(((nataluna)))

The sardonic, reductionist headline here could be "Scientists finally figured out why you get more colds in winter: bEcAuSe iT's CoLd!"—but the actual science involved here is both interesting, and potentially very relevant to everyday life and especially the immunocompromised:

Want to avoid catching or spreading respiratory viruses like CoVid-19, RSV, influenza, or a common cold? Mask up, please, but also bundle up! Wrap up in a scarf, wear a balaclava, and just generally keep your face warm. There's no single magic solution, but that's not a reason to do nothing. Rather, it's a reason to take several simple precautions that help avoid the spread of disease and protect those around you. (I can't tell you how much "this isn't 100% effective so I shouldn't do it at all" frustrates me.)

Oh, and #knitblr? This is your time to shine.

I just read this excellent article by The Atlantic about the impact of Covid on immunocompromised people. As an immunocompromised person myself, it really spoke to me. While the article is long, I specifically wanted to highlight the parts taking about ableism.

I am so happy a piece of journalism is acknowledging how fucking disgusting and ableist society’s reaction to the disabled, elderly, and generally infirm has been during Covid. People like me- who are at a high risk of Covid- are treated like burdens. Like we’re dragging society down. Like it’s our fault things aren’t back to normal yet. I have heard some people say things that straight-up sound like eugenics, that we should let “the weak” die.

We’ve made enormous strides but our society still has so little compassion for the disabled.

honestly even when the pandemic is over (whenever the fuck that happens), there are still gonna be thousands of people disabled bc of what covid did to their lungs, brains, kidneys, etc and we’ll probably see ourselves suffering another eugenics movement bc thats literally what happened after spanish flu, ppl were disabled and dipshits were like “these Unfit Unwell ppl are a drain on our resources”

Hi I’m one of these people! Covid gave me ME/CFS and POTS, made my (probably pre-existing) EDS much worse, and caused part of my spine to fucking dislocate (because of the inflammation combined with the EDS).

Please hold people accountable for saying eugenics type shit, including “people need to work for money,” “disabled people are taking up resources,” and “disabled people shouldn’t have kids.”

Cackling at macron's "stop the covid" pics

Before you ask, it immediately became a meme format

Macron be like : 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼

“Disabled people matter and this pandemic has only accentuated the sad reality that as a country, we fail to act like this is the case. …We need to work together to make sure they are prioritized [and] address the issues that put them at risk.”

Again, this is not saying “disabled ppl have it worse so if 2020 was hard for you, you’re weak” or something. It’s really important to give the disabled community space to talk about this reality. (The whole “disabled people talking about their hardships is just MAKING EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM AND HAVING A PITY PARTY” is an ableist microaggression topic for another time)

This is, “Hey, so millions of vulnerable people already go through this alone while the rest of the world mostly ignores them. They don’t get help with basic needs or even help coping, they’re told to suck it up because life isn’t fair and they’re just ‘letting disability win’ by not being able to power through debilitating flare ups. They are blamed for the restrictions and challenges that come with not just having a disability, but by living in a society that looks the other way.” 

2020 made a lot of people aware of that, which is already creating waves of change. But it’s important to realize and remember that when life eventually goes back to “normal” for nondisabled people… it will never, ever go back to “normal” for disabled people. This HAS TO CHANGE. If it’s a problem for disabled people, it will be a problem for you too, as COVID-19 has taught many people. Whether it’s another pandemic (Goddess forbid), or when you yourself experience some level of disability (it’s a spectrum, and unless you’re literally Krishna, you will most likely eventually experience a form disability by the time you’re a senior).

If you still feel personally attacked by disabled people speaking up about this incredibly important issue with our society, with our framework, with our large-scale selective empathy, then I don’t know what to say. Other people talking about what is hurting them is not a judgment on you and your challenges this year. What’s hard for you is hard for you! 2020 was brutal! Let yourself have that, okay? It was hard. 

But it’s exposed so many holes in our system and in how we relate to each other as humans. No one listens to us when we try to talk about these holes, they think we want handouts or pity or attention. But suddenly the whole world is going through something very similar to it, together, and we say, “See! That! That’s what hurts us! That’s why disabled people are kept in poverty and struggle mentally and emotionally! That’s why we have a high suicide rate!” and then people reply with, “not everything is about you!” wtf?

I’ll say it over and over again because it’s my mission to keep it from happening but: disabled isolation in my early 20′s nearly killed me. Many don’t make it, because it’s really that hard to be isolated so much because of your health. It’s hard to cope with so much pain even if you do have a good support system. Pain fucks with your head and your heart. 

So can we please start acting from our hearts? Can we please do our part to make sure no one is left to fall anymore?

It makes me feel like a total ass, but one of the most strangely heartening things about this year was realizing that *everyone* goes a bit feral in isolation and my inability to wear real pants was not a me-problem.

[ID: It’s the spiderman pointing at spiderman meme, but there are lots of spider men, and they are labeled as follows: social anxiety, normal anxiety, nausea from feeling anxious, burnout, seasonal anxiety, financial anxiety, covid anxiety, and existential dread. End ID.]

tw// explosion

Hello, hope all of you are safe and doing well.

You may have heard of what happened in Lebanon today and if not, basically, there was a big explosion in Beirut that affected many cities, destroyed shops, homes, cars, caused many injuries and deaths. The cause is uncertain.

As a fellow lebanese myself (that also lives there), today was absolutely terrifying, probably the scariest moments of my life. We heard a deafening sound as the floors were shaking. Some of us thought it was an attack, others thought it was an earthquake. As soon as it ended many expected a second one, which luckily never happened.

Here's a video of what happened that was sent to me, there are also many others that you can find online.

Windows were broken, doors wrecked, cars flipped over, buildings collapsed, people hit by flying or falling objects, and unfortunately, many didn't make it out alive.

We were one of the lucky ones, our families and friends were all safe and our homes were fine.

Some people couldn't even get out of the crumbling builings, so we saw corpses being pulled out, although some people survived the crash. But wherever we looked, there was blood, poeple were half covered in it, their shirts, pants, hair, everything. And that sight was traumatizing.

We watched the news with elders severely injured, children with blood-spattered shirts and people in pain that couldn't get in the hospitals because they were full.

Some people are missing. Just try to imagine the pain and fear their families and friends are feeling.

Articles about what happened, there are a lot more

Not only are we in the middle of a pandemic, but Lebanon is also going through a very serious economical crisis. To give you an example, before, $1 equaled 1 500 lebanese pounds. Nowadays, $1 equals more than 7 000 lebanese pounds. Not to mention that we obviously don't have any dollars at disposition, so yeah we're fucked.

People are hungry, homeless, unemployed. And even if they are getting paid, it'll be useless since the prices of everything went up because they were affected by the economical fiasco.

Important additional information

Today, I heard my 7 year old cousins scream in fear that they were going to die. I saw my aunt shaking, worried that her children won't survive. I saw my dad freak out while trying to reassure us when we both knew that we were uncertain about the next minutes of our lives. I heard the panic in the trembling voices of my family and friends as they couldn't believe what had just happened. I thought my loved ones and I were going to die in the next seconds.

I'm never forgetting those moments and feelings.

I don't think signing petitions will help, i don't even know if the following links will help either, I just know Lebanon and it's people are desperate for anything because the future of this country is extremely uncertain.

https://helplebanonnow.carrd.co/

https://lebanoncrisis.carrd.co/

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lebanonneedsorg?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link

https://helplebanon.carrd.co/

http://redcross.org.lb/SubPage.aspx?pageid=1370&PID=158

http://www.caritas.org.lb/get_involved/donate

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lebanon-relief?utm_term=PYp7gXzyD

I think donating to the red cross would be the most helpful, so if you are considering it, it'd be great.

There are so many great threads on twitter about what you can do to help, just search help lebanon or something to find them. Also if you can, please donate, and as I said, the lebanese pound is pretty much worthless currently so USD is way more useful to us.

Pikuach Nefesh, the principle of the preservation of life & the soul, is one of the core principles of Judaism. By wearing masks, we help to preserve the lives of others: not just our family and friends, but strangers, all of whose lives deserve our respect and care.

[Images: Three face masks; all have a black background and Pikuach Nefesh in Hebrew across the front; one of the masks has a rainbow outline around the letters, while another has trans pride color outline around the letters.]

hi i’m seeing no one talk about this cover??? this is HAUNTING, it’s dedicated it to everyone who’s died from the coronavirus so far especially healthcare staff i just,,,

https://twitter.com/GlumBird/status/1240248516951277571

see twitter thread for text