“REALLY ENCOURAGING NEWS”
Fear and Loathing in the United States of America
Trying to survive a system that willing admits you are expendable.
There are two distinct groups on each end of this countries current “view” of public health — those who fear any small diversion from the picturesque capitalistic utopia they think they're climbing the ladder in while loathing any measure or person that represents even a whisper of real public health concern. And then there are those, like me, living with chronic illness and disability, in fear for their lives, and loathing the words “public health” because group one exists.
Yesterday our very own CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH cemented those fears when she said,
“The overwhelming number of deaths, over 75%, occurred in people who had at least 4 comorbidities. So really these are people who were unwell, to begin with, and yes, really encouraging news in the context of Omicron.”
Whether she meant it to or not (and don’t believe for a second that she didn’t) this reads as, “Only our weak are dying so we’re really happy with how we’re handling the situation right now,” and to that, I just have to say, up yours with ziggy wawa brush director!
If you are not one of the 30+ million Americans whose potential deaths are “really encouraging news,” you probably don’t understand how jarring this is. In fact, you are probably still mad that you are in group A in my opening paragraph, but if you’ve read this far, I want you to keep going. I want you to see all of the tweets below and begin to grasp how the past two years, how the current social/economic/political climate, is crushing fellow human beings who deserve to live safe and happy lives too.
We’ve been on lockdown this whole time.
Constantly blowing it off as mild is like saying, “Oh I know if I do this I’m going to have a heart attack, and I’ll cause 5 more people to have one, but I heard it’s mild, so no worries.”
This is really fucking encouraging.
Until it’s you or a loved one that suffers or dies from outcomes that are normally treatable, this sad truth holds no bearing on the vast majority.
Those of us suffering are still offering support and advice to those who are joining our ranks thanks Long-Covid.
Speaking on Long-Covid, as a mother of children who live many of the symptoms/conditions that come with it already, are you prepared for your kids to be included in acceptable death outcomes during pandemics of the future?
The lack of support is breaking us.
And it shouldn’t be, we’ve been here before.
The vast majority in this country are not mentally, emotionally, or financially prepared to live life with a disability, and your damn sure, not ready to have the world treat you the way you’ve treated us the past two years.
So tired. It’s time for the rest of you to step up, crawl out of your cushy health privileged bubbles, and admit that public health safety can only exist when it includes the best interest of all, even those “people who were unwell to begin with.” We shouldn’t have to survive the system that is supposed to protect us.
