Commentary
-
My husband and I have both had ME for decades, then our son got Long COVID
When our seventeen-year-old son Nick developed Long COVID after suffering a pulmonary haemorrhage in 2022, like any parents, we were devastated. But for us it hit harder. History was repeating itself — and it was something we had dreaded since having children.
-
“Really pissed off”: Cochrane receives backlash from advocates and experts after abandoning ME/CFS review
For decades, Cochrane — formerly called the Cochrane Collaboration — has been known internationally for its systematic reviews of medical treatments and interventions. Now the U.K.-based charity is under fire for its clumsy handling of a thorny issue: the status of a flawed 2019 review of exercise therapy for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
-
As someone with Long COVID, I’m terrified of what could happen to the Affordable Care Act
Based on my past experiences, I fear that many Americans – including myself – may soon be deprived of the accessible, affordable healthcare we desperately need. Listen to Bobbi Dempsey discuss this essay on our podcast (timestamp: 14:20): It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) saved my life. Nearly 15…
-
Instead of supporting people with Long COVID, our government funds a genocide
My final rejection for disability benefits was sent to me in March 2024, during Israel’s horrific, ongoing genocide in Gaza. Before becoming disabled with Long COVID, I worked full-time in the movement for Palestinian liberation. My father is Palestinian, born in the Old City of Jerusalem, and I grew up with stories about the steadfast…
-
Immune system damage from COVID-19 is different from HIV/AIDS — but the advocacy has parallels
Lymphopenia is a health condition in which people have low white blood cell count in their blood. Without these cells, the body is unable to defend itself effectively against pathogens. Lymphopenia is one type of way your body can be immunocompromised; it can be caused by many things, including infections, inherited conditions, autoimmune disorders, and…
-
“Stand Together,” an excerpt from The Covid Safety Handbook
The Covid Safety Handbook is informed by the global, national, local, and neighborhood care circles coming together under the banner of Covid prevention to center science, accurate and non-judgemental information, inclusiveness, and equity in public health. This book draws strength from all the tireless variant hunters and wastewater trackers around the world who struggle to…
-
My Mom was disabled by ME, but I didn’t understand until I developed Long COVID. I wrote an apology letter to her.
Dear Mom, Thirty years later, I finally understand. Do you remember the year 1994? You got sick when I was a child, and you weren’t ever the same again. At first, it was a cough and congestion But as days gathered into weeks, you spent more time in bed Why are you so tired, I…
-
Special edition zine: One year of The Sick Times
We made a zine! To celebrate our first anniversary, we commissioned artist Katie Drackert to create a printable mini-magazine of our first year’s highlights, as well as top Long COVID and COVID-19 resources. Please print it and distribute it widely!
-
Video essay: Taipei on what it’s like being a drag artist with Long COVID
In our first video essay for The Sick Times, drag artist Taipei talks about how Long COVID impacts her work as a performer and how many spaces are inaccessible for disabled performers due to a lack of COVID-19 precautions. Transcript: What’s it like to be a drag artist living with Long COVID? Let’s talk about…
-
Missing the gig: When your subculture leaves you behind with Long COVID
“Maybe now vocalists will finally start bringing their own mics,” I tweeted in the first days of March 2020. My virtual audience was mostly friends I met by participating in subcultures in and adjacent to the DIY tendency of hardcore punk rock. In those early days, we on the cultural fringes shared a sense that…
Follow Us
get the latest long covid news
Trending
Recent ARTICLES
Tags
advocacy arts CDC clinical trials commentary COVID-19 precautions disability essay government policy H5N1 healthcare HHS influenza international Long COVID in children masks and respirators ME ME/CFS medical education national COVID-19 trends NIH NIH RECOVER podcast public health research update science Trump administration updates and events vaccines wastewater surveillance