Here’s a pretty lengthy thread from Tanya Lewis (she/her), senior health and medicine editor at Scientific American and also host of a podcast about COVID-19. She reveals that after three years of covering (and almost constantly thinking about) COVID-19, she’s contracted the coronavirus. That sucks, but here is how she managed to go three years without catching it:
Well, it happened. After nearly three years of covering COVID and thinking about it almost constantly, it finally got me. But rather than focus on how I got it, I’m going to tell you how I *didn’t* get it for this long. [Thread]
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
From the moment we had evidence that COVID might be airborne, I wore a mask. But not just any mask—an N95 or well-fitted KN95. At first these were really hard to come by, but now it’s quite easy to find them. Here’s how you can find a good one: https://t.co/79DGaNpRfH
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
But we were told by Anthony Fauci not to wear masks.
I didn’t just wear it some of the time. I wore it anytime I was indoors in public, or even outdoors if I was in a crowd. I wore one in the hallway of my apartment building, even if there was no one else around, because aerosols can linger in the air for a while.
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
For the first year or two, I avoided spending time indoors in public as much as possible, with the exception of grocery stores or doctor’s offices. I avoided the subway for a while, although studies suggest trains weren’t the biggest vectors for spread. https://t.co/vPwxLG1jN0
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
I did get on planes a few times to visit a sick parent who needed my help. But from the moment I left my apartment to the moment I arrived, I didn’t take off my mask. I opened the windows in taxis. I didn’t eat or drink on the flights except to sip water while holding my breath.
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
Recommended
As soon as vaccines became available, I got mine. I’ve gotten every booster I could since then, including the new bivalent booster that targets Omicron. (Despite its effectiveness, only 14 percent of people in the U.S. have gotten one!) https://t.co/eeKRfoUgTR
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
Full disclosure: This editor gave up after one booster.
Because we know the coronavirus is airborne, I only ate at restaurants with outdoor seating (not a sealed-in "outdoor" shack). I bought portable air purifiers and a C02 monitor to measure ventilation levels at home. I opened windows.https://t.co/P3JQTSDTQU
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
If I was going to visit an elderly/immunocompromised family member, I took lots of tests. PCR tests before traveling, and rapid tests for several days after arriving. I avoided possible exposures for a week or more before traveling.
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
So how did I finally get it? I don’t know for sure, but I suspect it was from an office holiday gathering where most people were unmasked. I wore an N95 except for briefly taking bites or sips and avoided crowded areas, but I was in the building all day. And time = risk.
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
Life = risk.
At this point in the pandemic, with plentiful vaccines and antiviral treatments available, I decided it was worth taking some calculated risks to do things I enjoy. https://t.co/CQct9LZowf
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
Perhaps I was unlucky. But I see it differently. For nearly three years, I didn't get covid—or even a cold. Yes, I was privileged to be able to work from home and I don’t have small children, which were huge advantages. But getting sick doesn’t have to be inevitable.
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
So far, thankfully, I’ve had a fairly mild case. I am so grateful for access to great vaccines, good health care, and a job that lets me work remotely so I don’t infect others. I hope this thread has been helpful, and I wish everyone a happy—and healthy—holiday season.
— Tanya Lewis (@tanyalewis314) December 16, 2022
So basically she’s lived like late stage Howard Hughes for three years, I wore a mask indoors for a year, got vaxxed and boosted but otherwise lived a normal life. We’ve each gotten it once, within six months of each other. Draw your own lessons. https://t.co/H1ugXwnKPA
— Sean T at RCP is a free elf (@SeanTrende) December 17, 2022
This editor got COVID in June and took one sick day before it passed.
Sounds exhausting
— Kyle James (@SparkoPainter) December 17, 2022
Your experience doesn’t count unless you write a 37 tweet thread.
— Ben Recht (@beenwrekt) December 17, 2022
And there's a decent chance she had it and was just asymptomatic.
— Neil Stevens (@presjpolk) December 17, 2022
— Skydash (@SkydashV) December 17, 2022
I read your thread and it’s clear you participated in some risky behaviors (eating in public?!) Who knows how many people you put at risk. Shameful.
— 🫃🏼🇺🇦💉Hollaria Briden, Esq. (@HollyBriden) December 17, 2022
I stubbed my toe this morning. Hasn’t happened in 3 years – here’s how I did it (thread) 👇
— James T. Yoder (@JamesYoder) December 17, 2022
A qualifying factor for mental health disorders are obsessive thoughts regarding germs and fear of illness. I know this because it’s a question on every intake I do.
— Going Godward (@goinggodward) December 17, 2022
I can’t imagine changing my life completely for 3 years to eventually get the same result.
— options mafia not a guru (@optionsmafia1) December 17, 2022
Let me tell you how i still havent gotten covid after 3 years…
No mask, no vaccine. Just lived my life.
Easy peasy.
— ⚫️HGTP://BallZach.ltx/ads (@Spread_da_fiyah) December 17, 2022
Well, let me tell how I still *didn’t* get it after three years: I do heavy exercise constantly, get enough vitamin D and eat lots of nutritious food. I also make sure I live my life with no restrictions, and don’t even think about Covid.
— t.pereira (@HeavenlyManBR) December 17, 2022
I still haven't had it yet. I wear N95s and duct tape the edges. I was forced to go to my sister's wedding a couple months back so I used my scuba tank which gave me around 45 mins of air, just enough to see the ceremony. I hope you feel better soon.
— Satoshi Wolf 🦘 (@SatoshiWolf) December 17, 2022
This is satire, right?
— Andrew Summey (@andrewsummey) December 17, 2022
How many boosters had President Biden had before he contracted COVID-19? Then again, his mask usage was … inconsistent.
Good for Lewis for flying; that took guts.
***
Related:
Doctor shares must-read thread APOLOGIZING for being wrong about COVID lockdowns/ mandates and WOWhttps://t.co/GdVWb7IqJ3
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 13, 2022
Join the conversation as a VIP Member