covid virginity
[Alt text: A negative at-home covid test on a hot pink bag.]
The whole time I was traveling I was practically chanting to myself, "Please don't let me get covid until I'm back in my own bed."
Yesterday I crawled into bed at 3pm, exhausted for no reason. Yes, I'd been traveling for more than a month, but I got home Sunday. There's no way jetlag lasts that long when it's just a 3-hour time difference. Things I was too tired to google: "Can adults get mono?" and "Can you buy estrogen in powder form for snorting?"
I think I'm back to normal now (whatever that means), and just tested negative again.
Aside: Where are all the home tests for everything else?? Shouldn't we be able to cough or piss on our iPhones and get 18 different diagnoses by now?
Three or four weeks ago, I saw a number of articles about "covid virgins." Apparently there are lots of people, like me, who have probably been exposed to it, but have never tested positive or gotten sick (yet). The questions are 1) Do these people have stronger immune systems? 2) Have they just been more careful? 3) Or have they just been lucky so far?
The answer is no one knows. Maybe it's a combination of all three, with luck doing most of the work.
Last month I was talking to a doctor friend who said when everyone was wearing masks, no one was getting colds. That's no longer the case, now that fewer people are masking up in public, so doctors are "back in business." If you've been good about wearing a mask, when's the last time you got a cold? I honestly can't remember. One more reason to keep wearing the thing. Plus when you wear a mask and sunglasses, no one recognizes you, and when you fall asleep on an airplane just long enough for your mouth to start hanging open, no one can tell.
As I write this, various family members are en route to my grandmother's house to celebrate her 100th birthday. I'm skipping the party because I was with her last Friday, her actual birthday. (I said "happy birthday!" and she said "shut up.") It was the first time I walked into her house and didn't get the usual guilt trip of "Where have you been? Why don't you ever come to see me? I missed you." She no longer opens her eyes. It's not clear if that's because she won't or can't. But she was aware of my presence; the caretaker said she could tell grandma was happy I was there. And that was enough for me.
Links
If you ever have to put someone in a nursing home, make sure the place isn't owned by a private equity company. This shit is terrifying. (New Yorker)
A valid critique of Gavin Newsom. Dude wants to be president so bad. SF and CA politics were/are just stepping stones. (Atlantic)
An almost-hopeful piece about gun control. (Vox)
A study suggests that the best way to get your meds to work fast is to lie on your right side. (New Atlas)
An old video of Gary the Goat running hella fast. Like if the Olive and Mabel guy was from Australia. (YouTube)
If you hate LinkedIn as much as I do, you may appreciate this post generator. Send me your screenshots! (Boing Boing)
In which a (very young) flight attendant thinks she found a bomb. This will resonate with GenX and older. (TikTok)
And speaking of GenX, I should plug the TueNight newsletter here, since I get paid to make the thing every week. If you're a GenX woman, you may appreciate the links and stories people write. You can subscribe here. /plug