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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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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 1h

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

Tara Moriarty @moriartylab.bsky.social · 2h

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 · 2h

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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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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Erin Wraithburn 👻 @erinraeburn.bsky.social · 6h

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 · 18h

(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 · 6h

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 · 6h

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 · 6h

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 · 6h

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 · 7h

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 · 7h

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 · 12h

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 · 10h

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 · 18h

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 · 6h

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.

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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 8h

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 · 7h

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

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The Real McCoy @rippermd41.bsky.social · 8h

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 · 10h

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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Amanda Finley Digs All the Spooky Things @rubyslippahs.bsky.social · 8h

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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valebodi.bsky.social @valebodi.bsky.social · 13h

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 · 10h

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 · 3d

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 · 10h

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 · 13h

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

MonsterKing @cerromerussell.blacksky.app · 13h

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

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TV's Adam, whispering into a teacup, @tvsadam.bsky.social · 11h

i wish it didn't bother me so much whenever a prominent account i follow takes time out of their day to point and laugh at covid-conscious people but it really, really does

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elia ayoub 🌱 @ayoub.bsky.social · 16h

(UK) “It’s really bad, I won’t lie to you” is what the pharmacist told me as she had to deny me the covid vaccine. I got the flu one, no problem. A 74 year old got denied bcs he isn’t 75, so he said he’ll do it next year bcs he cannot afford to pay for private. It’s really bad. 1/4

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 12h

I'm in Ontario Canada and we didn't stop mask protections until 2022 and there was a news story that haunts me about an immunocompromised man with home healthcare who knew he was going to die if protections were dropped. Posted about it. And his care worker refused to mask and he died within months.

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 12h

How do you get a dental cleaning when nobody is wearing a mask at the dentist and when the HEPAs in the office are all turned off and the filters haven't been changed since 2022?

What are you actually supposed to do? How are you actually supposed to survive?

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Cate @midcatecrisis.bsky.social · 12h

The thing about unreasonable is try to imagine you are a person who knows you will have a very good chance of dying if you get COVID (this is not me, I have a very good chance of becoming more disabled and am already 20 hours a day in bed) and nobody will help you not get it.

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Julia Doubleday @juliadoubleday.bsky.social · 12h

I’m sorry that THE SITUATION feels unreasonable. It’s fair to say that the situation is unmanageable, a situation that all the ppl who already have contracted long covid and who can’t afford more infections have been thrust into. That is something to take up with the govt - a reason to be furious

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Julia Doubleday @juliadoubleday.bsky.social · 12h

The framing “it’s unreasonable to ask me to mask” reminds me of climate change discussions - “it’s unreasonable to ask for net zero” etc - bc ppl think of the politics as more “real” than the science. Sometimes things are hard or unfair but reality and science don’t care

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