visit them because I visit a bunch of places and is around strangers all the time. They thought “Yeah it’s not going to be as nice as usual but surely we can swipe our own floors” That lasted all of one month before they changed their minds. People are messy (especially with coffee) so keeping a workplace clean requires dedicated time. Also, so far I haven’t had Covid once because, you know, even cleaners like to stay clean.

Trust me, if you’ve ever had the thought “Oh well, gives the cleaner something to do. It’s their job anyway” after spilling something you might as well start being rude to waiters and cashiers too. We have plenty to do even if nobody ever spilled anything. Do you think the dust just blows away? Or alternatively, have you been wondering why your workplace is so dusty? Might it have something to do with the coffee stains on the wall that keep disappearing? Cleaners aren’t talked about a lot in conversations about treating essential workers better because we usually show up after you go home but that doesn’t make it any less rude.

And talking about essential workers, remember that list that made the rounds on the internet during the pandemic of what jobs should be considered essential and non-essential and how people got really up in arms about artists being on the non-essential side? As someone who literally got half my pay from cleaning and the other half from working as an artist at the time, my job as a cleaner was a 100% more important during a pandemic. “But people are stuck indoors. They need entertainment for morale and not going stir crazy” I’m sorry but there’s an almost limitless well of entertainment on the internet you haven’t consumed yet. Yeah, I want to see (and make) new art too but trust me, it would mean nothing if we had to walk around in filth. There are a lot of other situations where artists would be more important than cleaners but a pandemic ain’t it.

And finally, I kept saying robot cleaner instead of Roomba in my last post because Roomba is a brand name. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Roomba in the wild despite seeing loads of robot vacuums.

Have a lovey, hopefully clean day ✨

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

By Broadwaybabyto AKA The Disabled Ginger

If you see a mask - wear a mask. Better yet - wear a mask all the time and show us you understand that we're still IN a pandemic. We are depending on you to keep us safe - please don't betray that.

I’m dedicating this article to disability advocate and Long Covid patient Tinu - who passed away three weeks ago. Please read to the end for more information on her legacy and how to help patients like her. #ForTinu.

I was recently at the hospital (which is not an unusual occurrence for me) and wearing my N99 respirator like I always do. I’m the definition of a ‘high risk’ patient. I’m immune compromised, I don’t mount a proper response to vaccination and I have heart issues. A cold has put me in the hospital.

In fact - I masked prior to Covid during cold and flu season or in high risk situations like the ER. Healthcare workers intuitively put on a mask when they saw mine - a process we refer to as ‘mask mirroring.’ They recognized the risk any virus or bug posed to me and took steps to try and keep me safe.

During the first year or so of the pandemic - it was relatively easy to stay safe in the hospital. There were strict mask mandates in place (albeit with surgical masks) and many patients were being treated virtually to reduce the number of people in the hospital.

But as we rushed ‘back to normal’ - I noticed a perceptible shift in healthcare workers’ approach to masking. They very clearly didn’t WANT to do it anymore. Even in hospitals that had active mandates - I would encounter staff wearing their mask below their nose or chin - and they would sigh and huff at me if I asked them to put their mask on properly.

One time I was in the elevator when a woman in scrubs got on. She was wearing a hospital badge - clearly an employee and thus governed by the mandates the hospital had laid out.

Her mask was in her hand. I asked politely for her to wear it and told her I was immune compromised. She rolled her eyes - held it in front of her face (without actually putting it on) and then leaned right across me to hit the elevator button. There was another set of buttons on the opposite side of the elevator - and this move felt like a deliberate attempt to violate my personal space and ensure I knew just how unhappy she was that I asked her to mask (trust me - I knew).

As time went on and more and more people bought into the comfortable lie that Covid was over - it became harder to access safe medical care. Less and less staff were complying with mandates - and eventually they were dropped altogether in favour of a ‘mask friendly’ policy.

What exactly IS a ‘Mask Friendly’ Policy? “We respect the choice of all patients to wear a mask if they see fit. Hospital staff will decide whether or not a mask is required based on a number of factors. They will not tolerate any violence or abusive behaviour.”

Effectively - we’re not going to mask anymore but if you really want to - we won’t stop you. Stating that masks will be ‘respected’ infers that there’s something inherently wrong with masking. That people who do it are to be tolerated but perhaps also pitied. It’s the exact WRONG message to be sending in a hospital of all places.

That said - I knew my chart clearly documented my risk factors so I hoped that doctors would continue to ‘mask mirror’ for me. Unfortunately I was very wrong.

Since mandates have been dropped I’ve been accused of being “anxious”, scared of Covid, “difficult” and told I should “stop worrying so much.” I’ve had staff refuse to pull up a mask they’re wearing under their nose, repeatedly take their mask off and on during an appointment and a few have outright refused to wear one. It’s been absolutely exhausting - as I have to steel myself for each and every interaction as though I were going into battle.

For a Vulnerable Patient - the Hospital Feels like The Hunger Games May the odds be ever in your favour. We have to navigate so much risk. It’s not JUST the risk of Covid - it’s any hospital acquired infection. The pushback against mandates has caused an overall reduction in infection control. I’ve had staff try and start an IV without washing their hands - and get angry with ME for requesting they stop. It’s bleak for patients right now.

There’s also the risk of being psychologized or labelled anxious because you choose to wear a mask (or ask a healthcare worker to wear one for you). I don’t understand how we’ve ended up in a place where it’s considered ‘weak’ or a ‘flaw’ to want to protect yourself and others from a deadly and disabling virus. But it IS where we’ve ended up.

On one of my recent trips to the ER - I had an infuriating interaction with a doctor. It may not seem immediately obvious WHY it was so infuriating - but please read on and I will explain.

Doctor: Looks at my N99

"you seem anxious about Covid."

Me: "Not anxious - realistic. Please check my chart - colds have put me in hospital."

Dr: Checks chart.

"Oh sorry - you should definitely keep masking. Do you want me to wear one?"

My Plea to Maskless Healthcare Workers Please stop doing this to patients. While I'm grateful the doctor dropped the "anxiety" remark quickly AND checked my chart - they never should have commented on my mask. They should have been masking too. If they absolutely cannot or will not mask for themselves - they should ‘mask mirror’ when they see a masked patient.

This idea that ‘only the vulnerable’ need to worry is causing a tremendous amount of harm. I was ‘lucky’ in that my chart clearly states that I’m vulnerable - so the doctor didn’t push back. What about people with less obvious circumstances? What about those caring for a vulnerable person but who are healthy themselves? Would the doctor mask for them?

The only difference between me and everyone else is that I KNOW I'm vulnerable.

I might even be slightly less vulnerable by virtue of the fact that everyone else has had repeated COVID infections (which we know damages your immune system) and I'm avoiding infection.

If you know enough about Covid to agree that a vulnerable person SHOULD be masking - shouldn't you ALSO be wearing one? You obviously understand it's more serious than we're being led to believe - so why aren't you protecting yourself and others?

This is extra true if you're a healthcare worker. You can't tell WHO is vulnerable just by looking at them.

By the time the doctor had made the comment, checked my chart and offered to mask - we had been in close proximity for seven minutes. That’s more than enough time to infect a patient.

While I of course appreciate they made the offer TO mask - at that point the damage was done. COVID can infect in seconds. If you see a patient masking - the decent, caring and smart thing to do is to don one yourself.

We must also be cognizant of the fact that many patients don't feel comfortable questioning a doctor given the imbalance of power. So while they may WANT you to put on a mask - once you've accused them of "anxiety" they're going to shut down. They won't ask. They won't risk deterioration of care.

This interaction went as well as could be expected - and yet it still put me at risk unnecessarily. It still resulted in my being psychologized. It still left me with a lack of trust and faith in the medical system.

How Can I Have Faith in a System That Ignores the Science? A system that puts me - and others just like me - in harms way? A system that allows healthcare workers to refuse to acknowledge the critical role they’re meant to play in our lives.

They're meant to HELP us. Not harm us.

I'm not a doctor. I can't treat myself. I can "just stay home" from almost ANY public setting - but I can't avoid the hospital. I'm not the only patient like this. We are all making huge personal sacrifices to keep safe in a world that has deemed us "expendable".

We're exhausted, angry, scared and frustrated. Yet despite how badly we've been treated and how much we've had to sacrifice - the place we go to GET BETTER is the place most likely to give us a deadly and disabling virus.

Does no one understand how backwards that is?

Now - we’ve all heard the tired argument ‘if your mask works why do I need to wear one’ - so let’s address the WHY and put that discussion to bed:

In a hospital setting - there are countless reasons a person might be unable to mask. In my case I have frequent anaphylaxis and when my airway is in jeopardy they must remove my mask.

People are vomiting, need oxygen, have dental emergencies or facial trauma. People have tracheostomies or sensory issues that make it impossible to mask. Babies and small children can’t mask. The list of people in a hospital who may be unable to mask is LONG.

These are sick people having a medical emergency and due to the nature of their condition - they can’t protect themselves. They are relying on others to protect them.

They have no control over other patients - but they should be able to expect that the staff they’re trusting with their life be willing to wear a mask for them. One way masking is good - two way masking is far better.

Disabled, elderly and vulnerable people are not expendable. We aren't "better off dead." We deserve safe access to all public spaces - but hospitals and medical facilities should be at the TOP of the list.

There's No Logical Reason to Oppose Mask Mandates In Hospitals It's where the sickest people are, they have no choice but to be there AND where the strongest bugs thrive.

Masking would prevent a great many nosocomial infection and it would SAVE LIVES.

Please - push for masks in healthcare. If you're a healthcare worker who sees a patient in a mask - put one on for them. Don't make them ask.

Don't psychologize them. Don't betray the trust they've shown you. They've literally put their lives in your hands. Don't take that for granted - it’s not an easy thing for many of us to do.

If you're a patient struggling because you can't access safe healthcare - know you're not alone. There are many of us struggling alongside you. Fighting for the respect and care we deserved. Saying proudly that we will not go gently to the wayside. We will NOT be expendable.

How Do Other Vulnerable Patients Feel? I posted on Twitter/X asking people if they would like masks in hospital. Asking if they had delayed or avoided care due to lack of masking. Asking healthcare workers to tell me why they did or didn’t mask.

The responses were overwhelming and demonstrated a very clear need for masking policies in hospitals. There were over a thousand replies from people who were either avoiding care and/or had been infected in a healthcare setting. There were actual doctors saying they’re not concerned with getting sick so patients can ‘mask if they want.’

There were heartbreaking stories of healthcare workers trying to protect themselves and their patients only to be told by administrators and/or superiors that they aren’t allowed because the masks remind people of the pandemic.

I’m sensitive to people who’ve gone through a trauma - but we are still IN a pandemic. If masks remind people of the pandemic - that’s a good thing. People need to know it’s not over and that they’re taking serious risks with their health.

If your trauma is so severe that you can’t mask for a vulnerable patient - or worse you lash out at a patient for masking - then you need to carefully assess whether you should still be in a patient facing role. There’s help for trauma - many chronically ill patients have been repeatedly traumatized in healthcare settings. We work through it as best we can - and for our sake (and your own) we need you to work through yours as well.

Given the sheer volume of responses - I’m going to turn this article into a series. This article will serve as MY plea to healthcare workers. Part Two will be a summary of the stories I received from patients who feel unsafe in healthcare. Part Three will be the responses from healthcare workers - including reasons WHY they mask and why they don’t.

My hope is that this series will encourage hospitals and governments to reconsider mandatory masking in healthcare. In the absence of a mandate - I hope people will send this article to any healthcare workers they know and perhaps it will convince them to do the right thing without waiting to be told.

Never forget - you have lives in your hands. You don’t need a mandate to mask up. The sooner we start masking in healthcare the more lives will be saved.

In Loving Memory of Tinu Lastly - I want to end this article with a tribute to disability advocate and Long Covid patient - Atinuke Abayomi Paul (Tinu). Tinu had cancer AND Long Covid and spent the last months of her life advocating for Masks in Healthcare. She was undergoing chemotherapy and most healthcare workers REFUSED to mask for her. Her first Covid infection left her with devastating disability. She was the definition of ‘high risk’ given she had cancer and was undergoing chemo - and still they refused to protect her. Unsurprisingly - she caught Covid again.

This should NEVER happen. Patients like Tinu deserve to be safe in healthcare settings. We all do.

She also spent a great deal of time trying to raise money to afford her chemotherapy - and spearheaded a number of mutual aid campaigns on social media. If you ever needed help, a boost, a share etc… you could count on Tinu. She understood the harsh realities of living with chronic illness - namely that you’re abandoned emotionally AND financially and often have to rely on crowd funding for support.

Her death has been a devastating blow to the disability community - and I hope that this article can serve as a reminder of what’s at stake when you choose NOT to take precautions in healthcare settings. Mask up for Tinu. Mask up for me. Mask up for yourself.

The community is raising funds to support Tinu’s family and pay off medical debt - if you’re in a position to help - you can access the Go Fund Me here: www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-tinus-legacy-with-compassionate-support