#infectioncontrol — Public Fediverse posts

🦠 Does a hospital’s location shape the microbes in its air?

🔗 Air Bacterial Microbiomes in Hospitals: Case Studies from a Metropolis and a Small City of Thailand. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34133/csbj.0068

📚 CSBJ - A Science Partner Journal: https://spj.science.org/journal/csbj

#Microbiome #HospitalInfections #AirQuality #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Microbiology #EnvironmentalHealth #PatientSafety #AntimicrobialResistance #Healthcare #MedTech

Hospitals are dangerous places. Air purification would mitigate the risk. Too bad most infection control professionals have voted for job security over patient safety, as I recently experienced up close and personally.

This is by no means the first paper to make these points.

> Despite good air quality (mean CO2 614 ppm), 39% of air samples had SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

> Hot spots for risk in the emergency ward include the acute care and waiting area.

> In critical care, hot spots include the tearoom and corridors near infected rooms.

> The risk of nosocomial outbreaks may be mitigated through air purifiers and masks.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosol and surface samples in high acuity hospital settings during community epidemic waves – implications for risk-based infection control

https://www.resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111%2826%2900080-6/fulltext

#CovidIsAirborne #sars2 #covid19 #infectioncontrol

https://www.europesays.com/ie/381590/ Scrubs Were Never Meant to Be About You #acrylic #Éire #Health #HealthCare #Healthcare #IE #InfectionControl #Ireland #nurse #psychology #thinning

Feel free to remind your health care professionals to wash their hands…

Source: https://www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk/pifs/the-importance-of-wearing-a-surgical-mask-while-in-hospital/

#CovidIsNotOver #CovidIsAirborne #KeepMasksInHealthCare #maskup #WearAMask #VaccinesPlus #covid19 #covid #SARSCov2 #DavosSafe #BringBackMasks #CovidConscious #CleanAir #CovidCautious #handwashing #InfectionPrevention #infectioncontrol #infectioncontrolmeasures

The vagina is acidic to prevent harmful bacteria overgrowth or (any?) yeast or fungal growth.
The uterus isn't as acidic afaik, so it's more vulnerable to infections from any microorganisms that get that far.
Microorganisms are bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast, protozoa, and probably more because the tree of life is a fucking forest.

#VeRamble #SexualHealth #GenitalHealth #GenitoUrinaryMedicine #NonClinician #NotLicensed #Health #HealthCare #WellBeing #InfectionPrevention #InfectionControl #Hygiene #Risk #HarmMitigation

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, or PID, can lead to infertility btw, if that's something important to you.
Sexually Transmitted Infections, or STIs, can malinger, so please test regularly for them (or whenever you remember) when you can.

Older term: STDs for Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
A disease is a collection of symptoms (maybe? Pls feel free to correct or add nuance) whereas an infection is a situation where harmful microorganisms reach a noticeable population inside a living creature.

The vagina is acidic to prevent harmful bacteria overgrowth or (any?) yeast or fungal growth.
The uterus isn't as acidic afaik, so it's more vulnerable to infections from any microorganisms that get that far.
Microorganisms are bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast, protozoa, and probably more because the tree of life is a fucking forest.

#VeRamble #SexualHealth #GenitalHealth #GenitoUrinaryMedicine #NonClinician #NotLicensed #Health #HealthCare #WellBeing #InfectionPrevention #InfectionControl #Hygiene #Risk #HarmMitigation

Texas becomes the latest State to propose a mask ban (while in the midst of a measles outbreak that’s currently over 100 cases).

These are ugly laws. They’re discriminatory & push disabled people further out of society. They increase the likelihood of police harassment. They paint maskers as “bad”.

There’s an excellent document with scripts for how to call & fight back! 🧵 1/2

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1704ui-FIcCqF97SX5uVnjP-Xi4A6m4WUXjce2ZonKEI/mobilebasic

#uspoli #maskbans #nomaskbans #uglylaws #infectioncontrol #publichealth #texas #measles #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #ableism #eugenics #disability

220 Nursing Professionals Trained in Infection Control.

https://aliyesha.com/sub/articles/news/display/pb_training_infection_control_gmch

#punjab #chandigarh #india #news #press #GMCHChandigarh #GMCH #NursingWorkshop #InfectionControl #HealthcareTraining #NursingProfessionals #BiomedicalWasteManagement #health #HealthCare #nursing

Enjoy tracker free reading with us. #privacy #privacymatters

@JoePajak Only me in a mask on London underground last night #savetheNHS #infectioncontrol

Returning from an inspiring #NeoIPC project meeting in Rome. I really love collaborating with all those dedicated and passionate people and now that the NeoDeco Study has started there is plenty to do and to discuss.
If you are interested in #Neonatology and #InfectionPrevention and want to find out more, you can have a look at https://neoipc.org/.

#NeonatalResearch #Neonate #Infection #InfectionControl #InfectionPreventionAndControl #IPC #IPCResearch #nicuverse

When I was first diagnosed with MCAS I thought “a condition I can control!”

I genuinely believed that since there were clear & obvious triggers - I could put in the work, overhaul my life and be free of attacks.

When a patient plans - mast cells laugh.

I threw myself into research trying to learn how to adopt a low histamine diet, clean my air and change my body care and cleaning products.

I (falsely) assumed that if I made enough changes - sacrificed HARD enough - I wouldn’t have to deal with flare ups.

It was exhausting. Many of the changes DID help. A low histamine diet, cleaner air, a proper med and supplement schedule and non toxic cleaning products all helped to reduce my overall “bucket” so that my symptoms were less severe.

The problem was - I continued having attacks. From minor attacks to full blown anaphylaxis - no matter how much work I put in the attacks didn’t stop.

It was incredibly frustrating - and I began tracking everything I ate, used or did in an effort to find patterns.

In the end I realized that sometimes - there are no answers. “Putting in the work” doesn’t guarantee you won’t have attacks.

It’s a help - and we should do whatever we can to minimize our symptoms - but chronic illness (and especially MCAS) doesn’t care about your plans.

I had to learn to let go. Constantly blaming myself, over analyzing every situation and trying to nail down exact triggers was exhausting me.

It wasn’t helping my physical health and was destroying my mental health

At a certain point - we have to accept that chronic illness can be wildly unpredictable - and flares are NOT our fault.

Setbacks happen - and the best thing you can do is give yourself grace and remember that the pain WILL pass.

This applies to Covid as well. I see far too many people who are covid cautious being blamed for their infections. Being grilled as to what their exact precautions were as people try and exploit a perceived weakness somewhere.

This isn’t helping.

If you’re masking and doing everything you can do to avoid covid - you’re doing a great job. If you got infected anyways - that’s the fault of our institutions and governments who’ve allowed the virus to run rampant and encouraged people NOT to take precautions

Just like we have to let go of trying to find every possible trigger for our chronic illness - we have to let go of the blame when people get infected with Covid.

Blame, shame and guilt aren’t helping anyone - and they aren’t good for your health.

To be clear - “letting go” doesn’t have to mean giving up. It doesn’t mean you stop trying to improve your health or stop mitigating for COVID.

It simply means you stop fighting the reality that you’re sick. You lean IN to the conditions and try and find ways to accommodate

It’s a difficult thing to do. I’m still having to work at it every single day. But it’s worth making the effort.

Society, HCWs and even friends & family can be cruel to those with chronic illness - we don’t need to be cruel to ourselves.

Which brings me to my third and final article in my series on living with MCAS - Learning to Let Go.

This post explains how I learned to be kinder & gentler with myself and accept that setbacks WILL happen and they’re not my fault:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/learning-to-let-go-how-to-accept

1/2

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #MastCellActivationSyndrome #mastcells #histamine #lowhistaminediet #mastocytosis #anaphylaxis

A study came out recently that showed a single COVID infection increases your risk of serious cardiovascular events for 3 years post infection.

That’s terrifying - but there’s a bigger discussion being missed.

That finding means a Covid infection makes you a “vulnerable”.

First off - the study didn't show that after three years your risk returns to pre-COVID levels. It's three years because that's all the data we have.

For all we know your risk never goes back to where it was before.

The increased risk factor was after ONE infection. Now I don't know about everyone else - but I don't know many people who are stopping at one infection.

Most have had it at LEAST three times - and because we aren't mitigating it at all - are getting it annually (or more frequently than that).

In time I'm sure we will see studies that make it clear how much risk reinfections pose - but if we know ONE infection raises your risk for three years - it's safe to assume multiple infections aren't doing your heart any favours.

There's also the fact that the increased risk applies even for those who had "mild" acute infections - once again proving that there really is no such thing as "mild COVID."

You may be asymptomatic. You may recover quickly. It’s still damaging your body in a myriad of ways.

"Only the vulnerable" need to worry.

Wrong again. The study showed that increased cardiovascular risk impacted everyone who had Covid - not JUST the vulnerable.

There's also decent odds you're now IN the vulnerable category because you had Covid.

Don't understand what I mean? Think it's fear mongering?

What makes someone vulnerable? Preexisting conditions, old age, compromised immune systems.
When a study finds an increased risk of severe cardiac issues - that means you have a comorbid condition!

That "increased risk" is because you now have cardiovascular issues. High blood pressure, narrowed arteries, increased clotting etc.

Congratulations - you're now one of the “vulnerable" for at least the next three years!

We've also seen a number of studies showing that COVID impairs the immune system. We even know it prematurely AGES you.

So you "feel" fine. You think you had a “mild" case. But the reality is you're immune compromised AND have cardiovascular disease.

You may actually be more "vulnerable" than disabled people like me who you look down.

Why? Because I know l'm vulnerable so I do everything I can to avoid COVID infections.
I'm not repeatedly stressing my body with constant reinfections. 1/2 🧵

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #silentkiller

People make insensitive comments about disability ALL the time. Implying we’re “lucky” that we don’t have to work, that they wish they could “lay around” etc.

They don’t understand the “crip tax”.

It’s expensive being chronically ill. And no one teaches you HOW to cope.

Even if you’re fortunate to have good insurance and/or live somewhere with universal healthcare (like Canada)… the costs add up quick.

Take Canada for example - seeing a doctor is covered - medications, dental and vision aren’t.

If you have complex chronic illness - prescription costs alone can quickly spiral out of control.

Even if you have private coverage - many things aren’t covered. Almost half of what I take wouldn’t be covered by insurance - even with specialist prescription.

Other costs people don’t consider:

💰 Special diet (mine is incredibly restrictive)

💰 Medical and first aid supplies, home healthcare supplies etc

💰 Delivery, homecare, cleaning services, transportation, mobility aids.

If you have MCAS and/or Long Covid or are covid cautious … you can add a whole bunch more expenses to the list:

💰Air purifiers
💰Specialized body & oral care products
💰MCAS safe cleaning products
💰Respirators
💰Rapid tests

The bottom line is being disabled is expensive. Losing your autonomy and independence costs money.

Juggling everything we need to stay alive and maintain a baseline while also trying to ensure we keep a roof over our heads is a full time job.

As if that wasn’t enough - we also have to chase down doctors, follow up on tests, deal with medical gaslighting, covid risk in hospitals, HCWs who won’t mask etc. We do this while suffering the pain of being abandoned by family, friends & society.

It’s not lucky. It’s hard.

There’s other costs people never even consider - like the cost of relying on delivery services that more often than not get it wrong.

In my case - my diet is so restrictive that if a shopper brings the wrong item - it’s going to go to waste.

When you only have about ten safe foods and your delivery screws up five of them - you’re either going to go hungry for a week OR you have to place another order.

But orders have minimum spends and you have to tip a shopper twice. That adds up FAST.

I can’t tell you how much I miss being able to just pop to the store and get my own groceries. Grab a single ingredient without having to meet a minimum spend.

Many non disabled people see grocery shopping as a chore - I see it as a luxury I no longer have.

These are the types of issues you have to deal with when you become disabled that NO ONE teaches you about. 1/2 🧵

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #criptax

At ER with a POTS flare - heart rate is 180 at triage.

Nurse: “Are you fighting with your boyfriend sweetie?”

Me (somewhat indignant) “I don’t have a boyfriend. I have POTS.”

Doctor: “Single? At your age? How come? You don’t want to be married?”

This is misogyny in medicine. I had a cardiac issue which is clearly documented in my chart/medical history.

I showed up alone - having been brought in by paramedics after fainting from low blood pressure and high heart rate.

There was absolutely no reason to make it about my marital status, boyfriend or lack thereof.

Can you imagine if a man showed up at the ER after passing out and his heart rate was 180? Do you think for a second they would ask if he was fighting with his girlfriend?

It’s a rhetorical question - since studies have shown that men are treated faster and more seriously in healthcare settings.

POTS is particularly challenging because it can make a patient appear anxious. It causes high heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating and dizziness. It’s all too easy for healthcare workers to see those symptoms and psychologize the patient.

That was my reality for YEARS. Going to the ER because I had passed out somewhere - and being treated as though I was simply hysterical. Given IV fluids to placate me but never referred to cardiology and properly worked up.

Even once I finally received a diagnosis (more than a decade later) I would continue to encounter hurdles like the one described above.

We must do better. Patients deserve to have their issues taken seriously and their health protected. If you don’t know what’s wrong - admit it. Refer them to someone else. Don’t slap an “anxiety” label on them and send them on their way.

The amount of times I was either gaslit, misdiagnosed or mistreated in healthcare settings is a huge part of why I decided to start advocating. I want to raise awareness about the conditions I have so that patients might better recognize the symptoms within themselves.

I also want to try and change the culture of medicine. The default should be to believe patients. To protect them. To wear a mask around them during an airborne pandemic. It should NOT be to pry into their personal life, psychologize and dismiss them.

Now that I know and understand what’s wrong - I live my life upside down! Almost all my writing is done horizontally and/or with my legs up the wall - because it’s the only way I get enough blood flow to my brain.

POTS can be incredibly debilitating - but there is hope. Treatments and lifestyle modifications CAN help.

I’ve just finished part one of a three part guide into all things POTS/Dysautonomia. It’s my hope these articles will help patients lean into their condition, adapt and accommodate it so that they will suffer less than I did.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/living-life-upside-down-an-intro

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells #DysautonomiaAwarenessMonth

Part Two in my Three Part Series on MCAS is out now!

MCAS is a beast of a chronic illness. It is devastating to your quality of life to live under the constant threat of anaphylaxis. It's also poorly recognized and therefore hard to find a doctor to diagnose and properly treat.

The good news is there are many things you can do on your own - outside of the medical system - to decrease symptoms and reduce the number of reactions you have.

This guide focuses on diet - but also the myriad of other things that can be triggers (and how to mitigate them).

There's a steep learning curve when dealing with this illness - but the more we share what works and what doesn't - the easier it'll be for those who come after.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/mcas-and-histamine-diet-isnt-the

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells

I lost two friends in the last 48 hours … and I’m reeling. We experience so much trauma and grief when dealing with chronic illness and disability. Watching our friends die is one of the worst. We often have more friends die (and at younger ages) than our non disabled counterparts - and it’s a difficult thing to be surrounded by so much loss. 

You never get used to it. I want to say it gets easier - but it really doesn’t. You may develop better coping skills or get better at hiding your grief - but the pain never becomes easier to bear. 

Tonight I’m mourning the loss of my friends - but I’m also grieving the loss of basic compassion and decency. 

I was always someone who believed that most people were generally good and kind … and the last 4.5 years has put that belief to the test. 

Witnessing the cruelty of others - watching how few people are willing to do even small things to help another person - it’s left a mark on me. 

Hearing people callously say things like “oh well Covid ONLY impacts the vulnerable” as a means of justifying all kinds of bad behaviour … it’s broken me. It’s as though they don’t realize (or care) that the “vulnerable” are people too. 

We dont want to be cast aside. We didn’t agree to spend our lives by the wayside just so other people could have their “normal” back. 

Perhaps the worst part is that more people are joining our ranks every day. More people are about to learn just how few people remain by your side when you become a “vulnerable”  

We don’t have adequate systems and social supports - and many won’t realize it until they try and access help. 

It’s traumatic when you lose your health, people abandon you AND you realize help is not coming. It’s a HARD adjustment. 

Most days I think I’ve come to terms with it - but then days like today make me question everything.

Please check on the disabled people in your life tonight. Check on those who are struggling with poverty or ill health or isolation. Check on the “vulnerable”. Don’t leave us by the wayside. Ask us if you can support us - it can mean so much. 

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells

"You should pray more - your disabilities will get better"

We've probably all heard this. That you can pray away an illness (or pray away the gay).

It's hurtful and far too common.

What I'm not used to is being told my illnesses are a "spanking from God."

Yes someone actually said this to me. They compared it to the way you might spank a child who runs out into traffic - you're training them that their behaviour is dangerous.

Apparently l've done something in my life bad enough to be compared to running into traffic.

I have no idea what it could be - but l've found that people who make these awful remarks generally don't care to get to
KNOW you. They want to preach, judge & blame.

They want to believe disability is a moral failing. A sin. So if you're disabled - you must have been
"bad".

For anyone who needs to hear it - your disability is not your fault (and neither is your sexuality for that matter). We did not choose this.

We've done nothing wrong and we don't need to be "corrected."

If someone suggests you can pray away your illnesses - that person is living in serious denial with a big heap of ableism on the side.

It's ironic that these comments almost always come from religious people who preach compassion and tolerance - while giving us anything but.

They tell themselves they've taken the moral high ground - when in reality they've sunk to the lowest low - blaming someone for something they have absolutely no control over. Making us feel broken and treating us like damaged goods.

It's also predatory to provide false hope that simply praying harder (or trying harder) will "fix you". It won't.

I don't care what religion you ascribe to - it's never ok to tell someone they can simply overcome being disabled. That's not how it works.

If you believe this - keep it to yourself. You're not helping anyone when you make these cruel views public.

Maybe ask yourself this... if you get hit by a car tomorrow and are left permanently disabled ... was God punishing you? What did you do wrong?

Or is it possible that when it happens to you (or your children) you will believe it was simply a random turn of events and expect compassion from others?

If you pray to get better and you don't - will you accept that? Or will you assume you too have been
"bad"?

My ask of people tonight is to consider that anyone can become disabled at any time. Health is not a guarantee and disability is not a punishment or a moral failing. It is a part of life.

We deserve equality, compassion and love the same as everyone else.

It's NOT loving to suggest it's someone's fault ...I don't care what mental gymnastics you've done to justify your remark. I don't care if you're trying to "save" them.

Love is listening, helping where you can & learning about what we're going through. Love is being an ally.

Love is not blame, condescension and moral superiority.

Next time you think about judging someone - try to instead ask them how you can support them. You might be surprised what you can learn by being open and compassionate.

To anyone who's heard similar remarks - stay strong and hold your head high.

Know that it's the person making the remark who's showing themselves to be wanting. Know your illnesses are not your fault.
Know you've got a whole community behind you.

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells #religion

Disabled people are often the canary in the coal mine. Things that will ultimately impact everyone - hit us hardest and first.

I’ve spoken about this before with respect to climate change - and how issues like power outages, floods and heat waves are exceedingly dangerous for people like me.

Medication issues are another one. Over the last few years I’ve noticed an alarming increase in medication errors both in AND out of the hospital.

This is a reminder to check and double check ALL your medications - and if you’re unsure you can put a photo of the pill into google and it will tell you what it is.

Shortages are a whole other issue. They’ve also increased in the last few years. Disabled people are often on MORE meds - and may or may not be on ones that are less common or have fewer alternatives.

If you also have MCAS? Shortages are a nightmare. Is there even an alternative? Is it safe? Will it cause a reaction? Are all the excipients the same? It’s exhausting. Many patients end up faced with having to ration medication in order to last until a med comes back in stock.

I don’t have easy answers. I wish I did. I mainly just want to raise awareness. Just because it’s not impacting you YET doesn’t mean it won’t.

It’s always a good idea to know if your medication has an alternative - and if you have MCAS make sure you know the ingredients in ALL of your meds so you can cross check new ones for reactivity.

Never be afraid to ask for help. Having a good relationship with a pharmacist could literally save your life.

And please - wear a mask. Clean the air. Stay home when you’re sick. Try and break chains of transmission. These issues have been steadily worsening since the beginning of the pandemic - and we will all end up in a heap of trouble if we don’t start calling it out and addressing it. It’s not too late to change course - but it needs to happen NOW.

For more on MCAS you can read part 1 of my three part series on this beast of an illness: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/when-youre-allergic-to-everything

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells

If you’re disabled or chronically ill and struggling to set boundaries with people … here’s a good litmus test.

I ask myself if this is a person who will show up for me if I get worse and need help? Have they helped me up until this point? Or will they likely disappear if I become more severe?

The answer may disappoint you - but I refuse to risk by baseline for anyone who won’t help or show up for me in the bad times.

I also remind myself that people who really love and care for me will respect and honour my boundaries - and won’t expect me to risk what little health I have left.

For more on boundaries, gaslighting, loss of friends and family and how to find your tribe:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/gaslightingforthenewlydisabled

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells

Ok let me understand this… the neck and throat are “exposed areas” but your clothes, purse, pocket, the air ALL AROUND YOU is not?

This makes absolutely no sense. If your mask is off in public - you’re exposed. Regardless of where you put said mask.

To be clear - I hate when people wear their masks around their chin and neck and I wouldn’t want to put it back over my mouth after either. But this is simply bad messaging.

Imagine if instead they showed the proper way to Don and doff and explained that respirators like N95s have electrostatic charge to further prevent infection?

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells

“Your disabilities are your fault! Try harder! Eat better! Do yoga! Don’t mask! Care about health!”

We’ve heard it ALL. You can’t “healthy living” your way out of disabilities. Many are born disabled.

Folks who “don’t do sick” are rejecting reality & their ableism harms us.

More and more I think people say these things because they desperately NEED to believe that their healthy lifestyle will ensure they don’t end up “like us.”

Disabled people are so disliked and mistreated in society - that people fear becoming us and lash out as a result.

More on the “don’t do sick” crowd - including how we’re frequently expected to hide our disabilities so as not to inconvenience others.

Never forget that it’s ok to set (and hold) boundaries. Never apologize for being sick!

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/we-dont-do-sick-if-you-cant-hide

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells

I’m not good at asking for help. I never have been. Today I HAD to ask for help - and with a rather delicate task.

I had a serious flare of my POTS and MCAS at the same time. The result was horrendous GI issues … only I couldn’t get myself to the bathroom. I tried, fainted and made a mess.

I find it humiliating to ask for help going to the bathroom. I know I shouldn’t feel that way - but knowing and feeling are two very different things. I’m still working on acceptance - and accepting that I can’t always get to the bathroom (which is only 10 feet from my bed) on my own is HARD.

Thankfully a carer was here helping me with food deliveries - and they helped get me cleaned up and to the bathroom. They also suggested I get a bedside commode.

I’m really struggling with this … having to look at a bedside commode will be a constant reminder of how much health and independence I’ve lost. It will be hard on my mental health. Though it would likely prevent injuries and future accidents.

I share this - red faced and embarrassed - because these are the types of things disabled and chronically ill people struggle with. We’re taught not to talk about them. To “push through” and hide our pain.

I want to change that. I want to find a way to believe it’s OK that I need this additional level of assistance. I don’t want to be embarrassed or ashamed.

The other issue is my bedroom is incredibly small so there’s no room for it except to put it IN the doorway. It’s not practical and I worry could result in a fall or accident in the night. Im also not confident I can empty one myself and/or deal with the smell - though I’m sure there are ways around that.

Appreciate any and all tips!

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells

I published my first article on MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) yesterday. It was a broad overview of the condition as well as the story of my first anaphylactic attack.

My second piece will be a deep dive into diet, food prep and storage, indoor air quality, personal care products, cleaning products and cooking styles/tips.

Is there anything else I’m missing? Outside of medications and supplements (which would easily be its own article)?

I would love to know what people wish they knew about MCAS - or what areas they could use additional support. I think stress reduction and acceptance are also important - because it is an exceedingly hard condition to live with.

Let me know below if there’s anything you want added or covered!

Beginner’s article here: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/when-youre-allergic-to-everything

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells

When you’re allergic to everything and nothing all at once…. You may have MCAS.

Suddenly allergic to alcohol? Certain foods making you sick? Unexplained swelling and rashes? You may have MCAS.

Did you know you can experience anaphylaxis without ever having throat or facial swelling? I certainly didn’t! My first episode of anaphylaxis started in my gut and my heart - and I genuinely thought I had the flu.

I suffered for two days with unrelenting nausea and diarrhea, tachycardia, chest pain, shortness of breath and sweating. I lay in my bed desperately trying to force fluids down - but my throat was sore and swallowing had become difficult.

I finally relented and went to the ER - largely due to dehydration. Imagine my shock when the triage nurse took one look at my throat, stabbed me with Epi and whisked me into a code room.

I genuinely had no idea I was experiencing anaphylaxis. The throat issues felt just like strep and/or a bad flu. It happened so slowly that I didn’t even realize.

I wrote this article as a primer into the wild world of mast cell disease. These cells are everywhere in your body - contain over 200 mediators and can wreak havoc in a million different ways.

I hope it will help people better understand the condition - and I plan to write two more pieces which will explore in greater detail how to get diagnosed, how to treat it and (perhaps most importantly) how to learn to live with the constant threat of anaphylaxis.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/when-youre-allergic-to-everything

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #mastcells

Seclusion rooms are still a thing in Canadian schools? I can’t even imagine the damage done to a disabled child placed in one of these rooms. The isolation, the fear, the lack of support … being made to feel like you’ve done something “wrong”. We need to do away with these ableist & harmful policies.

https://t.co/B088s3HJsJ

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Schools #Seclusion

Listened to latest episode of Infection Control Matters podcast. You may need to speak some medical geek but they had fun telling what little is know of 'toilet plumes'. Honest. I would not shit you.

I was thinking about the exposure issue of a person in a chair who is lower to the turbulence of a flush. So many hard issues in the episode.

Do any of my peeps listen also?
#HAP #cdifficile #infectioncontrol

If you work in the #NICU or more generally in #Neonatology or in #InfectionControl and care about supporting your efforts to prevent #NosocomialInfection in high-risk #Neonates through regular monitoring and benchmarking of infection rates and risk factors, there is still one day left to register (it's free) for our #NeoIPC webinar on surveillance of hospital-acquired infections in the NICU which will happen tomorrow at 16:00 CET.
https://neoipc.org/cpn-webinar-surveillance/

What COVID-19 taught us about antibiotics misuse
#Health #Science #AntibioticMisuse #AntimicrobialResistance #COVID19Lessons #Stewardship #Healthcare #InfectionControl #AWaReClassification #MedicalEducation #PandemicPrevention #Superbugs #COVID19
https://the-14.com/what-covid-19-taught-us-about-antibiotics-misuse/

What COVID-19 taught us about antibiotics misuse
#Health #Science #AntibioticMisuse #AntimicrobialResistance #COVID19Lessons #Stewardship #Healthcare #InfectionControl #AWaReClassification #MedicalEducation #PandemicPrevention #Superbugs #COVID19
https://the-14.com/what-covid-19-taught-us-about-antibiotics-misuse/

CPE and plasmid transfer in hospitals – what can we do? A rapid reflection from ICPIC 2023
#AMR #microbiology #plasmid #CRO #CPE #IDMastodon #infectiousdeseases #infectioncontrol

https://reflectionsipc.com/2023/09/14/cpe-and-plasmid-transfer-in-hospitals-what-can-we-do-a-rapid-reflection-from-icpic-2023/

I think I will like my new place on Mastodon. It’s like a calm in the Twitter maelstrom. Can’t wait to import my info from Twitter if I can get it to work. This will be a steep learning curve. I have no current contracts so I have a lot of time. I’m a grandmother to 8 amazing kids and I have a wonderful husband and 3 amazing sons and their wives. I’m a nurse with over 30 years experience and practice in infection prevention and control (IPAC) in numerous Heath care settings Previous editor in chief of Canadian Journal of Infection Control. Have participated in development of several provincial, regional, national and international #infectioncontrol guidelines and resources #ebola #dialysis #covid #handhygeine #handwashing #MRSA #VRE #cdifficile Retired 8 years ago and now do consulting on IPAC in health care and public sector. Avid follower of US and Canadian politics.