Thread by @brownecfm

1. A consequence of 'normalising' Covid-19 (which, let's face it, is actually in many cases a concerted effort to *erase* discussion about the disease), is that it tacitly creates a false binary between living healthily and avoiding infection.

2. I've seen a few examples of this false binary lately, and generally they take the form of an earnest (and sincere) concentration on living and aging as healthily as possible without mentioning that SARS-CoV-2 infection is a risk factor for new-onset chronic illnesses.

3. There is a tacit and toxic assumption that underlies this false binary, which is as follows: that it is impossible to live and age healthily AND try to avoid SARS-CoV-2 infection. This notion is both incorrect and insidious.

4. The key determinants of living and aging healthily are in no way incompatible with trying to avoid Covid. Some adaptation may be required regarding social connections - specifically with people who are not trying to avoid infection - but it's not insurmountable by any means.

5. It is, of course, very easy to see the other unspoken assumption in this discourse, which is that people who are actively trying to avoid SARS-CoV-2 are, by definition, engaged in an *unhealthy* lifestyle.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

6. That isn't to say, of course, that people trying to avoid infection automatically have healthy lifestyles - rather, that the former is independent of the latter. Avoiding SARS-CoV-2 is not unhealthy in and of itself; it is the opposite. It's mind-boggling this has to be said.

7. In short, trying to avoid infection with a virus that can cause significant sequelae is a healthy lifestyle choice, because it reduces the risk of developing chronic ill health. It requires discipline to do so, as many healthy lifestyle choices do - fitness, diet, weight etc.

8. What is, in fact, unhealthy, is the widespread propagation of this false binary: if you tell the general population that Covid is nothing to worry about, and, as such, shouldn't even factor into living and aging healthily, you're actively promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. /end