I'm trying not to get covid
November 2024
I’m not an epidemiologist, virologist, or immunologist. So who knows, I might be wrong about this.
But one credential I do have is an undergraduate degree in math, and a couple years experience teaching remedial mathematics classes. Arithmetic, multiplying fractions and percentages, that kind of stuff.
And when I look at the peer-reviewed literature on post-covid sequalae (also called “long covid”) I consistently see troubling percentages. I’ve been following this literature for years now and if anything, the consensus has gotten worse.
There are tons of these studies—really, thousands of them at this point—but one that has stuck with me is this recent paper about marines. Here’s the extremely short version:
24% of 18-year-old marines had long term symptoms.
A bit more info:
- Most of them had only mild or asymptomatic cases of covidinitially
- They still had decreased physical performance one year after infection (and, presumably, beyond)
I’m a middle aged dude in … let’s call it “decent shape.” If a mild infection leaves 1 in 4 healthy young men—marines—with long term debilities, my odds are probably much worse. So I’m trying not to get covid.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Wearing an N95 mask in indoor public spaces
- Avoiding crowded public spaces as much as possible (I’m very lucky in this regard)
- Getting vaccinated
- Resolving to test if I think I’ve been exposed, and isolate if I get a positive test (I’m also trying not to give covid)
This topic has become weirdly underdiscussed in the circles I frequent, but if you’ve read this post please know that I’d love to chat about it. I’m easy to get ahold of. Stay safe out there.