"No Olympic Athletes will get Long Covid! No one I know even has it!" An examination of the denial, gaslighting and ignorance that exists around chronic illness and invisible disabilities.
💥every word! But this, I really notice in the general population: “People don’t seem to realize that they’re sicker now than they were five years ago. That ‘summer colds’ that last for weeks aren’t the norm. That they shouldn’t be ill 4-5 times a year. The denial is VERY strong.”
Also, I’ve come to realise in my own journey that we do not have a clue what health is. Media painting the picture that somehow who hammers them self into the ground to get a silver badge is not a picture of true health.
Physical health is only one aspect of health. Though we hear of it, we don’t truly understand mental health. Haven’t even yet begun to explore emotional health. And movies take the piss out of spiritual health. All aspects of health are crucial to the true meaning of health. And now we need to be including financial health (even though those pieces of paper with silver strips in are something we’ve created ourselves).
I couldn’t agree more Amber! We don’t understand true health OR its value. Many people think they can buy health with supplements, special diets or fancy vitamin IVs. When in reality health takes a lot of work and it’s something that needs to be valued and nurtured.
You can do all the “right” things physically - but if you ignore your mental and emotional health you will still end up sick. It’s high time people start acknowledging that.
As for the denial around Covid - that’s a mountain I don’t know how to climb. I’m constantly talking to people who say they’ve had a bad “cough cold” for a month - yet when I try and point out that’s not normal they just shut down and tune out.
Ooooh shut down and tune out, yes that’s what I used to do! I lived in denial until I found myself disabled by it and was forced out of that stage. It is my hope that others wake up sooner than I did - I love to see it when they do, but it’s heartbreaking to witness when they don’t (and they are close friends thinking of one of mine in particular).
It always blows my mind that people think you can buy health (or that it brings you happiness). Most practices are free, underrated, unrecognised and like you say, unvalued.
Yes to all of this, and - with over 40 athletes testing positive at the Olympics, we know that likely 2-4 of them will end up as long haulers (5-10%). Elite athletes may be even more prone than others, according to a recent Substack post by Walter Chestnut.
Thank you!!! Too many people believe only those who had significant comorbids are at risk for Long Covid. When in reality many people with LC were young, fit and healthy when they become disabled.
We also know that pushing your body in the acute phase of infection can increase your odds of Long Covid - and my heart breaks for some of these athletes because I wonder if they were being given the right advice by doctors and coaches. Were they being encouraged to rest? Or pushed to perform?
Competing in an Olympic event is the opposite of resting while sick!
This!♥️ I suggest we all take a long hard look at both political parties and vote for the one that will best serve our interests in the future. It's pretty damn obvious.
Absolutely! Vote for the party that will best serve all people - including disabled and high risk individuals. Lobby governments and elected officials to care about public health and covid prevention. Make it clear that you don’t want a world where we normalize constant sickness and look down on people who try and protect their health.
That's not either party. Biden declared Covid was over and it most certainly isn't. He's not masking nor are any of the Democrat Congress critters. The Democrats don't talk about the rising Covid cases or the mass disabling events that will continue to happen. No Mention of Long Covid either. Biden ended all the Covid assistance too.
Really 🤣 Who's been president for the last almost 4 years? More people have died under Biden than Trump. Biden declared Covid was over. Does it seem over to you?
I don't think anything is "mild" anymore. I just had food poisoning for the first time in decades and I can tell you, it's not like it was then. The worst of it was over in 9 hours, but it's been 12 days, I still don't have an appetite (I don't crave anything; nothing sounds good, only tolerable), but I make myself eat something three times a day because I don't want to feel weak. (And, yes, I did test for COVID and it wasn't that...I suspect a touch of the E. coli.) We now live in a world of superbugs and viruses that want to knock us out (mpox is on its way, it seems). So I'll never not mask. I've never stopped masking. And I can't wait for that next booster. Hang in there, BBT. You have friends here. xo
You know me so well! The first question was going to be “did you test for Covid” lol. Because a lot of Covid is missed when it presents with GI symptoms. I’m sorry you were so sick and I hope you’re on the mend now!
LOL. I have to remind my coworkers it’s not just snotty! I never had a fever, and the symptoms went away like typical food poisoning, but I tested the third day, just to be sure, and I kept improving (slightly). But I still wouldn’t greet my Instacarters at the door just in case, only a weakly shouted “Thank you!” through it! xo
I’ve been doing the weakly shouted “thank you” for 4 years lol. You’re in good company! Honestly sometimes I think they appreciate it because it gets them on their way that much quicker.
Do you know the revised methods for testing with a RAT? Public health has done such a poor job explaining it to people - figured I should double check!
Aside from this variant not showing as positive until the 3rd, 5th or 7th day (if at all), no, I’m not sure I do. When I thought I was exposed, I kept testing, even though my only symptoms were allergy-related (the timing of that). And I always go deep and long. LOL. Let me know if I’m missing anything. xo
This is where I shine! Lol. The new variants are sneaky and often don’t show with nasal samplings. New recommendations (that of course aren’t on the box because that would make too much sense) are to swab tonsils and cheeks behind the molars. Ideally wait 30 min after food or drink to do the swab as well. Many people test positive this way but not with the nose.
You can also test your poop - especially if you have GI symptoms. Very important not to mix those tests up though LOL 😂
I love the Olympics and with how divided the world is right now, they give me hope, but I also had so many feelings about the COVID part of it. Like everywhere, it was so downplayed and the whole event itself probably caused such a massive spread. So many athletes who tested positive were cheered all over the internet for "powering through" despite being sick. It's so unfortunate that as a society we still praise that so much instead of being praised for taking care of ourselves or not getting others sick. It's so tied in with the narrative that people with disabilities get too. Can't we just "power through" or "suck it up too"? This whole BS idea that if you're "healthy" or in a certain level of shape (like Olympians) you won't get COVID or it won't affect you is so damaging too and has been proven time and time again to be not true anyway. Thank you for this post! Such a great one.
That’s what I struggled with too - this idea that we should all “power through” no matter the cost. Or “they won a medal with COVID - clearly it’s not that bad.” Meanwhile athletes were having to withdraw and a few have had their careers ended by long COVID. There was just an article today about a British rower who can no longer compete - Oonagh Cousins. It’s so important that she’s willing to spend precious spoons raising awareness for these types of illnesses.
💥every word! But this, I really notice in the general population: “People don’t seem to realize that they’re sicker now than they were five years ago. That ‘summer colds’ that last for weeks aren’t the norm. That they shouldn’t be ill 4-5 times a year. The denial is VERY strong.”
Also, I’ve come to realise in my own journey that we do not have a clue what health is. Media painting the picture that somehow who hammers them self into the ground to get a silver badge is not a picture of true health.
Physical health is only one aspect of health. Though we hear of it, we don’t truly understand mental health. Haven’t even yet begun to explore emotional health. And movies take the piss out of spiritual health. All aspects of health are crucial to the true meaning of health. And now we need to be including financial health (even though those pieces of paper with silver strips in are something we’ve created ourselves).
I couldn’t agree more Amber! We don’t understand true health OR its value. Many people think they can buy health with supplements, special diets or fancy vitamin IVs. When in reality health takes a lot of work and it’s something that needs to be valued and nurtured.
You can do all the “right” things physically - but if you ignore your mental and emotional health you will still end up sick. It’s high time people start acknowledging that.
As for the denial around Covid - that’s a mountain I don’t know how to climb. I’m constantly talking to people who say they’ve had a bad “cough cold” for a month - yet when I try and point out that’s not normal they just shut down and tune out.
Ooooh shut down and tune out, yes that’s what I used to do! I lived in denial until I found myself disabled by it and was forced out of that stage. It is my hope that others wake up sooner than I did - I love to see it when they do, but it’s heartbreaking to witness when they don’t (and they are close friends thinking of one of mine in particular).
It always blows my mind that people think you can buy health (or that it brings you happiness). Most practices are free, underrated, unrecognised and like you say, unvalued.
I’m with you Amber! I also stayed in denial far too long and hope that others will come out of it sooner than we did!
Yes to all of this, and - with over 40 athletes testing positive at the Olympics, we know that likely 2-4 of them will end up as long haulers (5-10%). Elite athletes may be even more prone than others, according to a recent Substack post by Walter Chestnut.
Thank you!!! Too many people believe only those who had significant comorbids are at risk for Long Covid. When in reality many people with LC were young, fit and healthy when they become disabled.
We also know that pushing your body in the acute phase of infection can increase your odds of Long Covid - and my heart breaks for some of these athletes because I wonder if they were being given the right advice by doctors and coaches. Were they being encouraged to rest? Or pushed to perform?
Competing in an Olympic event is the opposite of resting while sick!
This!♥️ I suggest we all take a long hard look at both political parties and vote for the one that will best serve our interests in the future. It's pretty damn obvious.
Absolutely! Vote for the party that will best serve all people - including disabled and high risk individuals. Lobby governments and elected officials to care about public health and covid prevention. Make it clear that you don’t want a world where we normalize constant sickness and look down on people who try and protect their health.
That's not either party. Biden declared Covid was over and it most certainly isn't. He's not masking nor are any of the Democrat Congress critters. The Democrats don't talk about the rising Covid cases or the mass disabling events that will continue to happen. No Mention of Long Covid either. Biden ended all the Covid assistance too.
🤣😂🤣
Really 🤣 Who's been president for the last almost 4 years? More people have died under Biden than Trump. Biden declared Covid was over. Does it seem over to you?
I don't think anything is "mild" anymore. I just had food poisoning for the first time in decades and I can tell you, it's not like it was then. The worst of it was over in 9 hours, but it's been 12 days, I still don't have an appetite (I don't crave anything; nothing sounds good, only tolerable), but I make myself eat something three times a day because I don't want to feel weak. (And, yes, I did test for COVID and it wasn't that...I suspect a touch of the E. coli.) We now live in a world of superbugs and viruses that want to knock us out (mpox is on its way, it seems). So I'll never not mask. I've never stopped masking. And I can't wait for that next booster. Hang in there, BBT. You have friends here. xo
You know me so well! The first question was going to be “did you test for Covid” lol. Because a lot of Covid is missed when it presents with GI symptoms. I’m sorry you were so sick and I hope you’re on the mend now!
LOL. I have to remind my coworkers it’s not just snotty! I never had a fever, and the symptoms went away like typical food poisoning, but I tested the third day, just to be sure, and I kept improving (slightly). But I still wouldn’t greet my Instacarters at the door just in case, only a weakly shouted “Thank you!” through it! xo
I’ve been doing the weakly shouted “thank you” for 4 years lol. You’re in good company! Honestly sometimes I think they appreciate it because it gets them on their way that much quicker.
Do you know the revised methods for testing with a RAT? Public health has done such a poor job explaining it to people - figured I should double check!
Aside from this variant not showing as positive until the 3rd, 5th or 7th day (if at all), no, I’m not sure I do. When I thought I was exposed, I kept testing, even though my only symptoms were allergy-related (the timing of that). And I always go deep and long. LOL. Let me know if I’m missing anything. xo
This is where I shine! Lol. The new variants are sneaky and often don’t show with nasal samplings. New recommendations (that of course aren’t on the box because that would make too much sense) are to swab tonsils and cheeks behind the molars. Ideally wait 30 min after food or drink to do the swab as well. Many people test positive this way but not with the nose.
You can also test your poop - especially if you have GI symptoms. Very important not to mix those tests up though LOL 😂
LOL. Thanks! I don’t have tonsils anymore, but I’ll give that a try. xo
I love the Olympics and with how divided the world is right now, they give me hope, but I also had so many feelings about the COVID part of it. Like everywhere, it was so downplayed and the whole event itself probably caused such a massive spread. So many athletes who tested positive were cheered all over the internet for "powering through" despite being sick. It's so unfortunate that as a society we still praise that so much instead of being praised for taking care of ourselves or not getting others sick. It's so tied in with the narrative that people with disabilities get too. Can't we just "power through" or "suck it up too"? This whole BS idea that if you're "healthy" or in a certain level of shape (like Olympians) you won't get COVID or it won't affect you is so damaging too and has been proven time and time again to be not true anyway. Thank you for this post! Such a great one.
That’s what I struggled with too - this idea that we should all “power through” no matter the cost. Or “they won a medal with COVID - clearly it’s not that bad.” Meanwhile athletes were having to withdraw and a few have had their careers ended by long COVID. There was just an article today about a British rower who can no longer compete - Oonagh Cousins. It’s so important that she’s willing to spend precious spoons raising awareness for these types of illnesses.
https://t.co/OW4MIy06sx
Thank you - very interestinng ,
Bob
I’m glad you enjoyed - thank you for reading!