#pandemic recovery

[familythings]

Covid 19 Updates - Symptoms for 2024 version and Practical Tips

In recent weeks, many individuals have shared their experiences of encountering symptoms resembling those linked to earlier waves of COVID-19. Despite the changing global response and the reduced public focus and restrictions, it’s incredibly important to keep a sense of vigilance about our health and overall well-being. Grasping the Current Situation We are experiencing a resurgence of…

[powerexec]

Self-Employed Tax Credit (SETC) Program FAQ’s

Self-employed Tax Credit (SETC) Program FAQ’s What is the SETC program? If you’re a real estate agent, insurance agent, trucker, small business owner, 1099 contractor or small business owner you’ve probably never heard of the Self-Employed Tax Credit (SETC). This is why we are gong to share exactly what it is, and how can it benefit you? In a nutshell, the SETC is a tax credit created by…

[pastorjeremynorton]

Why You Should Reconnect with Your Faith Community THIS Sunday

Reconnect with your faith community! Discover the benefits of church attendance and overcome post-pandemic challenges. Where are you going to church this Sunday? #Faith #Community #ChurchReconnect

Where Are You Going to Church? On May 5, 2023, more than three years after COVID-19 was designated a pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to the global Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19. It’s now May 2024, a year out of the pandemic…where are you going to church? Have you returned to regular church attendance? If you have, well done and thank you! If not,…

[gumjrop]

On February 13, 2024, the Washington Post reported that the CDC is considering ending the five-day isolation period for those with a COVID infection according to anonymous CDC staff. It is imperative that the CDC minimally maintains current isolation guidelines to prevent the unnecessary spread of COVID.

Why is the five day isolation period necessary? The five-day isolation period has allowed people infected by COVID to rest and recover from illness and prevent the exposure and spread of COVID to uninfected people. Ideally, a ten-day isolation period is better to ensure an adequate amount of time for rest and recovery.

Allowing your immune system sufficient time to fight the infection is important. Rest and recovery from an active COVID infection is important, as physical overexertion can have adverse effects on one’s health. Even if vaccinated, boosted, and healthy, a COVID infection can greatly harm one's health, and may lead to Long COVID, a condition that has harmed and disabled millions of Americans.

Prevention of exposure to and spread of COVID requires a minimum five-day isolation period. Clear evidence demonstrates that in the course of an active COVID infection, the highest viral load occurs approximately by day 4 of an infection. Some people may have their symptoms end earlier than others, however, early symptom resolution does not necessarily mean the end of infectiousness, as asymptomatic COVID transmission can occur. Ultimately, by preventing COVID infections, the likelihood of people becoming severely ill from COVID, as well as those who will develop long COVID, will be greatly reduced.

The CDC will be considering and making a decision by April. During this time, we urgently ask Congress and the White House to intervene and ensure that the CDC maintains the current COVID five-day isolation policy. 

Instructions:

We must ask Congress and the White House to ensure the CDC maintains the current 5 day isolation policy for COVID infection. It is important that the CDC maintains its current policy to ensure that the American people have enough time to rest and recover from an active COVID infection, as well as to prevent the spread of COVID to other people. Rest and recovery is important, as an infection can have adverse effects on health. Even those vaccinated, boosted, or healthy could face irreversible harm from COVID. Having multiple infections has the potential to increase the risk of developing Long COVID, a condition that has already injured and disabled millions of Americans. Submit a letter to your government officials via Action Network!

Letter to White House and Congress

Example Letter Below:

Dear Representative,

I am writing to ask you to ensure that the CDC maintains the current isolation policy for those with an active COVID infection, as this protects the health and well being of all Americans at work, school, and all other places of gatherings.

COVID infections injure, harm, and cause death among millions of Americans. Everyone must be protected from COVID infections. COVID is spread through the inhalation of aerosol particles, and the risk of becoming infected is higher in indoor settings compared to outdoor settings. Due to its mechanism of spread, the current 5-day isolation policy is a primary key layer of protection for prevention, as opposed to other approaches against infections in public settings. 

Shortening the isolation window is a failure to recognize the clear scientific evidence that people may have the highest viral loads by day 4 of an infection.(1) For some people, their symptoms may abate below the 5-day time window, but they may remain infectious.(2)

The public relies on guidelines that establish sufficient standards in workplaces and other places of gathering. It ensures protection in vulnerable settings, such as healthcare, long-term care facilities, schools, and workplace settings. COVID remains an ongoing pandemic and threat to the health of the American people. Ongoing reinfections result in more people developing Long COVID.(3)  Any consideration to reduce or eliminate the COVID isolation guideline inexplicably fails to acknowledge core control measures for infectious disease. Any changes prevent the public’s ability to have a standard threshold for rest and recovery from a COVID infection. 

We ask for your support to ensure that the CDC prioritizes the health of people first. We urge you to act on the behalf of all people, especially for those who are most vulnerable. This includes those with advanced age, the immunocompromised, those living with other health conditions, disabled people. Let’s decrease infections in our communities by keeping scientific and evidence-based isolation guidelines.

References:

1. Jennifer K Frediani, Richard Parsons, Kaleb B McLendon, Adrianna L Westbrook, Wilbur Lam, Greg Martin, Nira R Pollock, The New Normal: Delayed Peak SARS-CoV-2 Viral Loads Relative to Symptom Onset and Implications for COVID-19 Testing Programs, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 78, Issue 2, 15 February 2024, Pages 301–307, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciad582

2. Rinki Deo, Manish C. Choudhary, Carlee Moser, et al. Symptom and Viral Rebound in Untreated SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Ann Intern Med.2023;176:348-354. [Epub 21 February 2023]. doi:10.7326/M22-2381

3. Bowe, B., Xie, Y. & Al-Aly, Z. Postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 years. Nat Med 29, 2347–2357 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02521-2.

Submit Letter to Government Leaders

[fatehbaz]

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[poetryorchard]

good timezone, sprites! @nashira here and being a lil candid with the confessionals cam. i wanted to share a little bit about what went into deciding to do this workshop in the theme that i did, because i could have definitely went with purely ACNH route that would just be celebrating the game and not touching on the pandemic at all.

however, being that animal crossing is strongly linked to the onset of the pandemic (to me and i'm sure you and many others)...there's no way i can talk about ACNH without talking about the fear, the isolation, the heartbreak that i experienced in march 2020.

and i have yet to unpack those really difficult and heavy feelings, but in spirit of moving forward and growing as a person, it's time for me to consider all that i/we collectively went through, put our grief away in a box, tie it with a bow and rest it in a safe place.

to this day, 2020 still has me in knots. I can't keep living like this, I need to work through these feelings so that I can really experience 2023, still masked but with a full heart. there's no way we can continue fighting the ongoing pandemic otherwise!

if you want a safe space to write about these feelings, please join us on sunday for this workshop.

sign up here! tickets are sliding scale £0 - £15

[crimeronan]

spent a few hours at the farmer's market yesterday where local places have small samples of different strains of fruit and veggies to try. anyway we got a little box of plums that are so damn good it's unbelievable. just inhaled three in the kitchen and they don't even make a mess bc they just fall off the pit & melt in ur mouth. also got some of the sweetest peaches i've ever tasted & huge pears & a bunch of veggies n potatoes n corn for cooking this week. spoke with different vendors about their handcrafted beer and their rare peonies, watched little kids run around, got hot stroopwafels made to order n fresh squeezed lemonade that was wildly overpriced but very tasty. and now i'm like. i think i'm not a bitch anymore actually.

[lukewarmbreadatamoderatepace]

31. More girls are getting an education UNICEF reported that there are 50 million more girls in school today than there were in 2015. During this period, completion rates for girls have increased from 86% to 89% in primary school, and from 54% to 61% in high school. There are five million more girls completing all levels of education every year now compared to seven years ago. 

I thought it seemed strange that this entry from this feelgood end-of-year piece abruptly switched to using raw numbers (which all else being equal you would expect to go up just from population growth) instead of percentages so I looked up the numbers:

So that represents something like 310 million more girls born into the world in that 8 year timespan, 50 million of whom are getting educations. Is that... actually an improvement, ratio-wise? If we assume that schooling starts at age 5-6-ish (no idea how close that is to accurate), my sloppy and very-possibly-wrong back-of-the-envelope math suggests that fewer than half of girls end up going to school. That's pretty dire-- is it better or worse than before? What's the rate for boys? Afaict we're not really given any frame of reference to tell one way or the other.

[topoet]

Face To Face

pull up a chair The pandemic shut down a few years resulted in a new online recovery community taking hold. There had been an extensive number of email meetings but sites like zoom that offered sort of face to face video meetings really took off. It was bit of an adventure to find meetings around the world. Even ones that were based locally, say in Toronto, were attracting members from around…

[i-still-mask-because]

I recently started masking again after getting Covid for the first time. It didn’t hit me bad but I live with someone disabled who’s had it 4 times now, and most of my friends can’t risk it either. I thought I only needed to mask if I was in a crowded public space, this helped remind me school is not a safe place virally. School and work, no matter how well you know the people there; you never know if someone is showing up sick. Ugh. Sorry for grammar/spelling I still have Covid and just woke up

😷

[hexastitchimera]

God I hate contamination OCD.

Hate how the second any part of my body touches what my brain deems is 'infected', it actively feels like the skin of it is necrotizing.

Hate how shot the nerves in my hands are for a variety of reasons, but one of them is especially because "if the water isn't hot, a sickness you got."

Hate how time and experience- especially because of the Pandemic- has justified it all, making full recovery a pipe dream.

[quantumofawesome]

cn vaguest blogging

I keep thinking of

because I keep having a similar reaction, "I can't believe how bad that was", "I can't believe that happened to me." Not about the pandemic, about a personal hardship of mine. It reminds me also of when a cancer survivor I know at one point cried out during an emotional conversation, "I can't believe I almost died!" I feel that way. And... maybe I wish I had a legible thing to point to, like cancer or the pandemic? So I could say, "is anyone here gonna acknowledge how BAD that was??" But mostly I just feel surreal ... "I can't believe that happened to me." I can't believe I made it through that. I can't believe how different things are now. I can't believe I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay?

[dihalect]

my department is apparently no longer hybrid, but “on-site with ad-hoc remote work”. i’m just gonna see how long i can get away with ignoring that

[tmarshconnors]

The Pointlessness of the SAG Strike 2023

In recent weeks, the entertainment industry has been rocked by news of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike in 2023. While the actors involved in the strike have their reasons and concerns, it's essential to critically examine whether this strike is truly necessary or if it might be, in fact, quite pointless.

Economic Impact: One of the most immediate consequences of the SAG strike is the significant economic impact it has on the industry. Thousands of jobs, from actors to crew members, are being affected. Production companies are losing millions of dollars every day the strike continues. Given the economic hardships that many people have faced in recent times, including the COVID-19 pandemic, one must question the wisdom of causing further financial strain on the industry and its workers.

Demands and Priorities: The demands put forth by the striking actors are not unreasonable. However, one could argue that these demands might not be the top priority in a world grappling with more pressing issues. With global crises like climate change, social justice, and healthcare disparities, is a higher salary for already well-paid actors truly the most critical concern? Many people struggle to make ends meet, and it's hard to sympathize fully with actors making exorbitant salaries, especially when so many others are struggling.

Timing: The timing of the SAG strike is questionable, at best. It's happening in an era when the industry is still recovering from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people in the entertainment business are just getting back on their feet after months of uncertainty and unemployment. Striking now seems insensitive to the plight of others in the industry.

Alternative Solutions: Are strikes the only way to resolve disputes and negotiate better terms? In an industry that thrives on creativity and innovation, one would hope for more imaginative and collaborative solutions. Negotiation and dialogue could lead to more mutually beneficial outcomes without causing widespread disruption and financial loss.

Public Perception: Lastly, it's worth considering the public perception of the strike. In an age where people are increasingly disillusioned with celebrities and their lavish lifestyles, a strike like this may only further alienate the audience. The entertainment industry depends on the support and admiration of the public, and a strike that seems self-serving could harm its reputation.

In conclusion, while the actors participating in the SAG strike 2023 may have legitimate concerns, it's crucial to weigh the impact of their actions on the broader industry and society as a whole. In a world facing numerous pressing issues, this strike may indeed appear pointless to many, given its economic consequences and the perceived priorities of those involved. Perhaps there are more constructive ways to address the concerns of actors and create a fairer and more equitable entertainment industry.

[anxiousocdturtle93]

Day 5 Morning: Is it really true?

Trigger warning. OCD, Anxiety, PTSD, ED, Depression Venting

I didn’t decide to do this blog until late last night and even then I guess I’ve been feeling alone with grief and anger. It only was confirmed Friday morning though there were talks Thursday night. So I guess I could say 4, but I was made aware of this before hand. I have a horrible urge to redo everything, scrub away germs, panic, keep work going, and try and calm the anxiety, depression, PTSD, and OCD.

Now it’s in the stage of “What’s our next step?” “Are you going to be okay if I let you go home?” “Please try this.” “We are going to meet to see what to do.” “You’re homework is to research this.” “Call your insurance to see if these places will let you do outpatient treatment.”

Did you guess what it is?

For me, the new diagnosis is Anorexia Nervosa—restrictive calories and purge workouts.

My team behind me started the process. A new system for my therapist had me redoing some questionnaires, which then had ED. Dietitian got involved and the endocrinologist did the testing to see where my numbers were. Well shit. TS3 was high but that was because of the birth control. Most all numbers were good. A1C was going up slowly, BUN was the lowest it’s been from where it usually is.

I never thought of it—I thought it was normal to not be hungry sometimes. You know, be turned off by food sometimes. Plus, with my OCD, well there’s the compulsive side hoping the food is safe and not contaminated. And that could be eating at a new place or bring food from home an hour away in a bag that is safe but it’s still not enough. At the time I can have it, it’s not fresh. It’s wrong. That’s where OCD can be hand in hand with this. Lucky me, right?

Woah. Rewind. How did you not know this was happening? And where is the purge workouts coming in?

When the pandemic hit, I picked up running. I started at a mile and then hit the runners high. I could do 5K a year later without stopping and soon was doing 10K. I lost so much weight and was so proud. 220 down to 190. I wasn’t stuck in a car driving back and forth.

Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching my piano and flute students. What I don’t like is the drive. Times like that, I wish I can just teleport.

Fast forward to today. I realize I’m finding ways around the “you can do this for only so long.” Well then I will bike for 2 miles. I’ll walk for 2 miles. And keep going with using a push lawn mower and lifting things. We’re good with that, right? And that was this summer. I figure if I don’t workout during the time I’m teaching restricting the calories is smart.

Oh and don’t forget the food portion. Eating between 300-500 calories (usually 300-350). And that’s unintentional I think mostly. Why? Because when I drive. I take a granola bar, a ginger ale in case I get sick, and a pack of saltines. I don’t usually drink the ginger ale, and have half a pack of saltines. I always have mints with me. And if I don’t miss Panera, then it’s just the 100 calories soup, mostly.

So, yes. I have an ED and will start out patient treatment soon since I still have to make a living and can’t take time off. Got to love the cost of living. I have an ED as a person who weighs 235lbs. And then I get angry at those who can lose weight and I can’t. I did the diets too. I have the right food. But I don’t cook for me anymore. I don’t want too.

Why start a blog? Because I need to vent. I need a place to just….come to terms with it. And see the progress. Loads of things come to my mind that I didn’t know or that I could have. Finally, to share a story I suppose. Even if you don’t read it.

You’re not alone. Even though that voice makes you feel like you are. You aren’t. Get the help you need. Reach out.

If you are in a crisis and need help immediately, call 988 or continue to contact Crisis Text Line by texting “NEDA” to 741741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line. Crisis Text Line is a separate organization staffed by volunteers who provide free, 24/7 support via text message to individuals who are struggling with mental health, including eating disorders, and are experiencing crisis situations.

And here’s the website if you need more resources. Good luck.

[piltdownlad]

Kelly Dessaint on the "Drinks with Tony" Podcast

I was a guest on Tony DuShane’s eponymous podcast/radio show, Drinks with Tony. We discuss the craft writing, how I ended up driving a taxi, my experiences with Lyft and Uber, how I landed a gig writing a column for the S.F. Examiner, the pandemic and how a little bit of success can lead to a whole lot of despair. I think. We talked for a while, and I kinda hoping he edited a bunch of stuff…