Covid Meetups
February 27, 2023 5:43 PM Subscribe
I love that this website exists, even if it does seem a but like an oxymoron.
I shall be signing up too.
Yeah, taking the ongoing pandemic seriously (such as due to bring immunocompromised) is unfortunately seeming like the minority viewpoint for so many people now.
In Aotearoa NZ, at the start in 2020 we had 'the team of 5 million' all looking out for one another, isolating, respectfully keeping their distance, wearing masks, adhering to the nationwide lockdown, and all getting easy financial support, etc.
Now, as typically one of the only people masked up when I have to go out in public, I have people actively ridiculing me for still wearing a mask 'because the pandemic is over'.
For those I explain a little longer about living in an immunocompromised household whilst trying to back away from them, they continue to walk into the gap, and are saying things like 'oh yeah my friend died of covid' or 'it completely disabled me for months', or 'I still don't have a proper sense of smell anymore'.. but still I'm backing away and still they're chasing after me to talk further about how terrible covid was..
Just no!
I've mentioned it on here before, but I was linked to this site by a few people who were sharing their stories of not being able to just live as normal with the ongoing pandemic.
posted by many-things at 6:40 PM on February 27, 2023 [17 favorites]
I shall be signing up too.
Yeah, taking the ongoing pandemic seriously (such as due to bring immunocompromised) is unfortunately seeming like the minority viewpoint for so many people now.
In Aotearoa NZ, at the start in 2020 we had 'the team of 5 million' all looking out for one another, isolating, respectfully keeping their distance, wearing masks, adhering to the nationwide lockdown, and all getting easy financial support, etc.
Now, as typically one of the only people masked up when I have to go out in public, I have people actively ridiculing me for still wearing a mask 'because the pandemic is over'.
For those I explain a little longer about living in an immunocompromised household whilst trying to back away from them, they continue to walk into the gap, and are saying things like 'oh yeah my friend died of covid' or 'it completely disabled me for months', or 'I still don't have a proper sense of smell anymore'.. but still I'm backing away and still they're chasing after me to talk further about how terrible covid was..
Just no!
I've mentioned it on here before, but I was linked to this site by a few people who were sharing their stories of not being able to just live as normal with the ongoing pandemic.
posted by many-things at 6:40 PM on February 27, 2023 [17 favorites]
Oh this is a fantastic resource! I'm delighted to find there's a couple restaurants in my area with upper-room UV-C disinfecting systems installed. The site really should offer a check mark for that.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 7:08 PM on February 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by vibratory manner of working at 7:08 PM on February 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
One user within a 100 miles (I live in a rural red state). I figured as much. Logging out and won't check back.
posted by Ber at 7:11 PM on February 27, 2023
posted by Ber at 7:11 PM on February 27, 2023
One user within a 100 miles (I live in a rural red state). I figured as much. Logging out and won't check back.
I couldn't see users (I think you need to sign up to see that) but in the business registry it listed exactly one within 60 miles of here. I'm guessing offerings would be better in larger cities. Hopefully this gets enough users to be able to connect people, this is a real conundrum for a lot of people.
It is very isolating being immunocompromised in the current state of the pandemic, when everyone who is not immunocompromised is pretending we're not having a pandemic.
I flew recently (from one blue place to another, if that matters), and I'd guess that maaaybe one percent of people in the airports were masking, and probably a fair bit less than one percent. In general, society has completely moved on. It's pretty much: if you are more vulnerable, good luck you are on your own.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:27 PM on February 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I couldn't see users (I think you need to sign up to see that) but in the business registry it listed exactly one within 60 miles of here. I'm guessing offerings would be better in larger cities. Hopefully this gets enough users to be able to connect people, this is a real conundrum for a lot of people.
It is very isolating being immunocompromised in the current state of the pandemic, when everyone who is not immunocompromised is pretending we're not having a pandemic.
I flew recently (from one blue place to another, if that matters), and I'd guess that maaaybe one percent of people in the airports were masking, and probably a fair bit less than one percent. In general, society has completely moved on. It's pretty much: if you are more vulnerable, good luck you are on your own.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:27 PM on February 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I came across this New Yorker article yesterday:
The Case for Wearing Masks Forever
A ragtag coalition of public-health activists believe that America’s pandemic restrictions are too lax—and they say they have the science to prove it.
(link here to archive.org)
It's as though "Hey, I don't want to be in a pandemic so let's just pretend we are not in a pandemic." Incredibly frustrating for me, and for friends of mine who are also cautious. (Is it cautious or is it sane? Both?) A friend who has cardiac concerns masks up in any social setting. As I do. As does another friend who is immunocompromised. We are all in our 60's, my cardiac friend 68, as I am, my other immunocompromised friend I think 64.
I do not know, and cannot know, if what happened to my heart is from covid. What I do know is that many other people with perfectly healthy hearts end up with the same things that happened to me.
I'm lucky that I like zoom, lucky also that there are zoom meetings 24/7/365 for myself and other social people from around the world. Actually, I think that zoom meetings, plus so many now free to work from home -- those are the two best things which have come about because of coviid.
posted by dancestoblue at 11:17 PM on February 27, 2023 [11 favorites]
The Case for Wearing Masks Forever
A ragtag coalition of public-health activists believe that America’s pandemic restrictions are too lax—and they say they have the science to prove it.
(link here to archive.org)
It's as though "Hey, I don't want to be in a pandemic so let's just pretend we are not in a pandemic." Incredibly frustrating for me, and for friends of mine who are also cautious. (Is it cautious or is it sane? Both?) A friend who has cardiac concerns masks up in any social setting. As I do. As does another friend who is immunocompromised. We are all in our 60's, my cardiac friend 68, as I am, my other immunocompromised friend I think 64.
I do not know, and cannot know, if what happened to my heart is from covid. What I do know is that many other people with perfectly healthy hearts end up with the same things that happened to me.
I'm lucky that I like zoom, lucky also that there are zoom meetings 24/7/365 for myself and other social people from around the world. Actually, I think that zoom meetings, plus so many now free to work from home -- those are the two best things which have come about because of coviid.
posted by dancestoblue at 11:17 PM on February 27, 2023 [11 favorites]
aniola, thanks for posting this! I think I ran into it some time ago and then could not re-find it so I am very glad to have a second chance to bookmark it.
posted by brainwane at 5:05 AM on February 28, 2023
posted by brainwane at 5:05 AM on February 28, 2023
I don't really see an area for meeting families - mostly just businesses listings - still useful, as I just found a local tutoring service for my kids that takes precautions and I'd be happy with that alone... but... is there something I'm missing besides the directory?
posted by Nanukthedog at 8:19 AM on February 28, 2023
posted by Nanukthedog at 8:19 AM on February 28, 2023
A friend of mine with an already bad heart has had covid multiple times, her heart partially collapsed a few months ago, and now they are hinting to her that she needs to go full heart transplant, probably this year and soon, because doing other surgeries to try to prop it up are becoming pointless.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:00 AM on February 28, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:00 AM on February 28, 2023 [3 favorites]
No business listings in Indianapolis! A couple dozen people listed here - interesting. But now that we're listed, what next? Needs to be some direction or leadership here in getting something going - zoom meeting or something. I know, I said it so I should do it, but I'm an old fart and I just don't have the energy to do it. So I'll just whine about it on the blue.
posted by charlesminus at 10:30 AM on February 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by charlesminus at 10:30 AM on February 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
An idea for all of us, maybe we could write a letter to the editor or opinion piece for the local newspaper (or if there's a local news site/blog/alternative weekly) about the need for spaces that explicitly take these precautions and include that site as one way to connect?
Re: masking on planes, I wonder if airline staff handed out free masks as an option when you board the plane, would there be another 10 people using masks on a flight? I appreciate that many public transit agencies installed mask dispensers on buses/light rail. And I volunteer at a place that has free masks available right at the entryway and I see a fair number of people choose to use them as well.
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:11 PM on February 28, 2023 [1 favorite]
Re: masking on planes, I wonder if airline staff handed out free masks as an option when you board the plane, would there be another 10 people using masks on a flight? I appreciate that many public transit agencies installed mask dispensers on buses/light rail. And I volunteer at a place that has free masks available right at the entryway and I see a fair number of people choose to use them as well.
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:11 PM on February 28, 2023 [1 favorite]
is there something I'm missing besides the directory?
Try this link, see if it helps.
posted by aniola at 8:58 PM on February 28, 2023
Try this link, see if it helps.
posted by aniola at 8:58 PM on February 28, 2023
The biggest issue I've had as someone continuing to mask/isolate is that I've lost specific communities: Aikido, Judaism, and choirs. These are not easy activities to convert into something COVID safe, but there are measures that could work in the long term - things like really good masks for Aikido or singing, or outdoor only meetings. I've been in a holding pattern on all of those - even my religion, for goodness sake - waiting for something to change.
But it might be time for people like me to find a longer term solution, which means finding other Aikido people who are okay with wearing masks, avoiding face to face holds, etc., or starting a minyan that only meets outside when the weather is good.
I despair that there is actually a good way to organize that, or that there are enough people left to find.
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 9:03 AM on March 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
But it might be time for people like me to find a longer term solution, which means finding other Aikido people who are okay with wearing masks, avoiding face to face holds, etc., or starting a minyan that only meets outside when the weather is good.
I despair that there is actually a good way to organize that, or that there are enough people left to find.
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 9:03 AM on March 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
Small update: I signed up. It's a pretty good site. Listed a bunch of local people and what they were interested in. Seems like there are a lot of queer people. Plenty of Jews too.
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 9:17 AM on March 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 9:17 AM on March 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
is there something I'm missing besides the directory?
Did you click on Groups? "Children, schools, and Covid," "Musicians Avoiding Covid," "Dating and Romance," "Disabled and Isolating Discord," a Spanish-langugae group, activism pressuring local governments for covid-safe policies or Indoor Air Quality standards, Covid Pen-Pals, Christians, Neurodivergence, BIPOC... I don't know how active they all are, but the ones I've joined have been good from the start and have seen rising numbers of users in the past month or so.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 3:36 PM on March 2, 2023
Did you click on Groups? "Children, schools, and Covid," "Musicians Avoiding Covid," "Dating and Romance," "Disabled and Isolating Discord," a Spanish-langugae group, activism pressuring local governments for covid-safe policies or Indoor Air Quality standards, Covid Pen-Pals, Christians, Neurodivergence, BIPOC... I don't know how active they all are, but the ones I've joined have been good from the start and have seen rising numbers of users in the past month or so.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 3:36 PM on March 2, 2023
The Space Needle is listed, which seems odd but I guess is accurate. The archery range I go to isn't listed, even though it's the only non-medical place I know of around here that still requires masks. I wonder if this is more active in some regions than in others?
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:38 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:38 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
You can add the archery range you go to! Anyone can add businesses, and there's just a little checkbox for if you're the owner.
posted by aniola at 10:36 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by aniola at 10:36 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
There's no businesses listed in my area, but the member directory has a couple dozen people.
posted by aniola at 10:37 AM on March 4, 2023
posted by aniola at 10:37 AM on March 4, 2023
For medical and dental services this site is great https://covidsafeproviders.com/
posted by Bottlecap at 10:38 PM on March 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Bottlecap at 10:38 PM on March 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
Another possible directory: "COVID-Conscious Therapist Directory: Find mental health support that’s sensitive to the realities of living through COVID-19"
posted by brainwane at 4:03 PM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by brainwane at 4:03 PM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
I was just texting with someone who was about to go to a restaurant. Which, as someone who no longer eats at restaurants, is how I learned that Trip Advisor lets you search restaurants by covid cautiousness as well as outdoor seating.
posted by aniola at 7:43 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by aniola at 7:43 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
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It is very isolating being immunocompromised in the current state of the pandemic, when everyone who is not immunocompromised is pretending we're not having a pandemic. I'm still hopeful that as the site continues to grow that maybe I'll find a few more people who are willing to follow basic precautions so I can do normal human things again.
posted by hydropsyche at 6:15 PM on February 27, 2023 [27 favorites]