Thread by @tanyalewis314

Well, it happened. After nearly three years of covering COVID and thinking about it almost constantly, it finally got me. But rather than focus on how I got it, I’m going to tell you how I *didn’t* get it for this long. [Thread]

From the moment we had evidence that COVID might be airborne, I wore a mask. But not just any mask—an N95 or well-fitted KN95. At first these were really hard to come by, but now it’s quite easy to find them. Here’s how you can find a good one: scientificamerican.com/article/why-we…

I didn’t just wear it some of the time. I wore it anytime I was indoors in public, or even outdoors if I was in a crowd. I wore one in the hallway of my apartment building, even if there was no one else around, because aerosols can linger in the air for a while.

For the first year or two, I avoided spending time indoors in public as much as possible, with the exception of grocery stores or doctor’s offices. I avoided the subway for a while, although studies suggest trains weren’t the biggest vectors for spread. scientificamerican.com/article/evalua…

I did get on planes a few times to visit a sick parent who needed my help. But from the moment I left my apartment to the moment I arrived, I didn’t take off my mask. I opened the windows in taxis. I didn’t eat or drink on the flights except to sip water while holding my breath.

As soon as vaccines became available, I got mine. I’ve gotten every booster I could since then, including the new bivalent booster that targets Omicron. (Despite its effectiveness, only 14 percent of people in the U.S. have gotten one!) scientificamerican.com/article/the-ne…

Because we know the coronavirus is airborne, I only ate at restaurants with outdoor seating (not a sealed-in "outdoor" shack). I bought portable air purifiers and a C02 monitor to measure ventilation levels at home. I opened windows.
scientificamerican.com/article/we-nee…

If I was going to visit an elderly/immunocompromised family member, I took lots of tests. PCR tests before traveling, and rapid tests for several days after arriving. I avoided possible exposures for a week or more before traveling.

So how did I finally get it? I don’t know for sure, but I suspect it was from an office holiday gathering where most people were unmasked. I wore an N95 except for briefly taking bites or sips and avoided crowded areas, but I was in the building all day. And time = risk.

At this point in the pandemic, with plentiful vaccines and antiviral treatments available, I decided it was worth taking some calculated risks to do things I enjoy. scientificamerican.com/article/how-to…

Perhaps I was unlucky. But I see it differently. For nearly three years, I didn't get covid—or even a cold. Yes, I was privileged to be able to work from home and I don’t have small children, which were huge advantages. But getting sick doesn’t have to be inevitable.

So far, thankfully, I’ve had a fairly mild case. I am so grateful for access to great vaccines, good health care, and a job that lets me work remotely so I don’t infect others. I hope this thread has been helpful, and I wish everyone a happy—and healthy—holiday season.