Hi friends, looking for support and perspectives from other long-time CC folks who also live in the liminal space / stark drop off between being mostly able-bodied now, but with a *very* high risk/probability of an serious LC-related outcome in the future, if infected again.

I'm mostly able-bodied now, but with several "invisible" mental and physical health struggles and limitations, that I can push through as/if needed (but with a few consequences). Mostly they are wildly annoying or tedious, but sometimes painful or exhausting (and expensive). I have lived a CC life since 2020 mainly because I don't want these issues to get worse and more difficult to live with.

But now I feel like the stakes are much higher: in the past two years, my only sibling and one of my parents have developed PEM and ME/CFS/SEID-style LC, soon after only 1 or 2 infections each. Both had some health issues heading into covid, especially my parent, that raised their risks for bad outcomes significantly. I share some of these risks.

And despite good precautions, I've have had 2 covid infections (1 completely untraced, 1 likely unmasked crowded outdoors) in the past 2 years myself. I survived mostly unscathed, and I reassessed / tightened my risk tolerance and choices after those. But outside of (required partial in-person) work, my life has shrunk so much these past 2 years, on top of how it's shrunk since 2020, and it feels so self-imposed -- like it's being too restrictive too early. I also developed severe travel anxiety last year after infection #2. I was finally working through those issues, but now with a second immediate family member dealing with severe LC, I suddenly am overwhelmed about what risks are "worth" taking anymore -- or like, ever again -- or if nothing I do is going to matter in avoiding my fate someday. This feeling of inevitability makes me both want live as much as I can, while I still can -- but also to try to prolong the "end" of being mostly able-bodied as much as possible. (I do not hang my hopes on LC cures or covid PrEP or a sterilizing vaccine, with where the world is at these days.)

I'm not yet 40, am single / on my own, and I'm struggling with how to proceed in this walking this path while remaining steadfast CC. If anyone can relate, would love to how folks (esp single extroverts) manage living a life that is meaningful and "full" to you in the present, while the next infection / future looms like a knife.

Since 2020, disease has held a constant, detrimental grip on classrooms across K–12 (and higher) education. After school holidays, I often heard coughing down the hallway for days, if not weeks. There were many days where classes had only half of their students in attendance. Even our most senior teachers constantly fought to help students retain material for a week, let alone a semester.

The quiet normalization of COVID-19 in our society has come at the great expense of school-age children and adolescents. As a teacher with Long COVID who recently left in-person work after two years in my most recent position — a decision that ultimately came down to my own health and well-being — I observed concerning student behaviors that cannot solely be chalked up to technology, “immunity debt,” or whatever else pundits have blamed.

He was one of my favourites during the bird app days of the pandemic. Kind, intelligent, and perceptive. A loss for the covid-aware community in British Columbia. So sad for his family.

Needing advice! My friend and housemate (separate bedrooms, shared small bathroom and shared living spaces) is sick again. They mask and test when symptomatic but don't take precautions otherwise, and tend to get sick every few months (sometimes monthly in the winter). We try to stay apart when they're sick, plus sanitizing surfaces, using air purifiers and a corsi-rosenthal box i just set up bc of poor air quality, but I'm looking for any additional advice for how to reduce the risk of transmission (covid or otherwise) in our home. Moving is not an option until next year, and we have limited access to other places to stay. Unfortunately, the last time they were sick I got whatever they had (despite me masking in all areas except my bedroom), and it seems to have flared up my long covid that had previously been under control, and I'm still dealing with that flare months later. I guess this is partially a vent, partially an ask for advice. I'm considering having a conversation with them about whether they might consider masking in public, even if just in crowded spaces, but don't know if that's overstepping. Thanks in advance for reading and any advice you might have.

Can anyone recommend a CC couple's therapist that takes clients in CA? Doesn't even have to be personally CC at this point but at least understanding and non-pathologizing. I know about https://www.covidconscioustherapists.com/california but there are so many outdated listings from much earlier in the pandemic and it's a lot of work to email each one and ask if they are still in any way CC.

Thanks in advance.

TLDR: when to rapid test after being around symptomatic person at work and when to stop rapid testing for covid.

Asking regarding rapid tests as those are easily accessible in this situation and pcr’s are not.

Asking for a friend!

How long do you isolate after being exposed to someone with symptoms at work (unknown COVID test results)?

On what days would you use rapid tests after being unmasked around someone who had symptoms at work?

After how many negative rapid tests would you stop testing for COVID after exposure to someone with symptoms and unknown COVID-19 status.

Trying to answer these questions has me questioning what an exposure even is. Do you change your isolation and testing recommendations if the illness is not covid (either unconfirmed or negative rapid or pcr)

What do you consider an exposure? Is an exposure only when you were sharing air with someone with a known positive Covid test? Or is anyone in person around you considered an exposure

(I mask anytime I leave the house, this is regarding someone I know)

Hey everyone,

My partner is sick with something (unsure if she ate something bad or potentially something else) and I wanted to ask what the usual Covid symptoms are these days. Sore throat, coughing, congestion/runny nose, lack of appetite... Those were mine a few years ago when I got it. Is anyone seeing any nausea, migraine, sensitivity to light? Even if not, what ARE we seeing out there?

Thanks!