Covid is no worse than the flu? I know, I have now led dozens of posts over the past few years with this sarcastic question. But now, with the pandemic officially declared over by the politicians and the majority of the public behaving as though Covid19 is no longer a threat, it seems particularly apropos in light of the reasons for declaring the pandemic over: to get people back to work and back to consuming. Yet, as the data from this study show, Long Covid has had an enormous negative impact on the income and quality of life for millions of Americans, particularly the poor and working class, and particularly for African Americans and women. *Nearly 1 in 7 working-age adults in the U.S. had experienced Long Covid by the end of 2023 *Socially disadvantaged adults were 152% more likely to suffer from Long Covid *Groups with higher risk for Long Covid include being Black, LGBTQ, Hispanic, Female, or low income *In 2022, people with Long Covid lost $211 billion in wages *In 2023, people with Long Covid lost $218 billion in wages One reason for the disproportionate effect of Long Covid on marginalized communities, particularly BIPOC and poor people, is that these groups suffer disproportionately from chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone, Cortisol, due to the stress caused by racism, sexism, homophobia, and poverty. Elevated Cortisol levels are also associated with increased risk of heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes, as well as impaired immune function. For a really good documentary on the Social Determinants of Health and the relationship between racism and poverty on stress/cortisol levels and negative health outcomes, please see the Unnatural Causes video series

CIDRAP

Studies: 1 in 7 US working-age adults report long COVID, with heaviest burden on the poor

#covid #COVID19 #longcovid #publichealth #pandemic #wages #workingclass #racism #poverty #socialdeterminantsofhealth #lgbtq #sexism #homophobia #cortisol #BlackMastadon

Calls for a general strike in the US are growing. It's important to understand how to organize one, given their key role in overcoming tyrants around the world.

Waging Nonviolence

What would a general strike in the US actually look like?

General strikes have been the final means to overcome tyrants around the world. What can be done to lay the groundwork for one in the US?

#generalstrike #directaction #workingclass #trump #MAGA #doge #fascism #antifascism

Today in Labor History April 10, 1919: Mexican troops ambushed and assassinated Emiliano Zapata, revolutionary indigenous and peasant leader. Zapata’s Rebel Army of the South played a major role in the overthrow of the dictator, Porfirio Diaz, defeating the federal army in the Battle of Cuautla in 1911. Also in 1911, Zapata began implementing the Plan de Ayala, redistributing land in the regions controlled by his army to peasant farmers. However, when former revolutionary Madero took over, he disavowed the Zapatistas, calling them simple bandits. He implemented a scorched earth policy, burning villages and imprisoning survivors in forced labor camps, in his quest to hunt down Zapata. Madero’s successor, Venustiano Carranza, continued his scorched earth policies and finally succeeded in killing Zapata in 1919. #workingclass #LaborHistory #mexico #Revolution #zapata #indigenous #rebel

Remember kids....

Speaking of fascism and deportations...

Today In Labor History April 8, 1864: The 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, banning chattel slavery. However, it permitted a continuation of wage slavery and the forced labor of convicts without pay. And on this date in 1911, 128 convict miners, mostly African-Americans jailed for minor offenses, were killed by a massive explosion at the Banner coalmine near Birmingham, Alabama. While the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, which occurred just two weeks earlier, elicited massive public attention and support for the plight of immigrant women working in sweatshop conditions, the Banner explosion garnered almost no public sympathy, probably due to racism and the fact that they were prisoners. #workingclass #LaborHistory #prison #prisonlabor #racism #coal #mine #immigrants #prisoner #slavelabor #slavery #workplacesafety #alabama #BlackMastadon #triangleshirtwaist #fire #explosion

Over 600 measles cased now and nearly 500 in Texas, alone. And another death, bringing the total deaths to 3, all in unvaccinated people. Meanwhile, 2 infants have died from pertussis (whooping cough), also on the rise due to antivax hysteria. 3 might not seem like a lot, except they were all preventable with the vax, which is one of the safest and most effective vaccines available, providing life time immunity to 97% of those who receive it. But this is likely only the tip of the iceberg. Likely far more than 600 cases. Likely more deaths to follow. And, if this outbreak continues into January, the WHO will likely take away the U.S. status as being a measles-free nation, putting us in the category as many poor countries in the global south. To those who feel vaccination is their choice, keep in mind that it's a choice they are imposing, nonconsensually, on millions of their neighbors who have no immunity through no fault of their own (eg infants aren't vaccinated until at least 12 mos; people on immune suppressing medications; people with immune supressing diseases). Also keep in mind that measles is so infectious that a single infected individual can infect up to 90% of the unvaccinated and immune compromised individuals they meet. And also keep in mind that even if it doesn't kill you, measles can erase your immune memory, making you much more susceptible to other deadly infections. It can also cause lifetime hearing impairment and potentially deadly brain damage that hits years after a measles infection.

CIDRAP

US measles total tops 600 cases, with almost 500 in Texas

#measles #antivax #vaccines #publichealth #cdc #ableism #pertussis