FACE OUR FEARS: COVID ISN’T OVER
It’s been five long, arduous years since COVID-19 rocked our worlds and upended our healthcare system. As someone who has taken the threat of this dangerous and deadly virus seriously from the beginning, I have been frustrated to see how quickly we have normalized mass death and waved our hands at those trying to mitigate this terrible virus as though we were pesky gnats flying in front of their faces.
I get it to a certain extent. While I no longer eat indoors at restaurants or attend concerts and large gatherings like I did in 2019, I’ve had to mourn what was. My whole job revolved around attending and writing about charitable events, parties and hotspots in Pittsburgh, PA. But once COVID hit, my beat was seemingly gone overnight.
I could have been angry about it. I could have denied what was happening. Instead, I pivoted. I found ways to work from home, reinvented myself as a journalist and media strategist and kept it moving in this “new normal.” But looking around, I realized that not everyone wanted to do that. It was easier to ignore the fact that COVID was reshaping our lives and the world as we knew it. Perhaps it was too painful. But five years into COVID, what have we learned?
Not much, unfortunately. According to Time Magazine, COVID-19 is one of the most lethal infectious disease outbreaks in human history, ranking only behind the 1918 Spanish Flu and the Bubonic Plague (not including the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic). As we see an uptick in measles, avian bird flu knocking on the door, RSV, the flu and norovirus hitting our communities hard, a return of tuberculosis and people contracting COVID six or more times; it is clear to see that the virus of misinformation has infected many of us, blinding us to the realities of where we are in this moment.
COVID has killed 7,090,763 people (that we know of) as of March 9, 2025 and has infected 777 million people or more as reported by the WHO. In the United States alone we have seen 103 million cases and more than 1.21 million people have died here. Unvaccinated people are 2.46 times more likely to die than those who are vaccinated against COVID.
Long-COVID has debilitated millions and devastated our economy and workforce as we know it.
NBC reports that Long COVID is known to cause over 200 different symptoms in nearly a dozen organ systems, including those of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, eyes and skin, but there’s no approved test for it or recommended treatment. Research shows long Covid is more common in middle-aged people, particularly women and those with weakened immune systems, but anyone who catches the virus can get it. The more times you contract COVID-19, the likelihood of Long-COVID increases.
A recent Yale-led study found that up to 14% of 3,500 Long COVID patients surveyed in the US had not returned to work three months after getting sick. (As of Dec. 2024, 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with Long COVID.) The research team also found that nearly one in 10 Long COVID patients suffered from five or more symptoms. These participants—which included young, previously healthy individuals—were twice as likely to be unable to return to work within three months compared to those without symptoms.
We know all of this. We know that COVID is not a cold. It’s not the flu. It’s not a respiratory disease. It’s a vascular disease. It moves stealthily through every body system, finding weak points and exploiting them. When it lingers, it causes great harm.
According to Yale Medical: David Cutler, an economist at Harvard who has been examining the economic impact of the pandemic, concludes a recent report thus: “The enormity of these costs implies that policies to address Long COVID are urgently needed. With costs this high, virtually any amount spent on Long COVID detection, treatment, and control would result in benefits far above what it costs.”
I have interviewed countless people with Long COVID and they have all shared the same thing: They feel forgotten. Invisible. Unworthy and uncared for. Many were told they were crazy or lying about their symptoms at first. We have abandoned our friends and neighbors because we are simply afraid to confront the harsh reality that in order to end this nightmare, we will have to invest in one another and work together. In this political climate, is that too steep a price?
REALITY CHECK: DEBUNK COVID-19 MYTHS
The spread of misinformation from the far right AND the far left around vaccines, masks and how COVID impacts the body has had many physicians, scientists and researchers spinning for the past five years. I’ve used my weekly KDKA radio show over the last 17 months as a place to share evidence-based research around COVID and how to prevent the spread of airborne diseases by engaging with the experts like Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, the Dean of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh as well as researchers who were on the ground from the beginning of this pandemic like Dr. Angelique Corthals, an infectious disease scientist.
Here are some myths we can put to rest:
If someone says, “ COVID is mild now.”
You say: According to the American Heart Association, COVID-19 may increase heart attack and stroke risk for years even for people who just tested positive but did not necessarily develop severe symptoms. The risk for cardiovascular events was twice as high and can do long-lasting damage in some individuals.
If someone says, “We need to get exposed so we can build up immunity to COVID.”
You say: This virus continues to mutate because people continue to be reinfected. The CDC states that unvaccinated people compared to vaccinated people are:
Five times more likely to test positive for COVID (10 times more likely vs. those who have been boosted)
Eight times more likely to be hospitalized as an adult (10-12 times in ages 12-64 years)
Fourteen times more likely to die from COVID (20 times more likely vs. those who have been boosted)
If someone says: “Masks don’t work in preventing COVID.”
You say: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing masks if you choose to, and in specific places and situations like crowded indoor spaces (grocery stores, airplanes, hospitals, etc.)
Respirators such as nonsurgical N95s give the most protection. KN95s and medical masks provide the next highest level of protection. Cloth masks provide less protection. (But are still better than nothing!)
We don’t have to live like this. We should not accept this as the “new normal.” It is not normal for people to contract a deadly and debilitating disease twice a year. It is not normal that a disease pummels your immune system so badly that it becomes easier to contract other viruses and illnesses all year long. It is long overdue that we clean the air in public indoor spaces like hospitals, schools, nursing homes, theaters, restaurants and public transit.
We should demand consistency from our public health officials in providing us with updated COVID-19 tests for free, KN-95 or N-95 masks for free and vaccines twice a year at no cost to anyone living in the United States. We must normalize mask-wearing. If someone says, “we can’t afford it,” trust me. We can’t afford NOT to do it.
We keep us safe.
Hiding from the realities of this devastating virus has only weakened trust in public health, opening the door for potentially worse pandemics like the avian bird flu. Measles making a comeback is not a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention at how we’ve dismantled our healthcare systems and strained what’s left to its breaking point.
It is time we invest in public health in a real and meaningful way so that we can flourish as a society. Taking care of each other and thinking about how we protect the most vulnerable is the only way we can protect ourselves. It will take all of us. Consider taking some steps to reduce your exposure to this virus. Nothing will change unless we do.
More on this topic throughout the month.
Until next time, take care of yourselves, and each other. In solidarity, Natalie
Did you like the latest Facts Over Fear newsletter? Please “like” and “share” as that encourages Substack to increase its reach. Thank you to all of my subscribers!
Please consider a paid subscription to help expand this work.
Share this post