The Gauntlet

"Pluribus" captures the isolation of COVID-awareness in a COVID denialist world

For years I've described having Long COVID as living in a horror movie. Now that horror movie (well, prestige Apple TV show) is here.

Nov 10 • 

Julia Doubleday

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October 2025

Beyond all reason

Long COVID patients are constantly harangued about our requests for COVID safety. Yet what we're asking for is far less than what we're called on to do…

Oct 15 • 

Julia Doubleday

243

8

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When Will the Lion Concern Himself

Joking memes make light of the uncomfortable reality: everyone's got a little of that post-COVID brain damage these days

Oct 5 • 

Julia Doubleday

268

12

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September 2025

With RFK's Attacks on the COVID Vaccine It's Official: We Don't Have the Tools

RFK's moves to limit access to the COVID vaccine are the latest in a long line of moves that shrank- rather than expanded- the size of the so-called…

Sep 19 • 

Julia Doubleday

100

10

35

Long COVID stigma adds insult to injury

It's weird having an illness a lot of people simply don't believe in

Sep 2 • 

Julia Doubleday

108

15

20

August 2025

Homebound & down

It's been about a year since my Long COVID symptoms became so severe that I lost the ability to leave home. Psychologically, it's difficult.

Aug 6 • 

Julia Doubleday

82

12

12

July 2025

The Pandemic Has Been a Portal (for a few of us)

It's true that most people keep choosing "normalcy". But the COVID conscious community is showing us a radical new way forward, that centers care

Jul 22 • 

Julia Doubleday

319

12

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Long COVID patients among those likely to be targeted under new Medicaid work requirements

Long COVID patients already struggle to access SSI. Now, Trump's Medicaid work requirements could see chronically ill and disabled people without…

Jul 11 • 

Julia Doubleday

114

14

41

June 2025

A Pain in the Neck

On getting a Stellate Ganglion Block for my 39th birthday and resolving not to be one of the "good" disabled people

Jun 27 • 

Julia Doubleday

72

12

6

Long COVID is Now the Number One Chronic Illness in Children

Repeatedly mass infecting kids with COVID is not a public health strategy. It's a fast pass to declining population health

Jun 16 • 

Julia Doubleday

284

8

111

Common Misconceptions about COVID Hold Strong as New Variant Spreads

Media has the public talking about the "razor blade" COVID variant, but years of inaccurate public health messaging have taken their toll

Jun 5 • 

Julia Doubleday

299

18

86

May 2025

Republicans' New Vaccine Restrictions Codify a False Healthy/Unhealthy Dichotomy

Denying vaccine access to the "healthy" makes no sense, not least because anybody can become disabled by a single COVID infection

May 26

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