freyja

I finally have gotten around to turning my google doc of where to buy masks in Aus into a proper page that's sortable and filterable. I'm keen to add more places that sell masks if you have bought from anywhere else! masks.lizduckchong.com

😂😂😂

COVID-19 leads to long-term changes in the immune system, study shows In a study recently published in the renowned journal "Allergy", a MedUni Vienna research team shows that COVID-19 leads to considerable long-term changes in the immune system, even in mild cases.

www.news-medical.net/news/2024071...
From last year but this impacts everyone who has caught COVID. It’s not mild it causes immune dysregulation. This we are allowing to constantly circulate through our population while we are told we are gaining mythical immunity to a barrage of viruses. Brought to

Well. Preparing a property for a cyclone with a hideous migraine is probably not the *nicest* way to spend a day. #tcalfred #tropicalcyclonealfred #spoonielife

And I’m not sure about you, but in a country where AT LEAST 102 (that we know of) women were murdered last year by their partners / ex-partners that seems like a Really Bad Plan.

For context- currently payments are contingent on partners income. If your partner earns $370/ftnt (yep) your payment starts to reduce. If they earn $1500 / ftnt your payment disappears completely. Rendering you entirely dependent on them.

e-petitions e-petitions

TIME SENSITIVE: 3 days left!! If you’re in Australia & think disabled people, jobseekers, retirees, etc anyone in receipt of a govt payment shouldn’t be entirely financially dependent on (and potentially trapped with) their partner, PUH-LEASE sign this aph petition: www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/...

Large hippocampus detected in Long COVID and ME/CFS patients - Griffith News Striking brain similarities have been detected in patients who experience Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), in

Striking brain similarities have been detected in patients who experience Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (#ME/CFS), in particular, a larger than normal hippocampus.

The Griffith University research, published news.griffith.edu.au/2025/02/11/l...

That makes me so cranky. If you (they) don’t have a basic amount of empathy for people you’re supposed to be helping then you’re in the wrong job.
Also: no employer is going to pay you a full weeks work for doing a once off grocery shop last time I checked!!

6/ …in order to qualify for reasonable accommodations. If you can leave the house to go to the Dr or for any other reason, EVER - then you can work in the office full time. Yep. Good job guys *slow clap* 👏

5/ I’ve today learned of two cases before the FWC, one of which is ATROCIOUS in terms of the expectations of the employer, and the treatment of the worker throughout.

Evidently this “blue chip” employer thinks you should be permanently housebound to the point of neglecting healthcare..

4/ everyone I meet with LC feels “cut down in their prime” and I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t wish to be able to return to work - it’s essential in order to preserve their own independence and livelihood. Just a matter of which employers will be supportive and which will instead be punitive.

3/ Further, these are the bare minimum of what should be considered, there are many more things that would become evident through conversation between patient and provider, and a workplace paying attention and actually adhering to the limitations / permitted duties approved by the Doctor.

Such an advance!

www.health.gov.au/topics/envir...

These words from Charles Barkley on the state of the American political divide - oomph ❤️

"I think both parties suck. Politicians do a really great job of making us fight with each other, but it's really rich people against poor people"

2/ …Key points: Consider the variance in how LC presents in different ppl, as well as what their at home supports look like, as these things can mean two people have hugely different capacities for work.
When just showering / dressing is exhausting, washing the dishes is like a bloody marathon.

As someone who has worked in a “return to work coordinator” position before, I’m so pleased to FINALLY see some useful resources on how to help accommodate people with long covid to gradually return to work.

With the caveat of course that the degree of incapacity varies WILDLY between people /🧵

Schools don't have to be hotbeds of COVID. One dad is fighting back with facts A free online course aims to bust COVID misinformation and teach people how to stop the virus spreading in schools. But perhaps its greatest challenge is engaging people in the first place — particula...

What if schools could prevent sick days, teacher shortages and lost IQ points? A new COVID safety course lights the way - ABC News
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09...

A Plea to Maskless Healthcare Workers from Vulnerable Patients If you see a mask - wear a mask. Better yet - wear a mask all the time and show us you understand that we're still IN a pandemic. We are depending on you to keep us safe - please don't betray that.

Healthcare workers…If your patient is wearing a mask you should too.

When you ask “do you want me to wear a mask?” You’re putting an undue burden on your patient

You’re refusing to acknowledge the imbalance of power that makes us feel uncomfortable saying “yes”

Just wear a mask. At all times.

German Health Minister ‘Finally, after several round tables, #LongCOVID is available as an EBM service in practices. It is time that this serious illness is no longer seen, treated and billed as a mental disorder of the people affected. We are too slow!’ From Prof. Lauterbach: Endlich, nach mehreren Runden Tischen, gibt es #LongCOVID als EBM Leistung in den Praxen. Es wurde Zeit, dass diese schwere Krankheit nicht länger als psychische Störung der betroffenen Menschen gesehen, behandelt und abgerechnet wird. Wir sind zu langsam!

From @ValerieJay16 on Twitter:

"German Health Minister: ‘Finally, after several round tables, #LongCOVID is available as an EBM service in practices. It is time that this serious illness is no longer seen, treated and billed as a mental disorder of the people..."

Link to OP: x.com/ValerieJay16...

A few excerpts: Exploring the long-term neurological consequences of COVID-19 To examine the effects of COVID-19 on the brainstem in more detail, Rua used an MRI technique known as ultra-high-field (7 T) quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), which can detect pathological events such as microbieeds, inflammation and iron deposition at a resolution of <1 mm'. Researchers compared 7-T QSM data from 30 patients who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 and 51 age-matched control individuals with no history of the disease. In the COVID-19 group, scanned 93-548 days after hospital admission, the QSM signal was increased in the medulla oblongata, pons and midbrain regions. Researchers attributed this in to a neuroinflammatory response, possibly caused by accumulation of iron in the tissue. "Patients with higher susceptibility had worse acute disease severity, higher acute inflammatory markers and worse functional recovery," comments Rua. "Our findings confirm brainstem involvement linked to inflammatory processes in COVID-19, persisting even months after recovery." In the other study, Koralnik and co-workers explored age-related differences in neuro-logical manifestations of post-acute seque-lae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (neuro-PASC) The study included 200 post-hospitalization and 1,100 non-hospitalized patients with neuro-PASC (termed PNP and NNP, respectively). The participants were subdivided into younger (18-44 years), middle-aged (45-64 years) and older (65+ years) groups. Contrary to expectations, 71.0% of PNP and 90.5% of NNP were younger or middle-aged. These patients experienced more severe neuro-PASC symptoms and greater cognitive dysfunction and quality-of-life impairment than. "Long COVID is causing disproportionate morbidity and disability in younger adults in their prime who provide much of the workforce, productivity and innovation in our society.”

"Long #COVID is causing disproportionate morbidity and #disability in younger adults in their prime who provide much of the workforce, productivity and innovation in our society.”

The #SARSCoV2 #virus disproportionately impacts the #brain in younger adults

#medsky

That’s a great HRV! Congrats 🤩

That is a badass stack of topics!

My hot take is that joy is good

Such an interesting piece of the puzzle - I haven’t yet read the attached journal article (too tired, quelle surprise 😏) - bookmarking for later and thought I’d share.

Choroid plexus volume is enlarged in long COVID and associated with cognitive and brain changes - Molecular Psychiatry Molecular Psychiatry - Choroid plexus volume is enlarged in long COVID and associated with cognitive and brain changes

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Latvia (pop. 1.9 M) has installed CO2 sensors in 14,000 classrooms to monitor indoor air quality in real time. Measurements are freely available at co2.mesh.lv/home/dashboard. A tremendous effort in transparency and prevention. Other similar initiatives: letsair.org#early

A bowl with a piece of flan in it cut in the shape of the Wu-Tang Clan logo

Babe, what's wrong? You've hardly touched your Wu-Tang Flan.

Past history and the now Living with ME means I often forget about my past life and all I was once able to do. For me, today is about the now, and that now is eating breakfast, resting, making lunch, resting, etc. I’…

“Living within the constraints of moderate ME is a gruelling grind, the last thing I needed to do – or any of us needs to do – is begin comparing our lives & our achievements to others”

From “Past history & the now”
solongasicanbreathe.wordpress.com/2025/01/13/p...
By a published writer with #MEcfs

There’s a lot of ghouls saying David Lynch “deserved” emphysema because he was a smoker

No one deserves disability. We’ll almost ALL experience it at some point in our lives. Health is not guaranteed

Smoking is incredibly hard to quit and he did it. He gets props for that. 🧵