PLEASE Protect Others From Catching What You're Spreading!

This is a good opinion piece by Laura Pettenuzzo, a disabled writer in Australia, who, like many others, prefer not to catch the COVID virus from you. It's a shame so many people are still so inconsiderate towards others.  Isn't it a shame we even still have to say these things after 4 years?

Spare me. If you have a runny nose, stay home.

"The Uber driver coughed. A wet, sickly sound that played on repeat every minute or so, occasionally punctuated by a loud sneeze. He was unmasked, and he’d asked me to shut the rear window so that dust didn’t get into the car. Frankly, I was more concerned with what was already inside it. Every cough made me flinch, and with every sneeze I reflexively touched the straps of my mask, to reassure myself that I was – as much as possible – protected.

"This situation is not unfamiliar to me, or to the millions of other disabled people in Australia who – by necessity – continue to take precautions against COVID. Every time we leave our homes, we gamble with our wellbeing and our lives. We’re crossing our fingers and hoping that we’ll return unscathed. But the risk wouldn’t be so high if we could trust other people to offer us the most basic courtesy: at any sign of sickness, stay at home.

"It’s a courtesy advised by Professor Brendan Crabb, director of Melbourne’s Burnet Institute. Crabb has been a vocal advocate for COVID precautions since the early stages of the pandemic. He recently told ABC Radio Melbourne that we are currently experiencing a 'reasonably big' COVID wave, during which 'virtually every family will be exposed.' Crabb urged listeners to 'get tested and act on that result [stay home],' in order to 'look after yourself but also look after other people.' Crabb noted that it’s impossible to get an exact measure of current infection rates due to a decline in testing and reporting of positive cases, but that’s no reason for us to grow complacent.

"I have a form of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia. My legs often shake involuntarily, and my body exerts roughly 4 times as much energy on any given task as someone without cerebral palsy. I already need to ration my energy, and shudder to imagine how acute COVID infection would diminish my quality of life.

"Research from Washington University has found that every COVID infection significantly increases risk of stroke and heart disease among the general population. This risk is even higher for people with disability, according to the Melbourne Disability Institute, as we are more likely to die or experience serious symptoms from infection.

"As if that wasn’t alarming enough, the World Health Organisation estimates that Long COVID will occur in approximately 1 in 10 infections. It’s a biological condition that renders many patients unable to work or attend school or university and leaves the most severely affected bed bound, unable to tolerate light or sound or conversation. Anyone can be susceptible to Long COVID, even fit and healthy people, even children. In the words of Crabb, 'you can’t really pick who’s more vulnerable than others.' With over 200 known symptoms that impact all bodily systems, the condition has been likened to a living death.

"I have friends who live with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), a post-viral illness similar to Long COVID, for whom the consequences of COVID infection would be devastating. We can – and do – take all possible precautions, but we can’t do this alone. We need you to do your bit, too. If you’ve got a sore throat or a headache or a runny nose, stay at home. If you can’t stay home, keep your distance from other people, wear a mask and meet outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces.

"There are a number of reasons why staying home when sick is not simple or easy for everyone, including caring responsibilities and the potential loss of income, especially for casual workers or those in the gig economy. But if you’ve got even the slightest symptom and you can stay home, I implore you to do so. FOMO is not reason enough to risk my health, or yours. My life and wellbeing are worth more than one missed dinner date or concert or outing of any sort.

"The best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and the disability community is to stay home if you’re sick. You’ll be saving more lives than you’ll ever know."