The Sick Times

👴🏼 A large Long COVID review found mechanisms of “accelerated biological aging” 🦠 SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were found in 40% of people with Long COVID 🔬 A Long COVID treatment trial in Annals of Internal Medicine was recently retracted, and republished thesicktimes.org/2026/10/20/r...

October Slide is beter know, but the changing of seasons overall can affect folks with chronic illnesses. Personally it's the change that leads to Summer time that impacts me the most.

What a fun subject, she says, as her joints start aching & fatigue sets in 😑 More seriously, medical practitioners and caregivers need to be more aware of how the weather impacts people with ME, Long COVID, and many other illnesses. We don't understand the mechanisms yet, but it's happening!

Thank you to @thesicktimes.org for exploring the “October slide” in ME/CFS and Long COVID, featuring insights from occupational therapist @amymooney.bsky.social, BHC nurse practitioner Jennifer Bell, and people sharing their lived experiences.

Changing seasons affect many people with Long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis, and other chronic illnesses, but not all in the same way. Research has a long way to go before it can explain the phenomenon. thesicktimes.org/2026/10/20/t...

Moderate to high levels of COVID-19 spread persist through much of the U.S., as of mid-October. Meanwhile, flu spread is on the rise, especially in the West and South. Read @betsyladyzhets.bsky.social COVID-19 trends report: thesicktimes.org/2026/10/20/n...

"Organizers often say that they ask those who are sick to stay home — but this ignores the fact that many SARS-CoV-2 infections are asymptomatic and contribute to transmission. Masks are the best tool we have to prevent airborne infections... and any mask is better than no mask."

Whitney Fox argues that advocates, clinicians, and researchers must prioritize prevention and demonstrate the gravity of infection-associated chronic conditions like Long COVID by providing and wearing masks at public events. thesicktimes.org/2026/10/19/c...

i put in a comment in support of my siblings struggling with these illnesses

I made my own comment using the bullet points listed at the link.

@octoberk.bsky.social & @mileswgriffis.bsky.social spoke about the lack of Long COVID data & information in US prisons, which make the disease invisible in the system even though some experts estimate the rates of disease may be higher than the general population. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/29/i...

The CDC might take away a key data source on Long COVID and ME. You have until this Tuesday, October 20, to tell them why that would be a mistake. The advocacy group Solve ME has put together a script that people can use to leave a comment: solvecfs.org/cdc-me-cfs-l...

This week's Long COVID research updates from @mileswgriffis.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/10/13/r...

This week at The Sick Times: @khaoticaa.bsky.social interviewed 16 transgender people with Long COVID and surveyed dozens more, finding how neglect within healthcare and the queer community both contribute to the medical and social erasure of trans people. thesicktimes.org/2026/10/13/t...

This story was made possible through a fellowship from @transjournalists.org! Really grateful to their support for this vital reporting.

Journo request 🗞️: I'm looking to speak with California law experts (healthcare regulatory/admin law) about compliance on a #LongCOVID bill, AB 3119, and would be grateful to hear more expert perspectives 🙏 calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202...

Today @thesicktimes.org: Big feature by @khaoticaa.bsky.social exploring the immense challenges that trans people with Long COVID face in getting healthcare. "Neglect within healthcare and the queer community both contribute to the medical and social erasure of trans people."

Lynne Morioka shares how she created the mask-required, “outdoors first” Hearts and Minds Learning Community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. thesicktimes.org/2026/10/09/h...

"I founded the Hearts and Minds Learning Community (HMLC)...It’s a safer school designed to care for each other’s health and well-being and can act as a lifeline for families navigating chronic health challenges, including Long COVID, and striving to avoid illness." thesicktimes.org/2026/10/09/h...

"For families maneuvering the often isolating reality of living a COVID-cautious life, especially those living with a chronic illness like Long COVID, finding an educational environment that doesn’t jeopardize a child’s or family’s health can feel impossible." thesicktimes.org/2026/10/09/h...

Long Covid Superheroes showcases the bravery of asking for help, resting, and being compassionate with yourself and others. Read more from @heatherhogan.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/10/05/k...

Mask up, bring water and snacks and chargers, and don't forget to be mindful of your own safety needs. If you are disabled or chronically ill (or a caregiver), this article that I wrote for @thesicktimes.org is not necessarily about rapid response, but parts of it may be relevant.

This week's #LongCOVID research updates from @mileswgriffis.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/10/06/r...

Researchers, clinicians, and advocates gathered for the inaugural conference of the International Society for Long COVID and Post-Acute Infection Syndromes in the Netherlands in late August. Read more from @davetuller1.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/10/06/b...

“The best way to understand the biology of the disease is … to disrupt the pathways we think are at play to see what happens." @davetuller1.bsky.social reported on the recent ISLC-PAIS conference in Amsterdam, highlighting key points from the multi-day event. thesicktimes.org/2026/10/06/b...

Today @thesicktimes.org: @davetuller1.bsky.social recaps the recent ISLC-PAIS conference in Amsterdam, featuring clinical trial updates, talks on PEM, and more. thesicktimes.org/2026/10/06/b...

COVID-19 trends continue to diverge by region. The Northwest seems to be the latest hotspot, and Western states overall are seeing an early start to flu season. thesicktimes.org/2026/10/06/n...

"One study found that 10-20% of children with a history of COVID-19 develop Long COVID. The same study estimated nearly six million children have Long COVID in the U.S. as of 2024 and that it surpassed asthma as the most common chronic health problem in children." thesicktimes.org/2026/10/05/k...

"These Long COVID Superheroes may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they’re showing us a world where listening to your body, standing up for your needs, resting, and leaning on others is true bravery" 📝: @heatherhogan.bsky.social thesicktimes.org/2026/10/05/k...

Today @thesicktimes.org: @heatherhogan.bsky.social reviews a new comic book developed by children with Long COVID. "These superheroes showcase bravery by asking for help, resting, and being compassionate with themselves and others."

Newly knighted ME advocate Anil van der Zee discusses his royal honor with @davetuller1.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/10/02/a...

While there are no data sources on Long COVID in prison, experts suspect rates of the disease may be higher there than in the general population. They face high reinfection risks and poor access to medical care. Read more from @octoberk.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/09/29/i...

Really proud to publish this piece by @octoberk.bsky.social on Long COVID in prisons. "All those who spoke to @thesicktimes.org lacked Long COVID–informed medical care, but more than that, they lacked access to basic information about the disease." thesicktimes.org/2026/09/29/i...

"John Richard Green, who is imprisoned in Texas, wrote that, w/ Long COVID, his health is “more messed up than the floor of a New York cab...Now I am bedbound, sick, and all alone." Vital feature by @octoberk.bsky.social about the disease's invisibility in prison. thesicktimes.org/2026/09/29/i...

It would be so cool if you would take this survey! Instagram is right on your tail with their engagement in our survey, Bluesky! Come on now, don't let META beat you!!!!

We want to hear from you and understand how you engage with The Sick Times. Please take this quick survey to let us know what you think: www.surveymonkey.com/r/SS6ZH8S

Study: More evidence of reduced blood flow to the brain of people with Long COVID Analysis: The U.S. is ill-equipped to respond to LC and future mass disabling events Preprint: Assessed over 700 LC clinical trials and found that they emphasized treating symptoms thesicktimes.org/2026/09/22/r...

1,700 people have signed a petition asking for a pause and independent review of a Long COVID trial planning to test the Lighting Process, a pseudoscientific mind-body program that outside experts have heavily criticized. Read more from spichaksimon.bsky.social: thesicktimes.org/2026/09/22/p...

We need your help! Please take this quick survey and tell us how we’re doing. www.surveymonkey.com/r/SS6ZH8S

Congratulations @thesicktimes.org 🥳

"Disability activists warned for years that this would be the outcome of allowing COVID-19 to spread unmitigated. Now that it’s time to pay the piper, the state and its media allies are working desperately to sever the connection between COVID-19 and its consequences."

NEW ⭐: The Sick Times is listed as a finalist in NASW's Journalism Awards for our story on axed RECOVER grants for #LongCOVID. We're so proud of our small publication; Congrats to all the finalists and winners from ProPublica, NYT, the Guardian, Science, and others! www.nasw.org/2026Sciencei...