The Elephant In The Air Podcast

[The Elephant In The Air Podcast @elephantair_pod]

The next episode of The Elephant In The Air podcast has been filmed and is in the editing process but one thing is missing: YOU!

We want to see examples of C-19 conscious community members practicing emotional regulation skills and to feature them in our upcoming episode!

[Lisa @rainbowjanelane]

I am mindblown by this infection wave. I have NEVER seen more people get sick at the same time. Every single day I see several more people I know say they're sick. Never seen it get this bad before, not in all these years.

[En(during COVID) @DEC0L0NIZE]

hey, what’s the word on the cc commune, damn it?!

[Bean Bestie @MaskedHottiee]

Hey! Currently how many days would you want someone to mask before unmasking with them (after testing negatively obviously)? Is it five days?

[Prognostic Chats @PrognosticChats]

Masks are great. But they aren’t magic. Throw a high enough viral load into an inadequately ventilated room and give it enough time, and keep repeating that experience, eventually the mask won’t work. Solo masking can do an awful lot, but eventually luck is also needed 1/2

[MaskTogetherAmerica @TogetherWeMask]

“Heroes who wear masks: I’m looking for you!” @MsJulieSLam #MaskTogetherAmerica is at 2026 @NewYorkComicCon. “I wear a mask because I don’t want to get COVID.”— CS (Nott the Brave) said it for all of us. A mask protects you from all the pathogens spreading in the air! #IAmNYCC

[Kristina (she/her) @kristinaEBP]

People said this about AIDS activists too

Turns out being infected and discarded makes you a tad irritable when you’re talking to ppl who want to keep infecting you rather than use protection

#MaskUp #SARSCoV2 #WearAMask #CovidKills

[BirdieBittern @BirdieBittern]

Karl-Anthony Towns, 30, Says Having COVID-19
“broke me down to the core”

The Knicks star lost his mother and seven other relatives to COVID-19 in 2020

Towns partnered with NUVAXOVID to encourage vaccination after consulting his doctor

https://t.co/K6N2fQaPi9

[Sarah @_smoze]

what a great reminder that sometimes people are staring at me in a mask because I'm doing something they want to do too. Breaking the illusion of "normal" is powerful, some have bad reactions, but try not to assume that staring is always malice bc it's not.

[Clean Air Dyke @FullLaneFemme]

Virtual speed dating event for the "virus-informed" 👀

November 7th.-1pm-4pm.
Applications are due by October 26th

https://t.co/FqJLvkwrU8

[💜 Valerie Jay @ValerieJay16]

“Why Masks-Required Concerts Still Sell Out in the Bay Area
COVID-conscious musicians and fans have created a tight-knit, DIY scene that’s all about accessibility.”
https://t.co/XwMkIUOuuk

[Mike Hoerger, PhD MSCR MBA @michael_hoerger]

PMC COVlD Update, Sep 28, 2026 (US):
🔸We're in a 13th COVlD wave.
🔸40 states and territories continue to have COVlD outbreaks, stable from last week.
🔸Levels likely peaked between Sep 7-13 at a PMC-estimated 580,000 new daily infections, though there are data quality issues noted below.

Use layered COVlD safety:
🔹Get boosted ASAP, especially if high transmission nearby. Novavax has a lower side effect profile than other boosters and comparable effectiveness.
🔹Mask up with a well-fitting N95 respirator.
🔹Improve air hygiene: Open windows, flip the HVAC from auto to on, shut off the car's recirculation 'feature,' add air purifiers, and / or use air quality monitors.
🔹Test daily when sick, exposed, or gathering, and stay home when sick.
🔹Monitor your blood pressure to reduce the risk of surprise post-acute cardiovascular sequelae.
🔹Spread accurate information by sending dashboard screenshots to family, checking the public health credentials and experience of information sources, and avoiding sharing 'miracle' interventions.

Details:
The US has at least 40 states and territories with COVlD outbreaks, the same number reported last week. These include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
There are likely outbreaks in additional states. The summary statistic of 40 only includes counties with observed data, rather than estimated data. For example, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, and Tennessee likely have outbreaks, but monitoring is poor.

Nuance:
Note that while PMC uses forecasting to estimate national statistics through Sep 28 and beyond, the state-level data do not, meaning they are now 9 days old. If the national forecast is correct, levels peaked between Sept 7-13, closely aligned with our prior forecasts. This would mean that levels are declining more so than depicted in the map. Levels often decline slowly, suggesting the need for ongoing precautions. Additionally, Biobot and 200 CDC sites are offline this week, and both have experienced major retroactive corrections of late, so the national forecast has more uncertainty than usual. For example, we could see the peak adjusted upward or a double peak. It is unclear how quickly reporting will resume at the offline sites.

Links:
🔗PMC home page: https://t.co/6AJ0wYGtTa
🔗Interactive map (best on a computer): https://t.co/iBvYAoL2TK
🔗Technical Appendix: https://t.co/goEQBWwf4J
🔗Recent NBC News Coverage: https://t.co/h1YftdnVl6
🔗Recent Detroit Free Press Coverage: https://t.co/hsXPSfTV3i

[Jon Jon ✨ @JonJonAnimation]

An animal dance party happening around a very cool tree. Rock on little buddies 🤟

[Carlos Eats @carloseats]

my friend was perfectly healthy before covid and could easily jog 5-10 miles a day and manage a full-time job. after getting long covid at age 35 he now has permanent heart and brain problems and can barely walk. its not hysteria.

[🎨Artsy M*rxist 🎨 (commissions closed) @ArtsyMarx1st]

then why are hiv meds being widely used to treat longcovid?

[#LandBack @iiHeartPolitics]

Many AIDS-related deaths were classified under the flu or pneumonia. Everything except naming or classifying it properly, just like...

[heather 💫 @_hxneyglow]

“why am i seeing so many sick people now. omg must be social contagion and not the impact of the largest global health crisis of my lifetime”