Dr. Strange(s)

Office is having a “field day” at a local gym today. Someone is going to end up with a life-altering SARS-CoV-2 infection bc they participated in the mummy three-legged race or whatever. I’m an outcast bc I mask, so I’m opting out of this Halloween team-building superspreader.

There’s so much I hate about being the only masker at work. But it has led to one enjoyable routine—eating lunch in a lovely park across the street from my office building.

Someone (besides me) is wearing a mask in the office today. I’d like to believe it’s bc they decided to start masking again. Especially since 1/2 of the office is sick. But it’s more likely they have COVID and decided to come to work anyway. I’m glad they’re masking though.

Do people who are wringing their hands over public executions understand that they’re participating in social murder and eugenics (fascism) by not wearing a mask in public spaces during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic?

I’m simultaneously an anti-vaxxer because I mask and the only person in my family who is up to date on their COVID shots.

I want to say thank you to everyone out there who still takes C19 seriously and does their best to protect themselves and others. It sucks being the only masker wherever I go but when I’m feeling especially isolated and down, I have this space to remind me I’m not alone. 😷✊

Libs I know: in this house we believe in science, reason, critical thinking, empathy, and caring for others. Especially the most vulnerable. Libs I know: we choose 🦠

Employee in my org died suddenly this week (30s). Someone just retired early for medical reasons (50s). Someone complained that their trip to Europe might not happen bc spouse (40s) had a stroke and MIL (70s) is recovering from blood clots in her lungs. I’m weird bc I mask tho.

My coworkers don’t talk to me much. But when someone asks about my mask, it’s impossible to convince them that masking during an ongoing pandemic is important. A huge challenge is that nobody in our health department (with whom we share a building) masks. So why should they?

Coworker: I can’t anymore with these gas prices! Me: it costs me about 25 cents/day to take the bus. Round trip. You should get a pass through (our employer). It’s $60/year. Coworker: … Same silence I get when I tell people why I still mask during the ongoing pandemic.

My dad died of C19 2 yrs. ago today. My family has memory holed that inconvenient fact. In June when I last saw my elderly mother (whose own health has deteriorated since getting COVID), she asked me if I planned to mask forever.

Coworker: how’s your baby? Other coworker: good, but she’s sick. Everyone’s kids are always sick. It could be a running punchline but it’s tragic and not at all funny. It’s population-level child abuse and neglect.

One of my upcoming meetings is to discuss a strategic plan that was obviously created with AI. I feel untethered. Like nothing around me makes any sense.

This isn’t sustainable.

Square probably works in public health.

I have cut ties with the genocide-denying liberals in my life. Turns out that most of the “in this house we believe in compassion and empathy” people I have known for decades—if not for my entire life—are horrible, unprincipled, and cruel people.

Most people aren’t going to wear masks to protect themselves from wildfire smoke either, right?

Seeing a lot of hand wringing about the cyclospora outbreak and the state of public health under Trump from “in this house we believe” people who have been participating in mass eugenics since 2021-2022.