One of my in-laws tested positive for Covid a few days ago, right as we were traveling. Since then our daughter tested positive. I thought I fought off an infection, but it swung back around yesterday and had me using everything in my arsenal to keep my throat from swelling shut.
That arsenal includes some things from this list, plus vitamins C, B, D, Zinc, echinacea, elderberry, and the spays discussed here. I'm going to take some melatonin later tonight.
Fortunately, my throat turned around and we wound up not needing urgent care. Out of all the things that helped the most, it was regular dousing with Xylitol mouth spray and then some CPC mouthwash once the dryness and swelling went down. I elevated myself while resting to help with drainage. If things had gotten much worse, I would've dragged myself to the urgent care and endured everything that comes with those visits.
Now I'm just resting.
It's strange, because this round of Covid comes with no fever at all, just some fatigue and a sore throat that borderlined on tonsilitis.
That and some congestion.
Now I'm rethinking holiday plans. The last thing I need right now is any kind of opportunistic infection. That goes for the rest of my family. Given what's going on in the world with so many epidemics of respiratory pathogens, plus this new mystery pneumonia in China, it sounds smart to want to stay home and just enjoy another lowkey holiday. Is it really worth it to risk all of this illness in order to spend time with people you have to constantly remind and prod to take something seriously, right after it tries to kill you?
It's especially strange to hear guys like Ashish Jha talk in such dismissive terms about potential threats when you're suffering from a virus the very same guy says doesn't matter anymore. For those of us who wake up at 2 am wondering if we'll have to go to the hospital, it matters a lot.
And I can guarantee you, the "precautions" these so-called experts push aren't enough.
I'll get into that in a minute...
It's dehumanizing to watch so many public health "experts" spend so much of their time and energy trying to manage and suppress our rational responses to threats.
As some of you have noticed, the herd immunity brigade has been out on patrol, shaming anyone who dares to suggest that it's not actually good for you to get infected with viruses over and over. They continue to insist they don't know anyone with Long Covid, in such cliche displays of denial and wishful thinking it's almost boring. If that's how they think, it's no wonder they don't "know anyone" with Long Covid. They've pushed all of these people out of their lives. Their positivity prosperity gospel commands they pretend these problems don't exist, even if they're inside you.
It could be so simple. When there's a new or recurring threat, the corporate media and political messaging could just provide the information and then strongly recommend effective masks, air purifiers, and sprays or supplements that seem to help. They could recommend collective action, but instead they push "individual risk assessment" because that fits with their perverse cultural and economic values. They pump out articles like "Don't Press the Panic Button" by Reuters, which focus entirely on stressing the importance of normal economic activity.
Tony Dunn writes a personal reflection on his prepping and sustainable living over the years. There's a looming question on our minds these days, when have you prepped enough? And how long could any of us really expect to survive in a 2 or 3C world, as predicted by experts?
On a similar theme, Thomas Ott reflects on the fact that we're entering the last stage of human existence. Even if you don't buy that quite yet, it's worth the mental exercise of preparing yourself. If one thing is true, the last few years have completely upended what we consider normal, and they've given us a completely different portrait of the future to prepare for.
Jessica Wildfire
