Thread by @broadwaybabyto

Many folks are pushing to go “back to normal” because they’re upset that their lives were upended in early days of Covid pandemic. I get it. My life was upended when I became disabled. But here’s the thing - “normal” isn’t working. It’s a mirage. 🧵 on denial & false ‘normal’ /1

When Covid first hit we saw most governments put measures in place to try & limit spread. Initially there was a feeling of camaraderie and “we’re all in this together”. There was a push to protect HCWs and vulnerable people. The world shifted & adapted to become more inclusive /2

It was actually extraordinarily impressive how fast these changes were implemented. Seemingly overnight we had work from home options, telemedicine, expanded delivery services and community volunteer groups. /3

If - like me - you were disabled before the pandemic, you likely felt hope seeing the world actually COULD adapt to include you. It could become safer for vulnerable people & more accommodating. Many of these changes were things we had been begging for for years. /4

Then something shifted - people got tired of having to be accommodating. They missed their old lives. Suddenly ‘protecting the vulnerable’ was seen as a giant sacrifice not worth making because it wasn’t the way we “did things before.” /5

When vaccines rolled out and mask requirements were dropped we saw isolation requirements shortened - which only intensified the problem. Despite the fact that the vaccines don’t prevent transmission - people were told they could “go back to normal.” /6

While this was happening the anti-mask & anti-vaxx crowd were getting louder and more emboldened. They screamed about their freedoms, told the vulnerable to stay home and called maskers sheep. They began acting as though Covid didn’t exist at all. /7

The result ended up being a population of people doing virtually nothing to mitigate spread. Those on the Right don’t think they should HAVE to and/or don’t believe it’s real - and the Left bought the government narrative that “vaxx and relax” is good enough (it’s not). /8

To those of us who’ve been chronically ill, marginalized or disabled for most of our lives - it’s fairly easy to see how this happened. It’s not that the evidence showing Covid is a serious threat isn’t there - it’s that people don’t want to hear it. They want “normal.” /9

They got a very small taste of what it was life to have their lives changed & to have to adapt their behaviours … and they didn’t like it. So now they’re desperately clutching at anything & everything that will justify their decision to ignore a global pandemic. /10

But here’s the thing - denial doesn’t make something true. People are still dying and becoming disabled by Covid every single day. There’s a lot of silent damage being caused by so called “mild” Covid infections. Even those who think they’re fine - may not be. /11

Anyone who was chronically ill before the pandemic will tell you how hard it is to get medical care and social supports. Our systems are not designed to deal with increasing numbers of disabled people. Healthcare is already struggling. /12

The evidence is all around. Increasing cardiovascular death. Increasing immune system issues. Rising rates of opportunistic infections that previously were only seen in AIDS patients. Hospitals unable to care for patients in a timely manner (or at all). /13

Now we’ve got measles spreading and people refusing to vaccinate their children and/or keep them home. A disease that was all but eradicated is making a resurgence due to a combination of anti-vaxx sentiment & damaged immune systems. /14

Absolutely none of this is “normal”. If you think it is you’re not paying attention or you’re purposefully choosing denial. Covid has not and is not a “cold.” It’s not mild. And trying to will things back to normal is causing record deaths & disability. /15

If you’re young & healthy and think it’s not a threat - please realize that most of the damage this virus causes is silent. You will think you’ve recovered. Many issues with immune & vascular systems don’t show themselves until years down the road. By then it’ll be too late. /16

Those of us calling for mitigations aren’t doing it because we enjoy living in a pandemic. We don’t like restrictions any more than you do. But we are watching what’s happening & we know it’s not sustainable. We know we aren’t back to normal despite people claiming we are. /17

Our current approach is long term pain for short term gain. We are letting our health be ruined just so we don’t have to make changes to our lifestyle. And it’s catching up with people. We aren’t asking people to go back to lockdowns - we’re asking for common sense approaches /18

These include free & easy to access tests so people can isolate if they’re sick. Freely available respirators for those who can’t afford them - and mandatory masking in hospitals. Clean air in public settings, paid time off & social supports to allow people to isolate. /19

Is this what your “normal” looked like before? Of course not. But taking Covid seriously NOW is the best way to actually get back to something that approximates the “normal” you miss so much. We have tremendous capacity to adapt - there’s no reason we shouldn’t /20

Lastly if you think your life is severely hampered by having to clean the air, isolate when sick & wear a respirator in a hospital… you’re in for a real shock if Covid disables you. Those of us living with severe chronic illness have had our lives altered far more than that. /21

There’s no replacing your health when it’s gone. It’s truly your most valuable asset. We know how to reduce spread - we proved we are capable of making spaces safer for everyone - we need to start doing it again. We succeed or fail together. I would like to see us succeed. /end

@Trinityaudiobot please do your thing