Welcome to The Sick Times๐๏ธ
We're an independent news site founded by journalists @betsyladyzhets and @mileswgriffis. We report on the #LongCOVID crisis, COVID-19, and infection-associated illnesses.
Support our coverage: https://t.co/aFbUhCoTDF
A new COVID-19 antiviral called Xocova (ensitrelvir) will soon be available in the U.S., the first approved as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). But its impact will hinge on how easily people can access it.
Read @mileswgriffis's reporting: https://t.co/jgZPIfl4Zt
COVID-19 levels remain very low across much of the U.S. as a deep lull between waves continues. However, there are accumulating signals that a summer wave may start soon, particularly in parts of the South.
This week's COVID-19 trends report: https://t.co/idbqdH0vj7
No ring-fenced research funding. No care pathway for the very severe. Hospitalized patients still at risk of malnutrition.
Nick Benton asks: What has the delivery plan really changed for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis in the UK? https://t.co/0Ehqh080tA
๐ 2 recent studies have added more evidence that the diabetes drug metformin can reduce the risk of Long COVID
๐ธ Preprint: Long COVID disproportionately impacts Indigenous people in California
๐คง A new article evaluates a diagnostic consensus for MCAS
https://t.co/zBUTeByCKA
Daphne Sara Safaei writes about the ways Long COVID emphasizes the racism and ableism of the public health sector, and calls for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses to be prioritized over profits. https://t.co/5VAIi0rj8L
Celebrate Pride with The Sick Times! Many in-person events arenโt accessible to people with Long COVID and related diseases and disabilities, so we're hosting our own virtual variety show!
Register now: https://t.co/7JJifo39XC
๐ณ๏ธโ๐ ๐ท We're excited to see you there!
The U.S.โs low lull in COVID-19 spread continues. Disease levels in wastewater and healthcare data remain very low through early June. Meanwhile, World Cup matches in several major cities may pose new disease threats.
This week's COVID-19 trends report: https://t.co/7wWrb9eqyx
"A recent essay on Long COVID published in WIRED magazine shifts the burden of proof back onto the people we should be helping; those who suffer with the disease."
Todd Davenport on freeing people with Long COVID from the "mind-body trap": https://t.co/cdlKUTBKQu
#LongCOVID disrupts struggles for justice, as activists and organizers with the disease are forced to suspend or change their tactics, facing a community that largely ignores COVID precautions. Read more from @brittashoot: https://t.co/E23CNqHfaW
Indie bookstores have often served as hubs of political action and community care. Read more about their masking policies and COVID-19 consciousness in 2026. https://t.co/StqkD3rH2J
How can we eat when weโre too sick to cook? On this episode of Still Here, @mileswgriffis talks to writer and artist Aisha Mirza, founder of misery collective and author of misery meals: a crip community anti-cookbook for when eating and cooking is hard. https://t.co/GPpCi3KBvv
Research ethics boards need urgent training on Long COVID and ME. Despite being set up to protect vulnerable participants, these boards are ill-equipped to ensure research is safe, especially regarding post-exertional malaise (PEM). https://t.co/Jq25GIZHk7
Instead of reading the latest long COVID pseudoscience making its rounds, might I suggest this facts-based and scientifically sound podcast ep where we talk research, biomarkers, and (again) science? ๐คฒ
A record-breaking COVID-19 lull has continued in the U.S. through late May. The latest national estimates for SARS-CoV-2 spread are the lowest they have been since spring 2021.
Read this week's full COVID-19 trends report: https://t.co/z6KiWJR7Xd