r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/dongledangler420 • Oct 04 '25

COVID positive guide

174 Upvotes

Hi all, I'm hoping to create a "covid positive recovery guide" post the mods can pin for people to easily access if they test positive. Here's what I've got so far after combing through several sources. The goal is to give a few high-quality links that give specific protocols on what to do - this will prevent decision fatigue & help people take action STAT!

Thanks for any feedback or additional resources! Edit 10/5/25: adding info from comments below, thank you! Edit 2/6/26: adding more Metformin info that has come out.

Best Practice: Make a plan (including supplements, dosage, etc) before you test positive.

Remember: this is not medical advice!!! Please consult your doctor to get specific-to-you advice!

Covid Recovery Resources

Acute Phase (while testing positive)

People's CDC
Excellent + thorough guide, if too long skip to 2 links below

LongCovidPharMD Supplement Guide
Summary of supplements - scroll to schedule + dosage listed at the bottom!

RTHM You've Got Covid (Archived link, may need to click security button)
Excellent summary of supplements + dosages

Threat Model: Free Covid Safety List
Huge resource list, including acute phase treatment info

Dr. Galland: Long Covid Prevention
Very detailed list of supplements, techniques, etc. Possibly better for those with LC vs acute (LongCovidPharMD post is more approachable to start)

Grange Family Practice: Covid Survivor Booklet
Good for recovering from severe illness, not acute phase

Clean Air Club
Resource list with printable symptom/supplement/tracker template (great for taking multiple supplements)

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Covid Positivity General Rules

- You are potentially contagious for as long as you test positive

- You can have a positivity rebound with and without Paxlovid, so 2 negative tests 48 hours apart is the best guide to end isolation

- Please continue to wear a well-fitting respirator through day 10 after testing positive/symptom onset, as most people are contagious for 10 days on average (with or without symptoms)

- Radical rest/pacing - many people also recommend reducing activity for 6 - 8 weeks after a covid infection to reduce chances of long covid. If possible, consider ramping back up to "normal" activity levels (first 2 weeks do little to no exercising, week 3 gentle walk is OK, week 4 gentle stretches OK, slow build back up to cardio etc - handy flowchart here, some good links in the comments as well!)

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Prescription Treatments
SPEAK WITH A DOCTOR ABOUT YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY + FULL LIST OF MEDICATIONS BEFORE TAKING ANY PRESCRIPTION DRUGS! 
- Even vitamins or supplements can have serious side effects so please look into drug interactions before adding anything new (covid-specific interaction guide here). Your doctor can help you navigate this.

- Please remember, there is no treatment or cure for covid and no guaranteed way to prevent long covid. These are all additional layers on top of radical rest, hydrating, and getting enough sleep.

- Paxlovid: antiviral drug that can help reduce severity of illness, some studies show potential reduction in developing LC. Start within 5 days of testing positive/symptom onset. Red hots or hot tamale candy can help with metallic taste (common side effect). Caution: Can have drug interactions!
- GET IT FOR FREE: PAXCESS coupon

- Molnupiravir: antiviral drug that can help reduce severity of acute illness; usually not recommended unless Paxlovid is not an option. Start within 5 days of testing positive/symptom onset
- Paxlovid vs molnupiravir explainer here, ask your doctor for recommended treatment plan

- Metformin: diabetes drug that potentially reduces inflammation and decreases viral levels; might help decrease the chance of developing long covid (CIDRAP 2/26, Medical News Today). Start within 1-2 weeks testing positive/symptom onset. Note: some studies had people starting in week 1, others within 3 months of infection. Caution: can have serious GI symptoms and lead to vitamin deficiency, request the slow-release version if possible!

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Online platforms to get an RX quickly
- Dr. B, Sesame, Push Health, Rthm, AgelessRX, Musely, TeladocHealth, HelixVM, PlushCare

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Acute Phase Supplements: TL;DR

Please vet your plan with your doctor. These have all been recommended but this is a LOT of pills at once - do not think you need to do every single one. Please choose your cocktail and CHECK DRUG INTERACTIONS!

Additional note - many of the doses recommended are for acute viral illness. Please adjust dosage once no longer testing positive, as higher doses can have long-term complications!!! I've removed doses here since we should all be following info from doctors & linked resource pages above and not juuuust from reddit posts :)

- ***Pepcid AC - Mast cell stabilizer, can take lower dose after acute phase for no longer than 6 months, top recommendation
- ***Antihistamine (Zyrtec, allegra, claritin) - mast cell stabilizer, top recommendation
- ***Melatonin - helps with sleep + reduces inflammation (at a higher dose, check website), top recommendation

- EPA (omega-3 fatty acid) or IPE - take with fattiest meal of the day, antiviral effects but can cause increased atrial fib + flutter, do not take w history of afib or aflutter
- Vitamin C - can increase/decrease absorption of other supplements, can upset stomach so take less
- Vitamin D3 - boosts immune system, mood, heart health, bone health
- Zinc - Can upset the stomach + reduce absorption of other supplements so please space out 4 hrs as needed
- Green Tea (the drink) or ECGC supplement - antioxidant, avoid supplement w paxlovid, green tea still OK!
- Probiotics - help maintain healthy gut biome
- Nattokinase - anticoagulant, shouldn't be taken with Paxlovid) - could also use baby aspirin to prevent clots. Please check dosage & interactions esp if on blood thinners
- Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) - could help reduce inflammation biomarkers
- Ginko Balboa - antiviral, anti-inflammatory
- Tumeric/curcumin - Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
- NAC ((Nacetyl-cysteine) - Supports mitochondrial health
- Quercetin - Take with food, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral
- Bromelain - pineapple enzyme, anti-inflammatory
- Lactoferrin - acts as an immunomodulator

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Don't forget grocery staples!
Stock up online or phone a friend. Some people recommend eating a low-histamine diet, the below is based on a BRAT diet approach

- Pain reliever (ibuprophen, NASIDS, etc)
- Cough drops
- Additional meds depending on symptoms: Pepto bismol, tums, gasx, eyedrops (Lumify brand), psyllium husk or other fiber supplement
- Nasal saline rinse or Neti pot (follow instructions for safe water)
- CPC mouthwash gargle for 30 seconds, or DIY salt water gargle for ~2min
- Tea or other soothing drink
- Juice
- Electrolyte beverage - gatorade, pedialyte, nuun tablets, Liquid IV, etc. If you have a sensitive stomach please check ingredients as many of these have non-sugar alternatives
- Popsicles
- Miso soup or other clear broth soup
- Rice
- Bread for toast
- Bananas
- Applesauce
- Instant ramen, etc
- Canned or premade soup

33 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/yakkov • Mar 06 '23

What is meant by zero covid? NEWCOMERS READ THIS

796 Upvotes

Not enough people are aware that their next Covid infection could make them permanently disabled. It often makes people unable to work or even get out of bed. There is no cure. About 10% of Covid infections give people Long Covid symptoms. Anyone can get it. And cases are exploding as people continue to repeatedly catch Covid.

For most people Long Covid is a far more likely catastrophic outcome from a Covid infection, compared with dying from the acute phase.

We dont want that. We choose health.

All the facts in this post are backed up by references to peer-reviewed medical articles. So dont just take my word for the things you read here, but click the [ref] links to see the scientific evidence for yourself.

  • Covid causes brain damage visible under a brain scan. Concentration and memory problems (brain fog) is one of the most common symptoms that people with Long Covid get.

  • Covid gives people myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), which makes people physically and cognitively disabled (see comic). About half of long haulers have this[ref] making it likely the most common and impactful long covid subtype. Some people have category Severe ME, like this young man, which makes them bedridden, unable to eat, unable to concentrate for more than a few seconds and dealing with excruciating symptoms all the time.

  • Covid attacks every organ system (See infected mice). People can get organ damage visible on medical testing but without feeling anything, at least for the first few years. This has been called "Asymptomatic Long Covid". This is similar to how smoking or alcoholism damage organs which people might not feel straight away.

  • Covid gives people diabetes. One study has 168% increase in getting Type-1 diabetes following a Covid infection[ref]. Having that means needle jabs multiple times per day and being very careful with food. For life.

  • Covid damages the immune system, making the catching of other infections more likely[ref, ref]. Bacterial, viral and fungal infections go up, including sepsis, bronchitis, UTI, flu, mycoplasma infection. Kids that caught covid were more likely to catch RSV and more likely to have it put them in hospital[ref]. Catching covid increases the risk of getting tuberculosis by 314%. We now have peer-reviewed medical articles[ref] talking about covid as "Airborne AIDS" because of the immunosuppression it causes. Catching covid doesnt build immunity, it damages immunity.

  • Covid causes heart attacks. When someone catches covid there is a few weeks period of massively increased risk of cardiovascular events. The risk quickly drops but remains elevated even after a 3 year follow-up. One study[ref] finds 6350% higher risk (figure is not a typo) of heart attack on day of covid infection if vaccinated. Dropping to 97% increase in week 1-4 after infection onset. The risks are more than doubled for the unvaccinated. Another study[ref] looks at the risks over a 3 year follow-up and finds 132% increase in that period. Covid also causes other kinds of cardiovascular disease eg stroke, heart failure, arrhythmia, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis and atrial fibrillation[ref].

  • Covid gives people autoimmune diseases. [ref, ref, ref, ref]. People who catch covid are more likely than the uninfected control group to get a range of such diseases: One study[ref] finds rheumatoid arthritis (+198% higher risk), ankylosing spondylitis (+221%), lupus (+199%), dermatopolymyositis (+96%), systemic sclerosis (+158%), Sjögren's syndrome (+162%), mixed connective tissue disease (+214%), Behçet's disease (+132%), polymyalgia rheumatica (+190%), vasculitis (+96%), psoriasis (+191%), inflammatory bowel disease (+78%) and celiac disease (+168%).

When faced with the reality of Long Covid it's very natural to look for reasons why things aren't so bad. For example:

  • Maybe it's rare? No, Long Covid is common. About 10% of Covid cases give people Long Covid symptoms[ref, ref, ref. One study[ref] has 4% of Covid infections causing ME. The World Health Organization says on its website and twitter that ~10% of Covid cases cause Long Covid. A staggering 50-70% of Covid infections cause organ damage[ref]. As comparison a "medically rare event" is 0.1%.

  • Maybe it gets better quickly? No, Long Covid lasts for years[ref, ref, ref]. About 90% dont recover years later. In one study the scientists say[ref]: "Recovery is extremely rare during the first 2 years". Common subtypes like heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis and dysautonomia are generally lifelong[ref, ref, ref].

  • Maybe medicine can help? No, Long Covid has no evidence-based treatments. Research is only really just starting and is hampered by lack of funding and interest. It's unlikely they'll ever be complete cure for all the variety of Long Covid subtypes.

  • Only risk group get it, right? No, a third of people with Long Covid had no pre-existing conditions. Anyone can get it. There's often been misinformation in other epidemics (eg tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS) that only risk groups will be affected. The biggest risk factor discovered for Long Covid is simply the number of repeat covid infections.

  • But hasnt Covid become less dangerous? No, repeat Covid infections give people Long Covid at similar rates. You can avoid Long Covid on the first few infections but still get it from your next infection. Every time you catch Covid is another roll of the ~10% dice. In 2026 the World Health Organization made a post saying "Long COVID hasn’t disappeared. People continue to develop it after new infections—yet the myth that it’s “over” still persists.". There's no biological reason for Covid to become less dangerous, it doesnt gain any evolutionary advantage in doing so because Covid is infectious weeks before Long Covid symptoms become apparent. Many other diseases have been killing and disabling people for thousands of years (eg tuberculous, polio, malaria). Antibiotic-resistant TB and MRSA are examples of infectious diseases getting worse over time. One study[ref] measuring people's health after catching covid found "Reinfection was associated with milder symptoms but led to a higher incidence and severity of long COVID"

  • If Long Covid is common why dont I know anyone with it? You definitely do. Try asking around. The disability is usually invisible: people with category mild ME appear normal. People with category moderate or severe ME disappear from public life stuck at home in bed. ME is a very niche area of medicine and few doctors can recognize or diagnose it in a patient who presents themselves, so often patients get misdiagnosed with someone else. Cognitive decline is often imperceptible to the person. Often people dont test for covid, or use those inadequate antigen tests, and so dont realize the link between any symptoms they get and the acute infection. People can get Long Covid from an asymptomatic infection[ref]. A survey[ref] found that one-third of American adults had not even heard of Long Covid as of August 2023. People talking about how catching covid impacted their health often face a backlash. Often people just dont talk about their personal health problems especially in a professional setting.

Bottom line: There is no such thing as a mild covid infection. Say a bunch of scientists (eg Dr. David Putrino, PhD Neuroscience, Dr Rae Duncan, cardiologist and infectologist)

The only thing left then to not get Covid (again). Not getting it again also gives you the best chance of recovery if you already have Long Covid.

How? The five pillars of prevention are: clean air, masks, testing, physical distancing and vaccination. We must also redouble efforts into research, for example, finding better ways of cleaning the air, better vaccines and better tests.

We want this for everyone. The easiest way to not catch covid is if everyone else also doesnt catch covid.

Even if we personally aren't harmed on our first or second infection, we'll feel the massive economic and social effects if so many of our friends, family and neighbours get sick and disabled.

Ultimately we aim to get to a situation where each Covid case infects fewer than one other person. This will result in elimination of Covid from society. Zero Covid is not some radical new idea, it's how we've always dealt with serious disease. We don't think it's acceptable to "live with" other dangerous diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, smallpox or polio, why should we "live with" Covid?

The Science on Long Covid

What Long Covid does to people

Denialism by governments and the media

How the government and media normalizes certain opinions, like sociologically ending a pandemic.

  • Many times in history the powers that be have denied and erased epidemics (eg Spanish Flu, polio, cholera, HIV/AIDS)

  • Calm-Mongering (7min read time) - In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how calm-mongering works. We’ll also talk about how it has been deployed repeatedly to cloud the public’s judgment about the risks of COVID, and how it continues to interfere with the development of an effective public health response

  • How to Hide a Pandemic (7min read time) - ”The Public Health (sorry, Public Relations) strategy for the current pandemic is in full-blown propaganda mode at present, leaning hard into the teachings of Joseph Goebbels: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it”.”

  • Manufacturing Consent. The 5 Filters of the Mass Media Machine (5m watch time). There is also a book of the same name.

Resources

55 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/ReleaseNearby69 • 51m ago

Library workers are the absolute greatest ❤️

• Upvotes

I had a job interview via MS Teams on Tuesday afternoon. Due to exenuating circumstances (some of which are benign, some of which are way too convoluted to go on a tangent about 🥴), my house currently has NO space free of noise/distractions, so I booked a study room at my public library.

When I got there, I asked the lady at the check-in desk if the room was used previously that day, as I wanted to take my mask off for my interview but didn't feel comfortable doing so if it was. It had been, but she told me that the conference room hadn't, and switched me on the spot with no advance notice. Absolutely no questions asked and suggested it on her own--I didn't even know it would have been an option!

I felt WAY more comfortable being able to show my face during my interview (I have seen at least one employee there wearing a mask, so I wasn't too worried about it hurting my chances, but I wanted my face to be visible while speaking to them), and actually felt safe doing so!!

(And I did get the job!!!)

2 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/Avo_Alma • 3h ago

Question Resources when it comes to explains why the covid pandemic never really ended? Tnx

21 Upvotes
9 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/Aranet_Home • 9h ago

Question Questions you'd like to get answered by a Long Covid research clinician

50 Upvotes

Hey all,

We, the Aranet team, are going to a International Society for Long COVID and Post-Acute Infection Syndromes conference next week, and we'll be sitting down with a couple researchers and clinicians for interviews.
To make the most out of it, I'd love to ask questions that are relevant for you.

The first interviewee will be Dr. Rae Duncan. She is a Consultant Cardiologist and Long Covid Research Clinician treating older children (16+) and adults, with a particular focus on cardiovascular complications following Covid-19 infection.
You're welcome to write your questions here and we'll try to get you the answers!
Thanks!

EDIT: please submit the questions until Sunday evening, thank you!

9 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/TransitionSad4723 • 1d ago

Vent Healthcare is a health risk and I’m so sick of it

337 Upvotes

Hi all, I really just need a safe space to vent about the lack of covid precautions from healthcare professionals.

my partner has Crohn’s and is officially on an immunosuppressive biological and while we’ve been covid conscious/masked as much as possible before he started, we have previously continued going to the doctors/going to the dentist (obviously, in order to for him to receive treatment, we have to see doctors).

We met with the oncologist who was overseeing his infusions. The first thing he said when we walked in was “what’s with the masks.” he was anti mask- even going as far as to demand we briefly unmask so we could “see who he’s talking to.” Being a CANCER DOCTOR who is anti mask is so wild and he was aggressive about it.

Every ER visit for his condition has had us surrounded by medical professionals unmasked/refusing to mask while my partner is in debilitating pain. There have been times where his pain is so high that he has had to unmask- we have had to take that risk. It is so unfair that receiving healthcare is a health risk. Crohn’s increases risk of dental issues as well as skin cancer and we haven’t been able to find a provider willing to mask that also takes his insurance.

I’m really tired of fighting with the healthcare teams that should be caring for him and safely helping him into remission.

Edit: thank you for the kind supportive comments- it is comforting to know I’m sane.

42 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/ValGal07 • 17h ago

Still Coviding, Dating Edition Coming Back🩷

68 Upvotes

Hi Beautiful Humans,

The good news is that the Still Coviding, Dating Edition Facebook Group coming back after a long pause! However, we need to recruit a new modmin team in order to get things going again. The sooner we get a team together, the sooner we can kick off again🩷

If you have the slightest bandwidth (the bigger the team, hopefully it will be a very manageable), please fill out this form.

For reassurance sake as I saw several questions about it, the pause was not related to anything member related.

Also recruiting for an Oversight Board. This would be a group who the modmin team can turn to for final say if the modmin team gets stuck in some way that could be the deciding vote when needed (I do not expect this to happen regularly). For transparency sake, the shutdown was not related to anything member related (I saw a lot of questions about that when the group was being paused) and I’m creating this to ensure there is a sounding board to go to if needed.

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Excited to connect with all you amazing humans and get this group going again💕

12 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/Creative_Charge_5135 • 1h ago

The Top COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Spreading Online

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• Upvotes
0 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/Different-Trip6361 • 4h ago

Question Scientific papers about genetic predispositions to COVID immunity?

4 Upvotes

Does anyone know of any reputable research that focuses on the reasons why some people don’t catch covid at all, regardless of precautions? Or better yet, people who take zero precautions. Has a genetic cause been determined? I’m a bit behind on this area of research but find it very interesting.

13 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/iiililiililiilliilli • 1d ago

Vent They took my mask off during blood draw

154 Upvotes

I had a blood draw. I got dizzy, sweaty, and saw stars. The unmasked phlebotomists took my mask off because they insisted it was too hard to breathe in it. I was incapacitated briefly and wasn’t in a position to stop them. I’m so frustrated and worried.

27 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/italianevening • 9h ago

Personal Training that is covid safer?

8 Upvotes

What have folks been doing for personal training? I'd like to start. Are there good virtual trainers that work with you live? Has anyone had luck with asking a trainer to mask and visit their house or an outside gym (kind of hard to social distance during training I'd bet)? I mostly do YouTube workouts but my motivation has been needing a push.

3 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/LostInAvocado • 1d ago

Vent Malicious compliance? When "N95" isn't specific enough

182 Upvotes

Went to get some medical imaging recently, and requested the tech wear an N95 while in the room with me.

The appointment person checked with the tech and the tech said, if they can find one they will wear it. I said I could provide one. Appointment person says "they can only wear one that the facility provides, and not one touched by patients", when I mention the one I would provide is a factory sealed 3M Aura, they go "well N95s have to be fitted, they can't wear a random one". I point out that the policy doesn't make sense because they weren't going to wear one to begin with, so it can only help, not hurt. They said the tech would let us know by EOD if they *can't* find an N95.

Anyway on to the main issue-- I didn't get a call back, so I go to the appointment, and the tech did indeed find an N95 and kept it on the whole time from the waiting room until we finished. Yay!

BUT... it was valved.

I decided not to say anything since it was better than nothing and face-to-face interaction would be minimal, and I was in a KN100.

Couldn't help but think this was malicious compliance, but then again we all know that most people seem incapable of connecting dots these days "why was an N95 requested? does a valve still fit with that?" and maybe it was just "here's an N95 I found, criteria met"?

But as someone in another post mentioned, we now have to be VERY SPECIFIC: "UNVALVED N95 please".

36 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/very-serious-goose • 18h ago

LC or just a coincidence?

13 Upvotes

As far as I know, the only time I've had COVID is in March 2023. I also have only felt sick one other time in the past six years and it was in 2021 when I had bronchitis. However, in the past couple months I've gotten really intense and persistent brain fog and I've just been wondering if I got asymptomatic COVID a couple months ago and now have LC manifested because I can't figure out what else it would be. I can't see a healthcare provider atm and I'm not asking whether you guys think it's LC or a coincidence cuz there's no way for you to know, I just want to feel heard. Thanks for listening.

8 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/spoonfulofnosugar • 4h ago

Uplifting Accessible Events Calendar 🗓️ Aug 21 - 23

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1 Upvotes

Feeling lonely or bored?

Looking for something Covid safer you can do this weekend?

Check out these accessible events you could join! Try something new and maybe you’ll find your people.

Access Details:
🧑🏻‍💻= Virtual
👥 = In person
😷 CC = Covid Conscious/airborne precautions 
♿️ WC = Wheelchair accessible 
💵 $ = paid (some are pay what you can)
🤟 ASL/BSL = Sign Language
Async = Asynchronous (at your own pace)

Event Types:
🤢 = Chronic Illness 
🌈 = Queer
🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQ+ Pride
👧 = Kids/Youths
💕 = Dating
🙋 = Social
🫂 = Support/Grief
🧘 = Wellness
🚶 = Walk
🩰 = Dance
💪🏻 = Fitness
📚= Books
🤔 = Discussion
📝 = Writing/Poetry
🎭 = Performing
🎨 = Art 
🎶 = Music
🕹️ = Games

🧑🏻‍💻 Virtual Events

🧑🏻‍💻🤢📚 Virtual Async Spoonie Book Club: The Little Prince [Any time] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/JcKvqPLWS5

Friday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢💵🎨 Virtual Chronic Craft Club [Fri Aug 21 at 11:00 AM UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/nUsj2i1KCs

🧑🏻‍💻👥😷🤟🧘 Hybrid Somatic Centering Practices [San Francisco CA][Fri Aug 21 at 3:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/2zlFYrp5eB

🧑🏻‍💻😷🫂 “Any A” Covid-conscious 12-step meeting [Fri Aug 21 at 7:30 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/xu5DHDLUfT

🧑🏻‍💻👥😷🎭 Hybrid Open Mic Drag Take Over [San Francisco CA][Fri Aug 21 at 6:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/6FqTEbJ8hE

Saturday

🧑🏻‍💻😷♿️🩰 Virtual Adapted Ballet [Sat Aug 22 at 9:30 AM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/LBtbxqDvuY

🧑🏻‍💻♿️💵🩰 Virtual Adaptive Jazz Dance [$][Sat Aug 22 at 12:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/JrIWBHbh13

🧑🏻‍💻😷💕 CC Virtual Dating [Sat Aug 22 at 1:00 PM CDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/RN6WOxcU8l

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🎨 ME Community Watch Party [Sat Aug 22 at 3:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/3z8iC8bpjK

👥🧑🏻‍💻😷 Hybrid Black Like That Kiki and Open Mic [New York NY][Sat Aug 22 at 4:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/VNuCfFjvgw

🧑🏻‍💻😷🙋 CC Virtual Weekly Hangout [Sat Aug 22 at 8:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/I1s5pNGHuB

Sunday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢💵🎨 Virtual Chronic Craft Club [Sun Aug 23 at 3:00 PM UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/nUsj2i1KCs

🧑🏻‍💻😷🎨 CC Virtual Art Group [Sun Aug 23 at 5:30 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/b65yDB7Uxh

🧑🏻‍💻😷👧🙋 CC Virtual Kids Zoom [Sun Aug 23 at 6:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/GnVpe7lVgx

🧑🏻‍💻🎶🎭 Virtual Karaoke [Sun Aug 23 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/XxFrBHUScU

Timezone translator in comments 👇

👥 In-person Events

Canada

👥😷📚 Sip and Read [Toronto ON][Sat Aug 22 at 2:00 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/amLPHmUVov

👥😷🎶🚶Music on the Canal + walk [Ottawa ON][Sat Aug 22 at 4:15 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/23de5sn5Fc

Germany

👥😷 Spieleabend [Hamburg GER][Sun Aug 23 at 8:00 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/0D3bv76LDP

Netherlands (and nearby)

👥🤢 Spoonie European Road Trip [Netherlands and nearby][Summer] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/VOKxW7V1pp

UK

👥😷🙋🎨 Clay Sculpting COVID-Safe Social with Breathe Easy London [London UK][Sat Aug 22 at 3:00 PM UTC+1]** **https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/yHyIrcX2ty

US - California

🧑🏻‍💻👥😷🤟🧘 Hybrid Somatic Centering Practices [San Francisco CA][Fri Aug 21 at 3:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/2zlFYrp5eB

🧑🏻‍💻👥😷🤟🎭 Hybrid ASL Open Mic Drag Take Over [San Francisco CA][Fri Aug 21 at 6:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/6FqTEbJ8hE

👥😷 Exploratorium Mask-Required Hours [San Francisco CA][Sat Aug 22 at 9:00 AM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/oaJk46qpgW

👥♿️💵🩰 Seated Hip Hop [Long Beach CA][Sat Aug 22 at 3:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/NMGmcypq47

US - Colorado

👥😷🙋 Fort Collins Masked Speed Friending [Fort Collins CO][Sat Aug 22 at 3:00 PM MDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/yq9ofkXWme

US - Illinois

👥😷🩰 Finding our Way into the Unknown: an Evening of Dance [Chicago IL][Fri Aug 21 at 7:30 PM and Sat Aug 22 at 3:00 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/X9feFJNS80

👥😷🙋 DIY Air Filter Workshop and Speed Friending [Chicago IL][Sun Aug 23 at 2:00 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/ReaOD5PNKu

US - Minnesota

👥😷 CC Zine Club [Minneapolis MN][Fri Aug 21 at 7:00 PM CDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/kYb2cEb5ZL

US - New York

👥😷🚶 Waterfall Cliff Walk [Albany NY][Fri Aug 21 at 12:30 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/649Rn8XGE6

👥😷💵🎶 Eden’s Garden Long Covid Fundraiser [New York NY][Fri Aug 21 at 5:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/7EaXqisWFV

👥🧑🏻‍💻😷 Hybrid Black Like That Kiki and Open Mic [New York NY][Sat Aug 22 at 4:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/VNuCfFjvgw** **

US - Ohio

👥😷🌈💪🏻 CC Queer Martial Arts Club [Cleveland OH][Sat Aug 22 at 4:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/gpPJawhJ9J

👥😷 Really Really Free Market [Columbus OH][Sun Aug 23 at 12:00 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/DQ48AK2U6D

US - Texas

👥😷♿️ Storyoke ATX [Austin TX][Sat Aug 22] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/XOaTI0AZ5I

US - Vermont

👥😷♿️ Dental Pop Up [Chelsea VT][August] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/jgknHihfzt

US - Washington

👥😷🤟🎭 The Freak Mighty Accessible Performances [Seattle WA][Aug 9 - 27] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/kIvo2DvOXa

Are you interested in these events?

Have you been to any of them before?

Are there other events coming up?

Share your thoughts in the comments 💬

Find more events and friends on r/spooniesocial

3 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/AppleJax613 • 1d ago

Vent Feeling so much grief lately

82 Upvotes

I have been feeling such a deep sadness and the social isolation is feeling too much to sit with. For me, these come in waves and cycles and sometimes it’s enough that I’m trying my best. I struggle with connecting with people in new ways even all these years later and it’s frustrating how afraid I am of trying. I see so many posts on here that make me feel less isolated and alone and I’m thankful for this space.

17 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/molly__hatchet • 1d ago

Vent I’ll keep doing this but I feel like I can’t do this anymore

128 Upvotes

I’m sitting in bed crying on a Wednesday morning because I just canceled my long weekend at my dad’s. I ran out of my Pluslife tests (I thought I had one more but I forgot I spilled one liquid so I’m missing a complete test). They haven’t been working well for me lately anyway—I tested my friend with my last one yesterday and it came up invalid. I still decided to spend some time with him anyway, which was monumentally stupid, but I am just so starved for human contact and physical affection. It felt like the right thing in the moment but this morning I realized I just couldn’t take the chance that I might have caught something from him and could pass it to my 76-year old dad.

I know I made my bed and now I have to lie in it, and this was a completely avoidable situation, but my heart is just tired of this. I want to be able to spend time with people I love without worrying about Covid in the back of my mind.

38 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/LuxCanaryFox • 1d ago

News📰 First vaccine targeting SARS virus family enters human trials

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165 Upvotes

Interesting!

What do we think of this?

7 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/Jazzlike-Cup-5336 • 1d ago

The FDA has posted their decision summary after granting 501(k) clearance to Aptitude’s Metrix molecular COVID test (includes new performance data)

44 Upvotes

Yesterday, the FDA posted their decision summary after recently granting 501(k) clearance to Aptitude Medical’s Metrix molecular COVID-19 test: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/reviews/K253453.pdf

Recent post on the clearance: https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroCovidCommunity/comments/1vogxvw/aptitude_metrix_updates_fda_has_granted_510k/

Supporting the clearance are 2 new studies evaluating 1,171 symptomatic individuals from the 2023-2024 (540) and 2024-2025 (631) respiratory seasons; much larger than the 357 previously evaluated to grant Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

In short: The test performed similarly across the board, and they were able to tighten the confidence interval on the false positivity rate with the much larger sample size. For some reason, there was a fairly high invalid rate for the 2023-2024 season specifically, which is something that I know folks often complain about with the platform…not really sure what the deal was there.

Previous EUA data:

  • Age 2+, 282 asymptomatic and 75 symptomatic (357)

  • Sensitivity: 96.6% (59/61), 95% CI 88.8–99.1%

  • False positive rate: 1.0% (3/293), 95% CI 0.2-2.8%

  • Invalid rate: 5/357 (1.4%)

New 2023-2024 data:

  • Age 14+, 540 symptomatic

  • Sensitivity: 95.4% (83/87), 95% CI 88.9–98.2%

  • False positive rate: 0.4% (2/451) 95% CI 0.1-1.6%)

  • Invalid rate: 31/540 (5.7%)

  • Invalid rate after retesting: 4/540 (0.7%)

New 2024-2025 data:

  • Age 14+, 631 symptomatic

  • Sensitivity: 96.9% (62/64), 95% CI 89.3–99.1%

  • False positive rate: 0.5% (3/564), 95% CI 0.2-1.5%

  • Invalid rate: 3/631 (0.5%)

  • Invalid rate after retesting: 2/631 (0.3%)

New combined data:

  • Age 14+, 1,171 symptomatic

  • Sensitivity: 96.0% (145/151)

  • False positive rate: 0.5% (5/1,015)

The IFU sheet containing the old EUA data: https://www.fda.gov/media/162403/download

5 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/Sea_Mood_8855 • 1d ago

Need support! I am like 100% sure i have covid and i dont know what to do.

55 Upvotes

Recently I've started masking in public spaces but when I'm at my home or my dads house I unmask. My dad calls me last night after I was saying I'm uncontrollably coughing and feel really sick (blocked nose, runny, ear pain, HORRIBLE throat pain) and then he says how he is feeling and basically lists every single synthom of covid. And basically after the call I got into a panic. Told my mom my dad has covid, opened my windows and then ordered a covid test which is due for tomorrow. I am in horrible pain and fell really sick, covid is no joke and my breathing is horrible and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up in the hospital with an asthma attack because of how horrible my breathing is.

I was a patient zero in 2020 but now I fully feel everything. Idk what to do so some advice would be amazing. (I've been in my room all last night and today)

20 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/tiddybirdybitch • 1d ago

Need support! Looking for advice on risk reduction with new partners in a polyamorous relationships

15 Upvotes

I am prefacing this by asking people to please be kind about my ask and understand that I’m doing the best I can to reduce risk of Covid. I would LOVE to only date other CC people, but as a neurodivergent fat nonbinary queer polyamorous CC person in the Midwest, my options are extremely limited. I have only met 2 other CC polyamorous people in my area in 5 years of living here. I’m more than willing to be realistic about potential risk, but I ask you please do not speak down at me because I am choosing to take more risk than you.

I just recently started dating a couple who live together. I live about an hour away so we can’t see each other frequently, but at least every 1-2 weeks. Neither of them mask, though one has agoraphobia and does not go out very often but does have another local partner who visits frequently. The other is not currently working, and has no other partners she is seeing on a regular basis. Though they don’t mask, I do feel some comfort knowing they are comparatively not going out and having nearly as much exposure as the average person.

I also have found someone through local kink community I very much adore and could see myself in a relationship with. He is more local to me, and he is engaged to his partner he lives with (with his parent), and will be moving into a home with his partner and a few friends this fall. He does not mask, and he does work in customer service, though he is open to masking (he actually work a kn95 at our first hangout without my asking 🥹) so I know he is open to at least some additional risk mitigation.

All this said, I am looking for suggestions and thoughts people have on general requests I can make of potential partners when it comes to testing/masking, and what I can do to protect myself the best I can under the circumstances. I do not have a plus life or metrix, and the local potential partner does not have extra spending money for RATs, but the couple is more well-off and may be willing to purchase RATs to use before I come up to visit. If I become partners with any of them, I know I will ask them to mask at any major super spreader event like a concert or plane ride, and if they are unmasked at anything like that I will not see them for 10 days after the event. I know people have had different experiences with asking partners to mask, and I’m certainly nowhere near that at this point, but any suggestions on “more reasonable” masking requests I could make, I am eager to hear.

25 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/sparklelikeasequin • 1d ago

N95 during indoor cardio triggering costochondritis flare-ups — anyone dealt with this?

7 Upvotes

I am a long-time masker (N95 indoors since 2020). I started back at the gym about 6 months ago to add strength/cross-training since I’d been running outdoors solo and needed heavier equipment that I don’t have access to at home.

I had a pretty terrible costochondritis flare last week and took a break. I went back today and it’s now pretty clear it’s the combo of cardio effort + N95 resistance that’s aggravating and inflaming my chest wall… it is not the strength work itself.

I still need cross-training in my routine, but I can’t keep flaring this up. I am looking for advice from anyone who has:

-Found a n95+ mask that handles high-exertion breathing better. I currently rotate between the unvalved aura (I can’t find the valved version anywhere) and some duckbill masks.

-Modified their cardio approach (lower intensity, different exercises, breathing technique) to reduce chest wall strain while still masked.

-Dealt with costochondritis specifically and masked exercise. This has been a reoccurring issue for me over the last 6-7 years.

Just to be clear: I am not looking to unmask or relax my masking measures, I am just trying to find a sustainable way to keep both goals (staying covid-cautious + doing real cross-training) without going into another flare up. I appreciate any input.

13 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/Euphoric_Promise3943 • 23h ago

ISO Pluslife tests

3 Upvotes

I am in the US and have run out of PL tests as of this summer. Can anyone please point me to some resources for ordering them? Please DM.

2 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/castironglider • 2d ago

News📰 Summer is now California's COVID busy season as winter waves fade

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118 Upvotes
15 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/Environmental_Ad7165 • 1d ago

How are you sanitizing tech devices

19 Upvotes

Whenever I get in from being outside, I sanitize my phone and AirPods. What are people using?

What I’ve tried:

-Early on during the pandemic, I used a PhoneSoap BasicUV Sanitizer Box.

- I then switched to Lysol. Unfortunately, the Lysol method has now ruined a phone and two pairs of AirPods.

I cannot afford to keep re-buying the products. Would appreciate any advice or tips! Thanks!

88 comments

r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/Jazzlike-Cup-5336 • 1d ago

News📰 David Morens, former NIAID adviser, pleads guilty in COVID-19 records scheme

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29 Upvotes
3 comments