Ezra (they/them) @subtotality

When disabled people talk about covid mitigations, they're told eating inside at restaurants is a basic human need, but when disabled people talk about relying on food/grocery delivery, they're told they should subsist entirely on microwave meals that they somehow magic out of thin air.

27.07.2025 12:43 — 👍 228 🔁 73 💬 4 📌 3

Slides 1 and 2 — A yellow background and a meter indicating moderate wastewater levels of SARS-CoV-2. The text reads: "The Sick Times. This Week’s Covid-19 Trends. COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the U.S., with summer outbreaks spreading from the South and West Coast to other regions. National wastewater estimates from the CDC, WastewaterSCAN, and Biobot Analytics all report continued increases for SARS-CoV-2 in sewage through mid-July. While the South and West reported the most pronounced increases in June and early July, regional averages for the Northeast and Midwest are going up, too, in the most recent data. Emergency department data and test positivity (from the CDC as well as Walgreens) also report continued increases in COVID-19 spread across the U.S. in mid-July. Both wastewater and healthcare system metrics are reporting much lower levels for July 2025 than July 2024. But last year saw an unusually high summer wave, and current metrics are not far off reports from July 2023; they’re also several times higher than the true lows we saw in 2020 and 2021. And we still don’t have a good picture of how variants are spreading, as the CDC has not updated its variant estimates since late June due to very few test samples getting sequenced."

Line chart titled, "Regional SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Concentrations." The chart includes lines representing the four main U.S. regions: purple for Midwest, pink for South, yellow for Northeast, green for West. The X axis represents time, going from March 2024 to July 2025, and the Y axis represents SARS-CoV-2 concentration, copies per mL. All four regions experienced COVID-19 waves in summer 2024 and winter 2024-25, though magnitude differed somewhat (with lower spread in the winter in the West and South compared to the Midwest and Northeast). In the most recent data, all four regions are reporting increases, with the highest levels in the West.

COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the U.S., with summer outbreaks spreading from the South and West Coast to other regions.

This week's COVID-19 trends: bit.ly/45avnyC

29.07.2025 22:06 — 👍 116 🔁 44 💬 0 📌 2

A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler Octavia Butler was an author of moving and prophetic science fiction novels. She wrote an essay in 2000 for Essence Magazine that teaches us the capacity we have to understand the future, as well a…

“‘I didn’t make up the problems,’ [she] pointed out. ‘All I did was look around at the problems we’re neglecting now and give them about 30 years to grow into full-fledged disasters.’”

09.01.2025 21:37 — 👍 867 🔁 194 💬 12 📌 5

home hair cuts ✂️

13.01.2025 22:59 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

80-105 mph gusts during the night around Los Angeles. A fire hurricane. Devastating.

08.01.2025 07:00 — 👍 510 🔁 158 💬 16 📌 8

wow, it would be such a chore to untangle snowflakes when they get tangled in eachothers structure. I'm glad we don't have to do that.

08.01.2025 03:12 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The “No COVID Chandelier,” also called the “Fandelier,” a custom-made air purifier includes 18 fans and cleans the aerosols from the table, spreading clean air in every direction. It’s glowing in rainbow colors and hanging from the ceiling. In this image it is positioned on top of a star-shaped sky. The text reads: “The Sick Times: Invisible defenses: A guide for cleaner indoor air. By Gillian Neimark.”

A photo of a PM detector showing very clean air. The text reads: Complement filtration with ventilation: Ceiling fans: Disrupt vertical air layering, mixing warm and cool air. Vortex fans: Create a spiraling airflow to eliminate stagnant pockets. Pro tip: Use fans to complement filtration systems and improve overall air circulation.

A photo of a variety of clean air devices on a shelf. The text reads: Humidity matters: Aim for 40–45% relative humidity (RH): Viruses are less stable at moderate humidity levels. Avoid mold: Keep humidity under 50% to prevent mold growth in your home. Use a hygrometer: Monitor indoor humidity levels with an inexpensive device.

A photo of a living room with discreet air filters in it. The text reads: DIY air filter tips: Quiet PC fan filters: For low-noise air cleaning, use PC fans instead of traditional box fans. Travel-sized filters: Look for portable or collapsible options for clean air on the go. Placement matters: Always position filters centrally in the room for optimal airflow.

Clean air is a vital line of defense against illness, yet navigating filters and ventilation can feel overwhelming. Gillian Neimark talked with aerosol experts as well as smart laypeople who have installed filters in their homes, in the hopes of making it as easy as possible. bit.ly/49QmSdX

25.12.2024 16:19 — 👍 115 🔁 40 💬 4 📌 2

Today and all days, remember to pour into the relationships now that you need for the version of yourself you wish to become, not for one you used to be.

The past is instructive, but don't waste your limited water on dead and dying flowers. There are new ones blooming and seedlings to be nurtured.

25.12.2024 19:57 — 👍 46 🔁 12 💬 1 📌 0

Capricorn♑️ energy has that staying power because it understands the world really runs on 1000 small, material deeds done daily out of love. It's not flowery words (♎️) nor strident actions (♈️) nor deepest emotional connection(♋️) making it happen - it's showing up to do the work every damn day.

26.12.2024 02:31 — 👍 9 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 0

L (my partner) dressed in jeans and a blue flannel holding a white bowl of food.

they bring my meals twice a day🥹❤️ Grateful for you @jollybillabong.bsky.social

19.12.2024 02:01 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

for any environmental sector folks, Institute for Sustainable Communities is hiring remote positions!

19.12.2024 01:59 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Grieving my health has been really hard, but one day at a time💙

12.12.2024 23:19 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Do...do y'all not see how bad this is?

05.12.2024 06:17 — 👍 41 🔁 9 💬 2 📌 1

nurses and doctors dressed in PPE and wearing masks from the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. They are sitting around the table. the photo is in black and white.

when the Spanish flu took hold of our health, we responded with masking and isolation to keep others safe until further mitigation and protections could be accomplished. History does, in fact, repeat itself. Not an exact 1:1 with COVID, but an excellent period to learn from.

05.12.2024 03:44 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

A yellow graphic features a meter with green, yellow, orange, and red. It points to yellow-orange, indicating moderate national wastewater levels of SARS-CoV-2. The graphic reads: “THE SICK TIMES: This Week’s COVID-19 Trends Update. As expected, the U.S.’s winter surge is getting started, though disease levels are still lower than usual for this time of year. Our latest data are from the week leading up to Thanksgiving, so these numbers don’t yet reflect travel and gatherings for the holiday. As of November 23, healthcare visits for influenza-like illness (meaning fever, cough, sore throat, etc.) have reached the threshold for flu season, at about 3% of visits reported in the CDC’s flu surveillance network. The bird flu H5N1 continues to spread. Every California sewershed monitored by WastewaterSCAN (about 30 sites across the state) has tested positive for this virus in recent weeks. It remains another reason to keep wearing a high-quality mask and taking other precautions.”

As expected, the US’s winter surge is getting started. The bird flu H5N1 continues to spread. Both are reasons to keep wearing a high-quality mask and taking other precautions. bit.ly/4glxu6H

Sign up for our newsletter to get weekly COVID-19 trends delivered! thesicktimes.org/newsletter/

04.12.2024 15:29 — 👍 53 🔁 22 💬 1 📌 1