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Plague
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Plague 101
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If you feel sick at all, please stay home.
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Wear your mask. Doctors are currently recommending elastomeric masks (half face respirators). A mask I personally purchased is this one. (The price tag for 1 kit is $125, the mask is reusable and only requires filters, it is essentially a reusable N95 that meets NIOSH standards. Another good option is wellbefore.com if you need medical supplies routinely shipped you can get them here and know they won't be fakes which is an issue with the Bezos platform Amazon).
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Air flow is very important to decreasing your risk of catching a potential illness. Purchasing a HEPA air filter, especially a personal one that can travel with you and meeting outdoors when possible will reduce the spread of airborne illness.
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Layering levels of protection is important (vaccine, mask, proper air flow). An additional barrier you can add would be a nasal spray like covixyl or enovid.
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Wash your hands and sing to yourself, singing releases dopamine and can help move you from a fight/flight response to a rest/digest response. It might also help you wash for longer or reduce anxiety associated with Covid-19 hygiene.
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This page will be updated with Monkey Pox information as The WHO has declared a global health emergency. Here is their Monkey Pox key facts page. --> Key take away, Monkey Pox is spread through contact with respiratory droplets, otherwise known as airborne.
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The state of Michigan has a Monkey Pox page. It unfortunately perpetuates the myth that this is primarily transmitted through "men who have sex with men." The WHO clearly states that this is transmitted through respiratory droplets and Michigan's own page says that anyone who has close prolonged contact with someone contagious is at risk (not necessarily sex).
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This page used to be a "covid" page and now it will serve as a plague page because I guess these are the times we live in.
Testing
This testing site is the direct link to the search engine from the State of Michigan webpage. It allows you to search your area and prioritizes ASAP appointments, but you can also schedule a test out. PRO TIP for getting results faster: go to a designated testing center that only processes covid tests instead of a pharmacy or urgent care.
This graph below shows that 4-15 days post exposure you can test positive for Covid with a PCR test. But with the rapid antigen tests you are likely to get a false negative unless it's a full week post exposure. If you have a negative rapid antigen test and you're testing less than 7 days before exposure you could still have covid! And be infectious!
Vaccination
This is a nationwide vaccine search tool that I was able to use to schedule my booster.
Public health issues are often addressed at the county and city level. Below are a few links for ease of access.
Washtenaw County Public Health Department vaccination page
Washtenaw County Public Health Department Covid-19 page --> Information on local testing, contact tracing, reporting a concern & what to do if sick
Detroit Public Health Department Covid-19 page --> local testing and community resourcing available
Trustworthy Coronavirus Data
John's Hopkins has been tracking Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and vaccinations. Here is a link for Michigan's data.
John's Hopkins also gives routine news updates.
Sensory Tips
This site speaks to parents who have children with sensory issues. Adults also can have sensory issues with masks. If you are an adult with sensory concerns, you're nervous system is within normal limits, our society is not. Please look at these tips.
My own additional tips include:
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Silk masks, like those from eshakti, or repurposing recycled silk as a layer between yourself and any masks you use.
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Sewing buttons onto any headbands or hats so you can secure the loops of masks to those instead of using extenders. Or creating a modification to any headphones you might wear regularly when out.
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Breaks. Go outside where the air is moving better away from others and take your mask off. Perform a vagus maneuver or stim if you need to in order to reset your nervous system.
Quarantine & Isolation
Official CDC guidelines on quarantine and isolation for covid
Offical CDC monkey pox isolations procedures page.
Risk
A Quiz you can take to evaluate the risk of doing that thing you really wanna do
Remember: Your risk is cumulative.
NPR interview 12/29/2021, roughly 8 minutes of audio about risk assessment.
Long Covid Support
Here is a google doc of resources for covid long haulers that appears to be regularly updatedNY Project Hope Coping with Covid Online Groups
Long Covid
This handy graphic to the side has a lot of basic information about what Long Covid is, or Post Acute Sequelae of Covid-19. The reality is that Long Covid isn't just one illness, but a few that are now being called "subtypes." I'm not a medical doctor but I do suffer from long covid and I want to educate people on what it is like.
For example, I want folks with long covid to know that especially in the early recovery phase if you have symptoms that look like chronic fatigue, exercise is contraindicated. You need as much rest as possible. Graduated Exercise Therapy has been shown to hurt folks with post exercise malaise. If you feel like you have the flu after exercising (sometimes the next day not immediately after) you need rest!
A PDF of the graphic on the right.
We will only survive through collective care
Please care for your neighbor and yourself. No individual can possibly replace a true public health response that we all deserve. Mutual aid is what rises up when our government abandons us.
Resources best viewed on non-mobile device. Last update performed May 2023.