It's 2026 and the Covid pandemic rages on despite many pretending it no longer exists. Today is a day to remind people of the disabling nature of the virus and how they can protect themselves.
I'm a previously very active now 69-year-old. I used to gravel on my boat. Now I have taken a permanent mooring so that I can continue to at least live in my boat.
I've written 3 articles in the last year. If I were able to concentrate as I used to, I would write more. But this is my contribution to the long covid story so far.
Incidentally, I have met many people with long covid, as my local long covid clinic runs an online support group (although they keep getting threatened with being de-funded). Several are/were teachers, one was a paralympian runner, others work/worked in various science/tech occupations, one was a singer. None of us were previously inactive, quite the opposite.
I've had CFIDS/ME since 1985. It's sad that so little progress has been made for people living with invisible chronic illness. Getting a diagnosis is still an uphill battle. Getting family and friends to accept that you have a genuine, physical disease and that there are no treatments available and that you are never getting any better is next to impossible. People automatically blame you for being ill or accuse you of faking it because that's easier to accept than realizing that they could also become disabled or die at any time, no matter how "good" they are. Everyone has an excuse for why it's not their responsibility to help in any way. (The fact that you are still a human being should be enough reason to help, or at least try to not make your situation any worse.)
In some ways, the situation is actually getting worse for disabled people. More and more government programs are facing budget cutbacks or have been eliminated altogether. It can take decades of fighting the system to finally get an accessible apartment, a wheelchair or other mobility aids. Many medications and medical devices that used to be covered by insurance are now unaffordable.
At least, here in Canada, we still have government medical insurance, but many people in the USA have no insurance at all, so they are never going to get a diagnosis if they are too sick to work. Even Canada's universal healthcare doesn't cover the cost of getting a doctor to fill in application forms for disability benefits, time off work and so on. Many medications aren't covered by insurance.
In short, ableism is rampant and systemic, leaving the chronically ill often living alone and in poverty, on top of having to deal with pain and diminished ability.
Thanks as always DG - these are sobering statistics and we can only hope and pray that research will find a way to deal with this scourge - as always, Bob
Hugs to everyone. Thank you for your reporting. My mother had had long COVID for. Along time.
I'm a previously very active now 69-year-old. I used to gravel on my boat. Now I have taken a permanent mooring so that I can continue to at least live in my boat.
I've written 3 articles in the last year. If I were able to concentrate as I used to, I would write more. But this is my contribution to the long covid story so far.
Incidentally, I have met many people with long covid, as my local long covid clinic runs an online support group (although they keep getting threatened with being de-funded). Several are/were teachers, one was a paralympian runner, others work/worked in various science/tech occupations, one was a singer. None of us were previously inactive, quite the opposite.
Travel, not gravel 🙄
Thanks for including me, and for your work on this!
My adult son has long COVID. Had to take medical retirement from his police detective job.
Awful, I’m sorry.
I've had CFIDS/ME since 1985. It's sad that so little progress has been made for people living with invisible chronic illness. Getting a diagnosis is still an uphill battle. Getting family and friends to accept that you have a genuine, physical disease and that there are no treatments available and that you are never getting any better is next to impossible. People automatically blame you for being ill or accuse you of faking it because that's easier to accept than realizing that they could also become disabled or die at any time, no matter how "good" they are. Everyone has an excuse for why it's not their responsibility to help in any way. (The fact that you are still a human being should be enough reason to help, or at least try to not make your situation any worse.)
In some ways, the situation is actually getting worse for disabled people. More and more government programs are facing budget cutbacks or have been eliminated altogether. It can take decades of fighting the system to finally get an accessible apartment, a wheelchair or other mobility aids. Many medications and medical devices that used to be covered by insurance are now unaffordable.
At least, here in Canada, we still have government medical insurance, but many people in the USA have no insurance at all, so they are never going to get a diagnosis if they are too sick to work. Even Canada's universal healthcare doesn't cover the cost of getting a doctor to fill in application forms for disability benefits, time off work and so on. Many medications aren't covered by insurance.
In short, ableism is rampant and systemic, leaving the chronically ill often living alone and in poverty, on top of having to deal with pain and diminished ability.
What will they call it when they are affected — a MAGA disease? Many anti-vaxxers didn’t survive Covid, though MAGA tries to hide that fact.
As someone with LC, thank you 💛
In case it is helpful to anyone, I wrote the post linked below a few days ago compiling as much as I could about COVID & LC and their prevention
https://thehotandthedisabled.substack.com/p/things-to-know-about-covid-in-2026
Thanks as always DG - these are sobering statistics and we can only hope and pray that research will find a way to deal with this scourge - as always, Bob
Thank you ❤️