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Cate

@midcatecrisis.bsky.social

4.1K followers 1.3K following 4.8K posts

Chronically ill, autistic, demi/greyace (mostly in bed, mostly homebound) ME/CFS and probable LC 😷😷😷 Interests: climate, COVID, disability justice, nature, parenting, socialism Ltd cog energy, don't tend to follow back. Toronto, Canada She/her/they

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · Nov 8

Reintroduction of me:
- kind of a mess
- parent of middle grade kids (10&12yrs)
- have myalgic encephalomyelitis probably triggered by COVID before community spread was recognized, mostly housebound and only a few hours out of bed a day
- still a climate person in my heart but no energy to activism

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Reposted by Cate

Bree Lundberg @breelundberg.com · 43m

Seeing multiple artists lately say they got covid at cons even while masking but then I see photos of most people wearing loose fitting ear-loop masks. For maximum protection you NEED A TIGHT SEAL! Head-loop masks like N95 are best (or at least get ear loop adjusters/mask tape so KN95 fits tighter).

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 1h

Yes, that's him. He deserved so much better. 💔

Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 1h

Could also have been North Bay or the Sault. My brain just registered "north".

Reposted by Cate

Sam Still Masks 🪉 @theailingwitch.bsky.social · 2h

I’m gonna be reposting this A LOT.

😷💜🎶

Sam Still Masks 🪉 @theailingwitch.bsky.social · 3h

“Covid has never ended,
Measles and flu abound;
Instead of giving sick days
They’ll put us in the ground.”

My pro-masking lyrics for the classic civil action song “Which Side are You on?” are available on my (FREE) Patreon now!

www.patreon.com/posts/141233...

Lyrics: Put a Mask Back On ("Which Side are You On?") | The Ailing Witch

www.patreon.com

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 3h

Ad an autistic person whose response to being in transition (the most painful part of labour) was to coherently say "oh, this is the part where you feel like you're going to die but then you don't": .....fuck.

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 4h

“In nursing homes, neonatal units, and ICU wards, researchers are racing to turn pain—medicine’s most subjective vital sign—into something a camera or sensor can score as reliably as blood pressure.”

AI is changing how we quantify pain

Artificial intelligence is helping health-care providers better assess their patients’ discomfort.

www.technologyreview.com

Reposted by Cate

Nisrin Elamin @nisrinelamin.bsky.social · 5h

The situation is getting increasingly deadly…

Nisrin Elamin @nisrinelamin.bsky.social · 4d

The Sudan Solidarity Collective is doing a big fundraising push to support our partners in El Fashir to support food distribution, evacuation and medications.

Please help us boost our support. Please share and donate 👇🏾 .

sudansolidarity.com

Home - Sudan Solidarity Collective

Solidarity with Sudan! Support the Emergency Response Rooms doing life saving work in Sudan by donating to the Sudan Solidarity Fund. Workshops4Sudan is a new fundraising initiative of the Sudan Solid...

sudansolidarity.com

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 6h

It was a CBC news story. I *think* he lived in Thunder Bay or Sudbury but those might be made up memories. He had posted to Facebook about his prediction, I think. Almost certainly in 2022 because that's when the official mask protections dropped. Article would prob be calling them "mask mandates".

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 15h

Have a dentist appt on the 22nd and thinking "Phew, covid is only high in Ontario right now"...

Tara Moriarty @moriartylab.bsky.social · 16h

Canadian COVID Forecast: Oct 11 - Oct 24, 2025
SEVERE: NL, NS, SK
VERY HIGH: MB, NB, North, PEI
HIGH: CAN, AB, BC, ON, QC
MODERATE: none

About 1 in 95 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.

This image shows gauges with the Oct 11 - Oct 24, 2025 Forecast scores for Canada, the provinces, & territories. From left to right:

Canada: HIGH - 8.9
Alberta: HIGH - 7.0
British Columbia: HIGH - 8.4
Manitoba: VERY HIGH - 14.9
New Brunswick: VERY HIGH - 11.3
Newfoundland & Labrador: SEVERE - 17.0
North: VERY HIGH - 12.3
Nova Scotia: SEVERE - 16.3
Ontario: HIGH - 7.5
Prince Edward Island: VERY HIGH - 11.8
Quebec: HIGH - 10.0
Saskatchewan: SEVERE - 17.0

A text box reads: "The COVID Forecast is calculated from 3 equally weighted categories: 1) Current infections and spread; 2) Healthcare system impact; 3) Mortality. Within each category there is one sub-category for trends over the most recent week (Trends) and one sub-category for current parameter values relative to a specified baseline (Current values). Trends and current values are weighted equally when determining the final score for a category. All Forecast input data and sources are available here (https://datastudio.google.com/embed/u/0/reporting/42b886cf-d661-488e-b7d8-5c5836b55ab6/page/p_2yqs028mwc). Past Forecast scores are available in the table below. Forecast scores are grouped into 4 ranges: MODERATE (1 to <5, white), HIGH (6 to <10, yellow), VERY HIGH (10 to <15, orange), SEVERE (>15 red)."

Reposted by Cate

Tara Moriarty @moriartylab.bsky.social · 16h

Canadian COVID Forecast: Oct 11 - Oct 24, 2025
SEVERE: NL, NS, SK
VERY HIGH: MB, NB, North, PEI
HIGH: CAN, AB, BC, ON, QC
MODERATE: none

About 1 in 95 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.

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Reposted by Cate

brainfrog👩‍🦼🫁 @brainfrog.bsky.social · 1d

Trying to raise the remaining $1617 by my surgical date on October 23rd. No amount is too small. Appreciate boosting and quote-reposts for visibility.

#MutualAid #HelpSky

brainfrog👩‍🦼🫁 @brainfrog.bsky.social · Aug 28

Apologies, somehow the original was deleted. I'm undergoing my 3rd urgent, non-elective revision spinal fusion this Oct to replace & extend my hardware. I'd appreciate any help in achieving this goal to ensure I have the resources necessary to recover safely & fully.
www.gofundme.com/f/leeanns-3r...

Donate to Lee-Ann's 3rd Spine Surgery Survival Fund, organized by Lee-Ann SB

Hey folks, my name is Lee-Ann. I'm a thirtysomething living in Ontario, Canada… Lee-Ann SB needs your support for Lee-Ann's 3rd Spine Surgery Survival Fund

www.gofundme.com

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Reposted by Cate

Erin Wraithburn 👻 @erinraeburn.bsky.social · 20h

As someone with ME/CFS my entire life is "rational assessment of the threat environment," because I walk a daily tightrope of illness management.

I don't have the luxury of ignoring the science, which overwhelmingly proves the threat of covid is still very real.

That's not fear, it's fact.

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1d

(and i think it is a demand that stems from fear more than a rational assessment of the threat environment)

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 20h

Ding ding ding

It's also sort of like fatphobia or ableism or fear of aging.

The more you have judged others for wearing a mask, being fat, being disabled, or aging, the more the idea of doing or becoming those things upsets you.

Jessica Ellis @baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 20h

I’m very very tired of “living in fear” being lobbed at maskwearers by people who frequently say they can’t wear one because no one else around them is.

Living in fear is ignoring science and endangering lives and your own health because you’re terrified of not fitting in.

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Matthew Cortland (they) @matthewcort.land · 21h

people who have absolutely no idea, not the first clue, about how debilitating the brain fog is. And saying “oh, it’s okay, you can get SSDI” was *insulting* before, now during Trump II it’s straight up sadistic

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Bilbo Yaga @bilboyaga.bsky.social · 20h

Meanwhile the discourse on bluesky is that it’s hysterical and unreasonable to ask folks to mask in public because it’s uncomfy.

Get over yourself. Mask up.

Doing so slows the spread of illness, reduces hospital overwhelm, improves access to public life, shields those with less resources, etc.

Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 21h

According to a state epidemiologist, "CDC personnel who normally share information with state officials during outbreaks have been eliminated."

Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 1d

“One veteran researcher who still has his job (and, like other public-health workers I spoke with for this story, requested anonymity for fear of losing it) told me he believes that Kennedy’s ultimate goal is to “silence the scientific voice of career CDC scientists.””

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Bateman Horne Center @batemanhornecenter.bsky.social · 21h

Milestone moment for ME/CFS awareness!
The American College of Sports Medicine has added a section on ME/CFS to its Exercise Guidelines for the first time ever, thanks to @workwellfoundation.bsky.social and collaborators.

Read more: https://bit.ly/46P31vP
#MECFS #ACSM @acsm1954.bsky.social

"History Made! The American College of Sports Medicine includes ME/CFS in global exercise guidelines for the first time."

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Chima Simone Benson @chimasimone.bsky.social · 1d

Those who understand SARS-CoV-2 (Covid) causes neurological, endothelial, cardiovascular, and immune system damage, and that damage from repeated infections is cumulative, mask. And those who don’t will soon find out.

I don’t “live in fear” typically means, I prefer to “live in denial.”

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The Real McCoy @rippermd41.bsky.social · 1d

Most people aren’t asking you mask at all times.

They ask that you mask in essential places: public transit, hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies etc.

Places high risk people can’t avoid.

But if you hate wearing masks? Then advocate for indoor air quality: ventilation, filtration, etc.

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1d

yeah, i think a commitment to public health obligates you to get vaccinated and, when you are sick, do what you can to avoid spreading that to other people. the demand that one mask at all times in public spaces is, i think, unreasonable.

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 21h

I have definitely had times when I remembered something specifically and then realized later it was a confabulation and was able to tease out the components. But I have had other times when I have been very sure that I am actually remembering something correctly because it mattered to me not others.

Reposted by Cate

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 22h

I've been taking it for granted that people know what alt-text is for, but that assumption was clearly wrong.

Alt-text is read out loud by assistive technologies like screen readers. It's primarily for people who are visually impaired.

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 21h

I've lived in Ontario my whole life and had no idea this was an Ontario-specific word.

Reposted by Cate

The Real McCoy @rippermd41.bsky.social · 22h

FYI for #MECFS and #LongCovid communities

If you use any protein powders, worth taking a look through this.

I’ve seen some people mention using Huel. Huel Black edition was one of the worst offenders.

paris martineau @paris.nyc · 1d

my latest investigation for @consumerreports.org is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements

we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day (🧵)

www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...

Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports

CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.

www.consumerreports.org

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Reposted by Cate

Amanda Finley Digs All the Spooky Things @rubyslippahs.bsky.social · 22h

My power was turned off yesterday. Still waiting to hear from LiHEAP for assistance. I have about $200 left to cover to have my power turned back on. Thanks for any help!

Venmo/Cash app: AmandaKFinley
Zelle
PayPal: [email protected]

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Reposted by Cate

valebodi.bsky.social @valebodi.bsky.social · 1d

Yes. I try to remind myself that it’s an incredibly unnatural, counterintuitive and almost impossible thing to do. And even if you do it “perfectly” sometimes you’ll get worse anyway. The only reason it’s worth trying (which it is) is that all the other options and “treatments” suck so bad.
#ME/CFS

From the cfs community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the cfs community

www.reddit.com

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🎃 Allison 🎃 @alizinha.bsky.social · 1d

If nothing else, I wish our fellow Americans would realize that the next pandemic will go undetected for a long-ass time.

I was already masking to avoid Covid, flu, etc. Now I'm also protecting myself from what's next that we won't even know has arrived.

Elana Levin @levin.bsky.social · 4d

I cannot stop the mass firings overnight. But I can wear a mask to protect myself and those around me

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 4d

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 1d

Flirting makes me very uncomfortable, so for my own peace of mind I always assumed "friendly not flirting" unless absolutely required to recognize flirting and run away.

Emma Evans @trance.bsky.social · 1d

I'm oblivious to flirting; I just assume you're being nice.

MonsterKing @cerromerussell.blacksky.app · 1d

I'm country... I'm definitely flirting.