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Tag: Long Covid

The Left’s Forgotten Cause: Long Covid and Public Health Awareness, with KD Drackert

Posted in Activism, Austin, Deceleration, Journalism, LGBTQIA, and The Texas Observer

KD Drackert is one of my favorite people in Austin; to be honest, I think I have an “activist crush” on them. What I mean is, I just adore everything she does and wish more people knew about their work. So I thought this month I’d share my full interview with KD, from March of this year. We spoke after a banner drop she organized, which was the hook for my Deceleration article about mask blocs and Long Covid activism. Earlier, KD also appeared in my Texas Observer magazine feature on Long COVID. 

I also just think it’s terribly important to keep this issue in the public awareness, especially as the Trump regime begins to dismantle access to vaccines and other public health measures. Sadly, I feel like the American left doesn’t put enough emphasis on these issues, whether it’s access to universal healthcare or the importance of improving air quality in public places. That’s why I admire the work that Clear The Air ATX, mask blocs and similar mutual aid groups do so much, and feel it’s so important to amplify their work. 

We held this interview on the patio of a noisy bar, while I sipped on a THC-laced beverage, the kind Dan Patrick is so offended about. But my transcription software saved the day, turning useless audio into useful text.

Deceleration: ‘We Keep Us Safe’ is not just a motto for Texas mask blocs

Posted in Austin, Deceleration, and Journalism

The COVID-19 pandemic continues, claiming lives and leaving others disabled, even as the federal government begins dismantling the already underfunded infrastructure meant to protect us from such illnesses. At a time when American culture has largely moved on, who protects the sick or immunocompromised?

In cities across the United States, volunteer-led “mask blocs” and clean air clubs are stepping  up to fill in the gaps that vulnerable people might otherwise slip through. At a time when compassion for others is often seen as a radical act–if not derided as leading to the downfall of “Western Civilization”—they’re cultivating an atmosphere of collective care. KD Drackert, an advocate for people with Long COVID and one of the founders of Clear the Air ATX, said they want others to understand the role all of us play in creating a safer, more accessible world. 

“People … don’t understand that this is a collective issue they are a part of,” Drackert told Deceleration. “That has created this weird dynamic where people are like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. That’s so hard.’ … And I’m like, wait, no, this isn’t just about me. This is about you too.”

Texas Observer: Long COVID Sufferers Demand to Be Heard

Posted in Austin, Journalism, and The Texas Observer

Most people survive the Coronavirus with their kidneys intact. But not 34-year-old Austin resident Vanessa Ramos. 

An experienced community organizer with nonprofits like the Sierra Club, Ramos was healthy and active before she got infected. Then she caught the COVID-19 virus in December 2021, and symptoms lingered through the new year despite her efforts to focus on healing and recovery. 

“I was trying to prioritize my physical health because I couldn’t lift things; I couldn’t open things,” Ramos recalled. “I didn’t understand why I was getting weaker.”

In Print: Long COVID feature out now in Texas Observer!

Posted in Journalism, and The Texas Observer

Millions of Texans are suffering from long COVID and you might be surprised to learn that many of them are young and formerly healthy. Studies show that the more often you get infected, the more likely you are to have lingering, potentially life-changing health effects.

Look for it in print in the Texas Observer magazine now, and online later this month.